Hi People.
Left my shaft to get a new cue tip at the pool hall on Monday, prepaid with instructions to text when done. Went back Thursday, was not done. Going back tomorrow, Tuesday, hope the local guy who doesn't do them on site has it done. If it is not there Tuesday, what do you guys suggest a next reasonable course of action would be? Tks.
When was the job promised ready? Tips are often put on when the cue maker doesn't feel like doing something else. It has been said before but never pay upfront. Reasonable to pay cost of materials, maybe a little more. Trying to be gentle here so consider this a general statement not directed at you personally but a fool and his money are some party. The cue man has a few hundred to thousands of dollars of work to do that will be paid for when complete. Then he has a redheaded stepchild leaning in the corner that will take him twenty or thirty minutes to do right, maybe more if your shaft is a little warped, and he won't get a dime for finishing it, just time away from work he will get paid for finishing.
Unless someone has a great long term reputation for doing business properly, never pay in full upfront. To go a step further, never pay in full upfront! Seems like I have said that a few times already.
Any time you pay upfront for anything it is apt to take longer than something with some load on the tail end. One paid in full the person you are dealing with has to get some roundtuit. Some keep roundtuit in stock, some have to order it and they are waiting to have a big enough order to tack the roundtuit onto to be worth the shipping.
In all fairness, I wouldn't call thirty days an unreasonable tip turnaround time, especially if the tip has to be ordered. I have had a little fun at your expense and some others have too. I hope it will drive home that what you did was foolish unless the cue maker is well enough known to be worth the wait.
The cue smith might have put the new tip on as soon as he walked in his shop door. Then he stuck the shaft in a corner until the next time he went to that pool hall, either to play pool or make money. Few people are going to make a special trip to deliver work already paid for.
Good luck, and I mean that sincerely. A combination of cue smith time and a customer that seems impatient unless you were promised a quick turnaround. If somebody isn't in a bind for a shaft, I might return it in two weeks to a month. If they are in a bind and I am in the mood and have a machine free, I may tell them to follow me to my shop for instant service, less than a hour. Many people throw in a shaft cleaning free, I did, but that adds time and adds to the likelihood of the shaft sittin in a corner awhile, mine actually sat in a vertical rack but whatever. Before anyone starts hunting me, I am tired and retired and gave away all of my equipment!
Hu
