Customers....Shoot them!

[JMugs]

I have to chuckle at some peoples expectations. I had a customer complaining that she thought an item was poor quality and not worth the money. Now I am a fussy git so a statement of poor quality just makes me think "hmmm really?" right away, and the "not worth the money" for a hand printed item at £10, makes me wonder what people want. But no point in arguing, a refund on receipt of the goods back will be issued. But in a polite way I asked what they would expect for their money, after all feed back is always helpful......no reply!

I have tried to remember the last complaint I had......can't remember when that was. Over 25 years of running my own businesses and people still amaze me, I must be slow!

Now back to my coffee and a biscuit.

Janners

[Stallen]

Janners,

I'm still awaiting my first complaint, i'm sure i'll be a bit miffed when it eventually comes....I have tea and biscuits on hand, so it does feel I have it covered now.
I'm lucky as I print as part of my photo business, so i'm always assured of a printing from a decent image and deal most face to face with buyers.

End of the day there is always going to be some so and so, who probably nitpicks for England and seeing the £4 mug sellers and expecting miracles.

[UK Printed Mugs]

Ha Ha that made me laugh. We decided to try and see what eBay orders we could get selling personalised mugs at £4.75. More of a marketing exercise than the minus profit margin. Anyway, a lady emails over her photo last week which we print onto a mug (both sides) and send out FREE DELIVERY. The next thing I know she is complaining about why the photo isn't wrapped around the mug like on our product page. I explain that perhaps the photo she sent wasn't big enough (it was 600 pixels wide!) and she said we should of sent her a digital mock-up of the mug first! All for £4.75 of course. Negative feedback on eBay is a killer so we took it on the chin (may of said a few rude words off line) and sent her the same photo on a keyring which just fitted!

[JMugs]

I do bog standard preset designs on ebay, packaging is any recycled stuff I have to hand, literally! Couple of times the feed back has been "really well packaged"....and these have been when it's gone out looking like the dog had eaten it, I then twigged. They thought the mail had trashed it and yet the mug survived. I see a plan forming.

Note eBay I treat differently to my other outlets.

[Developit]

The whole idea of me getting my own sublimation set up was to print my own art as I had enough of having to wait weeks to them done in the USA & China.
BUT I have had a few people ask me to do some work for them. The latest job was 60 coasters for a photographer. Luckily I did 6 for her to look at before doing the rest of them.
Her comment was that she they were "a bit pale". So I pumped up the colour in Photoshop and all was good.
She had never bothered printing any of them and had only looked at them on her laptop and phone, they were pale photos it wasn't anything I had done.
This has reinforced my initial plan - I don't want to deal with customers again :(

[JMugs]

Ahh Developit.
I understand where you are coming from there. The only photographers I now deal with are professionals, and top end amateurs who come to me by recommendation. I ensure they understand ICC and limitations, and they are happy folks. Mr and Mrs happy snappy on their retina display phone screen...... I run away from.

Now where is that successful business without customers?

Janners

[Developit]

This wasn't too bad as she is a girl I work with in my "real job" and has her own photog business on the side. I think it all comes down to the fact that they deal so much on a digital level and she has done some amazing photo shoots but everything is online and not much is ever printed.
I gave her a good deal and all I wanted to do was cover my blanks/paper/ink costs as I am still learning also. So all in all it was a big learning experience for us both.
The joy of dye sub being so instant is also it's frustration. I wish I could get new "tops" that could be attached to coasters if they don't quite work.

[pisquee]

For working with other pro level designers/artists/'togs you can supply them with your ICC so they can softproof their work before sending it to you for production.
They may need some coaching though in how to use it, set Photoshop up properly etc ... so many leave as default sRGB

[Developit]

Thanks for that Pisquee