GCU Forum - customizing help needed

Donna_137698

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customizing help needed
Mar 7^th, 2011, 5:53pm

Hi folks

Last night I was contacted by a customer regarding having a custom card created for an adoption. I worked very hard on four new designs and a lengthy verse going back and forth with the customer to get the wording correct. I asked her to let me know which of my designs she wanted to use as the four I made apparently are not what she's looking for. She's emailed me with product numbers from other artists wanting to have those cards customized. Quite honestly, I'm feeling a bit unsure about continuing with this because I've given her all the wording and awaiting what she wants for the design. I'm getting the impression that a collaboration is going to have to result which I have no problem with - but this is all for one card... mind you.

Any advice on how to continue with this? This is the first time someone has contacted me for a custom card but I'm starting to feel a bit stiffed after working 4 hours on new designs AND verses to meet her needs.

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Doreen_137017

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #1 - Mar 7^th, 2011, 6:32pm

Hi Donna,

Your experience has been felt by many of us in offering custom requests, though most of the time for me the changes have taken moments and my minimum is set to 25...

That being said, that is the first thing you should do when you finish with this customer, regardless of the outcome. Having the min set to 1 for a custom request is not doing you any justice and certainly not making you any money.

As far as this request goes, she as so many do, is simply taking advantage of you and a collaboration for 1 card is not likely something most of us will jump on...splitting 60-cents isn't worth the effort.

If it were me, I would kindly and professionally explain to this customer that you have simply done all you can do for her with an order of only 1 card. She may either choose one of the designs you have worked so hard on, or she can contact the other artists directly to see if she can get what she is looking for. Tell her you are sorry you have to pull the plug on this effort, but you have not charged her for the 4-hours you've already spent on her design requests and you simply can not afford to take any more time away from customers with larger orders.

How you handle it is certainly up to you and I do wish you luck. Don't be discouraged, your first is certainly a pill, many are very simple with happy endings.

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Rebecca_140932

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #2 - Mar 7^th, 2011, 6:35pm

I would just reply to her very politely and say, "I am sorry that I could not make you happy with any of the cards that I have designed for you. Maybe it would be best if you contacted the artist of the cards that you were impressed with so that they could create a unique card to suit your needs. I really hate to lose your business, but I would rather you be completely happy with your custom created card."

Some people are very picky and hard to deal with. If I had tried four times and they were not happy, I think I would move on myself. The only way I would keep trying would be if I knew they were going to buy lots of cards. Trust your instinct. If you think they are never going to buy anything, move on.

Good luck!

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Donna_137698

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #3 - Mar 7^th, 2011, 6:36pm

thanks so much, Doreen. I did email her back and direct her to my storefront as well as the cards I specifically created for her. She is most welcome to any of those designs and I'll change text to fit the inside of the card. If she insists on more, I think I will have to do as you suggest and say "thanks but no thanks". I will have to see about changing the custom request thing - I honestly forgot I could do that - set a minimum.

I don't mind going out of my way. Considering the wording she's asked for, I can very easily revamp the personalization to a more generic form and just create new cards to add to my existing line up. It's frustrating but not really lost time if I can remake them for the general public.

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Penny_134243

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #4 - Mar 7^th, 2011, 6:41pm

Quote from Donna_137698 on Mar 7^th, 2011, 5:53pm:

Hi folks

Last night I was contacted by a customer regarding having a custom card created for an adoption. I worked very hard on four new designs and a lengthy verse going back and forth with the customer to get the wording correct. I asked her to let me know which of my designs she wanted to use as the four I made apparently are not what she's looking for. She's emailed me with product numbers from other artists wanting to have those cards customized. Quite honestly, I'm feeling a bit unsure about continuing with this because I've given her all the wording and awaiting what she wants for the design. I'm getting the impression that a collaboration is going to have to result which I have no problem with - but this is all for one card... mind you.

Any advice on how to continue with this? This is the first time someone has contacted me for a custom card but I'm starting to feel a bit stiffed after working 4 hours on new designs AND verses to meet her needs.

Hi, Donna,

I just had to jump in and say this regarding your post: Customers DO NOT realize that we are all independent artist who submit our work to Greeting Card Universe; they think that we ARE Greeting Card Universe.

Corrie has some really great advice on the subject of custom requests, and I'll look for that in a bit for you, but, in the meantime, you can gently let the customer know that GCU is comprised of independent artists and that if she would like another card customized, she would need to contact the designer of that specific card.

One of my very first custom requests was from a bride-to-be who wanted one of my cards in black, instead of the existing pink. We emailed, I made the card, and no sale. When I emailed her again, she replied that she had bought one of my "other cards, the black and white one." I didn't have the heart to tell her that she bought another artist's card, so, I thanked her for the sale and wished her well.

If you feel that you've done all that you can for this customer, then I think that is acceptable to let her know that you believe that you can do no more. Post the cards that you have created for her into your Private Gallery, and send her the links. That's all you can do.

Good luck! I hope that this works out well for you and results in a sale!

Penny

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Donna_137698

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #5 - Mar 7^th, 2011, 6:44pm

thanks Penny and Rebecca... I definitely got that impression after her last email... as stated, I did reply to her directing her to my store front and offered to customize any of those designs as well as the ones I did place in my Private Gallery specifically for her... we shall see...

But, I did go in and change the customization number to 25... thanks for that information!!!

Live and learn...

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Penny_134243 Gold Member artist Posts: 1337	Re: customizing help needed Reply #6 - Mar 7^th, 2011, 6:44pm Here's that link for the discussion started by Corrie: http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/forum/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1286449520 A very wise, thoughtful and gracious posting. I hope that it helps! Penny
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Donna_137698

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #7 - Mar 7^th, 2011, 6:52pm

that is great advice... thank you... just curious if it is ok to ask... what is a reasonable fee per hour to set? I am being a tad flexible since this is my mistake for being so new to this and I've learned something tonight. As a custom model horse painter, I've long since kept to making whatever minor changes desired at no cost however many times needed to that piece to make a customer happy and with major changes fees would be charged (never went there since I pretty much hit the mark on what's desired).

I'll bookmark that link for reference as I do need to incorporate some of the discussions mentioned.

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Ernestine_131365

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #8 - Mar 7^th, 2011, 11:06pm

Quote from Donna_137698 on Mar 7^th, 2011, 6:52pm:

... just curious if it is ok to ask... what is a reasonable fee per hour to set?

Isn't that in a bit like asking: "How much should a pay for a share of stock?" How much is your time worth to you? . . . that includes design and/or illustration/photography time as well as uploading, correspondence and "PITA" fees (something we used to - and I'm sure still is - used in the graphic design biz "pain in ___ ___") If you have a "system" (and software) to easily change some color, text, a border maybe; it's a great service, especially if the artist is quite clear up front (as Corrie suggests). But all artists don't have the same situation and when (like happened in your situation) a customer then expects four hours of design time from another artist and they aren't willing to do so (their choice) it makes all of GCU look bad.

I know we all have the choice to "opt out." I've done that, but still get requests. Do I just ignore them? Doesn't fair well for GCU to do that, but taking the time to respond (or "risk" of responding - yes risk, by emailing someone you don't know you can be opening your email address to all sorts of trojan spam) - ah the trials of trying to land somewhere between Zazzle and Hallmark (or should i say American Greetings? ).

Enough babble.

'e'

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Rebecca_140932

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #9 - Mar 7^th, 2011, 11:21pm

I was just wondering, if an artist wanted to charge for custom card creations, is there a way to place a PayPal button within your store where it would work? That would be a great idea if it could be done. It would make it look more professional as well as make buyers think twice about bothering you if they have no intention of buying a custom created card in the first place. Just a thought. Huh

Or, maybe GCU could create this for us and get a little more money for those requests as well.

The artist would still have the option to have the button for custom creations or not have it if they do not want to do them.

I know I would love that. Grin

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Donna_137698

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #10 - Mar 8^th, 2011, 4:44am

Well, to address Ernestine's concerns, I am so new to this so I was just asking to get a feel for what others might consider reasonable - just as I did when establishing my model horse painting services... I see what others charge according to complexity of the job and then I set my own in accordance to my skill set. I don't want to arbitrarily choose a number and have it be so out of whack either.

I did bookmark the thread and I do save my images in layers - so text fixes are really no issue. However, designing four new cards - not that it is really a big deal as I'll just resubmit without all the personalization (and hey, four more cards added to my store now)...

I LOVE the idea of a Paypal button... the person can make their own arrangements with direct payment... however, would it somehow have to go through GCU so they get their piece of the fee?? I know this was being discussed elsewhere and I don't know if the topic died or not as I have a bad time keeping up with all the conversations going on.

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Rebecca_140932

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #11 - Mar 9^th, 2011, 1:30am

Quote from Donna_137698 on Mar 8^th, 2011, 4:44am:

Well, to address Ernestine's concerns, I am so new to this so I was just asking to get a feel for what others might consider reasonable - just as I did when establishing my model horse painting services... I see what others charge according to complexity of the job and then I set my own in accordance to my skill set. I don't want to arbitrarily choose a number and have it be so out of whack either.

I did bookmark the thread and I do save my images in layers - so text fixes are really no issue. However, designing four new cards - not that it is really a big deal as I'll just resubmit without all the personalization (and hey, four more cards added to my store now)...

I LOVE the idea of a Paypal button... the person can make their own arrangements with direct payment... however, would it somehow have to go through GCU so they get their piece of the fee?? I know this was being discussed elsewhere and I don't know if the topic died or not as I have a bad time keeping up with all the conversations going on.

I have heard of artists setting up PayPal buttons on their websites and directing customers there for additional fees to create custom cards, but I would like to have one directly in my store for this, so they don't have to go anywhere else. It just seems more professional to me. I really wish that GCU would at least take a vote on who would like to have this. I may go to the PayPal site myself and see if a button like this can be added directly to my store. I would really like one if it could be done.

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Donna_137698

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #12 - Mar 9^th, 2011, 4:04am

well, after several hours and at least two dozen emails back and forth, this customer did buy one copy of each card... definitely not worth the artist fee I'll get from GCU but this was a learning experience from me and maybe she'll return to my store in the future for more cards. Who knows...

I'll have to search the forums for that thread on artist commission fees and see if it's died out or try to get conversation going there again. I'd like to have gotten a larger cut on this one - it ended up being five new designs I had to make and several adjustments to the verses inside to make this person happy - so for $1 or whatever the artist fee is I got on two cards, it definitely wasn't worth my time and effort - but I doubt she'd have gone for a $5/card commission fee either...

So... I hope I can get some advice on where the happy medium is... I have gone in and set a customizing number at 25 but I'd definitely need to sit down and think about what is reasonable to ask to create a whole new card even if only 25 are purchased... still seems really low considering the time it does take me...

Hum... scratching head on this one...

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Peggy_137160

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Re: customizing help needed
Reply #13 - Mar 9^th, 2011, 5:42am

I've opted to NOT put a paypal button on my store. When I want to charge for customizing, I send a paypal invoice to my client. JMHO - having a paypal button on my store might be confusing to the clients - is that how they pay for their card order? That and I want to talk to the client, decide what they need and what I want to charge and then send the invoice to them from my PayPal account.

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