Jennifer Buckner on tue 22 oct 02
At 01:11 PM 10/22/2002, Jonathan Kirken wrote:
>There is never any reason not to take a deposit on an order.
>........................ Next time I will remember to collect a
>deposit though, and maybe posting this will remind you all as well, and
>together we'll all stopped getting stiffed!!!! Heh heh.
Jonathan,
Even when the customer does give a deposit they sometimes renege on the
order. Several years ago a restaurant owner asked me to make some stained
glass candle holders for her tables. I asked for, and received, a 30%
deposit, this being somewhat more than the actual cost of the materials I
used. I tried for 6 months to deliver the finished items and was always
put off for unspecified reasons and in increasingly rude ways. I even
turned up for an arranged meeting, only to be told she'd left the
restaurant. Finally I wrote her a registered letter saying that she had 2
months to come to my studio, with cash or a money order, to pick the goods
up, and if she didn't come, she'd forfeit the deposit. She never turned
up. The restaurant closed very shortly thereafter.
All I can say is that, if she'd explained that they were in financial
straits and couldn't afford to complete the transaction, I probably would
have returned her money and sold the items elsewhere, but she chose to
string me along and lost her deposit. Some people make their lives more
difficult for themselves than they need to.
Jennifer
Jennifer G. Buckner jenniverre@earthlink.net
Jonathan Kirkendall on tue 22 oct 02
There is never any reason not to take a deposit on an order.
Last July, a customer who I knew called and said that friends had been so
complimentary about the mugs he had just bought from me that he wanted to
order a four place dinner set. I set to work, and was able to finish them
in my last firing before packing up and moving my studio. I sent him an
invoice and tried to make arrangements with him to pick it up (he works in
DC but lives about an hour out of town). I heard back: he'd love to pick
them up, he's so excited about it, but work is really busy now...I kept
getting emails from him...he'd love to come pick them up...how much did he
owe me again?...love to come get them...too busy today... I asked if I
could deliver them..."oh no, no reason for that, I'll come get them..."
About a month ago I realized that I had been stood up. Frustrated and angry
that I had been stood up by a regular customer, I decided to let go and move
on. Last week I heard back from him...so sorry, he'd been in Maine...family
emergency...he was so embarrassed...could he pick them up from me at work?
Yes, made arrangements to pick them up today...got my partner up to drive me
and the dinnerware into work at 6:30 this morning. "Oh! Today? Gosh...my
schedule...so busy, sorry...another time?"
Who knows why people do this. Next time I will remember to collect a
deposit though, and maybe posting this will remind you all as well, and
together we'll all stopped getting stiffed!!!! Heh heh.
Jonathan Kirkendall
Director of Social Services
Miriam's Kitchen
2401 Virginia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 452-1097
Walk for Miriam's! Check out the Help the Homeless Walkathon at
www.helpthehomelessdc.org. Write MRMKT as your designated agency code.
Don't hesitate, designate. UW/CFC #8130.
(202) 835-8376 fax
www.miriamskitchen.org
Rikki Gill on tue 22 oct 02
Hi Jonathan, I sympathise. What I do is to ask a deposit for anything not
in my usual style. A color I haven't worked with before, a style I don't
usually make on dinner plates. But if it is something I like to keep in
stock, and know I can sell to someone else, I don't bother.
Right now money is tight, at least here in California. Even people with
good jobs are holding on to their money, since none of us know what tomorrow
will bring. Don't show anger to your customer. He will probably buy it,
eventually, but if another opportunity to sell comes along, go for it.
Since he hasn't secured your ware with a deposit, and you have tried to
reach him, you are free to sell to another customer. Good luck, Rikki
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan Kirkendall"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2002 10:11 AM
Subject: Venting: Learning my lesson AGAIN
> There is never any reason not to take a deposit on an order.
>
> Last July, a customer who I knew called and said that friends had been so
> complimentary about the mugs he had just bought from me that he wanted to
> order a four place dinner set. I set to work, and was able to finish them
> in my last firing before packing up and moving my studio. I sent him an
> invoice and tried to make arrangements with him to pick it up (he works in
> DC but lives about an hour out of town). I heard back: he'd love to pick
> them up, he's so excited about it, but work is really busy now...I kept
> getting emails from him...he'd love to come pick them up...how much did he
> owe me again?...love to come get them...too busy today... I asked if I
> could deliver them..."oh no, no reason for that, I'll come get them..."
>
> About a month ago I realized that I had been stood up. Frustrated and
angry
> that I had been stood up by a regular customer, I decided to let go and
move
> on. Last week I heard back from him...so sorry, he'd been in
Maine...family
> emergency...he was so embarrassed...could he pick them up from me at work?
> Yes, made arrangements to pick them up today...got my partner up to drive
me
> and the dinnerware into work at 6:30 this morning. "Oh! Today?
Gosh...my
> schedule...so busy, sorry...another time?"
>
> Who knows why people do this. Next time I will remember to collect a
> deposit though, and maybe posting this will remind you all as well, and
> together we'll all stopped getting stiffed!!!! Heh heh.
>
> Jonathan Kirkendall
> Director of Social Services
> Miriam's Kitchen
> 2401 Virginia Avenue, NW
> Washington, DC 20037
> (202) 452-1097
>
> Walk for Miriam's! Check out the Help the Homeless Walkathon at
> www.helpthehomelessdc.org. Write MRMKT as your designated agency code.
>
> Don't hesitate, designate. UW/CFC #8130.
>
>
> (202) 835-8376 fax
> www.miriamskitchen.org
>
>
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foxpots on wed 23 oct 02
Dear Jonathan,
Speaking of a customer ordering and putting you off and off and off.
I made some nice pieces for a wonderful woman, used a glaze technique that I
don't ordinarily use, nor want in front of my patrons because I do not
intend for this to be part of my "palette". She was good for the money.
Unfortunately, after I called her to arrange her pick up of the pieces, she
was hit by a train. Now, I always get all my money up front. If they don't
want to pay up front, they can buy from another potter. This is just for my
retail. The wholesale accounts just have to be dealt with as it comes. I
do not do anything for wholesale, however, that I cannot sell to other
accounts or sell retail.
Jean Wadsworth Cochran
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