Not a mind reader

[bobbi campbell]

How about a customer that you have done several jobs for calls you and asks you to stop in that they have salon chairs to cover. You go see what she has and she even adds one morewhen you go over to get the deposit. You pick them up at her house because she has extras in her garage and the only thing she has said was take your time. I took that as I'm not trying to rush you as I picked up 6 total on Sat. Monday comes and I go to deliver them since she is closed on Mondays for the summer and she informs me she can't pay me till next month. She says thats why she said take your time.What was I suppose to saywhen she said that? Why, Because you don't have the money? I think she should have made it clear that just do them a little at atime. She knows I don't have room to store them. She has been here before.Puts me in a bad position financially.

[sofadoc]

She should've definitely said "Take your time.......BECAUSE.......I won't have the money until next month"

I don't think that you should have to ask her in advance if she will be ready to pay upon completion. That part is implied unless stated otherwise.

I think that you should have no reservations about telling her that this puts you in a financial bind, as well as cramping your space.

Over 20 years ago, I delivered a load of furniture to a lady on a Saturday. It wasn't until after we sat everything down in her home that she informed me that Saturday was her Sabbath day, which prevented her from doing any business (such as writing me a check). Her payment didn't arrive in the mail until a week later, which caused me to pay late charges on my own bills.

BTW  We talk frequently on this forum about how many of us upholsterers may be good at our craft, but lack business sense. NEVER is that more true than when talking about beauty shop operators. I swear, they're all flyin' by the seat of their financial pants.

[Mike]

that really bite bobbie and your fast picked up 6 Saturday and delivered Monday or was that a week later. ya I know what you meen.
take your time why?   most people ask me how long will it take I always assume to plan there money
but ya you had to buy materials 18 20 yards of material and plan to get paid when your done m ive done that I should have done a job I could have gotten paid from first  

[bobbi campbell]

It took me a week to get over to her shop since I was so backed up. I got somewhat caught up and I had some help over the weekend so I figured I was doing her a favor by kicking them out by Monday.Not the following week, I put her ahead of a 22 piece Bayliner that the guy just called and offered to pay me an extra hundred to make sure it was done by the end of Aug. I can't figure this business out. It goes by Muphys law for me. And if you get the job done quick its either hurry up and wait or the other customers are breathing down your neck before the due date you told them. Car dealers, the absolute worst. I had one sell the car at the auction without the seats and told me he changed his mind after I had them almost done. Anyway I came up with a new saying last night that I think is great and here it is WHY GRIN AND BARE IT WHEN YOU CAN BARE IT AND GRIN !!!!!!!! show your ASS!!!!!!!

[SteveA]

It's not a bad idea to have a work authorization doc that states the normal business things that bother the sh-- out of craftsman. 
Who knows why a craftsman makes decisions that are risky when they sense before hand there may be issues.   Keeps us laughing ! 

SA

[cthomps]

I did two sets of camper cushions for a lady last week.  She was in a rush and it worked out ok because I needed the money.  When I called her to tell her that I had them finished and what her invoice total was she replied, "if I pay you cash, can you remove the tax that is added"?  I replied, "only if you are willing to send it to the government for my social security." 

She picked up the cushions at 9:45pm, told me I did a great job, and promptly paid me the full amount.  I doubt I will see her again.

[Rich]

You didn't mention anything about giving her an approximate day to expect them or about making a phone call to tell her you had them ready and that you could deliver them that day. At that point she could have told you not to bring them until......
She COULD have told you on the pick up day the reason she didn't want you to rush, (though she may have been embarrassed to say that) but I don't see that it was her responsibility.
Sorry to side with the customer on this, but after 40 years in business I've gradually learned not to assume the customer means to say such and such.
BTDT,
Rich

[bobbi campbell]

I did call her on Sunday night to tell her they were done and told her it would be a good day to deliver on Monday since she is closed so it wouldn't interupt with customers.I told her to call me and let me know and she called me at 2 on Mon and said that she text me and said she would be at the salon from 12 to 2 and she wanted to know why I didn't show. I never got her text and she said her son would be there painting and that is when she dropped the bomb on me.

[Rich]

You mean she KNEW you were bringing the chairs on Monday and waited until you got there expecting to be paid to tell you she couldn't pay till next month? If that's the case, then my response is totally different. I would've been ticked off too. And she should not have relied on a text message to make important plans.
Rich

[Grebo]

I did call her on Sunday night to tell her they were done and told her it would be a good day to deliver on Monday since she is closed so it wouldn't interupt with customers.I told her to call me and let me know and she called me at 2 on Mon and said that she text me and said she would be at the salon from 12 to 2 and she wanted to know why I didn't show. I never got her text and she said her son would be there painting and that is when she dropped the bomb on me.

Blimey, I would have taken them home & sat on them. Cheeky cow.

I get the old, "oh there's no rush", quite a lot as a lot of my customers only visit & don't live here. So I always ask them for a deadline, usually when ever they plan to visit again. But some times it's like before Easter, Summer vacation etc.
Then I can juggle the jobs inline for who's next out & sneak in any others as they pop up.

Suzi

[byhammerandhand]

One of my customers is a 'buying club' and it's their customers' responsibility to pick up or arrange for a delivery service.

They get paid at time of order, but on each PO there is a line, "You have 5 days to pick-up [sic] merchandise.  After 5 days, there will be a 5 per day/per box fee."

Just saying.

[Rich]

One of my customers is a 'buying club' and it's their customers' responsibility to pick up or arrange for a delivery service.

They get paid at time of order, but on each PO there is a line, "You have 5 days to pick-up [sic] merchandise.  After 5 days, there will be a 5 per day/per box fee."

Just saying.

Better check the laws, I always thought storage charges could be imposed only after 30 days, but that was another time and another state.
Rich

[Mike]

so
bobbi  still waiting for her to pay up?