Non-responsive customer: how long should I wait?

[Mr.Nate]

Get a deposit next time for a custom order.

It might weed out the "looky lou's" (sp?)

Nate

[Berti66]

I agree, getting a deposit might be a good idea but adding to that, next time get their snail addy and home phone number could come in handy too, if you haven't gotten those yet.

berti

[Impempe]

You sound as if you have done more than enough and been quite pleasant in the process - a rare thing in my part of the world - sell them! and get on with your whistle making, the world needs whistles!

[Lambchop]

Really . . . sell them. But let us have first shot at them, ok?

Checked the pix on your website . . . loooovely.

[Kingfisher]

I've got to agree with the others , Paul. You've done more than could be expected to try to make contact. I know that , if it were my order , you wouldn't have to track me down. I guess it depends on how much responsibility or desire a person has when placing an order. Fit them to suit yourself , sell them to some one who will appreciate them , and get on with the business of making great whistles ! IMO.

Have a Great Day and Fun Whistling !!

[talasiga]

I have a customer who ordered matching whistles in C and D Cocobolo. As long as I was at it, I started an Eb to match so I could take some webpage pics of a matched set.
On 5/24 I e-mailed her at the same address I've communicated with her in the past telling her the whistles were approaching readiness, that we needed to settle on final choice of metal fittings, and arrange payment (I don't generally ask for a down payment except for really unusual stuff I might not be able to sell otherwise). I got no response at all, so I re-sent the message a week or so later. Still no response. Her e-mail is apparently through her employer judging by the domain name, so I sent it to information@(heremployer).com and got no response. I then did a yahoo people search for this person's name in the city where her employer is based. I found one match so I called that phone number and left a message on the answering machine saying that I was looking for the
"Jane Smith" that ordered these whistles, excusing myself if I had the wrong person, etc. Still no reply.

How long do you think I'm obligated to wait for this person before putting these whistles up for sale? I think I've done due diligence and would like to complete the instruments and find a good home for them.

I have dealt with several whistle and flute makers over the last two years in both the US and in Australia (in distant parts of Australia).
I have never been asked to lay a deposit. I have always honoured the deal and paid promptly. I contacted them by email and I contacted them by phone as "collateral". I have a good relationship with all these makers.

However there is one maker in the US who I emailed some time ago and then followed up with several expensive trunk calls. Several times over the last year I have emailed for progress reports and received NO REPLY. Whenever I ring him/her the message bank is full and cannot take further messages. Should I presume our deal is nullified by now?

[brewerpaul]

I agree, getting a deposit might be a good idea but adding to that, next time get their snail addy and home phone number could come in handy too, if you haven't gotten those yet.
berti

Following Glenn Schultz's lead, I don't ask for deposits, except for really weird stuff like expensive and potentially crackable wood, etc. Glenn told me more than once that in all of his years of dealing with whistle and flute players, he'd only been burned once or twice. Personally, I'd rather do business on that basis than be hardnosed about it and demand payment in advance.
That said, getting snail mail and phone numbers is a very good idea.

[dwinterfield]

Sell them, you can always make more.

Mike

Mike has it right. If she contacts you in the future with an explanation, the worst down side for her would be a wait while you make more whistles. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I would ask each customer for a residential address and phone number. That would allow you to send a registered letter to be fair and provide notice should a situation like this (or any other) occur in the future. In a situation like this, you'd just be out a couple of bucks, have a paper trail and be comfortable you'd done your best by the customer.

[Mr.Nate]

Paul
I agree that taking money can complicate the process to some degree.

Putting money down just means your a serious customer with good intensions!

Anyway, we all appriciate the way you do business.

Nate

[avanutria]

Two thoughts strike me:

1) The sent messages haven't bounced, which (probably) means that this email account is still active.

2) Why isn't this company concerned that an unknown person is hooked up to their email systems? Seems like something to flag and pass along to the IT department.

As for how much longer you try to contact her, it's up to you, but it does sound like you've tried quite hard. If you sold them and she got in touch with you, she wouldn't have much of a case for complaint.

Reminds me of an ebay buyer I had last year. She bought a calculator from me for $213 but when the auction was over I couldn't reach her. Her ebay email address was bouncing, the phone number in the ebay contact information would ring and ring and ring.. It was a company email address, going to the website for the company yielded no help. Finally had to do an internet search, found a last name associated with the company's city and rang it. No response...but it was the weekend. Rang again during the week and got through (eventually). She was completely unbothered that her contact information was wrong. "Oh yeah, our email systems changed a few months ago, I haven't bothered to update it yet."

[Redwolf]

I think getting a snail mail addy makes a lot of sense. After all, they're going to have to give you that info eventually so you can send them their whistles, so it's not like it's information they shouldn't be giving out.

My guess with the company saying they have no record of her is that she has either left or been laid off/fired. Typically when that happens, all they'll tell an outsider is that no one by that name is associated with the company. They don't want to hint that she might have been let go, because that can come back to haunt them. If you were a prospective employer calling for a reference, they would tell you whether she'd actually worked there or not and her employment dates, but I doubt they'd give out that information in this situation.

I just can't imagine arranging to buy a handmade whistle and then just disappearing...I have to sit on my hands to avoid pestering the poor maker ("is it done yet? ).

Redwolf

[happyturkeyman]

Asking a deposit would just make situations like this one more awkward (even if less common).

Without asking one, the only investment the customer has put into it is the time to make the order, making you completely justified to do what you wish with the end product.

[Dave Parkhurst]

Asking for a deposit on non-custom orders is something I don't like to do... I then feel pressure to get them done NOW. For wierd woods, one-offs, odd keys etc., I have asked for deposits. The only thing I will absolutely not do is send out a whistle on approval...I got burned bad. Glenn had the sort of aura that he could do it and somehow not get fried... I don't. I also ask for an address and phone no. before I start. It sounds like you just avoided someone trying to take you for a ride, Paul.
My advice? Sell the whistles!!! *drool* Cheap!!! To meeee!!!!!
Dave

[DRC]

I'm a business owner, and I agree that a month is probably long enough, epecially considering your attempts to contact this person. But I thought it was interesting that no mention or consideration was made in any of these reponses that this person may have developed a medical situation....may no longer be with us....who knows. Anything is possible. It's just odd she'd simply disappear (maybe she has runaway whistle buyer syndrome and is now running around the Burren with a striped towel on her head yelling at seagulls). Whatever the case, I think you've done your best with the information at hand to contact her, but the bottom line is how you feel. If you feel you've done all you can and enough time has passed, sell them. I wouldn't feel bad about doing it.

You may also consider adding something to your web site and general info: "Orders not claimed and paid for within 30 days will be offered for sale to the general public". (or whatever period of time you choose)

DC