This Week Suck's

[Mojo]

I haven't a clue as to why this week started out bad and has steadily gotten worse. Maybe I pissed off the Up-Shop God's.

I have been busting butt to stay on schedule and kick these orders out the door. I have customers getting ready to leave the State for the summer so these jobs have to get done. So I get myself motivated and head out to the Up-Shop and get busy. Then I hear the dogs barking. I stop everything I am doing and go to see what the commotion is all about. Its a customer who stopped by to talk to me about making some solar screens for his coach. Long story short his visit lasted so long that it went to noon so I ended up taking him to lunch. It blew almost my entire morning. I get back home, go back to the shop and the dogs start in again. I head back into the house and discover some friends who stopped by to see me. They visited a while and that ate up a few more hours.

Then my phone rings. I seen it was from Tampa and I had a customer down there so I answered it. This woman, who I assumed was an RV'ers wife started asking questions about what type of fabric I use, how do I make my slide toppers, do I have any fabric in stock, what type of thread, etc. etc. Near the end of the conversation she informs me she is an upholsterer and was doing a job for one of the dealers I work with. She said she got my card from someone and they advised them to call me. Can you believe that sh*t ? Can you imagine calling your competitor and asking for instructions on how to make slide toppers and wanting to buy fabric from them so you can steal a job from under them ? WTF........ needless to say it fried my ass to no end. Two days lagter and I am still pissed.

Yesterday I kicked out one order and got to the second for the day. I had to wait till the wife got home to help me feed a very long window awning into the machine. She does an awesome job of controlling the fabric while I sew. This was a wide awning so it had a center seam. I got 5 feet of it done and didn't realize it and part of the right hand portion of the fabric flopped underneath and I sewed it into the seam. I cut the thread out of it but it ruined the nice burgundy Sattler fabric with a 12 inch stitch line of nicely spaced holes. So I am going to have to cut off the seam, order more fabric and start over again.

Damn I hate weeks like this. It seems that whenever you are busy and need to kick orders out the door things go to hell in a hand basket. In the meantime I have a buddy who is a PI and I am giving her this woman's phone number to find out who she is and what shop she works for.

Chris

[kodydog]

Near the end of the conversation she informs me she is an upholsterer and was doing a job for one of the dealers I work with. She said she got my card from someone and they advised them to call me. Can you believe that sh*t ? Can you imagine calling your competitor and asking for instructions on how to make slide toppers and wanting to buy fabric from them so you can steal a job from under them ?
Chris

We have a wanna-be decorator in town we work for. Shes also a wanna-be upholsterer too and calls us when she can't figure something out. My wife screens my calls and tells her I'm not there. It used to piss us off but now we laugh about it. Poor thing can't afford a pro but can't do it herself either.

Some days its hard to get on a roll.

[Mojo]

I would have never gave her the information if I knew she was an upholsterer but I thought she was an RV'ers wife who was going to make the toppers herself. Every now and then I get e-mails from people who need help like this.

First time I have ever had an upholsterer contact me and to make it worse she is operating in my backyard and working with a dealer I work with. I cannot wait to see the owner of the dealer next month at an RV rally. I plan on telling him to start using qualified contractors. :)

What goes around comes around though. I send him alot of business and will now send it to the other dealer I work with. :)

I just thought it was unethical for her to contact me and tell me at the end of the conversation she is an upholsterer. Maybe I am over reacting. What do ya'll think ? Would you help someone and tell them how to make a product who was a direct competitor in your own backyard ?

Chris

[kodydog]

I think she should learn the same way you did. Read and Learn. She shouldn't waste your time. There is plenty of info out there.

Don't know if I would get to mad at the dealer. He has to keep his options open. I don't think he told her to call you. But she did get your number somehow. Hmmmm.

I'll be on the road all day today. Won't get one stitch of work done.

[lc]

I've had a do it yourselfer pick my brains too and I knew she was doing wotk for other people .,  I finally stopped answerng her calls.
I sympathize with you on this one Chris
., I just came upsairs for a much needed break . I have a set that has to be done today and delivered three hours away from here so they can have it on time for a party this weekend.
It was going to be no problem at first getting it finished on time but like you one thing after another .
I stopped answering the phone but it's the people that pop in / and with my shop they know I'm there,  all they  have to do is peek in the window....
I can work and yack with people at the same time but it breaks up concentration of the job...I don't know about anyone here but when I am sewing up semi detached backs it goes a muck when I get constant interuptions.

You know the the dwarfs sing Hi Ho Hi Ho

My version is I owe I owe
It's off to work I go.      wheres the musical notes on here ha ha

..hang in there Chris we sure can relate to these kind ok weeks.
I had better get back at it
chow fer now !!

[bobbin]

There is one of those that periodically calls the shop where I work, too.  She's a PITA, blabs on the 'phone, and the shows up because she just "doesn't get" and is a "visual learner".   Maybe she ought to consider an apprenticeship... .   ;)

Sometimes there are times when you really do need another person's perspective on how to do something that is really stumping you, but discretion should be used... either you are qualified to do the work, or you're not!  Calling someone "blind" and asking for instruction is really sort of "beyond the pale".   Besides, I think you actually learn more when you put in the "think time" to figure something out and fumble through the ritual on your own. 

[mike802]

Chris:  Things will pick up just keep a stiff upper lip!  The woman was way out of line and unfortunately not smart enough to let you keep thinking she might be a prospective customer.

I once had a woman who needed me to install a conv. top on her MG.  I told her the price, which I felt was fair and she told me  "you've got me by the balls and I dont even have any"  I told her I was sorry she felt that way, but I felt the price was fair.  A couple days go by and a body shop owner who I had a good relationship with shows up and wants to know it he could borrow my snap installation tool.   About a week goes by and I need my tool so I go down to the body shop and there is the woman's MG with a new top on it.  The snap tool was necessary for the installation, he apparently thought he would return the tool and I would never find out he stole a job from me and borrowed my tools to do it.  It has been at least 20 years and he still avoids me.

Whenever you are stressed because deadlines are starting to back up things always go wrong.  I try hard not to promise deadlines, sometimes it hard not to but I am getting better at it. 

[gene]

Sometimes people are intentionally being dishonest. Sometimes they just don't think about it. Sometimes they are just plain rude and inconsiderate.

I have contacted several upholsterers asking if they would be interested in doing some work for me when I get busy, and maybe vice verse. I always tell them up front that I am an upholsterer and where my studio is located.

I stopped in to a see a guy who advertises upholstery and wood refinishing. I was interested in knowing about his wood refinishing in case I get a customer who is looking for that work: I could send them to him or I could sub the work out to him. I told him up front that I was an upholsterer. He said he wasn't interested in talking to me. I now know not to send any of my customers to him.

gene

[Mojo]

I have no problem contacting Mike or June and asking for advice. They both know I do not do marine work and I no where close to their territory so I couldn't take a job of theirs. Paul lives just a few miles from me and if I had someone ask me to do their furniture I would refer them to him. I sure as hell wouldn't call him, get advice and then steal a job from him.

I just think this woman is bat sh*t crazy myself. She sure sounded like it. :)

Chris

[Mike]

i wouldnt like what she did calling you either, but the dealor must have had a reason to call them, did they cntact you first? or maybe there trying to get a cheaper rate? if not must have been somthing they needed i ewould get to upset theres enopught to go aroung you cant win them all. doug / creative canvas is my competition   but if i saw him at my neightbors house i be more " whats up?" with my neighbor not doug
so deose this mean i cant come up north of tampa and do RV's? :P

[Mojo]

Stick with boats Mike....:)

The dealer in question wanted me to drop my price so they could mark them up and make money off them. I told them I couldn't do it. The other dealer that I do a lot of work with accepts my price. Most customers come to me though, probably 90 % of them anyways, and then I refer them to a dealer. He may have heard that I am sending the vast majority of my customers to this other dealer but they are going there because of his rates. They charge twice as much to do the same exact work. I allow my customers to choose who they want.

Chris

[byhammerandhand]

You could have ended the call by saying you suspected something was up so 90% of what you said was true.  Then hang up.

Then my phone rings. I seen it was from Tampa and I had a customer down there so I answered it. This woman, who I assumed was an RV'ers wife started asking questions about what type of fabric I use, how do I make my slide toppers, do I have any fabric in stock, what type of thread, etc. etc. Near the end of the conversation she informs me she is an upholsterer and was doing a job for one of the dealers I work with. She said she got my card from someone and they advised them to call me. Can you believe that sh*t ?
Chris

[byhammerandhand]

We call this, "Coopetition"

Some people just don't realize how much business gets re-directed when they've burned a bridge like this.  I've seen the same designers are two or three different places over the last few years.

And Gene, I'm sorry.  Give me another chance.

Sometimes people are intentionally being dishonest. Sometimes they just don't think about it. Sometimes they are just plain rude and inconsiderate.

I have contacted several upholsterers asking if they would be interested in doing some work for me when I get busy, and maybe vice verse. I always tell them up front that I am an upholsterer and where my studio is located.

I stopped in to a see a guy who advertises upholstery and wood refinishing. I was interested in knowing about his wood refinishing in case I get a customer who is looking for that work: I could send them to him or I could sub the work out to him. I told him up front that I was an upholsterer. He said he wasn't interested in talking to me. I now know not to send any of my customers to him.

gene

[sofadoc]

I was going to start a new topic, but it kinda fits here.

I'm not an imposing figure by any stretch of the imagination. I was never confused for the class bully in school.
I don't remember ever shying away from a fight, but then I never let my mouth write a check that my butt couldn't cash either. Suffice to say, I don't anger easily.
But today, I was giving an estimate at a restaurant. While going around with the manager looking at the booths and taking notes, a man interrupts us. He hands the manager his card. He's an upholsterer, and he immediately launches into his sales pitch, and starts quoting prices for redoing all the seats. Even the manager was taken aback by his brazen rudeness.
With a raised voice, and a few mild expletives, I told him to "butt out". I suggested that he make an appointment (like I did), if he wanted to give the manager a quote.
The man (who was at least 6" taller and 50lbs. heavier than me) asked me if I would like to step outside and discuss the matter. I told him that I would be happy to accompany him outside, but we wouldn't be discussing anything.
The manager asked the man to leave, and informed him that he wasn't interested in getting a quote from him.
I expected that he would waiting for me when I finished my business and walked outside. He wasn't.

Whatever happened to professional courtesy? I would NEVER interrupt another upholeterer in the middle of giving a bid.

[kodydog]

Sofa that's unbelievable. The guy couldn't even wait for you to finish. What an ass.

I was driving around today and thought about this topic. We sent a customer to Boca Bargoons in Jacksonville  to buy fabric. We send a lot of customers there. Nice fabric at good prices. She told us one of the sales persons was also an upholsterer and he tried to talk her into using him. We've worked for this customer for over 10 years and have done nearly every thing in her house. Now shes ready to start over.

Just a warning to anyone sending customers to this business,

http://www.bocabargoons.com/

Another fabric store/upholsterer in Gainesville. 12 years ago I used to work for them. When the customer deals with the father and tells him their using Ladd Upholstery, he says their one of the best. When their dealing with the son he tries to talk them into using them. Last time I went to see them I brought 20 cardboard tubes and said these are all from customers I sent to you. The son acted very surprised.

It really burns my britches when you send cash paying customers to a business and they try to steal them.