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#Post#: 43398--------------------------------------------------
Turning down business
By: cymbaline246 Date: December 8, 2019, 6:54 pm
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I work in a store that also takes in clothing for tailoring. A
customer came in last week with a garment that she wanted remade
into something entirely different. She didn't see it that way,
but what she wanted was something in a completely different
style than what she owns. To make it even dicier, I suspect the
existing garment is very, very expensive. I told her I wasn't
qualified to do this kind of work. She needed someone who makes
custom garments from scratch, and had experience with pattern
drafting. Cue sad face and negotiating, "maybe you could just
shorten it." She'd shown me several pictures she'd photoshopped
of potential re-makes, and she wasn't even sure how short she
wanted it to be. I said, no, no seamstress really enjoys
finishing someone else's work. We sent her out with a suggestion
of someone who does make custom clothing.
She left several other garments, which were completed. She was
contacted by text, and replied that she is coming in next week
to speak to me again. I'll have to say no again, if she asks.
But I don't know how to more definitively say, "We do basic
alterations here. I'm not qualified to take on a project like
this."
#Post#: 43401--------------------------------------------------
Re: Turning down business
By: SioCat Date: December 8, 2019, 7:17 pm
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I have to tell people all of the time that we aren’t a good fit.
Most of them handle it ok, but every now and then, we get some
really upset clients.
#Post#: 43403--------------------------------------------------
Re: Turning down business
By: Rose Red Date: December 8, 2019, 7:43 pm
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"We are not qualified. This is beyond out skills. Please contact
XYZ who does custom clothing work." Repeat yourself like a
broken record.
Sounds like she's trying to get out of paying the cost of custom
work. And since you sew, she's trying to make it your problem to
figure out. Don't let her talk you into even touching that
outfit. You know she'll blame you if anything goes wrong.
#Post#: 43404--------------------------------------------------
Re: Turning down business
By: gramma dishes Date: December 8, 2019, 7:48 pm
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Personally I'd be so grateful to have someone just tell me
decisively right up front "We can't do that. Maybe XYZ would be
able to do that for you."
I've had people attempt to do things they had no experience with
but assured me they knew what they were doing and the results
were disastrous.
#Post#: 43406--------------------------------------------------
Re: Turning down business
By: LurkingGurl Date: December 8, 2019, 9:44 pm
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So much easier to keep saying no than to be sued. And the kind
of person who refuses to take no for an answer seems to me to be
the kind of person who would sue you when it wasn't to her vague
specifications.
On the bright side, you could be on Judge Judy! ;)
#Post#: 43409--------------------------------------------------
Re: Turning down business
By: Aleko Date: December 9, 2019, 1:43 am
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[quote]Sounds like she's trying to get out of paying the cost of
custom work.[/quote]
That's possible. But also possible that she really hasn't got a
clue about how clothes are put together and how it is (or isn't)
possible to alter them, or indeed anything about sewing in
general; all she knows is that this garment is currently not how
she wants it to be, and she presumes that anyone who can sew can
surely change it to what she does want.
C246, I think it was lucky that she wanted something that was
clearly way beyond what you are qualified to do. Because with
people who are that ignorant of sewing it isn't even about "not
wanting to pay" the cost of custom work; they honestly have no
conception of the work entailed in making or remaking a garment
to a good standard. They imagine you can spend a couple of hours
zooming over it with a sewing machine, and hey presto! - so if
you charge even half what your labour is worth they are honestly
outraged.
Edited to add: and I know whereof I speak! I have a friend who
made beautiful authentic hand-sewn historical clothes - I
wouldn't insult them by calling them 'costumes', because they
were real clothes, you put them on and immediately they felt
right and normal - and because she loved the work she actually
charged less by the hour for making them than she did for
copy-typing, her other main occupation. But she still regularly
encountered people who considered her prices a rip-off.
#Post#: 43410--------------------------------------------------
Re: Turning down business
By: Hanna Date: December 9, 2019, 5:43 am
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That old phrase “I’m afraid that won’t be possible” repeated
until she gets it might do the trick.
I’ve found it helps when I’ve internally decided no, to
recognize that all I have left is to communicate it. I think
something about me processing mentally “there is no way this
person can make me do this thing” might change my demeanor when
speaking. When I do that, the other person seems to give up much
more quickly.
“For the reasons I previously stated I am not willing to work on
this garment.”
This lady sounds like a piece of work!
#Post#: 43413--------------------------------------------------
Re: Turning down business
By: cymbaline246 Date: December 9, 2019, 7:04 am
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[quote author=Aleko link=topic=1431.msg43409#msg43409
date=1575877413]
[quote]Sounds like she's trying to get out of paying the cost of
custom work.[/quote]
That's possible. But also possible that she really hasn't got a
clue about how clothes are put together and how it is (or isn't)
possible to alter them, or indeed anything about sewing in
general; all she knows is that this garment is currently not how
she wants it to be, and she presumes that anyone who can sew can
surely change it to what she does want.
[/quote]
This is it. She even said, "If I was doing it, I'd just ____. I
just don't know what to do about the lining."
Those of you who sew know this is akin to saying, "Of course I
can build my own house. I just don't know how to install a
decorative cover on the light switch."
She wants an oversized, double breasted long coat turned into a
fitted single breasted jacket. And she wants the pockets, cut
into the front and rendered useless by shortening the coat
"moved." And she likes the long roll line on the lapel, but she
wants the snaps moved up which will shorten it.
#Post#: 43418--------------------------------------------------
Re: Turning down business
By: TootsNYC Date: December 9, 2019, 10:15 am
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If there comes a point, you might want to way, "I -am- sorry
that I can't help you. Please respect my decision."
Or, since more words is more softening than fewer: "I'm afraid
I'm going to have to ask you to respect our decision."
Or, quote her a really high price--whatever you'd pay someone
else to do it, plus the time it would take you to find them.
Though--I have a feeling that what she wants is simply not
possible.
If the pockets were patch pockets, it's possible that the jacket
could be made fitted. It would be a LOT of work to make the
double-breasted into single-breasted, because that will involve
a remake of the lapel.
I suppose someone could simply rip out all the stitching and
treat the resulting pieces as though they were the fabric for a
new coat. But that's more work than making one from scratch.
#Post#: 43421--------------------------------------------------
Re: Turning down business
By: lakey Date: December 9, 2019, 10:42 am
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[quote]
Or, quote her a really high price--whatever you'd pay someone
else to do it, plus the time it would take you to find them.
Though--I have a feeling that what she wants is simply not
possible.[/quote]
I wouldn't do that. She might take you up on it, then when it
goes poorly, blame you. "Simply not possible" sounds right. I
used to sew clothes for myself. Fabric pieces are cut to fit
together for a particular design. Just going from double
breasted to single breasted creates problems.
OP asked about how to respond in further conversations. I would
repeat the original response, which was very good. Even if the
customer decides to go with just shortening it from a full
length coat to a jacket, I would say no. She sounds unrealistic,
and an unrealistic customer is more likely to be dissatisfied
and create problems after the job is done.
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