The saga continues

I received a call yesterday from the nightmare custom order people. Again I tried to explain myself as I was berated for the tile being slightly smaller than they requested, and about the shipping damage that had occurred....and on top of it all, they wanted the other 2 tiles, but they better match the one I sent and they will cost significantly less than the first one.
I hung up on a client. YEP. That's right.
Here is the letter I sent this morning, refusing service. I am so glad I was not under contract. I am so insulted by the behavior of this person and can't believe that people are so frickin rude. It is completely insane to me that I would be treated with such disregard and disrespect.

Takes me back to the restaurant days. People, treat those that serve you well, otherwise, THEY JUST MIGHT SPIT IN YOUR F*****IN FOOD! (metaphorical or otherwise)


To whom it may concern,

I regret to inform you that I will not be producing the tiles you requested.
I delivered the closest possible product to what was ordered, as I have said previously, ceramics is not an exact process, I am limited by materials and equipment. Had you the courtesy to consult with me about the size of the tile before you discounted my services to your client, I could have explained the process to you in a comprehensive and helpful way. I produced 3 seperate molds for the base of the tile, and 5 tiles to get you that single tile that measures a little over 16". It was 18" when it went into the kiln and was the largest of all of the tiles I prototyped. I worked very hard to deliver what I promised, and was confident that though the measurements were not exact, I produced a beautiful and high quality hand made piece of art out of a difficult and precious material. I am not a factory, I am an artist, what I produce is not mold injected plastic, and I am surprised to be treated as such by someone that should be fairly familiar with the industry.
In the beginning, I advised that I send, for a nominal fee, a 9" tile sample which was readily available, so that you and your clients could see a smaller version of the finished product before I embarked on such a large project. I also advised that it would be best to order all 3 tiles at the same time, to guarantee that they would all be the same size. You and your colleague again chose to go against my advice and expertise.
You asked for a discount on shipping, and in the interest of customer service, I granted your request. I shipped through the USPS, versus the more costly carrier I was planning on using when I gave you the quote. I must cover my cost, not only on shipping, but materials, and I tried to explain that to you when you called insisting that the price was too high. Had you respected what I had advised, the tiles would have been made all at the same time and shipped via a freight company on a pallette, or at least the single tile would have shipped safely through UPS . I have safely shipped thousands of pieces all over the globe, and am confident that the piece would have arrived safely had it not been for your insistence that I offer you a cheaper service.
I am sorry that you are not happy with the results. I offered my professional advise in the beginning, and a solution to the problem when the piece arrived damaged. I offered to send you a slightly smaller tile I had produced for the project so that the client could see what the final product would look like and then make the decision to order the set of 3 tiles. I would then reproduce the tile that had been sent and any other tiles added to the order. I did not offer you a discount when you called about the damaged piece, you pushed the subject and I gave you the number to put an end to the conversation. I also recall trying to explain that the smaller one I offered to replace the damaged one took the same amount of time and effort and I didn't feel comfortable offering it to you at a discounted price, and then you called requesting that I complete the project at a drastically reduced price.
I have done everything within my power to satisfy my end of this arrangement. You were advised from the beginning as to what I thought, in my professional opinion, was the best option for each process. You chose to go against that multiple times and I am choosing not to do any further business with you.
Again, I regret that I will not be able to offer you my services. I wish you luck on the project.


*******SIGH*******

Holiday Shows

I have 3 shows going on over the next few weeks,
One at my favorite Atlanta Area Gallery: Little Tree in Avondale Estates on December 5th & 6th



Another in Tryon, at Upstairs Artspace , called " Art for Presents." Ashevillians, you should take a little day trip to Tron, take some of the beautiful meandering back roads and check out an amazing contemporary art gallery.

I will also be exhibiting at Funke Fired Arts in Cincinnati starting December 9th.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Haven't written in a little while..... Things are gearing up around here, I have two more shows to get work prepared for, galleries to fill and Etsy sales to brace myself for, so its getting crazier by the minute.
Here is a shot of the massive amount of urchin bowls on the table at the moment.