[Jewelry making - Article 00108] - Re: [Orchid] Design Fee?

[Elizabeth R. Agte]

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    I give customers a free hour of consultation. Because they may never
    have met me before, and what they bring me may be something I simply
    don't do, but it may turn out they like something else I do that
    they may carry away with them. But I also have a contract, that says
    their first hour is free. And after that the clock starts. It helps
    to be verbally specific, "Sure you can come to my studio to talk
    about wedding rings, and your first hour is FREE" reminds them that
    if they want a studio tour or whatever else, time is well, time.
    When they leave after their first hour either the contract is signed
    or it isn't. 

    A contract is important, because, has I have learned the hard way,
    that first consultation may go swimmingly, and then they get home
    and have other thoughts they want to incorporate that they think
    won't be that much of a bother, but YOU realized just changed the
    fabrication in major ways. 

    I also just added to my contract (for the back set drivers), I will
    be glad to send them updates on how a project is going, and send
    images, and updates, but this is also considered "consultation"
    time. Customers forget that every email that we respond it is time.
    I do not work well with someone breathing down my neck, but I
    realize the necessity of trust when work is being delivered over a
    website. So yes, I will work with their comfort zone, as long as
    they also recognize that they are paying for me to take the pictures
    of my work along the way. 

    I also give them some responsibility. I tell them that their special
    order is made as accurately as I can make it based on their verbal
    description. But that they should be knowledgeable about my specific
    style as posted on my website, and that I will not deliver anything
    that is below the standard of what is posted on my website. This is
    a result of what I dubbed the "Lord of the Rings" phenomenon. They
    know they want something really special, which is why they are
    having it custom made, but they can't be entirely specific about
    what they want. They only know they want it to have some unearthly
    "glow" about it. And though I feel my work is pretty good, I haven't
    seen any of it "glow". 

Yours Truly,
Elizabeth R. Agte
Jewelry Artist
www.agte.com
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