what to do ?

[quiltingnanny]

Does anyone have a solution to people who don't pick up their quilts in a timely fashion ? I work REAL hard to get their quilts done and when I call them to let them know they are ready I get the reply , "I don't have time to pick up this week, I'll call you next week or so.' If I knew ahead of time I could have worked around thier schedule, but at this time of the year I want them outa here:mad: They are good customers but this is the second time this has happened, any thoughts ? Thanks, Glenda

[Guest Linda S]

I always offer to deliver the quilt. It may be that they don't have the funds to pay you right now and this is why they are putting you off.

Linda

[quiltingnanny]

No, I don't think money is the issue. Her excuse this time is she's trying to get her house together for Thanksgiving. I'm sorry, but so am I. She did this last time. She most always wants them quick.I try for a week turnaround. That sometimes pushes me right now. I think she tries to pick up when she comes into town for her scrapboking. If that's the case, maybe she should give me her dates and I would work around that. As far as taking them to her it's a 40 mile trip for me. Gas is too high in Fl for that and I only charge .01 a square inch. I enjoy doing her quilts, just storing them is a hassle. Any other ideas Ladies ? Glenda

[chickenscratch]

Glenda, Call her and tell her you are trying to clear your house and get ready for the holidays also. Ask her when she will be in town and offer to meet her, or offer to deliver to her for a charge of 5 cents a mile. Maybe that will help.

[quilterscafe]

Gosh, there is nothing worse than rushing to get something done only to find out you could have had more time or scheduled things differently so you didn't have to feel so rushed. This happens to me ALL the time at work, so many times I can't count. Glenda, take heart in knowing you are your own boss and can take control of this situation any way you like to! I don't know if you are dependent on your business for income, but it seems that you don't want to risk losing this customer and just want to find a happy solution for the both of you. It sounds like the customer has assumed you'd be ok with the situation when you are not and its difficult to find a way to communicate what you need to say without the risk of losing her as a customer. I think one way to think about this is in terms of establishing boundaries for the next time if you still want to work with her. If you make it clear what your terms are (payment due date, pick up due date, etc.), then you can depersonalize it by focusing on your terms as a business owner just like any other business owner. Sometimes some people are slower than others to see that other people have needs too! Good luck and I wish you all the best this Thanksgiving!

Kathy

[quiltingnanny]

Thanks for all of the advice. I am going to have a delivery date in stone, LOL . Now to hope I don't become ill or something to delay that ! She did call back and picked up the quilts today. I guess I might create a problem by wanting to quilt everything as soon as it comes in. When I returned from Houston I had 25 quilts waiting. OMG Have 3 more to do and then I can get my stuff out of the way. Happy Thanksgiving all ! Glenda

[Bonnie]

I have only had one customer that has done this to me SEVERAL times....I honestly believe that each time its because she was a bit short on funds and didnt' know how to tell me.

So I started to make her leave a post dated check for the amount and the quilt would be ready the check date and I would deliver it to her office. Then it got so her checks would bounce, they always cleaned, but would take a few days. So then I started to stop at her bank on my way to her office and if the check would clear and I had my money she would get her quilt...if it didn't I suddenly didn't have time to deliver it that day and would see her the next day. She never seemed to catch on that's what I was doing...or if she did she never said anything.

Since moving out here I have done 2 quilts for her....she sent me a check when she mailed the quilt...I would do the quilt bank the check and as soon as the check cleared send her the quilt....

However, I've been burned with 4 customers that assured me that they would mail me a check after they received their quilts....customers that had been good customer when living in the same town as me, but left me hanging once I couldn't collect a check on delivery. My fault....now I get money and check clear before delivery.

[quiltaholi_518]

When people drop off, I have them sign something. It's pretty simple with just a few points. One of the seven points is "I respectfully request that you pick up you quilt withing 10 days of completion. Any quilt left over 60 days will be sold to recover the cost of quilting". They get the idea, and after one problem early on(3 quilts, and I think it was a $$ issue) that seemed necesssary. So, they get the idea, I am serious about getting a payday. If it's too hectic for them to pick up, I remind them they can pay me via pay-pal or mailed check, and I will mail it (for a fee of course!) I don't mean to be rude, but if the plumber did some work, they wouldn't put him off. No one sends a bill anymore..........

[kennan100]

Regarding customers habitually bouncing checks, you can always call the bank the check is drawn on and ask "to verify a check", they'll ask for the account number and the amount and then tell you if the funds to cover it are available. Deposit the check in your bank that day and you'll at least have some assurance that it will clear. If the funds aren't available just keep checking back with the bank every day until they are and then deposit it. Or call your customer if they've given you a post dated check and remind them you are depositing the check so they can make sure the funds are there, just in case it's been several weeks and they might have forgotten.

my 2 cents!