Precision Sails - communication issues?

[Gouvernail]

@quod umbra nailed it from a different direction ,,,, He’s right but that wasn’t the part about which I was thinking. 
 

When discussing prices I like to refer to the conversation as “managing expectations.”

I like to create an expectation the bill will be a little higher than the one I eventually present. 
If the customer expects to pay $2500 and the final bill says $2600 there is stress in pickup day.

If we initially suggest $3000 and only charge $2800 we are heroes. 
 

….but this thread is about a Sailmaker not returning a call. 
 

Returning calls takes time. I could easily spend all day chatting with people who have sailboats and want to talk about maintenance snd improvements. I wouldn’t get anything done and I would soon have to close my shop.  I think the sailmaker sorts messages to survive. 

For whatever reason, my GUESS is the OP’s calls are being received as “a sailor who wants to talk about sails.”

Perhaps the OP’s calls are being interpreted as, “A sailor who wants to get prices for sails.”

I doubt the OP’s contacts have been received as, “This guy wants to buy some of our sails.”

 

[Monkey]

@quod umbra nailed it from a different direction ,,,, He’s right but that wasn’t the part about which I was thinking. 
 

When discussing prices I like to refer to the conversation as “managing expectations.”

I like to create an expectation the bill will be a little higher than the one I eventually present. 
If the customer expects to pay $2500 and the final bill says $2600 there is stress in pickup day.

If we initially suggest $3000 and only charge $2800 we are heroes. 
 

….but this thread is about a Sailmaker not returning a call. 
 

Returning calls takes time. I could easily spend all day chatting with people who have sailboats and want to talk about maintenance snd improvements. I wouldn’t get anything done and I would soon have to close my shop.  I think the sailmaker sorts messages to survive. 

For whatever reason, my GUESS is the OP’s calls are being received as “a sailor who wants to talk about sails.”

Perhaps the OP’s calls are being interpreted as, “A sailor who wants to get prices for sails.”

I doubt the OP’s contacts have been received as, “This guy wants to buy some of our sails.”

Totally reasonable. Your post was a little vague and I misunderstood. I always ask for the worst case scenario. It’s not to lock in a price. It’s to avoid wasting everyone’s time. I understand cost overruns to get the job done right. 

 

[View from the back]

Could also try Doyle.

Or Ullman.

 

[Go Left]

Clarifying…. As mine is the oldest sailboat repair business within 200 miles and we certainly provide estimates when absolutely necessary. 
 

People leave messages every day. Our outgoing message suggests the caller leave a “filibuster describing the project, boat, or even your life  hopes and ambitions.”

I take a while every few days and return a bunch of calls in the order of which messages most interest me. 
 

i despise wasting my life creating estimates and detailed invoices. 

It takes me anywhere from a couple hours to an entire day to write up a detailed estimate. I speak way faster than I type, and I think way faster than I can verbally express my thoughts. 
The pricing process includes learning about the customer’s goals, figuring out how to achieve them, figuring out what part I can play, figuring out how to actually do it,  guessing what it might cost me, and telling the customer  how many dollars we will need from him/ her. 
     Fundamentally: 

Every minute spent writing estimates, invoices, or posting in these forums could be better silent on actually doing something productive. 
 

if a person calls asking us to help get something done, we are interested. If a caller’s first concern is some fucking paperwork , I am not likely to give a shit. 

Never dealt with a business that didn't have to do marketing and customer support.  Or thought that marketing and customer was "unproductive".  At least not more than once.