Cuemaker AND Customer

S

sengkun108

sengkun108
Silver Member
there is a couple of the thread about a cuemaker and customer right now in main forum...some bad experience and some good experience.

i start this thread with positive intention for both the cuemaker and customer. if we know how the customer need and how the cuemaker deal a bussiness. i guess we can reduce some problem in the future.

i don't want to start a flame war between cuemaker and customer..that is not my intention. So, please write some polite comment and positive one.

question :

supposed you as a customer ask to a cuemaker to build a cue with your own spex and the cuemaker named a date to deliver your cue and unfortunately he can not deliver your cue on the time he promises. How much time you could patiently wait until you put him on your bad cuemaker list?

i know the answer is depend on how much time he promise to deliver cue at the start... let's say he promise to you 6 month... how much time you will patiently wait and if he promise to you for 3 year, how much time you will patiently wait if he can't deliver on time...


question no 2 :

if the cuemaker don't take any deposit for the works, is he have any right to deliver the cue late?

in my bussiness, when i already put a word for a promise. I will fulfill my promise even i don't take any deposit at the start.


i'm sorry if my english is not good...i hope everyone here know what i mean..thanks


Best
Dedy :)
 
From Websters and its the only thing that needs to be said...

Definition of COMMITMENT

1 a: an act of committing to a charge or trust: as (1): a consignment to a penal or mental institution (2): an act of referring a matter to a legislative committee b: mittimus


2 a: an agreement or pledge to do something in the future; especially: an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date b: something pledged c: the state or an instance of being obligated or emotionally impelled <a commitment to a cause>

See number 2, but most of them should be 1a (1)... :p

If you don't understand this...then look up the word COMMUNICATION.

JV
 
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sengkun108 said:
question :

supposed you as a customer ask to a cuemaker to build a cue with your own spex and the cuemaker named a date to deliver your cue and unfortunately he can not deliver your cue on the time he promises. How much time you could patiently wait until you put him on your bad cuemaker list?
Click to expand...

Another variable would be if the cuemaker was proactive in contacting me in regards to the deadline...

Dayplanners are relatively inexpensive. A leather-bound one with the space to write seven days of notes on two pages costs about $30. Cheap ones are around $12. Take 30 seconds to look at the next couple weeks in the day planner... See who's cue is on schedule and who's isn't.
If my cue is done before the deadline, let me know it's coming early. I'll be estatic. If it's gonna be late (for whatever reason), call me and let me know. If you call me and keep me 'in the loop', I'll talk you up to anyone looking for a custom, because you put me (the customer) first.

Otherwise I'm already pissed off that we're a month (or more) past the delivery date, and I'm the one that has to call YOU !!!

The buyer calling the maker should be the anomoly, not the norm...
 
I think every case is different but out of the custom cues I have ordered to my speks I have never had any major delays. My first was from Paul Dayton, cue took a little longer than stated and shipping was delayed to some major storms which is out of anyones control. When the cue arrived it was gorgous, much nicer than what I had in mind. I've ordered a few cues from Bryan Mordt, BCM cues, never an issue, top quality in my opinion. Tom Coker has always been within a close range of expected delivery date as well. I had one deal with a cue maker where I traded wood for a cue. The deal was agreed upon in early July of 2007. The cue being offered was said to be within a few days of completion. I sent my end of the trade deal with a week, give or take a few days maybe. I received the cue in mid to late November. I wasn't happy about the extended time but the cue was delivered. If I order a custom cue from someone and they say they can have it done in a couple months, unless this person has a great stock of wood that has been turning over a period of time and is ready now, I would be a little concerned. I would rather have extra time put into the process and get cue done right, and one that will hopefully stay straight than to push and get something that was rushed. I understand that are some post now about deals that have gone well over a fair amount of extended time and I don't know what the breaking point for me would be, I've had good luck so far I guess
 
Who would order a cue with a promise time of 3 years and put any money down? That's just insane.

As to your original question. Cue makers aren't that unique. They provide a service and product just like every other working business in the world. They don't deserve any special consideration for being flaky that you wouldn't give to Fedex or a roofing contractor. You didn't ask them to build cues for a living. That's a choice they themselves made and as such they have a responsibility to know their own capabilities. If someone tells me three months then I get moody on day 91 if they don't contact me. A good business person would see the problem at day 80 and fix it via communication if they find they need more time for any reason at all. But to continue to tell bold faced lies about when you will have something completed is totally unacceptable on any level. I guess as long as people keep ordering cues from these people it will never end.

Don't pay the ferry man until he gets you to the other side. Figure roughly what the cost of material is for whatever is being built for you and don't put any more than that down, period. That way if you have to walk away with a lesson learned the sting is minimized. In the case of cues I would guess that to be about 15-20%. If someone tells you they will have the thing done in six months ask them at what point you will get a full refund of deposit if it's not complete and get it in writing. If they don't want to do this then you can rest assured they are not capable of knowing their own limitations and you should move on. There are too many good cue builders in the world for anyone to tolerate this.

JC
 
Cuemakers

If a cuemaker was gonna be late, I would wait up to 2 months, and then I would get irrate.

I don't know how most cuemakers do it, but my cuemaker requests half down when you order, and half when the cue is delivered, and that, to me, is a very fair way of doing it.
 
Here's my take on it:

It's a contract. You pay for a service with an expressed "deadline" (completion date). Now we all know that "things" happen...however, why should it be the customer who pays the price when the cuemaker cannot or will not uphold his/her end of the agreement/contract!

I believe that there should be no issue with a downpayment equaling the cost of materials...that just stands to reason. If the customer backs out of the contract, they should be out their deposit (to cover the cost of the materials already purchased by the cuemaker)!

However, when a cuemaker experiences "delays" - regardless of what caused those delays (storms, poor planning, cuemakers mistakes) - I believe there should be a compensating adjustment on the final price. Whether it's a 5%-10% discount for every week the delivery is delayed ro whatever it is, I truly believe there should be a preexisting agreement in place to keep "delays" from happening on a constant basis.

Now, having said all this, I have put my trust in a cuemaker (Jim Pierce) and paid him upfront in full for a cue he's going to build me. Jim DID NOT require this! I offered because I had the cash and didn't want to spend it on something else (stupid pool cue buying addiction)! I wanted to make sure I upheld my end of the bargain! I don't believe Jim will "stick it to me" by any means...I have faith in him...I also know I can find him if need be! ;)

Just my rambling thoughts...

Jason
 
hey

metmot said:
Cue makers aren't artists. A cue is a useful for something tangible.
Click to expand...



my opinion is that all cuemakers are artistic. the range of artistic ability will range from a 0 to a 10. it doesnt automatically mean that the more traditional
cue with much less inlays would right away be less artistic. I have a few very traditional cues that I see the artistic value input into the cue was just amazing
 
Damn you didnt tell me you knew where I lived LOL

I have had delays and set backs and I always comp my customers in some way if its a % or like a free shaft or JPs something. The customer trust us the (cue maker) with their hard earned money. We (the cue maker) have to deliver point blank. S@#t happens thats a given, its how we take care of the issue is what matters.
Jim Pierce





JAMSGOLF said:
Here's my take on it:

It's a contract. You pay for a service with an expressed "deadline" (completion date). Now we all know that "things" happen...however, why should it be the customer who pays the price when the cuemaker cannot or will not uphold his/her end of the agreement/contract!

I believe that there should be no issue with a downpayment equaling the cost of materials...that just stands to reason. If the customer backs out of the contract, they should be out their deposit (to cover the cost of the materials already purchased by the cuemaker)!

However, when a cuemaker experiences "delays" - regardless of what caused those delays (storms, poor planning, cuemakers mistakes) - I believe there should be a compensating adjustment on the final price. Whether it's a 5%-10% discount for every week the delivery is delayed ro whatever it is, I truly believe there should be a preexisting agreement in place to keep "delays" from happening on a constant basis.

Now, having said all this, I have put my trust in a cuemaker (Jim Pierce) and paid him upfront in full for a cue he's going to build me. Jim DID NOT require this! I offered because I had the cash and didn't want to spend it on something else (stupid pool cue buying addiction)! I wanted to make sure I upheld my end of the bargain! I don't believe Jim will "stick it to me" by any means...I have faith in him...I also know I can find him if need be! ;)

Just my rambling thoughts...

Jason
Click to expand...
 
in my opinion regarding of delay in delivering the cue, the cue maker should tell the truth what happen,what cause of the delay and not promising another date then another delay and BS reason again.much better if tell the truth to the customer what really cause of delay.peace!
 
The Cue maker knows how long it takes to complete the job. The commitment should be made before ordering and the customer will make a decision at that time. If the Cue maker is a good (time) manager things will work out. Research who you deal with.
 
What about when a cuemaker takes a deposit on an agreed total price then years later when your cue comes up he says the price is several $$ more then originally quoted...:groucho: I havent had this happen but have heard it from a few people.
 
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