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Post by lpl on Jul 26, 2020 8:11:53 GMT -5
I sent a text to my rock buddy hoping he'd respond..........he's in New Mexico some place, didn't bother to ask where, they (his wife also) were having lunch. Anyway, he told me he didn't make up or reinvent the wheel, one of his customers suggested the grading scale used by Fire Mountain Gems. Seems many respect the guide and use it themselves as a reference.........so he adopted it. www.firemountaingems.com/Resources/encyclobeadia/charts/E893He also adds a ( +) to his grading scale...........Hope this helps.....! that is absolutely helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to reach out to your buddy and post this link for me! |
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Post by lpl on Jul 26, 2020 8:19:39 GMT -5
lpl I don't really have anything useful to add in how to resolve it, but I feel for you. I learned very early on to leave the custom stuff alone unless it was a valuable repeat customer who has been happily buying from me then wanted say a pair of matching earring stones to go along with an existing piece they wanted to buy from my shop. I either had more of the material and had time to do it or I didn't, and good folks generally understand. I once had a lady contact me and ask if I take some stones already for sale in the shop and re-grind off the girdles and make continuous domes that reached the back/flat side for her. I politely declined and she proceeded to chew me up one side and down the other about how many more stones I would be selling if I would do this ... I don't remember exactly what I said to her but it was along the lines of golly gee ma'am, that sure sounds inviting but I can barely keep up with demand as it is, and my repeat customers tend clear the store of new items within minutes of new postings, and I've somehow managed to sell almost two thousand cabs at that point WITH girdles ... but I'll keep it under advisement just in case. Thankfully I never heard back from her. The moral of the story and my advice to you is to cut bait and don't spend another minute worrying about it. She can go off her merry way and be someone else's problem now. Going forward, establish clear and concise FAQ's on your store, and always use all ten photos spots provided by Etsy including at least one side view (showing the conclusion of the dome). Also lightly mention any natural surface "features" including textures where plumes break the agate surface, soft spots that undercut, etc. without dwelling on it for too long or making it sound negative. Such great advice here Tommy I really appreciate it. Your last paragraph is spot on, and I will definitely incorporate your suggestions into my shop policies and my photographs. I’m really thinking now about custom work...I want to be helpful to people but certainly don’t feel the need to be raked over the coals for not meeting their expectations. This should be, and is fun! |
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Post by lpl on Jul 26, 2020 8:22:28 GMT -5
... [snip] ... Going forward, establish clear and concise FAQ's on your store, always use all ten photos spots provided by Etsy including at least one side view (showing the conclusion of the dome). Also lightly mention any natural surface "features" including textures where plumes break the agate surface, soft spots that undercut, etc. without dwelling on it for too long or making it sound negative. I don't sell a lot, but I tend to use the stardiamond approach; Here it is, here is the price, (and my personal touch until I get better photos somehow: ) here are some phone pics of it that look incredibly crappy. Kinda keeps me out of those situations where someone is disappointed with what they get. They can't say anything negative if what they get is incredibly better than the pictures. Maybe I will graduate from newb-dom one day. But I like being a child!
The only custom order I have done was for a long time friend who was absolutely blown away with what I made him. I would never make a stranger a custom item since they usually have some insane idea of what they will get that has no basis on reality.
I think I agree, custom orders for people who I know will appreciate them for now is the best approach moving forward for me! |
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Post by lpl on Jul 26, 2020 8:25:06 GMT -5
Like everyone said above. Your work is phenomenal. You did all you could and in a nice and polite manner. Be proud of yourself and forget the idiots and move on to the next project. The people you make happy totally outweighs the few unhappy complainers. I’d look at it like this and be thankful......... Well that’s one less moron that I have to deal with. 😃 Thanks RocksInNJ I appreciate the compliment and the very sound advice! |
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Post by lpl on Jul 26, 2020 8:28:38 GMT -5
There's a moral or story here. I made this an a bunch of surface vugs showed up. I completed it listed it and sold it for $10. I said the cab was better than the picture. The buyer was extremely pleased. Some cabbers would have tossed it but I think the buyer should have the opportunity. I'm glad you posted this, too. I have a "few" cabs that I've wrapped or want to wrap with small cracks and such and I was wondering if I should even bother. This makes me think yes. I think once the stone comes home to me, I’m going to make a very nice piece out of it, name it something like ‘Imperfection’ or something to own it. I’ll bet it turns out nice, someone will love it, and I will prove her wrong that the stone is totally useless for jewelry 😜 |
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 26, 2020 9:22:06 GMT -5
I did a custom ring and pendant one time and it turned out to be the single biggest headache in all my years of selling. I did everything right, my policies were good and I stated them up front. I kept him apprised the whole way, communication was excellent. He loved the work and raved about it. He showed the pictures around and everyone loved it. It was some of my best work. I was working with some very expensive turquoise for a really big seller. I gave him the final price, which was not inflated or outrageous and suddenly everything went to shit. He said my work was amateur and any craft person could do it- along with a lot of other nasty things. I just took the stuff apart and sent the stones back. Didn't even engage with him- at all. It was the worst! I vowed to never do custom work again and I didn't for a long time. A good friend finally talked me into doing some more. I still don't exactly enjoy it every time, but I have only run into a couple of nasty people the above mentioned person included. It has been worth my while to do custom work- both stones and jewelry, though I do a LOT more jewelry than cabs. And then there are the really special pieces that people want made for very personal and sentimental reasons- those I do enjoy and get a great sense of accomplishment from. I've been moved to tears a few times along with the clients.
You do really brilliant work. Don't let one bad apple spoil it for you and all those clients you can potentially make very happy. Take some time and give it some thought before you let the b*tch win.
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Post by miket on Jul 26, 2020 10:06:48 GMT -5
I did a custom ring and pendant one time and it turned out to be the single biggest headache in all my years of selling. I did everything right, my policies were good and I stated them up front. I kept him apprised the whole way, communication was excellent. He loved the work and raved about it. He showed the pictures around and everyone loved it. It was some of my best work. I was working with some very expensive turquoise for a really big seller. I gave him the final price, which was not inflated or outrageous and suddenly everything went to shit. He said my work was amateur and any craft person could do it- along with a lot of other nasty things. I just took the stuff apart and sent the stones back. Didn't even engage with him- at all. It was the worst! I vowed to never do custom work again and I didn't for a long time. A good friend finally talked me into doing some more. I still don't exactly enjoy it every time, but I have only run into a couple of nasty people the above mentioned person included. It has been worth my while to do custom work- both stones and jewelry, though I do a LOT more jewelry than cabs. And then there are the really special pieces that people want made for very personal and sentimental reasons- those I do enjoy and get a great sense of accomplishment from. I've been moved to tears a few times along with the clients.
You do really brilliant work. Don't let one bad apple spoil it for you and all those clients you can potentially make very happy. Take some time and give it some thought before you let the b*tch win.
 Tela! Just teasing, very well put, ma'am. Anyone who says your work is any less than spectacular is either blind or just plain stupid. |
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Post by lpl on Jul 26, 2020 10:31:48 GMT -5
I did a custom ring and pendant one time and it turned out to be the single biggest headache in all my years of selling. I did everything right, my policies were good and I stated them up front. I kept him apprised the whole way, communication was excellent. He loved the work and raved about it. He showed the pictures around and everyone loved it. It was some of my best work. I was working with some very expensive turquoise for a really big seller. I gave him the final price, which was not inflated or outrageous and suddenly everything went to shit. He said my work was amateur and any craft person could do it- along with a lot of other nasty things. I just took the stuff apart and sent the stones back. Didn't even engage with him- at all. It was the worst! I vowed to never do custom work again and I didn't for a long time. A good friend finally talked me into doing some more. I still don't exactly enjoy it every time, but I have only run into a couple of nasty people the above mentioned person included. It has been worth my while to do custom work- both stones and jewelry, though I do a LOT more jewelry than cabs. And then there are the really special pieces that people want made for very personal and sentimental reasons- those I do enjoy and get a great sense of accomplishment from. I've been moved to tears a few times along with the clients.
You do really brilliant work. Don't let one bad apple spoil it for you and all those clients you can potentially make very happy. Take some time and give it some thought before you let the b*tch win.
Wow! That guy was blind and not very smart if he couldn’t see the quality of your work, and understand that there is a certain price associated with quality products. You do brilliant work as well. Thanks for sharing that story...makes my little speed bump pale in comparison. |
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Post by Mel on Aug 30, 2020 20:19:10 GMT -5
I call those awesome, fun, totally reasonable customers.......gems (oh yes, I went there, you better believe it). They make it worth it! I'm just entering the selling stage with my rocks (turns out giving away rocks for other peoples enjoyment doesn't pay for my time or tools) and someone like that would bum me out too. lpl, There is zero to be ashamed with with that cab. It looks great. The inclusion wouldn't be a deal breaker to me at all. I'd do what others have suggested and just work the "each stone is unique/pictures don't do it justice" etc. Black stones also seem to magnify even the tiniest little miniscule scratch or flaw. That's not on you, that's mother nature. Doing things for yourself is very personal, and unwarranted criticism cuts deep. I would be very tempted to tell her to go.....polish sandstone. I've been in a technical field for over 10 years, and I have never gotten used to the criticism I get from people who have stupidly high expectations thinking something is going to be anything other than what I've stated. Believe me, I've heard it all. I once had a customer ream me over the coals for forty minutes because I dared refer to a USB dongle as....well, exactly that. What else was I supposed to call it? I approach imperfections in stones (that are accurately described); a) it's natural material, so it has variances, and b) it's hand made by someone with passion and joy in their work, not some sweatshop labor in China and it's not to my liking, I communicate honestly & openly and decide if it's me being hyper critical, or just them being talented & me being unrealistic  |
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Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
