Custom Work with Cancer Mib and dude doesn't like it

[James M]

Hey Guys,

Just wondering how you guys would handle something like this. I had a buddy send a friend over who wanted a custom pipe made for his girlfriend who's dad just died of cancer. He asked to have the orange cancer ribbon put on the piece and not be to noticeable. He also asked for purple and that the pipe not be color changing. He wanted solid color tubing, is how I took that comment. So here is what I made for him.


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I sent him some photos and he doesn't like it. Complains there was no orange in the main pipe and the he can see through it. He said he wanted more purple color or combinations of purples, which there are two in the wig. Soooo.... I dunno wtf

I am really not to worried if he doesn't like it I would typically just make something else, but with this type of mib. I dunno. I would like to see if I could give him a discount on the thing. I was thinking like $60 instead of 80-100 which is what I wanted to get for it.

Anyway what would you do?

[unfunraygun]

I would not give him or that pipe any further thought, and go make some more pipes. Sell the cancer pipe to someone else at some point, and if dude wants a different pipe at some point show him what else you have made, and if he wants it custom take money up front, attach blowtube to the pipe he likes, attach cancer mib to pipe, finish pipe and give him that one.

[LooseSeal Baller]

If it were me, i would take the marble off since that is the part geared toward that customer. Then replace it with a different one. Make this person a new piece that way they are happy, and likely to return.

[James M]

Yea, I was leaning towards that too. I think I will leave that damn mib on and try and find another buyer, he said he would come by later today to check it out. I should have snapped some photos while I was working that’s a genius idea. Thanks dudes.

Gonna go get back to work!

[CheeseNip]

I would just cut my losses and redo it for a piece at that price, honestly. I wouldn't have used a transparent purple if he specified solid purple, and no color change, as I find most people still view the transparent colors as color changing, since they do usually change color or shade when filled in. I've gotta remake a $200 dollar sidecar today, even though I made it how he initially asked, turns out now that it's done, he wants a few parts to be a little different. Oh well. He's a good customer, and I can understand that what he pictured in his mind, and what I pictured in mine, just didn't quite mesh on the first go at it. That's just part of doing custom work sometimes. Now that I know what to change, I'm pretty confident he will be happy with the outcome. If you can redo it, and make him happy in the process, there is a much greater chance he will come back to order more from you, and will also send his friends to you in the future as well. If he's unhappy with his experience, good luck getting return business, or recommendations to friends out of him in the future. Every little bit counts!

[James M]

Thanks guys for the very awesome advice, that is kinda what I was leaning towards.

I am learning the valuable lessons, for one this is practice at being able to get on the same page as a client. Also, every time I do something custom for someone it forces me to push my limits and try new things, which is probably worth any hassle with things not being quite right.

From now on, when I am doing the custies custom work I'll snap some photos before I put the custom mib on. Mighty fine protip up raygun!

[hashmasta-kut]

Oh well. He's a good customer, and I can understand that what he pictured in his mind, and what I pictured in mine, just didn't quite mesh on the first go at it. That's just part of doing custom work sometimes.

Its weird. i do a lot of custom work, and the typical response i get is wow you read my mind, thats exactly what i wanted! when i just did something sort of how i felt like doing, and paying attention to their specs.I am always amazed i read their mind :D Still waiting to get that super hard to deal with person that is super hard to get it right for. Actually, i did make a piece for an Italian guy recently and he asked for a couple changes, but its been like weeks since we corresponded, so his (luckily for me) paid for, but slightly i guess wrongly made piece is still sitting here :D

[CheeseNip]

I almost always get that same response first time as well HMK, and usually is a result of me just kinda doing my thing also, but every now and then something just doesn't quite click. I wasn't trying to make it sound like this is something we have to deal with on most custom orders or anything, just making the point that it can be a part of doing custom work.

[James M]

Well the dude stopped by a bit ago and ended up buying it!

This guy and his friend have tended to be a bit picky and I should have asked a few more questions and paid a bit more attention to when he was talking, instead of, instantly starting to visualize what I was going to make.

I am not a baller as you guys yet and don't tend to have the wow factor nailed, so I think I need to listen more, haha.

Hey Cheese, what purple would you have used instead of this transparent?

[Christian]

I dont take on customs when the customer is really specific about how they want the piece to look. I think that the fewer restrictions that i have placed on me the better the final product will be. a custom piece for me is Usually just whatever color(s) they want on my prodo designs.

Thats cool the guy ended up getting it though, that is always a relief haha.

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[CrassGlass]

It's not easy to transfer a vision from one brain to the next, so these things will happen, but you can probably mitigate the color issue at least. Perhaps you and the customer could decide on specific colors together. Pull up the web sites for TAG and Northstar, for instance, and get the customer to actually point to colors and examples that he likes. It's probably also a good idea to do a basic sketch of the design for the customer as well. This will all take some up front time, but it's one of those measure-twice-cut-once situations.

On a side note, I am trying to wrap my head around why the boyfriend wanted to give his girlfriend the peculiar sympathy gift of drug paraphernalia with a tribute to her father attached. I can't imagine the memory of her father's death would enhance the mood while she's partaking on Friday nights. Doesn't anyone send fucking flowers anymore?

[James M]

I was thrown off at first too, but the guy said she was going to get a tattoo of the cancer ribbon, so I was like, well maybe this will keep her from getting a tattoo. No idea, people are fucking weird I tell ya.

I am diggin all the ideas this will help me on the next go round. I may just have people come out to my shop, pick their colors and then we will do a drawing on the white board before they leave. Love it!!

[Aymie]

When I do a custom, they can pick color but that's really it. Money up front, at least 50%. If they aren't happy, sorry about their bad luck. You are an artist, not a 3D glass printer that can pluck designs from someone else's brain.

[CheeseNip]

Hey Cheese, what purple would you have used instead of this transparent?


Hey, sorry I missed this. I would probably have gone with something like purple urple vac stacked, or the other one that is really similar. Can't think of the name of the other one right now. That's awesome he ended up just getting that one though! I ended up remaking my piece, and the guy ended up being way more stoked on the second one, added two dabbers to the order, and discussed another 5 pieces he wants close to festival season!

Hyacinth is the other one I was thinking of I think..

[METICULOUS_MAN]

Glasstronics purple. Cheap and easy.

Custom:
: made to fit the needs or requirements of a particular person
: doing work that fits the needs or requirements of a particular person
Full Definition
1 :made or performed according to personal order
2 :specializing in custom work or operation <a custom tailor>

If they arent happy. Make a new one! Its all just practice when u can see it like that instead of "aw what a waste of time, they dont want this one" make a bunch for them to pick from and u have extras to sell and they get variety to choose from. You can just sell the extras afterwards.

[AdamTaranGlass]

just a thought on the attachment...might look neat to do an implosion marble with the ribbon inside surrounded by some dots. although i am really digging your 3D ribbon!!!