Cost of Tip Replacement

[Kim Bye]

When he installs the tip?? He makes money off his labor no??

There's so many hidden costs running a business, so its not. as simple as trading time for money. I think my monthly cost is about $500, not counting that I have a separate building on my plot which is part of the house loan. I think Zettle, PayPal and other payment solutions is about 2% of the transaction. Running the website is just over $100/month, accounting program is about $100/month, some software charges a yearly fee, Office 365, Cad/Cam software etc. Then it's insurance, electricity and fees every time I get a delivery of materials or products, usually just $25-40, but it adds up, then it's shipping cost, which actually makes up a substantial part of the cost on a yearly basis. It's very rare a product I've sold or made develops issues, but if that happens, that goes out of my pocket.

 

[spktur]

I don't understand this thread. What is the OP going to do once he finds out that other people in the country charge less than his local guy go and tell him he charges too much? I guess he figures his guy will come down on the price. The truth is the guy selling the service no matter what he charges determines what the service is worth. If the customer doesn't like the price he can go elsewhere that simple.

I do cue repair but I'm also a grumpy old man and if you tell me I charge too much it just takes me two seconds to tell you to find someone else. I don't need the work or the money and I won't put up with that crap.

 

[Terry Aeschliman]

Flakeandrun is doing his business and pool playing in Shanghai. Businesses are run differently in different parts of the world (no harm intended).
I have a small repair shop in the midwest and my tip inventory at any one time is nearly $2500. I generally cycle it yearly, depending if I work any tournaments.

 

[Pushout]

If I remember right, Mike Gulyassy charged me $25.00 apiece for 3 Triangles the last time I got tips replaced. Rather a surprise!

 

[TheBasics]

They have 20 tables in the store I go to, the store I frequent is the 'small' side-store, and there are three other stores they have in the city. They organise competitions, and have a competitive team. They want you to come and pay for the cost of the light. They want customers to play as often as they can, and treat it like a second home. Any serious player uses their own cue, the quicker they can have it ship shape, the quicker they can spend more money.
Anyone with half a brain can replace their own tip, but having someone else fix it, completing that 10 minute task, to a standard better and faster than you can do it yourself, with equipment that the average person doesn't have access too, for free, is a sure fire way to make sure they return to paying for the light, at your store, as quickly as possible (and makes them feel valued too - went a bit ham with the commas here ).
I'm not saying they wouldn't rather you buy the tip from them, but they aren't going to decline a regular bringing their own, or charge a regular for that service. The cost of such machinery is also probably going to be much cheaper here than in the US, but I can't be certain how much these things cost.

Howdy;

Back in the 2000's I would drive the 50 miles to Lancaster, Ohio shoot on the 9' tables at a Connolly dealership.
One day my tip pops off I splutter like a mad duck, the counter guy says what? I tell him, and he says " Step over here"
Shows me one of those Porper Mini-Q in a box lathes. Shows me how easy it was to change out a tip. Couple of weeks
later I drive back up and they are closed up. Have been trying to run one to ground to ground ever since. Of course the price has
doubled and the nifty tote box isn't included and I'm runnin' on bottled oxygen Dang It.

Porper Mini-Q-Lathe

BOX NOT INCLUDED The compact Mini-Q-Lathe has been specifically engineered as a cue repair lathe. It was designed from the ground up to help you do one thing extremely well–repair cues. It won't grind your coffee or shine your shoes, but you'll replace tips and ferrules in a snap, create wraps...

www.muellers.com

hank

 

[garczar]

I don't understand this thread. What is the OP going to do once he finds out that other people in the country charge less than his local guy go and tell him he charges too much? I guess he figures his guy will come down on the price. The truth is the guy selling the service no matter what he charges determines what the service is worth. If the customer doesn't like the price he can go elsewhere that simple.

I do cue repair but I'm also a grumpy old man and if you tell me I charge too much it just takes me two seconds to tell you to find someone else. I don't need the work or the money and I won't put up with that crap.

I heard you charge too much.

 

[spktur]

I heard you charge too much.

Like I said I'm a grumpy old man, chances are I'll tell you to go somewhere else. I only do tips for people I know well and don't dislike. I got into it 40 years ago because I didn't like what I saw out there in my area. At that time I was just doing my own work but went ahead and got some equipment and the pool room owner and the guy that owned the billiard supply asked me if I would pick and do their customers and did for years but as I became a grumpy old man I started sending people to other guys that wanted the business. I just don't want the work and don't need the money so I'm back to mostly just doing my own thing. Those that I will do tips for are charged by what I think of them.

 

[Dudley]

I have a cnc machine shop and am an authorized Kamui tip installer..
Last time I bought a group of tips I spent over 700$

At this point I honestly only really put tips on my personal cues and for my friends when the lathe is open, it's not worth the headache of putting on tips for strangers.
Most people think it's too expensive if you charge over 35$ , If a tip blows up or fell off I would replace it every time.
MAP for Kamui clear blacks is $28.30 last time I looked. At a minimum, expecting to push on tip cost if a tip goes bad doesn't seem out of line from my perspective.

If I charged my machining business shop rate for tip installs it would be crazy high.

The quality difference with tip installers is pretty noticeable from what I've seen, If I didn't have the tools I would gladly pay more for tips that are installed with care and attention to detail.

 

[JoeyInCali]

$20 for labor.
$20 for shaft cleaning, minimum.
$10 markup on all tips.

 

[Lawnboy77]

$20 for labor.
$20 for shaft cleaning, minimum.
$10 markup on all tips.

Sounds more than fair to me.

 

[Sheldon]

$20 for labor.
$20 for shaft cleaning, minimum.
$10 markup on all tips.

$78 for a Kamui with a shaft cleaning?

 

[boogieman]

My friends only deal is that I'll put on any tip they bring me (except non leather break tips or kamui clear) if they bring a case of beer to pool night.

But that's friends only and I'm not in business.

If I were doing stranger's cues I'd likely charge $20 to put a tip on and I ain't cleaning a thing. I'm too nit-picky on cue cleaning. I'll have the shaft the best it's ever been but it takes me too long. I'm good but slower than a snail. I can't clean one without removing dings and that requires me to deal with raised grain and all that rigamarole.

Buying fresh CA every couple months costs money, buying blades costs money and sharpening them takes time for the non disposable. Masking tape costs money, paper towels cost money, 91% IPA costs money, magic erasure costs money. Etc.

 

[JoeyInCali]

$78 for a Kamui with a shaft cleaning?

Yes

 

[Tom1234]

$20 for labor.
$20 for shaft cleaning, minimum.
$10 markup on all tips.

If the wood shaft only has one or two (small!) dings, I will remove them for no extra charge. I also let them know the shaft will not be ready in 10 - 15 minutes if I remove small dings.