Upset with cuemaker
- Thread starter FuManchu
- Start date
Dozens of threads on here concerning your issue.
If he is a reputable cue maker you are gonna hear how it must be your fault some how or at the least its just minor mix communication problem.
Oh yea....dont forget every ones favorite excuse for defending said cue maker....cue makers time is different that any other craftsman time. :grin-square:
If he is a reputable cue maker you are gonna hear how it must be your fault some how or at the least its just minor mix communication problem.
Oh yea....dont forget every ones favorite excuse for defending said cue maker....cue makers time is different that any other craftsman time. :grin-square:
I have never had any work done by a custom cue maker get to me in the time frame they suggested when the cue was ordered.
SOP for a lot of makers. Shouldn't be but it is. Yo get them when you get them.
I am a hand craftsman and sometimes will say an item needs a few more costs and will be ready to go for the customer. However sometimes u may spot an issue with the finish or something was missed or changes in humidity may cause the drying times to take longer or a personal unforseen issue such as health or family reasons may arise which u have to deal with etc etc . Other times I have had lathe parts go on me suddenly which have worked for years and then been at be mercy of suppliers delivering them in time so I could finish the job.
In these cases I will hold onto the works a few more days to ensure it goes out perfect to the customer. I have only ever had good feedback from customers who generally say it was well worth the extra wait when these circumstances happen.
On the other hand when I first started I rushed to finish a job for an impatient customer and will never do that again because I missed a specification and he returned the item to be properly finished. If he had waited a few more days the issue would never have occurred.
From a hand craftsmans perspective quality is far more important than time and patience is a virtue particularly when u are making detailed time consuming pieces. In almost every case the customer has no idea what is involved in making the item and what can legitimately cause delays. Likewise in every case the customer wants to receive my best work and it is hard to deliver that if they r impatient.
I have also rushed cuemakers and I didn't get the results I expected and wished I had been less impatient and waited it out as in many cases u don't know the reason for the delay or the reason he hasn't contacted u. I remember watching a film about the famous rocking chair maker Sam Maloof whose wife kept getting calls from customers and she simply said to them it will be ready when it's ready.
If there is a demand for the craftsman works then the craftsman will not send out anything unless it is perfect because once it leaves the workshop it is out in the public arena long after the customers impatience has worn off.
In light of the above, I don't know your circumstances and this is just an example from a craftsmans world not to be taken directly to your case.
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TILT9
Banned
don't burn your bridges.
calm down , finish can be difficult , each coat has to be cured and polished.
give the guy the benefit and the luxury of patience and time.
it's almost guaranteed that you'll be blown away with the cue's quality when it arrives.
ps: exactly this sort of thing happens all the time.
calm down , finish can be difficult , each coat has to be cured and polished.
give the guy the benefit and the luxury of patience and time.
it's almost guaranteed that you'll be blown away with the cue's quality when it arrives.
ps: exactly this sort of thing happens all the time.
The only custom cue I have (maybe semi-custom is a better description) is a Ray Schuler I bought new back in the '90s. When I contacted Ray directly he told me his production was basically sold out for quite some time in advance but gave me the name of a fellow named John Wright who he said had a good selection of Ray's cues. John later told me that he bought blocks of production ahead from several cuemakers, a business model that gave the cuemakers some predictability and I suppose gave John a bit of a corner on the market.
I don't know if this is still done today but it did eliminate the uncertainties of dealing with delivery date promises. Of course, it wouldn't work with a true one-off custom cue.
I don't know if this is still done today but it did eliminate the uncertainties of dealing with delivery date promises. Of course, it wouldn't work with a true one-off custom cue.
Yes that still happens today. Southwest is a good example of it.
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I don't take these anonymous rants about unnamed "cuemakers" seriously.
There are approximately 1,000 people who own lathes or some other contraptions that will spin a piece of wood who are representing themselves as cuemakers. They range from hacks and hobbyists to less than 100 who are actual working professionals.
There are approximately 1,000 people who own lathes or some other contraptions that will spin a piece of wood who are representing themselves as cuemakers. They range from hacks and hobbyists to less than 100 who are actual working professionals.
I have never asked for final payment until the cue was finished.
Some of the fastest guys have turned out to be hacks, so I've learned to be patient with the quality cuemakers who own top notch machinery.
Repair work on certain cues requires the best in order to maintain the value, and I have been real picky about who I use, but I think they all have the same excuses or subscribe to the same book of excuses.
I will say that it's extremely disappointing when the cue doesn't ship, and it gets worse with every excuse.
I've paid a lot of air frieght just because of the anxiety.
Repair work on certain cues requires the best in order to maintain the value, and I have been real picky about who I use, but I think they all have the same excuses or subscribe to the same book of excuses.
I will say that it's extremely disappointing when the cue doesn't ship, and it gets worse with every excuse.
I've paid a lot of air frieght just because of the anxiety.
Once you have bought about your 30th or so cue, you will be reassured it is the norm.
All the best,
WW
Dates are for Lovers
If you are going to be upset with a missed deadline, you should think twice about ordering a true custom cue or having complicated and detailed restoration work done.
I chuckle when I read stories by cue owners upset that their cue is two week/two months/5 months beyond the promised completion date.
If I shared build times of some of my customs or restoration times for vintage cues, people would recommend crucifying the cuemakers.
If you want fast food go to the secondary market or never buy a cue that needs any work whatsoever.
If you are going to be upset with a missed deadline, you should think twice about ordering a true custom cue or having complicated and detailed restoration work done.
I chuckle when I read stories by cue owners upset that their cue is two week/two months/5 months beyond the promised completion date.
If I shared build times of some of my customs or restoration times for vintage cues, people would recommend crucifying the cuemakers.
If you want fast food go to the secondary market or never buy a cue that needs any work whatsoever.
nope... Architects on high end residential construction are on the same time as cue builders... lol
I don't think the OP or for that matter anyone has a problem with long lead times, if they're quoted up front.
It's the raising of expectations up front with an unrealistic time quote that is the real issue. And yes, things do happen. But if they happen repetitively over time they need to be factored in to estimates. It's all about creating and meeting expectations.