When should a maker Cancel an order?

tntbegg

tntbegg

Joined
May 27, 2003
Messages
456
Under what circumstances could/should a Maker cancel an order to make a knife? Is it taboo for a maker to cancel?

Besides the obvious answers like, death, critical illness, physically unable to do so.
 
I think a lot of makers cancel orders on me, they just never tell me that.;)

Win
 
Things happen , and if a maker cancels an order, it would be nice if another option was given.
What is important is communication.

I hear ya Win , I feel the same way ! :)
 
if you need to cancel an order it should be done as soon as you have a reason to cancel. i can think of a few reasons. the customer is annoying you all the time with changes and continually asks when his knife will be ready would be a good reason. you can't get the materials originally ordered would be a reason. you find out someone has ordered a knife so they can copy it would be a reason. how about this: you win the mega millions jackpot and don't feel like making any more knives! not a good reason.
 
I think if a deal gets to the point that you are concerned enough with what's happening that you are thinking you would like to cancel the order, you should do so. That gut feeling is usually right. If someone that put in an order with you is constantly changing their mind, or it appears that they are abnormally picky, it might be better to tell them as nicely as possible that you aren't comfortable making them a knife.

You should do this at the time you first get the feeling that the deal is going to be trouble. The longer you wait, the more upset the customer is going to be. There is always the chance that when you do this, the customer will try to trash your reputation. As long as you had good reason for backing out of the deal, you should easily be able to defend your decision.
 
You can never please everyone. The savvy businessman can quickly spot the ones he can't, which enables him to spend the most time on the ones he can.
 
nut4brend said:
What If the maker took your order and had a 9 month delivery time. The order was made at Blade. That makes delivery around March. Called the maker second week in April and left a message with no reply in the last two weeks. Told the maker that I was in no hurry. Just wondering how his backlog was and if their was a new time frame for delivery. I just want a few answers, is that asking too much.
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Has this got something to do with Todd's original post, or is this from something completely different?

Of course it's not asking too much.
 
How do you spot the customer you will most likely never please no matter what you do?

Look for the telltale signs;

He/she bad mouths makers they have previous ordered or bought from.

He/she doesn't seem to know what they want.

He/she demonstrates erratic behavior.

He/she seems the type that wants something for nothing.

He/she seem to think they know more about your knives than you do.

He/she presses you for a price before making it clear as to what they want.

He/she insists on giving you a deposit.

He/she presses you for an exact delivery date.

He/she insists on suppling their own materials.

Though any one of the above may not cause alarm, if they demonstrate multiple behaviors from the above list a very polite "thanks, but NO thanks" may be in order.
 
nut4brend said:
What If the maker took your order and had a 9 month delivery time. The order was made at Blade. That makes delivery around March. Called the maker second week in April and left a message with no reply in the last two weeks. Told the maker that I was in no hurry. Just wondering how his backlog was and if their was a new time frame for delivery. I just want a few answers, is that asking too much.

Zack
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Is this me or someone else? Tanya usually is really good about returning email/phone.pm's. you might not always like her answers but she always answers.
 
Todd, No it was not you. Sorry for the confusion, I have edited my post. I will start another thread. I was just asking whether the maker should tell you that your order is canceled or just not communicate with you.
 
I think another possible reason is if a maker is going over their head, and by that I mean trying to make something that is not in their repertoire. If the maker tries to make something he/she is not usually in the habit of making, and fails at it, then that would be a reason to cancel the order.
 
Well glad to hear its not me! on the other hand, a maker should communicate the cancled order to you.

my question is more about under what circumstances SHOULD a maker cancel. Kevin, thats a pretty good list.bet Tanya has cutnpasted that already to her desktop!
 
Hi Todd,

In business there are many instances of discomfort. More than a few have said go with your gut and bail out...

That may have a negative effect that you can't pinpoint now. I have had challenges in every job I've encountered, and I can remember specific instances of occasions where I also wanted 'out', but stuck with it. Often the opportunity and challenge didn't give me quite as much grief as I anticipated, and because I had to work harder to please, the result was better than I expected.

You will get answers supporting both sides. Yup, at some point working on a project with unachievable demands or personalities demands a tactful NO.

And then again, you may learn something. :)

Coop
 
Kevin's list is a good one, but several of the signs might be better suited for judging the quality of the customer prior to taking the order. As to whether or not a maker should cancel an order that is different than whether or not a maker should take an order. Charlie and I feel an obligation once we have taken an order to do everything we can to make a knife the customer will be happy with in a manner that will make him feel comfortable to deal with us in the future. It would take a pretty bad experience for us to cancel an order because we didn't like something the customer was doing. Haven't done it in the last five years and aren't likely to, but that doesn't mean that every customer that has ordered a knife will get to order another one:)
 
Kevin Jones said:
You can never please everyone. The savvy businessman can quickly spot the ones he can't, which enables him to spend the most time on the ones he can.
Click to expand...

Bingo!!!!!! You hit the nail on the head with that comment. Several times I've gone beyond the point where I should have cancelled just because of the challenge to satisfy a hard customer, but they will NEVER get a second shot at me.

Paul
 
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