my "custom" cue made wrong

S

sashax415

Registered
ok this thread is not to complain about what went wrong, but to get some feedback as to where to go from here....I'll try to keep it short as I know people hate reading all the text :D

Back in July/August or so, I made the decision to order a custom cue from a well known and respected custom cuemaker. I remember after placing my order, thinking how casual and easy the process seemed-- almost too easy. The cuemaker listened to me explain exactly what i wanted and basically said okie doke it'll be done in 12 weeks. I felt a little uneasy, as if he hadnt written a thing I said down, but I figured these guys are the best, so I must be neurotic.

During the past 3 months, I spoke with the cuemaker about 3-4 times (I had decided to add a couple inlays in the butt and have the shaft turned down) and each time I had the same feeling-- like he just took a mental note of it and sent me on my way. :rolleyes:

I picked up my cue from UPS since I missed the delivery and as I sat in my car ripping the box open, my heart just sunk. THE CUE WAS MADE WRONG :eek:

I specified FIVE points to be made out of ivorine, there were FOUR made out of white holly. There there were to be rings at the joint collar and the butt ONLY. There was an extra set of rings at the ends of the wrap. The cue was made as if from a vague memory of my order.

Now let me say the cue is BEAUTIFUL. Everyone who has seen it is amazed. I must admit, theres a good chance it possibly looks better than I originally designed (except it would look better with 5 points as per my request). However, it is supposed to be "custom" cue, and what I now possess, is not what I ordered.

They offered to remake the cue, but there is no way im waiting another 12 weeks. SO this is the offer that stands. They will send me an additional shaft at no charge, OR for $100 I can have a predator shaft with the rings to match my cue.

Everyone says I have been too nice about the whole thing... I guess I feel bad, but at the same time I want to be pissed. I mean I saw it coming. They apologized and said themselves there was no excuse.

So.. what should I do? Am I stupid to be hung up over "the principle" issue? I havent really expressed much frustration with the cuemake over this but Ive vented plenty at home. Any opinions, suggestions, or stories of similar circumstances would be really appreciated.

And sorry for the loooong post.. I tried!! ;)
 
That's not a good thing... Custom MEANS custom and if the cue is not to your specs, and all you say is true, the cuemaker dropped the ball BIG TIME.
If you can get used to the cue being the way it is, go for the free shaft and try a different cuemaker next time.... either that or bite the bullet and wait for a new cue.
 
sashax415 said:
ok this thread is not to complain about what went wrong, but to get some feedback as to where to go from here....I'll try to keep it short as I know people hate reading all the text :D

Back in July/August or so, I made the decision to order a custom cue from a well known and respected custom cuemaker. I remember after placing my order, thinking how casual and easy the process seemed-- almost too easy. The cuemaker listened to me explain exactly what i wanted and basically said okie doke it'll be done in 12 weeks. I felt a little uneasy, as if he hadnt written a thing I said down, but I figured these guys are the best, so I must be neurotic.

During the past 3 months, I spoke with the cuemaker about 3-4 times (I had decided to add a couple inlays in the butt and have the shaft turned down) and each time I had the same feeling-- like he just took a mental note of it and sent me on my way. :rolleyes:

I picked up my cue from UPS since I missed the delivery and as I sat in my car ripping the box open, my heart just sunk. THE CUE WAS MADE WRONG :eek:

I specified FIVE points to be made out of ivorine, there were FOUR made out of white holly. There there were to be rings at the joint collar and the butt ONLY. There was an extra set of rings at the ends of the wrap. The cue was made as if from a vague memory of my order.

Now let me say the cue is BEAUTIFUL. Everyone who has seen it is amazed. I must admit, theres a good chance it possibly looks better than I originally designed (except it would look better with 5 points as per my request). However, it is supposed to be "custom" cue, and what I now possess, is not what I ordered.

They offered to remake the cue, but there is no way im waiting another 12 weeks. SO this is the offer that stands. They will send me an additional shaft at no charge, OR for $100 I can have a predator shaft with the rings to match my cue.

Everyone says I have been too nice about the whole thing... I guess I feel bad, but at the same time I want to be pissed. I mean I saw it coming. They apologized and said themselves there was no excuse.

So.. what should I do? Am I stupid to be hung up over "the principle" issue? I havent really expressed much frustration with the cuemake over this but Ive vented plenty at home. Any opinions, suggestions, or stories of similar circumstances would be really appreciated.

And sorry for the loooong post.. I tried!! ;)
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Honestly, I would keep the cue if it plays well at all and order another cue like you wanted originally. They may even give you a break on the price if you take both cues. It sounds like you got a little more then you ordered anyway. When the new cue comes then just sell this one. This may turn out to be a great cue who knows. That's what I would do.
 
macguy said:
Honestly, I would keep the cue if it plays well at all and order another cue like you wanted originally. They may even give you a break on the price if you take both cues. It sounds like you got a little more then you ordered anyway. When the new cue comes then just sell this one. This may turn out to be a great cue who knows. That's what I would do.
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Well I wish I had the luxury of being able to just go and order another one, but this cue was a BIG investment for me. Also, the cue is similar in looks as to what I ordered and all the mistakes were cosmetic, so I'm not placing any doubt on the quality of this cue, it is indeed a great cue. However, it is not my cue, as Sheldon said, custom should mean custom right?

As for getting more cue than I ordered, I actually paid for five points and got four. and the extra rings were included after I explicitly said I didn't want them ... the wrap matches the inlay, and the rings are a stark contrast in between the two)

Right now, Im probably gonna fork over the hundred bucks for the predator since I have no real use for two (cuemaker) shafts. Does this sound like a fair deal?
 
You are never going to be happy with the Cue Made Wrong, so in the long run you would be better off waiting 12 weeks for a Cue Done Right. But I would like to make an observation. Ivorine has a linen base and the white holly will make a much better looking inlay than Ivorine. I am surprised the cuemaker didn't point that out to you instead of just doing it the better way without telling you. Just something to think about.
 
sashax415 said:
Well I wish I had the luxury of being able to just go and order another one, but this cue was a BIG investment for me. Also, the cue is similar in looks as to what I ordered and all the mistakes were cosmetic, so I'm not placing any doubt on the quality of this cue, it is indeed a great cue. However, it is not my cue, as Sheldon said, custom should mean custom right?

As for getting more cue than I ordered, I actually paid for five points and got four. and the extra rings were included after I explicitly said I didn't want them ... the wrap matches the inlay, and the rings are a stark contrast in between the two)

Right now, Im probably gonna fork over the hundred bucks for the predator since I have no real use for two (cuemaker) shafts. Does this sound like a fair deal?
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I just said what I would do. I think from hearing what you say, you should get your money back. You are never going to be happy with the cue and will tell this story for as long as you own the cue and get angry every time. It's just a cue, you will own many over the years.
 
You ask what to do. Have them do what will make you happy. Be glad that the Cuemaker did not sat “Tough Tacos Paco”, but was willing to work with you over their mistake. Cuemakers, like other professionals are Human, and do make mistakes. ;)
 
I would get a new cue built to your exact specs. Or better yet give him the cue back so he can sell it himself, get your money back, and work with someone else. That is a shocking amount of disparity in the design and if he is missing the boat that bad on design I cannot imagine what he could miss on the actual functional aspects of the cue such as taper, length, weight, tip size, butt width, balance point, ect... My Mikkelsen was has 7 hand carved silver rings of celtic knotwork, 3 inlayed gold celtic crosses, 3 birdseye maple points comming out of each level of silver knotwork rings on the forearm for 9 total, all on unreal dark gabbon ebony, matching shafts, it is the extra inch long I asked for, the weight was dead on, it is slightly thinner in the butt section like I wanted, and it hits like a dream. My cue sounds worlds more intricate but a good cue maker should be expected to get this stuff done right. I did draw a true to size picture of exactly what I wanted for my cue with all the inlays, celtic knotwork, ect... shown which I am sure helped and was kept right there to look at while the cue was being built. But for a simple 5 point cue with a couple rings, this is not exactly a intricate sounding cue, and it should be EXACTLY as you ordered it.

As was said above, return it and wait the 12 weeks, or return it and get a refund and get your cue elsewhere. Shooting with a cue that is slightly wrong is one of those little things you dont need in the back of your head when you are shooting pool.
 
kokopuffs said:
What's the cuemaker's name?
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I appreciate all your feedback, however, I feel that this thread is going in the wrong direction... In no way was I trying to hurt the reputation of this cuemaker. While I am disappointed in the way my order was handled, I still hold this cuemaker in the highest regard. As I stated before, the cue I recieved is BEAUTIFUL. My only complaint was that it was not to the exact cosmetic specs I ordered, however, that in no way affected the quality of the craftsmanship of the cue. I have already made the decision to keep the cue and take a shaft for my inconvenience. I CAN accept the fact that it is not exactly the way I imagined it to look. And theres a good chance it looks better than if it had been done my way to begin with.

As for the name of the cuemaker, I do not think it is relevant. I can say that they are well respected and known for great cues. I have only heard good things about them and I hope that my case is an isolated incident.
 
I disagree. The cuemaker didn't make your cue to YOUR specifications and so I'd like to know his name to avoid doing business in the future.
 
FYI - To avoid these problems in the future...

Whenever I give anyone information to someone over the phone like my mailing address or whatever, I always ask them to read it back to me so I am sure they got it right. Amazing how many times people get these things wrong.

And when taking another persons information over the phone, I always read it back to them to be sure I have it right.

Whenever I go to a business to have something custom made like a sign, hire a contractor to do some work on my house, or whatever, I ALWAYS put it in writing and provide drawings if that will help. Then keep a copy for myself.

I think I learned to do this in a high school class. We took 10 people and put them in a circle. Then the teacher wispered something to the first person, then they wispered it to the next, and so on down the line. By the time it got to the last person, the message was completly changed. People don't always hear or understand what you are saying. Best to have them repeat what you said to be sure they got it right and/or put it in writing...
 
That's exactly what I did upon ordering a custom Phillippi: I gave the specs over the telephone from my spec sheet that was also mailed to him.
 
the whole point to buying a custom cue is that YOU can get anything YOU want,,,,,,,,,made to order. you paid all that money for an "off the rack" cue! you have every right to be pissed.

have them remake your cue EXACTLY TO YOUR SPECS. hold on to the cue they sent you, and send it back when they send you the new one.

and btw, in the meantime, PLAY WITH THE MISTAKE CUE THEY MADE FOR YOU, until you get your cue!!!!..and why not. they made the mistake in the first place.

also.....i think it IS important that you reveal the cuemaker's name. he has a responsibility to paying customers, and if you don't say anything, he will continue to provide poor, irresponsible service to his customer base. it was a blatant disregard for your needs. it's about consumer protection. when you consider the proliferation of so-called cuemakers out there, there is no room for inconsiderate cuemakers.
 
If it was me I'd ask for a return of my money and send the cue back. When you order something custom, designed how you want, and then get something totally different it has to be a huge let down. I can't see how you'll be happy with the cue, in the back of your mind your always going to be thinking it should have been the way I wanted.

Depending on the cue maker you may be able to sell the cue on your own and get a return of your money or more, if the cue maker has a long wait on orders.
 
Which Cuemaker was it?

I agree with some of the previous posters, you should reveal the cuemaker's name. The pool community is a small world and the only way we can have "consumer protection" is to police our own little world. You have pointed out that the cuemaker does beautiful, quality work and has made an effort to solve the problem by attempting to accomodate you with an additional shaft for no charge so you are being fair. It seems that the cuemaker's problem here was being very "casual" about paying attention to exactly what you wanted. You will actually be doing the cuemaker and his future customers a favor by revealing his name. The cuemaker will hopefully read this and make more of an effort to record the customer's prferences in the future and learn that it's not enough to just do good work; customer service is equally important. Additionally, future customers of this maker will be very careful to keep things in writing so they end up with what they wanted.

KN
 
bruin70 said:
the whole point to buying a custom cue is that YOU can get anything YOU want,,,,,,,,,made to order. you paid all that money for an "off the rack" cue! you have every right to be pissed.

have them remake your cue EXACTLY TO YOUR SPECS. hold on to the cue they sent you, and send it back when they send you the new one.

and btw, in the meantime, PLAY WITH THE MISTAKE CUE THEY MADE FOR YOU, until you get your cue!!!!..and why not. they made the mistake in the first place.

also.....i think it IS important that you reveal the cuemaker's name. he has a responsibility to paying customers, and if you don't say anything, he will continue to provide poor, irresponsible service to his customer base. it was a blatant disregard for your needs. it's about consumer protection. when you consider the proliferation of so-called cuemakers out there, there is no room for inconsiderate cuemakers.
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No possibility it was just a mistake? After all the buyer didn't even send him the specs in writing and made changes over the phone, there can easily be a misunderstanding. It is a bad business practice to just take orders over the phone anyway. It can be the initial contact but the order should be followed up in writing and today with email that can be done in an instant. Also,

Quote
"During the past 3 months, I spoke with the cuemaker about 3-4 times (I had decided to add a couple inlays in the butt and have the shaft turned down)"

Customers order a cue and then proceed to change the order a dozen times before they get the cue. After a while I wonder if they have any idea what they ordered and will swear they never said this or that later. To be honest, most name cue makers will sell every cue they will ever build. Why they even take custom orders is beyond me, they can be nothing but headaches most of the time. They are the artist, they should make cues of their own designs and just offer them up for sale. No referring to this poster or you for that matter, but a lot of these guys ordering cues can be really nuts and you are so sorry you said yes to building them a cue. Listen to yourself, you want to kill the guy because of a mistake in a cue. The cue maker offered to replace the cue and I am sure would even give him a break on the price for the inconvenience or a refund. What more do you want him to do, An easily resolvable mistake was made, so what. Take a reality check Just My Opinion.
 
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sashax415 said:
....As I stated before, the cue I recieved is BEAUTIFUL. My only complaint was that it was not to the exact cosmetic specs I ordered, however, that in no way affected the quality of the craftsmanship of the cue. I have already made the decision to keep the cue and take a shaft for my inconvenience. I CAN accept the fact that it is not exactly the way I imagined it to look. And theres a good chance it looks better than if it had been done my way to begin with....
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As Cueman pointed out, large inlays or points of holly are going to be much more attractive than Ivorine. Since you have a BEAUTIFUL cue, and you CAN accept the fact that it's not exactly to your design specs, the question seems to me to be WILL you accept it?

If so, I would start concentratiing on the positives, play with it, show it off proudly, and forget that it wasn't to your specs. If you keep stressing that "it was supposed to be different," you will probably never be happy with it, but if you feel that the cue, workmanship, etc. are worth the price and it plays up to your expectations, I'd accept it and enjoy it. The looks, though different, may "grow on you" - I'd give it a chance.

As Abe Lincoln said, "Most people are about as happy as they decide to be."

JMHO,
Walt in VA
 
When I was making custom cases I would typically start with a sheet of paper that had the most common elements and then flip it over to the blank side and let the ideas flow from the customer to the paper. Then I would ask the customer for some artistic license to interpret their desires and imprint my own style on the piece.

This worked fairly well and I miss the joy of getting the surprised expression when they first saw the case and it was better than what they had imagined.

Even though I wrote down the information I still screwed up on the first case I embroidered for someone else. I spelled the guy's name Bassani when it it Bassini. So I learned to be very careful with the details.

My advice is to send the cue back. Let them know that it is beautiful but not what you had in mind. Take some time and write down what you want exactly. Ask them to call you to discuss it when they get the cue back. Ask them to fax you the sheet of notes after the conversation to make sure you are on the same page. Then sit back and wait for the cue. 12 weeks more is not the end of the world when you are getting something that says you. I bet the cuemaker will be happy to have the chance to have a customer who will brag about the one that is right rather than talk about the one that was done wrong - no matter how good a cue it is. You will probably end up with a better cue the second time.

One thing to remember is that once you place the order you need to let it go. While it is possible to change things in-process it is a PAIN IN THE ASS if certain steps have been taken. You need to be sure that you can just sit on your hands and let the cuemaker do his thing.

John
 
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