Yes, we custom build something just becuse you asked what it cost.

[bob the goat]

I work at a furniture manufacturer. When a customer comes to us with a request, here is the process.
1) They ask for something special.
2) We quote it.
3) They send us a purchase Order.
4) We do the engineering work and send them a "Drawing for approval".
5) If they mark up the drawing and want changes we can go back to either step 1 or step 4 depending on what the change is.
6) Once they sign off on the Drawing For Approval we begin building.

Each step must be done, and they must be done in that order. Period. We make it very clear to the customer that Orders take about 8-10 weeks to build from the date that the PO comes in, minus the time it takes them to sign the Drawings for Approval. That comment is on the quote, and it is confirmed to them again when they send in the PO.

8/1/08 - Request for a special comes in.
8/1/08 - Special quote sent to them.
8/28/08 - PO comes in from the customer. They did not provide all the color choices. Sent them a letter asking them for the choices.
9/4/08 - Answers received. Order entered and to engineering.
9/8/08 - Drawing for approval sent
9/10/08 - Drawing for approval sent again (no answer).
9/12/08 - Drawing for approval sent again (no answer).
9/15/08 - Drawing for approval sent again (no answer).
9/17/08 - Drawing for approval sent again (no answer).

This morning we receive the following e-mail:

"We have received the multiple copies of the Drawing For Approval. We are waiting for the customer to sign off on them. We want to confirm that the order will be shipping in the next week or two."

Me: Perhaps I am confused. What order are you thinking will ship this week? Do you have another order that I am not aware of?

Customer: No.

Me: What order are you wanting to confirm will ship in the next two weeks?

Customer: This one.

Me: This order that you are still waiting to sign off on the drawings for?

Customer: Yes. We need it in the next two weeks.

Me: That is not possible. You placed your order on 8-28, but it was missing finishes. Those finishes were not provided until 9/4, so that is the date that the order was entered. We have been waiting two weeks for you to sign the drawings. As stated on the quote, our lead time is 8-10 weeks from the receipt of a clean PO (meaning all the finishes provided), minus the time it takes you to sign the drawings. If you sign the drawings today the soonest you would get the furniture would be about 6 weeks from now.

Customer: How can that be? I requested this furniture back on 8-1, that was 7 weeks ago. We expected this to be done in 8-10 weeks.

Me: Ironically, we have chosen as a company to not begin building something until you tell us what you want to be built. Are we as a manufacturer supposed to assume that a quote request, without a PO, is something that we can bill you for and start manufacturing?


They have not replied to that one.

Seriously, who in their right mind assumes that when they ask how much something costs that we would start hand building it for them?

[Gerrinson]

Seriously, who in their right mind assumes that when they ask how much something costs that we would start hand building it for them?

The answer to your question is: No one.

I've bolded the problem with your question, though.

Perhaps you should require all potential clients to go through a psych evaluation prior to accepting their business?

[draftermatt]

Sadly more people than you would think...

1. Contact us for quote
2. Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate
3. Letter of intent
4. Drawings you gave us suck so we ask questions
5. 2-3 weeks later you call us pissed off that we haven't submitted drawings yet, then get uppity when we remind you of questions. Say you're ready in 3 weeks
6.Submit drawings
7. 4 weeks later drawings return, you want them back yesterday
8. Send to engineering
9. Resubmit
10. 2 weeks later drawings return approved
11. Send to fabrication
12. Ask you for valid date, it's now 3 weeks from today
13. Date slides
14. Date slides
15. Get yelled at by my boss because product is sitting around taking up space
15. Hey we're ready in 2 days
16. No, no you weren't
17. Finally ready
18. What do you mean half the stuff isn't fitting right?
19. Field measure!
20. When are you ready for next trip?
Return to 13

[bob the goat]

HAHHAHHAHHAAA

Our VP got an e-mail from them complaining. The VP backed me up, and then added "I should also note, we schedule your order into manufacturing based on when you sign off on the drawing, as that is what releases it to be manufactured. Unfortunately, we have had a high order volume the past two weeks, and our special product lead time has increased to 11 weeks."

I love this job sometimes.

[DevilBoy]

I get this all the time at work.
Our process is similar:

1. Contact us with idea for order
2. We send an email with a pricing estimate
3. Customer fills out order form and pays deposit
4. We create artwork for them and send them an approval request
5. If any changes are needed, go to step 4.
6. Artwork is approved by client, remainder of payment is processed and production begins.

Production takes at least 45 days for each order.
The 45 day production timeline does not begin until the artwork is approved, NOT when the order is submitted or pricing is requested.

Yet, this is how things usually go:

1. Person requests pricing quote on 9/1/08
2. Order and deposit are eventually submitted on 9/15/08
3. Artwork is completed and sent for approval on 9/17/08
4. Approval on artwork is not received until 10/01/08
5. Client calls on 10/15/08 and wonders why the production has not completed yet.
6. We explain (again, for the elevnty-billionth time) that production takes 45 days, it cannot begin until approval is received.
7. Client then proceeds to whine, cry, hold their breath, stomp their foot, wet their pants and essentially throw a tantrum like a 3-year-old... telling us that they needed this order completed by now... we should 'speed things up'
8. Go to step 6.

[Catwoman2965]

HAHHAHHAHHAAA

Our VP got an e-mail from them complaining. The VP backed me up, and then added "I should also note, we schedule your order into manufacturing based on when you sign off on the drawing, as that is what releases it to be manufactured. Unfortunately, we have had a high order volume the past two weeks, and our special product lead time has increased to 11 weeks."

I love this job sometimes.

Oh, karma's a bitch sometimes, isn't it? hahahahahahaha - i must say I love your stories, i think mostly the way in which you tell them....and you have MUCH more patience than I ever would in that type of job!

[bainsidhe]

Or you ask them a simple question. "What size of *widget* do you want? (dimension can be anywhere from 2.5" up to 120")". We're told never mind that, what's the cost and is it in stock. "But what size of widget do you need? We manufacture tens of thousands of configurations". Then I'm told to just give them a price already. Or the customer says.."Oh". Hmmm, tough to quote something without knowing what's needed. And why do some people place orders this way? How do you think that will work when you randomly guess a dimension. And then of course it's "our" fault for shipping the wrong one.

Had a customer recently order a product. Then call to say we shipped the wrong thing because he really wanted something else. This isn't even apples to oranges (which are both fruit), it's more like apples to cucumbers. They may both grow in a garden, but they're not even remotely the same.

[pacman]

Imaginary conversation:

Me: "What size of *widget* do you want? (dimension can be anywhere from 2.5" up to 120")".
SC: "Never mind that, what's the cost and is it in stock."
Me: "But what size of widget do you need? We manufacture tens of thousands of configurations".
SC: "Just give me a price already!!!11"
Me: "It varies from $3 to $120,000.00 depending on what you want."
SC: "But whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy are they so expensive?"
Me: "You just wanted a price."


Or:

Me: "What size of *widget* do you want? (dimension can be anywhere from 2.5" up to 120")".
SC: "Never mind that, what's the cost and is it in stock."
Me: "But what size of widget do you need? We manufacture tens of thousands of configurations".
SC: "Just give me a price already!!!11"
Me: "It varies from $3 to $120,000.00 depending on what you want."
SC: "OK, I'll take the 12½" one."
Me: "Allrighty then, it'll be $200."
SC: "But you SAAAIIIIID it was going to be $3!!!111eleventy"



I think the latter one is more probable. They just don't hear what they don't want to.

[JLRodgers]

This isn't even apples to oranges (which are both fruit), it's more like apples to cucumbers.

Actually cucumbers are fruit... apples to carrots, or apples to potatoes would be better

[simplyanother]

Actually cucumbers are fruit... apples to carrots, or apples to potatoes would be better

apples to trees!

Oh, no. apples to bunnies. They are both IN a garden, but they ARE completely different.