Am I wrong ?

B

Bluefield

Guest
It has been my policy for awhile that I will not install parts purchased from other vendors that I stock and sell myself. Why should I help them sell parts and make a profit off my labor? I am in this business to make a living and retailing the parts of a build is part of that. When you need the oil changed in your car do you go to Wallmart and purchase the oil and filter and them bring them to the mechanic to install? Additionally I have had customers purchase parts that do not fit or are not the right type. I do make exceptions if the parts are obsolete, hard to find, or antique.

What are you other gunsmiths doing in this case? What is your policy? I just had a customer who wanted to supply the action, barrel, stock, recoil lug, bolt handle, trigger, etc.... then expected me to put all of his parts together. He had a hissy when I would not take the job and told him why. I stock a lot of these parts or can obtain them for no more than he is paying others for them.
 
Over the years my business has changed...

About 20 years ago I was doing work (labour) for 3 different retail stores. At that time I made a point of not trying to compete with their sales.. and got a lot of work from them.

Today I much prefer to stock nothing and supply nothing except a few decelerator pads and a few scope mounts... I let the customer deal with the problem of getting barrels/actions/triggers/etc... and the return of those if they are not quite what they want...

I am now a labour supplier and prefer it... nothing really tied up in retail stock.

Dennis
 
Blue I am not a gunsmith but Ill try and give you my take on it.
If I brought in my .45 I would buy the parts from you.
If I wanted a custom rifle with a certain action and so forth and you did not stock the specific parts I would purchase them and bring them to you.
Also some people buy parts over time as they can afford them.

I do buy my oil and take it to my mechanic. I do this because he does not stock the mobile 1 that I want used. He charges me $20 for the oil and filter change.
I could go next door and pay $55 and let the penzoil place change the oil or I could take them the oil, they dont care either way and the cost is the same for me.
I stick with my mechanic and we are both happy.

You can miss out on the work all together and if you have more than enough work it doesnt matter.
As a side not make sure they realize that if they supply the parts the warranty is limited and any part that breaks or needs to be replaced during the work is on them.

For what its worth.
 
In business RIGHT is what brings in customers, WRONG is what doesn't.

In my business I will do any part of a project from supplying everything to supplying only my license. Any decisions to stock parts are mine and "forcing" someone to buy them is a a sure way of driving them off.

IMO

al
 
Bluefield, If I was your customer, you would never see me again.
 
I understand the overhead associated with carrying an inventory. In this business, it's hard to keep everyone's wants and needs covered without unlimited funds. I have gone the way of some others and quit stocking hardly anything except the fastest moving, convenience items. The analogy of the oil change shop was brought up. They typically make money on the oil, the filter, and the labor. You should be able to do the same. You can always have a different labor rate for customer supplied parts and allow yourself to make the same in the end. I offer my customers the assurance of me standing behind parts that
I supply. I can't and won't do the same if they pack them in, but I do make a few dollars when I supply the part. With that assurance, if the part is bad, I also cover the labor. If he packs it in, he should.
 
Something that people haven't mentioned is repeat business.

Ezell, who posts above, earned my trust and, thus, my business. When I have anything to do, he gets the work. If he didn't work for anyone else to slow me down, I might be going through a divorce over all the projects that are lined up.

Greg J.
 
SGJennings said:
Something that people haven't mentioned is repeat business.

Ezell, who posts above, earned my trust and, thus, my business. When I have anything to do, he gets the work. If he didn't work for anyone else to slow me down, I might be going through a divorce over all the projects that are lined up.

Greg J.
Click to expand...

I think that's the nicest possible way to say "Hurry the hell Up! lol!

Greg, thank you for the kind words. I consider you a friend.
Those words mean a lot to me, and bring the feeling of pride in what I do that most of us do it for.
No question, we all hope to build that kind of relationship with our customers but....

You still don't get a discount!!;):)
 
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It makes me no difference whether I supply all the parts except for the action or the customer supplies all the parts. If he supplies all the parts, then I don't have to wait 6 months on a barrel to come in and hopefully I can get his rifle out the door quicker. I don't supply actions. The customer has to either supply that or order it and they can have it sent to me. I look at whatever small mark up on parts I supply as a bonus, but I don't supply the parts at cost either.
 
When the customer brings me all the components, I try to look it as a positive. Any problems with the parts are his problem not mine. No wasted time to send them back.

Another point would be the customer isn't calling you every two days to ask " IS MY BARREL THERE YET?" or " IS MY ACTION AND STOCK THERE YET?" Now they just call every two days to ask "IS MY RIFLE READY YET?"

I will inform the client that I WILL NOT warranty the accuracy on the build with customer supplied parts. Boe
 
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I let the customer supply as many of the components as he wants to, and I also let him do as much of the work as he wants to. Often my customers would like to do their own stock fitting and finishing, for example. I will fit barrel and do the actions modifications required and just charge him for what I do.

Clemson
 
Things must be different in the US than NZ, I had a customer supply the parts to repair his transmission once, I told him the new seals in the kit he supplied were going hard and shouldn't be used. He told me to use them so I did, the trasnmission failed and he come back at me for warranty saying it was my workmanship.........after inspection I found the seals had failed and refused any liability. He took me to court and I lost. To avoid liability I should have refused to fit the seals if I thought they would fail.

Now when someone wants to supply the parts my labour rate is trebbled.......I find I don't get the job and therefore don't have any liability, If they want me to do the job I have enough profit to cover the warranty.............Ian
 
If you supply every part for a rifle and it ends up not shooting zeros, you will be blamed. Nobody can guarantee how good any particular barrel will shoot. If you supply it, it's yours. Or, if there is ever a problem or accident, it's all on your shoulders. I doubt you could ever make a living just on resale of components.
 
From a consumers POV ,I think it's a team effort. If a customer just DROPS by with a box of parts and says build it I think that's a bit much, on the other hand if I can purchase the SAME parts as you sell for less than YOUR price I'd have an issue with that. I talk to my Smith and discuss the build to arrive at the end product and all are happy.
 
Ian_Owen said:
Things must be different in the US than NZ....Ian
Click to expand...

Yes. In the States, if you had then refused to work on his transmission with his parts, he'd have sued you for that.

Or maybe it's the same the world over -- no matter what, you just can't win...
 
Speaking of liability...Do any of you gunsmiths still etch or engrave your name on the barrel you chambered? Seems like that would be an unnecessary risk.
 
Charles E said:
Yes. In the States, if you had then refused to work on his transmission with his parts, he'd have sued you for that.

Or maybe it's the same the world over -- no matter what, you just can't win...
Click to expand...

C'mon Charles..... while technically you CAN sue for any reason, suing doesn't mean winning and nobody's going to sue you for "not working on their rig." And in any case the ubiquitous sign "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" covers this exigency, legally.

I've found that while clear communication is hard, it's essential. In fact in 30+yrs business this single item, clear communication, is maybe the 2nd most important business tenet of all, right behind "don't suck."

And BTW here in a capitalistic society "winning" is a mutual thing...... mutual benefit is the touchstone of free business. On my website, my business ethic states that I REQUIRE mutual happiness. if you're not HAPPY paying my bill then please find someone who makes you happy. :) My paperwork clearly states that today's job isn't the one I'm attached to, it's TOMORROW'S job and NEXT YR'S jobs that are important to me.
My job is to keep my clients HAPPY. That's "winning."

Now, dealing with state or national entities this doesn't apply.....brokered, lawyered, 2nd/3rd party, insurance deals etc are a different ballawax but personal work is ideally a win/win. Same applies when I buy. Certain stores get 99% of my business.

al
 
alinwa said:
...suing doesn't mean winning and nobody's going to sue you for "not working on their rig."
Click to expand...

Apparently you don''t read the "Only in America" sidebar in The Week. And if you don't read The Week, you won't get the answers right on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," which is on at noon here, as one drives back from the monthly the indoor match a couple towns down the road. -- All the while drinking coffee from your travel mug, with a handle so large you gotta put your hand through it.

I leave anything out?
 
sounds like you need one of these...... http://shopthermos.com/detail/TMS+E10500

I give the silly beaner to my lesser liked children for use in the high-rock country and hack the rubber off the bottom using a 'zacto knife or the belt sander so's it fits in the cupholder. This thing will keep your cawffee consistent temp for hours.


luvvit

al
 
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