How often is too often to call a cuemaker?
Here's why I ask...(and please bear with me)
I used to shoot pretty regularly when I lived in Phoenix. I didn't know too much about cues. My first cue was a Players because that's all I could afford. I started shooting better and started spending more time (a lot more time) at the pool hall near my work. I met a lot of good players and one of the older guys had a buddy who was kind enough to make me a deal on his old Meucci. It's a pretty nice cue, but I always envied my friends who had custom cues because I couldn't afford them.
Then I moved and stopped playing altogether for four years. I recently started playing again here in Washington. So I decided to save up for my first custom. (whew...thanks for reading this far. I'm getting there...)
I found a cue online that I absolutely fell in love with. The lady selling it was very kind and helpful. She actually taught me a lot about different joint types and woods. I did not have enough for her asking price and, from shopping around a bit (which led me to this amazing forum), I thought she may be asking too much. She was super nice still and lowered her price, but it was just more than I could afford. So...I called the cue maker to see if he remembered making the cue and if it was worth it to save up and pay her price. He did not sound happy that I called him. I explained my situation. (You could probably imagine from the length of this post so far that his patience was pretty thin listening to my story) When I told him who was selling the cue and gave him the cue's details, he told me that the lady selling it was a thief and a liar and that he would just make one for me. I was amazed and overwhelmed. So we started discussing different woods and inlays. He got really excited about the cue. At one point he called me four times in one afternoon to tell me his ideas for the cue. That sold it for me. If he was that excited about my cue, I would let him do whatever he wanted and pay him whatever he thought it would cost. Eventually we agreed on a price and the estimated completion date was some time in June. This was in December.
So now I'm super excited. I want to call every day to find out what he's done, but I have forced myself to wait one month between calls. I don't mean to be annoying or impatient. I truly am just interested in what he's done, how he did it, what else he is planning on doing. I wish I could sit and watch him work. I know the cue will be done in June and I don't expect it earlier so I am not calling to see if it will be finished ahead of schedule. My last call, last week, was because I couldn't remember how many points he was putting on the cue. I was not wanting to change the cue at all. Just couldn't remember if it was four or six points.
He seemed really annoyed.
Was I way out of line to call so often? Do you as cuemakers ever call your customers to let them know how things are going? Or is it customary to give a due date and then call when the cue is done?
I want to emphasize that I understand where he is coming from and can see how it would be annoying to answer silly questions from some impatient kid. I feel like he's gone out of his way for me by calling me with his own ideas for the cue design at the start. --EDIT-- I guess he did not get the pictures taken. He said that it takes too much time out of his other builds --EDIT-- I believe him since he has no cell phone or computer. He's an amazing guy who builds amazing cues and I don't want to piss him off any further.
I also don't want to make the same mistakes with my next cuemaker.
Any and all input is appreciated. I want to be a great customer. I want my next cuemaker to be glad to do business with me.
Thanks for reading.
Brian
Here's why I ask...(and please bear with me)
I used to shoot pretty regularly when I lived in Phoenix. I didn't know too much about cues. My first cue was a Players because that's all I could afford. I started shooting better and started spending more time (a lot more time) at the pool hall near my work. I met a lot of good players and one of the older guys had a buddy who was kind enough to make me a deal on his old Meucci. It's a pretty nice cue, but I always envied my friends who had custom cues because I couldn't afford them.
Then I moved and stopped playing altogether for four years. I recently started playing again here in Washington. So I decided to save up for my first custom. (whew...thanks for reading this far. I'm getting there...)
I found a cue online that I absolutely fell in love with. The lady selling it was very kind and helpful. She actually taught me a lot about different joint types and woods. I did not have enough for her asking price and, from shopping around a bit (which led me to this amazing forum), I thought she may be asking too much. She was super nice still and lowered her price, but it was just more than I could afford. So...I called the cue maker to see if he remembered making the cue and if it was worth it to save up and pay her price. He did not sound happy that I called him. I explained my situation. (You could probably imagine from the length of this post so far that his patience was pretty thin listening to my story) When I told him who was selling the cue and gave him the cue's details, he told me that the lady selling it was a thief and a liar and that he would just make one for me. I was amazed and overwhelmed. So we started discussing different woods and inlays. He got really excited about the cue. At one point he called me four times in one afternoon to tell me his ideas for the cue. That sold it for me. If he was that excited about my cue, I would let him do whatever he wanted and pay him whatever he thought it would cost. Eventually we agreed on a price and the estimated completion date was some time in June. This was in December.
So now I'm super excited. I want to call every day to find out what he's done, but I have forced myself to wait one month between calls. I don't mean to be annoying or impatient. I truly am just interested in what he's done, how he did it, what else he is planning on doing. I wish I could sit and watch him work. I know the cue will be done in June and I don't expect it earlier so I am not calling to see if it will be finished ahead of schedule. My last call, last week, was because I couldn't remember how many points he was putting on the cue. I was not wanting to change the cue at all. Just couldn't remember if it was four or six points.
He seemed really annoyed.
Was I way out of line to call so often? Do you as cuemakers ever call your customers to let them know how things are going? Or is it customary to give a due date and then call when the cue is done?
I want to emphasize that I understand where he is coming from and can see how it would be annoying to answer silly questions from some impatient kid. I feel like he's gone out of his way for me by calling me with his own ideas for the cue design at the start. --EDIT-- I guess he did not get the pictures taken. He said that it takes too much time out of his other builds --EDIT-- I believe him since he has no cell phone or computer. He's an amazing guy who builds amazing cues and I don't want to piss him off any further.
I also don't want to make the same mistakes with my next cuemaker.
Any and all input is appreciated. I want to be a great customer. I want my next cuemaker to be glad to do business with me.
Thanks for reading.
Brian
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There are so many talented cue makers and different cues and woods that I definitely have the collector bug. I am not worried in the least about the hit of my new cue. From what I've read, he is among the top cuemakers for playability. My friend Crash owns one of his cues and I will hopefully make it back to AZ in April to try his out. Also, I mostly picked this cuemaker for his unique woods. Now that I've been on this forum for a while and am learning about new cuemakers, I'm considering a Sugartree next. I sure do love those cool, burly, figured woods!! Thanks for the reply.
