Customer doesnt like ring

[Niamh]

Hi everyone,

Iv been making a bridal set for someone in 9ct rose gold, white gold and silver with a moissanite at the lowest price i could (£280) because i know she really didnt have a lot of money but really wanted something custom made.

I made sure before i accepted her request that she knew i was not professional and had no training besides youtube videos of andrew berry. I didnt want her to get something she would think was machine made looking.

She saw a picture before posting and said she loved them (music to my ears!) but when she got them she messaged and said now she wants beading over the cage of the setting top and bottom, Im worried about doing this because in my experience even on a low heat the setting can melt before the solder does or at the same time as the solder so im worried it will melt. can anyone suggest a way of doing this without that occurring? thankyou

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[belette]

I wouldn't do it, won't you risk damaging the setting just by removing the moissanite to add the extra beading? She should have specified beforehand if she wanted the beading to look a particular way.

I would refer her to a jeweller with access to a laser welder for whatever else she wants done with them....

[Niamh]

I wouldn't do it, won't you risk damaging the setting just by removing the moissanite to add the extra beading? She should have specified beforehand if she wanted the beading to look a particular way.

I would refer her to a jeweller with access to a laser welder for whatever else she wants done with them....

Yes iv had to buy another setting in the event the original is too damaged from removing the stone. Its cost me more in time to make this ring then what iv been paid! x

[ps_bond]

You're familiar with the phrase "no good deed goes unpunished"? Is this the one where your supplier "accidentally" sent you a CZ?
It's always a risk with custom work that someone changes their mind, unfortunately - at least you've got evidence that they were happy with it when they saw it.

My temptation would be to say that the beading cannot work with the existing setting and that the design works around that accordingly. Not sure what the setting is, admittedly.
If you were set on adding more beading - assuming it's the silver part - I'd pull the stone, cut the existing beading off & make up 2 new full rings in beaded wire to replace it. Solder them back on with easy, reset the stone. However, that's a moderate chunk of work for something where your profit margins are already low.

(Equally, per belette's comment it might be possible to laser on additional bits, but it wouldn't be fun)

[Niamh]

You're familiar with the phrase "no good deed goes unpunished"? Is this the one where your supplier "accidentally" sent you a CZ?
It's always a risk with custom work that someone changes their mind, unfortunately - at least you've got evidence that they were happy with it when they saw it.

My temptation would be to say that the beading cannot work with the existing setting and that the design works around that accordingly. Not sure what the setting is, admittedly.
If you were set on adding more beading - assuming it's the silver part - I'd pull the stone, cut the existing beading off & make up 2 new full rings in beaded wire to replace it. Solder them back on with easy, reset the stone. However, that's a moderate chunk of work for something where your profit margins are already low.

(Equally, per belette's comment it might be possible to laser on additional bits, but it wouldn't be fun)

Thank you peter, Yes its the same ring the supplier sent me a CZ for instead of moissanite.
I have managed to explain i cant put beading over the setting without having to redo the whole thing, as she isnt willing to pay anything more i wont be doing that. i just hope i dont get bad reviews for this. thank you all.

[ps_bond]

If you do get a bad review, I'd hope there is a right to respond in which case you might point out that it was done to a limited budget and the design had been accepted when you sent pictures. Tempting as it may be, it's probably best not to put "bridezilla".

I'm always skeptical when I get sob stories about "can't afford more" - if you can't afford it, then buying jewellery isn't a sensible thing to be doing IMO. Mind you, I've been spun that yarn a few times - and then you hear of their plans to spend weeks in far-flung places for the honeymoon and the like.

[enigma]

I thought this was a friend?
If this was a customer you are beyond crazy to have got yourself into this for so little profit margin IMO..
Lesson learned I hope.

[Niamh]

I thought this was a friend?
If this was a customer you are beyond crazy to have got yourself into this for so little profit margin IMO..
Lesson learned I hope.

She’s a customer in the sense that she’s paying I guess enigma, but she is also a friend, but I agree I have very much undercharged! Lesson well learnt! X

[josef1]

I would explain that that's the design she was happy with and you would be glad to modify it but at her expense. Thats the big problem with bespoke work is its more pinning the customer to a design than making the jewellery ! If she had paid top money yes maybe there is wiggle room but you have already gone above and beyond in offering her a very good price. If she is asking you to change the design just because she does not like it she should pay for at least to cover your time and materials. You have supplied a very nice ring don't under sell yourself be confident in your work it looks great. If you pick a colour for the decorator to paint your living room you would not expect him to buy new paint and repaint it for nothing because you don't like the colour when its painted ?

[JewelleryByMandy]

I would explain that that's the design she was happy with and you would be glad to modify it but at her expense. Thats the big problem with bespoke work is its more pinning the customer to a design than making the jewellery ! If she had paid top money yes maybe there is wiggle room but you have already gone above and beyond in offering her a very good price. If she is asking you to change the design just because she does not like it she should pay for at least to cover your time and materials. You have supplied a very nice ring don't under sell yourself be confident in your work it looks great. If you pick a colour for the decorator to paint your living room you would not expect him to buy new paint and repaint it for nothing because you don't like the colour when its painted ?

Very true!
Id tell her to do one! Very politely!
What youve made there is stunning and in my opinion id feel so lucky to have had someone spend their time and skill in making it.
She accepted it from the picture. She needs to know its a risky business in altering it!
Hope it all turns out ok


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[Niamh]

I would explain that that's the design she was happy with and you would be glad to modify it but at her expense. Thats the big problem with bespoke work is its more pinning the customer to a design than making the jewellery ! If she had paid top money yes maybe there is wiggle room but you have already gone above and beyond in offering her a very good price. If she is asking you to change the design just because she does not like it she should pay for at least to cover your time and materials. You have supplied a very nice ring don't under sell yourself be confident in your work it looks great. If you pick a colour for the decorator to paint your living room you would not expect him to buy new paint and repaint it for nothing because you don't like the colour when its painted ?


Thank you xx I really need to start charging more but i seem to have too much of a sensitive side for people who say they cant afford things, i get sob stories about how they have young kids and can never afford things, and whilst i agree its hard when your a parent, you can save for nice things! I have 2 boys (3.5 and 19 months) but that didnt stop me saving for the tools to start doing jewelry! especially as i only started about 9 months ago haha. I guess because im not professional i feel its wrong of me to charge more :S

[Niamh]

Very true!
Id tell her to do one! Very politely!
What youve made there is stunning and in my opinion id feel so lucky to have had someone spend their time and skill in making it.
She accepted it from the picture. She needs to know its a risky business in altering it!
Hope it all turns out ok


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you Mandy x

[CJ57]

People seem to have lost the saving gene. I hear I can’t afford it so often but if you want something badly you save up for it and buy it when you can.
You said she was a customer because she was paying but she’s a friend who has taken advantage of your goodwill by telling you she couldn’t afford it, undervaluing your worth and then making further demands. Then imagine the scenario where she tells her friends that you make wedding rings really cheaply......

[enigma]

You have to remember that jewellery is a luxury not a necessity so lack of funds shouldn't really move you.
Even more so when people want something in gold, if they are that short of cash they can save plenty by having silver not by devaluing your work.

[eekoh]

You could always suggest that she gets a 2nd opinion from another independent jeweller about the work involved, cost & risk of modifying the finished ring - might make her appreciate the worth of her original choice a little more.

[Niamh]

Thank you all for your advice, i tried to reason with her but she was desperate i give the beading a go, and as i thought the setting melted. I then had to cut the setting off (because i didnt want to heat it until the setting fell off because i didnt want to risk melting the beading near the setting) i cut it as close as i could to the setting but now the ring is too small.
I have said to her i cant do anything with the band now :( iv offered to cast her a ring with the gold and make it a solitaire but it would be thinner the original size, or i have said she can keep the wedding ring and il refund her the cost of the materials for the engagement ring, I feel like a awful person for messing up the ring because now i cant correct it as its too small and i cant size it up without breaking the solder around the setting. its simply too small. :(

[Niamh]

The only other way i thought of correcting it is by making a band out of the wire, soldering it nice and solid, and stretch the ring up to size O, then rather then cut a portion out for the setting, just cut the wire and slot the setting in pushing the wire apart and soldering it in place, then that should make it roughly her size.
I wish i never took on this job! especially at this price. Lesson learnt!!!

[enigma]

If a customer wants to make changes then you need to make an adequate charge for them.

[belette]

Hi Niamh, sorry to hear this, personally I would be quite annoyed at this customer but it's also important to stick to your boundaries! It was a pretty ring :(

Re pricing you need to make sure you are paying yourself an appropriate hourly rate in addition to fully covering the cost of materials (inc solder, consumables) and any fixed costs (insurance, workshop space, maybe the cost of tools).

The hourly rate can reflect your experience and the fact you aren't professionally trained but it shouldn't undersell you either. I'm not professionally trained as in I didn't do any sort of proper apprenticeship etc - just day courses at various jewellery schools - but I would never allow my hourly rate to go below £15 per hour even on the simplest piece and ideally over time I want this to rise to reflect my increasing skill.

When you're covering the cost of materials you also need to factor in wastage not just the materials which made it into the final product :)

People may have sob stories about what they can afford but imagine if you were doing this full time - you couldn't do it for long making a loss or barely breaking even on a product! It also makes it difficult for full time jewellers as they compete with hobbyists who are underpricing their work but don't rely on it to make a living.

Don't be afraid to charge more and set some firmer boundaries.