How is business in your areas?

[Mike8560]

Ya unlike hat say Pepys how did you dod that with the sh!t

[RandyOnR3]

I have had the same problem with my awnings and solar screens. What I had to do is sell quality. I took the largest awning company in the USA and found their weaknesses in their manufacturing process, fabrics they used and even the thread. I then built a marketing program from there and beat quality into my customers head.


Had the same problems with someone near hear.. they claimed they would only have to make two trips to the boat.. one to take measurements and one to install..
I would laugh about it saying they were better than Myself as I would normally make two or three trips for each pannel..
and if they wanted a tent dropped over they're boat, go to them, but if they wanted a custom fit, let us do the work..
I recently got my just reward as a customer came in to say that this other person had come aboard they're boat durring a get together, (seems they belong to the same Yacht Club),
they mentioned that we had done the interior and inclosure and were more than pleased........
so we've gotton to the point where we are taking jobs right out from under our compititions noses.........
just keep your quality and ride it out..
Its actually GOOD that there boat is so close to what you are doing........you can now use the other boat as a "we dont do work like that" and If they would be happy to accept that type of work, go down the street...

[jeepdoc]

Oh my :o  I would run and hide if I turned out work that that!!! I know the feeling I lost a job on a older mastercraft ski boat. nothing big a bucket a lounge and a rear bench he wanted all the pleats and a logo put in the seats i quoted a fair price for the job i thought. Oh I wish I had a camera im no pro but man what a job wrinkle city none of the pleats lined up looked so bad hope he didnt pay for it

then he asks how much to fix it told him Ill pass on that some people

[Mike8560]

Had the same problems with someone near hear.. they claimed they would only have to make two trips to the boat.. one to take measurements and one to install..
I would laugh about it saying they were better than Myself as I would normally make two or three trips for each pannel..

do you pattern each panel because you are I. The marina?
I wouldn't laugh and say your going to get a lousey job going this way
I used to have a shop on the water and large boats would come to my shop in the water.  I would pattern each part   The top then each window   I was on a large lake  and turned Down Work at the coast  because if thenway I worked.  After decicing to move to Florida I k ew I wouldn't have a shop
on the water and learned to pattern.  Here I will pattern the entire job in one shot build the canvas and install in one day

http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy102/Mike8560/Flybridge/100_0580.jpg
yes somtime I d got to fix. Somthing I don't like   But it can be done   One shop
on here even only patterns half the boat.   Normaly I'd say that's crazy I I would do it.  I will pattern half a boat it it's a mooring co er and all is symetrical  

[Peppy]

Ya unlike hat say Pepys how did you dod that with the sh!t

http://fsymbols.com/

One shop on here even only patterns half the boat.   Normaly I'd say that's crazy I I would do it.  I will pattern half a boat it it's a mooring co er and all is symetrical 

Aww... live a little Mike, don't let fear or common sense hold you back!

[Mike8560]

Aid I'd do it

[ajlelectronics]

I suppose it depends on the type of work. In our business, we lose work to the "white van man" because people are not prepared to ask what they are getting for their money. They will not listen when you try to explain it to them either. All most people seem interested in is "How cheap is it?". Once the job is done, however badly, the work is lost as with digital TV, the mankiest job will work most of the time. These cut throat artists also reduce the apparent value of the job as customers expect to pay these uneconomic prices as a norm.

We have always worked on the basis that we do a job to the minimum standards I would expect in my own home. To do less would turn us into a tin pot cowboy outfit in my opinion.

Work is very slow, something like 10-25% of our normal work coming in and I have laid off two engineers as a result. I think another one will be going too tragically. The only businesses doing anything in our area are the supermarkets. Everyone else seems to be kicking their heels.  Our City centre looks like a ghost town, boarded up shops and the ones that ARE open are charity outlets. The City council are at war with the motorist and do their utmost to deter cars from getting anywhere near the shops, with no go areas and penal parking charges. We also have roads like roller coasters, they call it "traffic calming".

[JuneC]

Oh good grief, Eric...  Don't ever lower your quality to that level just to compete on price.  You don't want those penny-pinchers for customers anyway - take my word for it.  Stick to your guns, do good work, and those willing to pay the price for good-looking canvas will seek you out.  Now, having said that, some of my early projects didn't look much better   :-[   But I re-did them and reworked the project till I was satisfied, regardless of how long it took. 

Just lost a nice job yesterday making new coaming pads for a center-console based entirely on price.  I just told the customer that I couldn't produce them for the competitive quoted price and I hope they did good work for him.  I'd love to know who quoted $1100 for 32 linear feet of 9" coaming pads from scratch (1/2" foam board including heat-bent corners and irregular lines (not squarely rectangular), all new foam with bull-nosed edges and, of course, the upholstery.  I had quoted $1800 or so I think - don't remember exactly at the moment.  Anyhoo, I was not upset to lose it as I'm BUSY.  Business is good in S. Florida.  I've been turning away work. 

June