Why do they all wait!

[JDUpholstery]

 So boating season is almost upon us, and I can tell, just finished my 3rd boat for this year, I have 2 boats in the shop right now, 3 on the calender for next month, and have appointments to quote 4 more on Monday...of course they all want the boats done by Memorial Day...why cant boat owners get this work done over the winter...I only had a couple during the off season to work on, if they would just beat the rush by getting it done off season!

All complaining aside, I am glad business is this good, but jeeze, it can get overwhelming when you have so many to do

[baileyuph]

Yes, it can tighten things up JD, I have done a few boat interiors but expect the real surge anytime.  I use price to govern the traffic flow.  There aren't as many shops doing that kind of work anymore, I guess is just too hard of work?  

I ask some to just leave a couple seats while they are gone and just go and come back for the rest.  Works for some.

Doyle

[Mike]

I had the same thing for years in NE try to book interiors over winter vut everyone was done boating and forgot it kids with football christmass ect then comes spring " oh ya the bpat needs work right not so we can use it "

here I get a few in the fall then they slack off over the holidays then now gets bustier with f=deadline npow for april when there leaving for the north , then a steady slow pace ovwer summer

[Rich]

I used to get the same thing when I had my shop in NY, first warm days and everyone wanted it done yesterday.
Here's an idea that probably won't interest most folks, but it might bring in just a few. Advertise that you offer a hefty discount for boat work from January to March 15th. It may help pay the bills!
Rich

[JDUpholstery]

Thats not a bad idea, but I would think advertising a discount from October 1 through February 1 would be more my liking...February/March is when things start picking up for me boat wise, I think I may try that at the end of this boat season, do a mas mailer advertising special...send it out in late august before everyone has the boat stored

[Mike]

that's what I did rich couldn't get them in mid winter but I ran a 20% sale for march to get them to dig the bot out of the snow in there yard. said it was a supplier promotion I matched ect. it would get a few early in march rater then them waiting till april.

[Eric]

Have the same problem. Tried the discount. 1 problem, I will quote the job in late fall with discount, they will still wait till late March, and expect discount.
Eric

[Mike]

I only did it for work i could do in march or sign and order material april it was done. Ut i did sit around in march doing nothing. Ome april. Opening of salmon season
Work was comming in. Plus i had a baitshop so that helped.

[byhammerandhand]

Quote the full price and show a line item that reads something like:
20% off-season discount if work completed by January 31.

Have the same problem. Tried the discount. 1 problem, I will quote the job in late fall with discount, they will still wait till late March, and expect discount.
Eric

But wait! There's more.   Order in the next 15 minutes and well send a second one free; two for only $19.99    Just pay separate shipping and handling.

[baileyuph]

Seems more and more are shopping the net for complete seats that they install and done.  The prices mentioned seem very low, anyone seen many of these offered through the internet?

Doyle

[Mike]

Doyle even before the net there were catalouges. Overtons ect. If i had a cheap  ustomer i told them they can buy a set of back to backs alot cheaper then i could cover there old
Bases then make the rest of the boat match

[JDUpholstery]

good quality premade seats run pretty comparable to a recover price, but the cheap seats blow my price away....however the cheap seats do not last, had a customer over the summer who just bought a full pontoon worth of seats and bases for like 1200 bucks, the were not even used a full season and I was already repairing them....I do not even believe they used marine grade vinyl in the construction...the entire set was having vinyl failures at the seams...and factory used T50 staples to boot

[Mojo]

Believe it or not I run into the same problem with coach owners. This is a horrible time of year for me and the busiest season for me. Most of my customers own the higher end coaches ( diesels ) and winter in warm climates.

I stay busy during the winter with constant orders but when March hits all hell breaks loose. They are starting to get ready to head North and many will park their buses for the summer. So they want their toppers and awnings all done before they leave. I am booked solid till the end of April sewing 6 days a week and more orders are coming in everyday. So I am reverting to my spring hours - 7 days a week.

I have orders going out next week to CA, NM, TX and of course FL. Why they sit around all winter and stare at their toppers and then wait till they are ready to leave is beyond me. Maybe they are busy partying.

I am going to be doing some research on some incentives to see if I can find a way to spread some of this work out. I am getting to dang old to sew 7 days a week. The biggest problem I have with incentives is that my customers are all from two associations. They know one another in most cases and I am really afraid of upsetting my customer base if they get to talking to one another.

Chris

[Mike]

My bigest problem is dadline at the end of the season waiting.
Ive got this one its a duel console proline i think. 22'ish. Bow cover and co klit over the window. Patterned and cit on a lift.  Had to be done by april. So i was planning to finnish my sork last week and pattern it friday no problem i had all the next week to make it  
I get a call thursday morning from his and i sAY hi im. Comming  over friday.
Well he was calling to say he was taking the boat in for repairs to the steering. And should hopefully have it back somtime monday. So now friday Nd all weekend is out working on it i say. All me as soon as you know it will be back i may hVe time monday 1/2 a day anayway.
Sheese now he takes it in now 3 weekd Go when he gave me a deadline.   Og well i worked on my fishing boat this weekend.

[Rich]

My wife and I brought two of our Grandchildren to a local circus ysterday. Many in line, like us were grumbling about the ticket prices. Here's how it went. My Wife's a pre-school teacher and she received a stack of coupons to give out to the kids for a free child's ticket. The coupon showed the regular ticket price at the top-$7.99. OK, so most folks, like us thought that the adults would get in for regular price 2x$8.00=$16.00 for a time at the circus, not bad right? But noooo, when we got there, we saw the sign "Adult tickets-$28.00 each. Now it's $56.00 to get in AND, once inside, of course you find $8.00 + popcorn, $10.00 and up souvenirs ($10.00 for the tiny ones, the big ones, the ones the kids will really want are more like $12 and $15,.00), a big inflatable slide that, you guessed it, required tickets to use (I didn't even check the price on that). So what's the point? These people have attended the "Underhanded Marketer's Guide to Increased Sales Seminar" for sure and are using every trick they recommended to full advantage, BUT, today, when I went to their website, I find that they offer 1/2 off the adult ticket price and free child tickets that you can print out and bring with you. So, there are rewards for the diligient, which, unfortunately, didn't include us.
I wouldn't advocate the use of most of their tactics, as it leaves customers (every one of which had the potential of a crying child on their hands) with a bad taste and will most certainly be bad-mouthing that circus to their friends with children, but the fact that they offer the 1/2 price tickets is a lesson I think everyone can learn from. Remember that book I posted about here where the author advocated keeping full price for everyone but those who met a certain rule? Like offering early bird specials? That idea is worth tailoring to our own businesses and putting to good use I think. And BTW, who amomng us has gone to a business with a days old coupon and gotten the discount anyway? I can't remember the last time I was given that consideration. A cut-off date needs to be stuck to. People know they shouldn't be allowed to get in after the date and will even use it as a test to prove that you're a pushover for other tricks they'll have up their sleeves if you fall for it. Believe me, I speak from actual experiece here.
Rich