Just to comment that my business has experienced a significant increase in damages to:
a. Auto interiors
b. Furniture upholstery
c. Recreational (misc.) seating such as 4-wheelers
d. Marine - while not as much
Is this anything new is one question, another is - pets getting larger?
Five jobs recently of this category (no doubt there is more than what I get?).
Doyle
News this week:
Pet ownership in the U.S. has more than tripled from the 1970s, when approximately 67 million households had pets, to 2012, when there were 164 million owned pets.
In other words, in 2012, 62 percent of American households included at least one pet.
Pet damage from cats nails on fabric or dogs chewing wood legs is almost always a guaranteed job. Folks won't blame the animal, and not really concerned with cost as long as stuff gets back to the way it was -
maybe pressure from a spouse or they're not willing to admit their pet was bad -
SA
One dog. 4 cats (one pretty new one, mature and "scratching" to carve out "territory").
I'm not surprised at the increase, Doyle. I believe this is what's called, "a growth sector". ;) Capitalize on it, dude!
I inherited a wing chair and matching ottoman from my late aunt. It was "mint" when it arrived here. 10 yrs. later the cats have recently "had their way with it" and it's in tatters. It was looking pretty dated upon arrival, but the cats have definitely hastened the need for an "intervention".
I've had a harder time with cat damage than dog damage, personally.
I'm not really noticing any kind of significant increase in pet damage.
I assumed it was because there is so-o-o-o much cheap furniture in people's homes nowadays, that by the time the kitty or pooch have their way with it............it's time to chunk it anyway.
I mean..........what's the point of having the pet damage fixed when the rest of the couch has been flattened by a family of 300 lb'ers?
I do my fair share of pet repair. But not really seeing a spike.
Excellent point, Sofa.! I hadn't considered the "cheap furniture" aspect because I'm more dialed in to nice quality (old) and "sentimental" (=old).
Couldn't help but bring Doyle's thread back up.
I finished a pair of these swivel rockers 3 weeks ago.
(https://forum.upholster.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1179.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx386%2FEdwinNorthuis%2Fth_Stripedswivelch900x885.jpg&hash=0203382dde79616b289b24b5b445ed7c) (http://s1179.photobucket.com/user/EdwinNorthuis/media/Stripedswivelch900x885.jpg.html)
Last week the owner calls and says, we have a problem. I thought "oh boy." Then she says her dachshund lost his toy under one of the chairs and before they realized what was going on this happened,
(https://forum.upholster.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1179.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx386%2FEdwinNorthuis%2Fth_stripedswivelchairrip.jpg&hash=3b543364132d7c88fdcc449f3d053a23) (http://s1179.photobucket.com/user/EdwinNorthuis/media/stripedswivelchairrip.jpg.html)
It could have been a simple in home repair if I could have simply streeeeeetched the fabric a little under the edge to hide the tear. But it was too high up. The whole outside arm had to be replaced. So we had to pick it up and fix it in the shop.
And here's where customer service comes in. Even though we're booked two months out, we picked it up that Saturday and had it back the following week.
Gotta love those little wiener dogs.
Nice nod to customer service, Kody. I really like that chair, is it an older piece or a more "recent copy"? (That must have been one very frustrated little Wiener Dog and I bet he'd have kept at it if he'd been alone. I think a lot of people forget that they were bred to pursue and kill vermin in tunnels!)
Pets, kids, deliverymen, and Chinese factory workers that were farmers last month -- keystones of my business.