Repairing furniture pet damage

[baileyuph]

Pet Damage Business

Are our business owners doing much of this?  There has been an increase in that type of
business lately and question if it is the same for other shops?

Mine is related to mostly newer furniture.  These repairs aren't cheap!

Another Question:

This business often entails matching bonded leather - any problem in matching the (China stuff?).

Some come with apprehension regarding the fix cost.

Doyle

[kodydog]

We have a customer who has a rambunctious young Boxer. This dog likes to chew the welting on the corner of cushions. For a while she was stopping by the shop every two weeks. We love dogs and at first gave her a discount. After a while we realized the problem was not getting solved and now charge her our regular price.

Whenever a customer brings us a pet damaged job they ask, do you get much of this type business? I tell them dogs and cats are our best customers. 

[sofadoc]

We love dogs and at first gave her a discount. After a while we realized the problem was not getting solved and now charge her our regular price.

I've had the same problem with a few pet owners. At first, I worked a few miracles saving some pet damaged furniture for a token amount as a favor for regular customers.

But they just assumed that price was  normal, so they had no qualms about letting their pet continue on their path of destruction. One lady would call back in a couple of weeks and say "It's time to do it again". When I told her the price would be substantially higher from now on, she got mad.

I love pets as much as anyone, but have no sympathy for owners that allow their pets to destroy the house. If God had intended for animals to rule the home, he would've given them fingers to sign a mortgage with.

[SteveA]

I went to a home this morning to sew a seam closed. Warrantee damage.    As I sat on the floor to get in position I saw two marks in the velvet fabric.  The sofa was brand new - one week old. I alerted the customer before I started and they said her son smashed the bottle nipple into the fabric - it dried and when they tied to scrape it off with their finger nail it frayed the fabric.  So I'm adding 8 month olds to the Best Customer List !
SA

[baileyuph]

8 months old, dogs are definitely on the list!

Also, heavy people.

Oh!  Almost forgot, a lot of cat claw damage is seen.  Their sharp claws do chain stitching no good.

It all helps pay the bills - for the repair man.

Stay tuned, it may change someday!

Doyle

[SteveA]

I get 5-6 jobs a year to reattach a zig zag spring that detached.  Heavy folks - or maybe children jumping - yes it pays some bills
SA

[kodydog]

My experience with detached ziggers is usually the staple holding the clip was not attached properly. Like one staple leg hit but the other flew off into the additional dimension by which a solid object is distinguished from a planar projection of itself or from any planar object. Yeah, the third dimension.

I'm here to tell you, they make special guns that make it nearly impossible to miss the clip. But yet they still do.

[SteveA]

I use the clips with the extensions since I very rarely can put the smaller sized clip back in the original place.  I also use a screw instead of a staple.  Most of this time when one spring is loose you find others about to go when you look closer after the bottom is opened. 
SA

[65Buick]

I'm with Steve here, when I repaired zig zags last time that came loose I found a good quality wood screw and buttoned that sucker down.

[kodydog]

Most of this time when one spring is loose you find others about to go when you look closer after the bottom is opened. 
SA

Yep, made that mistake once. Three weeks later they were calling me about more springs coming loose.

[baileyuph]

This one example probably isn't due to pet damage (unless it is a BIG One!)

What I was called to do on at least three relatively new sofas with spring problems; the securing
spring clips were bending - which caused the spring to then jump out of the clip.

In this case it was the factory clips without a staple or screw.  These clips are L-shape and the teeth- by design are expected to be pulled tighter into the wood from use.  What was not expected by the factory
is -  the part that holds the spring lost its "cup" - that is went almost straight - which obviously won't
hold the spring.

These jobs must be under some kind of factory warranty?  Not sure about all that - someone calls me
and needing it fixed.  So, I fix by replacing clips, adding ties to the springs in the clip.  Another issue is
the upholstery in the area has to be loosened to permit access.

These repairs were primarily due to overloading the seat area (big people!).  People are getting bigger
-- from eating and sitting in front of a TV or?

I don't bring the furniture into the shop - normally the pick up and delivery time is more than the "fix"
time.  It pays a decent time because the repairs are usually a few minutes. 

It pays the bills - plus it keeps me aware of how this Asian junk is made.  Their technologies are obvious but so is their lack of quality.  The finger isn't to be pointed at Asia (heck they are smart people), the world buys the low quality stuff because "cost" is about all they understand about furniture.  This factor drives the builder to make it cheap - because that is what consumers BUY!

So, now to pets, big people, and the general consumer are added to the blame list.  I have to pay
my bills, so actually - thanks to all.

Doyle

[byhammerandhand]

"There is hardly anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse
and sell a little cheaper, and those people who consider price only, are this man's lawful prey. It is unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money - that is all.   When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.    The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot; it cannot be done.   If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better"

John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)