I have a great deal of respect for cuemakers..the local cuemaker here in Richmond is Todd Elkins of parrot cue...I always talk to todd and complement his work ...when he is done i pay the price he tells me...and i am glad to do it.. I offer a tip some times and he never takes it..he is proud of his work and as a customer i feel honored for him to work on my stuff...I think it really balls down to respect..if you respect what a cuemaker does then you have no problem paying him for his service..I am patient and wait for my stuff to get done..and we talk and laugh..He has done some things for me for free...he is a great guy and cuemaker..and my respect for him and how he treats his customer has caused me to have respect for all cuemakers until they give me reason not to respect them.. YOu guys deserve what you charge..period!!!
some people really have a helluva lot of nerve
- Thread starter BHQ
- Start date
Brent - Idea...Tell him you have a guy that might do it for him, and have him call me. I will price it for himBHQ said:hello there jimmy. i gave that guy directions to your place.
he oughta be there any minute now!!!
You know the number.
Did you let him know the carpet cleaning chemicals probably cost less than $10 for 5 rooms?BHQ said:you guys ever run into a people like this weenie?
this weenie comes up to me tonight
we've talked before
it didn't take more than a couple minutes to figure out what a tightass he is
the first time we talked , he wanted to add an ivory joint and ivory ferrule and a moori tip and told me it HAD to be done for $90
i laughed at him and walked away
tonight he says, he needs a new predator shaft and tells me that it HAS to be done for less than $150
i told him no way, of course
i said go buy one on ebay for $180
then he asks about a standard shaft and i told him $100 , just to get his reaction
the reaction was what i expected
he proceeded to tell me that the wood costs less than $10 and so forth
this guy cleans carpets for a living, so i told him to come clean my 5 rooms of carpet and it HAS to be done for the new standard shaft
oh my god, the tune sure did change then
he won't be getting any shaft from me and i won't be getting my carpet cleaned
A quick nickel is better than a slow dollar!
Mr. Wadsworth, the gentlemen who do such a great job making cues and retapering shafts and changing balance points and listening to people like those mentioned in the above, very interesting posts, are charging what the market will bear, from what I can tell.
If they charge way more than they are currently charging, business might go south. Someone once said a quick nickel is better than a slow dollar, or something like that.
After paying the local guy what he charged to change a tip (I think it was something like $10 or $12 for a LePro) and then finding out what I could get tips for from Mueller or on eBay, I decided it might be worth my while to try changing tips for myself. With trepidation did I change the first ones, as I feared messing up the ferrule, or shaft, or the tip, too.
But I did learn how to do it, and do it fairly well.
Time goes by, and if I have a problem with a tip and I'm at the pool hall with just one cue and need a tip, I'll take it to the tip guy, who always does a great job for a fair price, say $10 or $12 for a LePro or Elkmaster.
Turns out that today I make my own milk dud tips, and made a few for him, as a favor. Boy do the Filipinos at this pool hall like those tips!
He asked me to make him five more, and he said he'd give me a box of Elkmasters in return. Sure thing!
Well, what in the world has happened, but that he and some other fellows have tried to make them too, but just haven't been able to do them well. So now, in return for making him milk duds that he turns around and installs them, probably for a good deal, and he has told me that any work I need done, having tips put on, or wraps, or anything he does, is on the house for me.
How's that for an enterprising businessman? He's giving me a good service in exchange for making him milk duds from time to time. He's one smart fellow, and I'm happy he is.
If he charged the kind of prices you are advocating here, his business surely would go down. If he charged way more, players would take their cues to have tips put on by the next guy down the street. In Chicago there are plenty of places to have this work done; it's not like there's only one guy in town to do the work. This is what the free market is about, and the prices folks charge are a consequence of competition.
What's not to like about that?
Flex
Arnot Wadsworth said:
Mr. Wadsworth, the gentlemen who do such a great job making cues and retapering shafts and changing balance points and listening to people like those mentioned in the above, very interesting posts, are charging what the market will bear, from what I can tell.
If they charge way more than they are currently charging, business might go south. Someone once said a quick nickel is better than a slow dollar, or something like that.
After paying the local guy what he charged to change a tip (I think it was something like $10 or $12 for a LePro) and then finding out what I could get tips for from Mueller or on eBay, I decided it might be worth my while to try changing tips for myself. With trepidation did I change the first ones, as I feared messing up the ferrule, or shaft, or the tip, too.
But I did learn how to do it, and do it fairly well.
Time goes by, and if I have a problem with a tip and I'm at the pool hall with just one cue and need a tip, I'll take it to the tip guy, who always does a great job for a fair price, say $10 or $12 for a LePro or Elkmaster.
Turns out that today I make my own milk dud tips, and made a few for him, as a favor. Boy do the Filipinos at this pool hall like those tips!
He asked me to make him five more, and he said he'd give me a box of Elkmasters in return. Sure thing!
Well, what in the world has happened, but that he and some other fellows have tried to make them too, but just haven't been able to do them well. So now, in return for making him milk duds that he turns around and installs them, probably for a good deal, and he has told me that any work I need done, having tips put on, or wraps, or anything he does, is on the house for me.
How's that for an enterprising businessman? He's giving me a good service in exchange for making him milk duds from time to time. He's one smart fellow, and I'm happy he is.
If he charged the kind of prices you are advocating here, his business surely would go down. If he charged way more, players would take their cues to have tips put on by the next guy down the street. In Chicago there are plenty of places to have this work done; it's not like there's only one guy in town to do the work. This is what the free market is about, and the prices folks charge are a consequence of competition.
What's not to like about that?
Flex
cheep work
No bull. I just took a phone call from another state. Guy has a Moochi he just got from a pawn shop. Wants to know how much to refinish it. It has got about a dozen(????) dings in the butt and just spraying some clearcoat on it will fill them right???? How much would I charge him to do this? Oh yes did I mention it has a clearcoated wrap. I want that taken off and left uncleared when you clearcoat the rest of the cue. After I try to describe the overall process and final price he says "Heck I only paid $15 for the cue and all that work can't cost more than the cue." I'm still laughing.
Tom Gedris, Triple Cross Cues
No bull. I just took a phone call from another state. Guy has a Moochi he just got from a pawn shop. Wants to know how much to refinish it. It has got about a dozen(????) dings in the butt and just spraying some clearcoat on it will fill them right???? How much would I charge him to do this? Oh yes did I mention it has a clearcoated wrap. I want that taken off and left uncleared when you clearcoat the rest of the cue. After I try to describe the overall process and final price he says "Heck I only paid $15 for the cue and all that work can't cost more than the cue." I'm still laughing.
Tom Gedris, Triple Cross Cues
Flex said:
This is a very good post that most CM's should learn from. "Arnot," no offence but are you kidding? To me those prices are rediculos. I think that most CM' are payed plenty. Anyone who can make $2,000 to $4,000 durring a long weekend is making fat cash. Yea, Yea, Yea I know that it is long, weary, tiring work, plus the expence of all equiptment, gas and everything that goes with it. Im just saying not to complain its really great money. Im sure that this doesn't even come close to a normal non-billiard paying job. What really gets me is the attitude that a lot of CM's have. They seem to think that because they have invested so much money in equiptment that they are owed "X" amount. I believe in what "Jimmy" said and that price is dictated by the market around you, and to a lesser extent craftmanship. Billiards is not a must have, cant live without accessoriy as say a home or auto is. With todays economy I see a lot of slow times a head for CM's and I hope that IM wrong, but we will see.
Also when asking for professional courticy you have to remember the market for which you cm's have chosen. It's much different then auto industry, medical industry, or even the carpet cleaning industry. The customers knows they are about to be screwed! The cost of materials are irrealavent and I blame the CM's for this, initially. Far to often the CM's start tallying everything up verbally in front of customers. who cares. State you price and then be done.
did you politely tell him where to INSERT cue?TripXQ said:No bull. I just took a phone call from another state. Guy has a Moochi he just got from a pawn shop. Wants to know how much to refinish it. It has got about a dozen(????) dings in the butt and just spraying some clearcoat on it will fill them right???? How much would I charge him to do this? Oh yes did I mention it has a clearcoated wrap. I want that taken off and left uncleared when you clearcoat the rest of the cue. After I try to describe the overall process and final price he says "Heck I only paid $15 for the cue and all that work can't cost more than the cue." I'm still laughing.
Tom Gedris, Triple Cross Cues
I was working a big tournament in Missouri once and a guy came up with his tip mushroomed worse than any I had ever seen. It hung over each edge nearly a 1/16th of an inch and was climbing back down the ferrule about half that far. He asked what I would charge to cut off the mushroom and shape the tip. I told him $2 and he acted shocked and said "It ain't that bad and that he could get a new tip put on for $3 back home and would wait. I bet the guy put him on another unpressed tip and started the whole mess over again. This was 12 years ago and I still remember that when people talk about cheap skates.
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cueman said:
To each his own. He didn't want to spend $2 to have a really nice tip on his cue. He didn't know what the heck he was talking about, obviously.
IMHO, $2 to fix that tip was a very generous offer.
One of the things I've noticed among some pool buddies is they will go to Walmart and buy one of those tip replacement kits that contain garbage tips, pay a few dollars for it, a metal clamp that will mess up their shaft, and glue that isn't super glue gel, for sure. When that tip mushrooms as you've described, and they ask me, a simple pool player, if I can take that lip off, I oblige them, as they're my friends. And then I recommend they pay a visit to the fellow who does quality work and will install a Triangle for $10 or $12 and tell them after that they'll have no problems with the new tip. Most of the time, they are appreciative of the suggestion, and I know I've sent him quite a bit of business.
By the way, I also tell them that he'll not only install the tip, he'll guarantee it too, and will clean up their shaft, and it'll feel silky smooth. I help him out, no doubt, and I also help my buddies out with the suggestion.
However, if the fellow were to charge $25 for a LePro or Elkmaster or Triangle, these buddies of mine would say, heck, I only paid $15 for this at Walmart. Instead of paying all that money for a tip, I'll just buy another cue. I actually had a friend tell me this not too long ago.
After that, he bought an old, nice Meucci for $75. That cue would probably fetch $125 on eBay, easily. His tip came off; I super glue gelled it back on, he's happy now, but he will be getting a good, new tip very soon.
The reasonableness of the cost to replace a tip is a factor. Charge $35 and the guy won't budge. $10, of course he'll fork it over.
By the way, the fellow who charges $10 will do it while you wait, and chat a bit, and give you back a nicely retipped cue in 5 minutes or so. He's happy, the customer's happy, it's a win-win situation.
Flex
Chris, you should have told him $5. and even that is a bargain!!!
Years ago, during one of my many visits to the McDermott family and factory, I noticed two price lists taped onto one of their showcases. At the top of one of the lists was the heading, This is our standard repair prices, which included everything that could be done to a cue. On the other list was the heading, This is what we charge family and friends and our very best customers. The prices were the same on both lists.
cheapskates
Many of us appreciate the fine work, the artistry and the skill level that cm"s put into their profession. There will always be cheapskates in this world. Besides it gives you something to laugh about over the dinner table with the missus.Out of each 100 customers you will find 3-4 goofballs.The rest of us are totally appreciative of your help.Take care.
Many of us appreciate the fine work, the artistry and the skill level that cm"s put into their profession. There will always be cheapskates in this world. Besides it gives you something to laugh about over the dinner table with the missus.Out of each 100 customers you will find 3-4 goofballs.The rest of us are totally appreciative of your help.Take care.
Quality & Appreciation
I'm not a cue maker or even consider myself to be the best repairmen, but like others have said...what the market will pay is what they will pay.
I bought a small lathe to put on my own tips when the local repair guy packed up and left town. I had just bought my Dishaw and didn't want the anybody that I was unframiliar with touching the cue. I researched what the prices were in other local area's, practiced on dozen's of house cue's plus my own and then set my prices. I don't under cut anybody and I will be paid for the service.
The best part about repair for me is when the customer that has been used to paying $10.00 for a tip decides to put out $30 and then comes back to me and thank me for the excellent job and quality of work. These are customers that I enjoy working for and will do everything to make sure they are happy.
Word of mouth is still and allways will be the best advertisment and sales tool.
Just my .02.
I'm not a cue maker or even consider myself to be the best repairmen, but like others have said...what the market will pay is what they will pay.
I bought a small lathe to put on my own tips when the local repair guy packed up and left town. I had just bought my Dishaw and didn't want the anybody that I was unframiliar with touching the cue. I researched what the prices were in other local area's, practiced on dozen's of house cue's plus my own and then set my prices. I don't under cut anybody and I will be paid for the service.
The best part about repair for me is when the customer that has been used to paying $10.00 for a tip decides to put out $30 and then comes back to me and thank me for the excellent job and quality of work. These are customers that I enjoy working for and will do everything to make sure they are happy.
Word of mouth is still and allways will be the best advertisment and sales tool.
Just my .02.