When Client offers to "Assist" Teardown - to cut costs

[D3Gilmore]

I was approached by a prospective client asking what it would cost to reupholster her Thomasville Sleeper Sofa.  She inquired if she could help do something to lower the cost (before getting my price).

My first thought was, she can't afford me.
My second thought was, do I even want a client that is already trying to cut costs?
My third thought is, hmm....sleeper sofa! I haven't done one of those YET.  What an opportunity!
Fourth, what could she help me with that would be the most timeconsuming part ....Teardown!

I know sometimes people may bring you DIY projects they realized were over their heads - so this could be considered one of those jobs.  Let her tear down, I reupholster.  If I did that, what would you cut in terms of price/savings?

The cost to me would be learning how it was originally constructed. 

Would appreciate an experienced upholster's thoughts on this?  I know I'm going to hear this over and over again from prospective clients and should develop a standard going forward. 

Thank you!

[sofadoc]

Tear down is only going to save an hour or 2.
I'd prefer the customer not "assist" me.
Even if they do, they still pay full price.

[MinUph]

Ditto on Sofa Docs response. If it would take 2 hrs for you it may take 4 for her if she gets through it.
  It is a losing situation on your part.

[kodydog]

Ditto, ditto. Striping down furniture isn't as easy as it looks. Whenever I hire someone to do this it usually takes 4 or 5 weeks before they are proficient at their job. Just building up the callouses takes at least this long.

Sleepers are usually fairly easy. The hardest part is getting the sleeper back in without ruining the fabric. We can talk you through this step. Take the job without the help.

[kodydog]

Just for fun

[D3Gilmore]

Thank you all,

I will heed the advice and decline her offer. 

Kodydog, love the pic and totally agree!

[sofadoc]

If you allow the customer to help you figure out ways to cut their costs, they won't stop until they have YOU writing THEM a check at the end of the job.

A customer once asked my grandmother if she could have a discount.
She said "I've already stripped it down, and that seemed like the hardest part".

My grandmother (in her backwood country dialect) replied "Darlin', if you think THAT was the hardest part, yer fixin' to learn pootin' from sneezin".

[SteveA]

You'll loose out on the benefit of seeing the way it was originally covered and using the old panel for pattern .  Also although panels get loosened you don't always remove them until you cover the adjacent panel to keep the cotton and padding from getting in your way - it's not a service on their part that will help you
SA

[D3Gilmore]

SteveA, great point and completely agree.

Thank you

[gene]

I asked my car mechanic if I could get a discount on new brakes if I brought my car in with the tires already taken off.

I asked my banker if I could get a discount on a loan if I brought in my own loan agreement.

I asked the aluminum siding guys if I could get a discount if I threw hand fulls of nails all over my yard so they would not have to.

I asked my proctologist if I could get a discount on a colonoscopy if I... Well, you get the point. (Pun intended.)

Taking off the old fabric may or may not be the hardest part of upholstery. But it is most certainly the funnest part. If a customer wants to make my job less fun then I should be charging them more money.

gene

[D3Gilmore]

Gene, LOL....

[sofadoc]

Sleepers are usually fairly easy. The hardest part is getting the sleeper back in without ruining the fabric.

Since I seldom have help, I don't remove the sleeper mechanism. You can't tell by this pic, but the sleeper mech is not removed, but just extended out. I turn the frame sideways to straddle the table so I can crawl up under and staple the new cover around the mech.
The most important thing to remember, is to make sure that your stapler is full before you crawl up under.

[sofadoc]

K-dog:

Just for fun

I know that you've complained about your Photobucket account lately. When I clicked on your thumbnail link on my I-phone or I-pad, all I got were ads. When I click on it on my desktop, I get this:



Are you guys able to see my PB links? Or just ads?

[D3Gilmore]

SofaDoc I was able to see your pic, but a couple ads popped up and I had to click "continue to site" at one point.  Great tip on the sleeper mechanism. 

[D3Gilmore]

The prospective client forwarded a pic of the sleeper sofa. It is a full-size bed. This isn't going to be light to transport. (Maybe I should have her remove the sleeper 😬)

I'm curious what time a seasoned upholsterer would spend redoing this? Solid color, tufted back, no skirt but add nailhead to rolled arms. Piping as well.  She also wants to change out the feet. 

Time for tufting will depend on how many tufts she ultimately wants to go with as will the amount of nailhead work but i'm curious what others would see this taking in terms of overall time for this type of reupholstery?

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_b-s34UOXi1VVZnR0JXX2JfS1U

Thanks,

Deana