Recovering Table vs. Table Tune-Up

Dartman

Dartman

Well-known member
Silver Member
Based on 2 threads - "What do you expect" in the main forum and "What do you think" in this forum -

Johnny Prowannabe calls you to recover his table.
What's included in your "recovering" fee?

Do you offer an optional "table tune-up" that includes:
Inspect, patch and level slates to include refill on the seams
Tighten all leg and frame bolts and table hardware
Check and clean ball returns (if applicable)
Check cushion adhesion and repair if necessary
Check cushion facings and replace if necessary
 
That's all standard with me except slates if it's minor I fix if it's major extra charge for it.

I always hit some balls with the sub to see what he knows and find out what issues they have with the table. Now I know what possible extra's i might need to deal with or look closer at. When I'm done that table should play better then when I started Thats why I play a few games afterwards to see if I fixed there issues and to show them how much better it is now versus 5 hrs ago before I started.

Some owners even go double or nothing on payment on a race of 3 got to love ball bangers.

Craig
 
I agree...while you've got it apart, you might as well make it play good. I also agree that fine-tuning the level is one thing, but if the guy before you didn't level it or did a funky job and you have to start from scratch, that time is worth something. HOWEVER, because the Average Joe residential customer doesn't know this, I try to ask on the phone ahead of time if there are any other issues with the table so I don't show up at the house and right away try to hit them with add-on cost.

Also a good time to ask if they need a dust cover, or brush, etc., and ask what color was on the table before, so you show up with the right color chalk if they're changing colors. You don't make a ton on the accessories, but hey, every $ counts these days, and it makes you look more prepared and like you carry a whole Pro Shop in your van! For guys like me that work from home, that keeps the customer from assuming they have to go to the local dealer to buy physical stuff. Let's them know that I can get them anything they need, so they're more likely to call me next time they do need something.
 
I donate all my R+D:eek::eek:,

when customers treat you special and offer you lunch etc I believe Everyone goes the extra mile and that is what is worth more than the money sometimes, Well and maybe a couple of other things they might give you.

Having std supplies like cues, chalk etc is quick money:thumbup:
Its unthinkable to me to have a large truck and not have everything to sell.

Prices vary with the customer, he who has more, pays more. He who pays more gets less and he who pays less gets more, more less.
 
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I've wondered about that myself- Good question!

I always figured that while it's apart, take care of it. You'll only get called back later to fix it anyway, once they get to see your work. I'm not so money hungry that I would just let it go and wait for the call to come back.
I don't consider that good customer service.

Replacing hardware, leveling, patching/repairing chipped slate, checking out the rails and facings, and cleaning are just part of the job.
The cooler the customer, the more I tend to go out of my way to make things much better than when I arrived. Regardless, I won't leave a table until I feel it's ready to play on at my house.
It's worth it to see and hear their responses when they get to play on their table after it's been done right and not just put together.

If it's not rebuilding the table or polishing a turd, it's in there.....;)
 
Neil said:
I have recovered tables in my time, but I don't do it for a living. Since one of those threads is mine, I will give my thoughts on the subject.

When you recover a table, your name is on it until someone else does it. Now, you may feel that leveling, repairing slate and pockets should be an extra charge. And, you are only getting paid to recover it, so that is all that you will do to it.

Joe Blow comes in and plays on the table. He right away notices problems with it. He asks who re-did the table, he gets your name. Do you think that he will give you any business in the future? Or will recommend you to anyone? Or, worse yet, is he likely to mention your name as someone not to touch your table? Standard business sense says that one unhappy customer will get the word out to 250 people by the time people stop talking about it. And today, with the internet, and forums like this, you can jump that number to thousands.

If I was doing a table, one of two things would happen. It would be fixed right at whatever price I could get for the job. Or, I wouldn't do it at all because the price was to low to do the job right, and my name would be on it.
Click to expand...

tap tap tap. I agree 100 percent. When I go to do a refelt for someone. I fully intend for that table to end up perfectly playable no matter what condition it was in when I got there. I don't believe there is ever a condition that you should go, pull of the old felt and install new without checking level, seams, and anything else because no matter how it played before, your name is the one on it last. And if someone comes to play on the table and it rolls off cause you didn't bother to fix it, they will ask who did your table, and your image as a mechanic is soiled, not the jackass that did it before. If there is a major problem, I stop, grab the customer, show them and explain the situation and let them decide how to proceed.

There have been times when I just bit the bullet on the extra cash just to make sure the table was done right. In my opinion, if you know of some sort of problem with the table and don't make an effort to address it then you have no business being a mechanic.
 
Neil you bring up a good point we all have this happen to us has the economy slows down everyone wants it cheaper or gets someone off of Craigslist for a buck in half.

Some techs charge $350 labor sub makes out a list of what they want fixed sub pays for parts. Table tightened plus fix it all like new $750 sub pays for parts on top.

Glen brought up a post a year ago on what to charge and whats included in the price labor and parts. At first most didnt get it but now I think alot do understand it. I know I do charge seperate prices it s hard at first but easier in the long run.

$350 recover labor only
sub pays for cloth
new drop pockets sub can buy from you or someones else sub pays it included it with the $350 charge extra $5.00 for labor

Wen you finish a table including the french cuff in the pockets glue the cloth on instead of stapling explain things to the customer it looks like a complete package trimmed nice and neat not looking like swiss cheese full of crooked cloth 1,000 staples some still in the carpet.

then thee are but heads cheap cheap cheap just walk away. All they want is cheap price and service bring someone else let them be the boss and your just the muscle to pick up the table to help with leveling. let them blame FRED not you, you just helped out for $50 fred got the rest of the money

Craig
 
Unless the customer specifies that there is a problem with the playability of the table the 2 guys that the local table dealer
sent out probably care less about how the table plays. They're there to swap out the cloth and move on to the next job.
I'm sure a lot of independent hacks follow the same path.

An experienced "independent mechanic" that values reputation will check the table and how it plays before doing anything.
Problems noted should be discussed with the customer and a price and work to be done agreed to before work starts.
The end result should then be a table that plays correctly.
 
table work

9 times out of 10. I look under the table and see a lot of shims and say i will have to start from scratch. When they ask me why. I tell them and explain that when i get done there will be hardly any. Then i show them and they are happy and i get a call later to re felt the table. Thanks, Ron
 
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