Tailor Archive
Thread: am I wrong to be pissed off?
kasuta wrote:
I disagree, it's speculation. If you know the market better than they do, and you know they're drastically underselling, it's a totally valid tactic. You could be nice and tell them that they could be getting more money, but you'd probably get a rude reply like 'I can sell for whatever I want to!'. By now everyone should be figuring out that combat types aren't hurting for money, there's no reason to sell stuff at cost or even slightly above.
They are welcome to resell, but I doubt it's very easy when the item description says 600 credits and they are selling for 1500. I've gotten more than a few tells asking me why I was selling for 1500 and that was in the description. I explain what happened and that customer comes to me instead of the reseller.
Like I said problem solved. The only person upset is the one complaining that I'm hurting the reseller. That's their problem not mine. My problem has been solved: ie: products with my name on them are not being used to gouge other players. In fact, that *IS* the real issue. My serial numbers being used to cash farm excessively. I'd have no problem if you bought every item on my vendor and destroyed it. It's reselling that's my issue.
As for combat types having lots of cash, great. More power to them. Still no reason for me to overprice my goods to meet a "market" value.
AyaneKimusume wrote:
No, you're not wrong to be pissed off.
But in all of this I haven't heard one thing... have you actually tried talking to the other tailor? Perhaps they're just desparate to try to sell something, or your customer had already promised them the work, or... if you don't ask you'll never know for certain.
That's a good point. Yesterday I had a the most outrageous customer ever and even while this was happening I was dying to come post about him. He started to /tell me from a nearby city. I happened to be on my way there to check a harvester anyway, so I agreed to make him what he wanted (it was a pretty small sale, a pair of gloves and boots) and meet him in theother town.
As I was waiting for the shuttle (got unlucky and had an 8 minute wait) he kept /telling at me asking if I was on my way. I repeatedly told him I was just waiting at shuttleport, and gave him 5 minute and 2 minute to liftoff notices. When I get to the other shuttleport, I found him in negotiations with another tailor for the items I'd already made for him! 
He apologized and used /tells to try and explain that he was just talking to her, not actually ordering anything, but then he accidentally mistelled to me something that was the same basic explaination that was meant for her! She and I quickly compared notes through /tells, discovered he had approached both of us, and that he was now trying to negotiate prices with both of us for the same items. To keep himself from looking like a jerk, he was going to buy a set from each of us and try and keep the other from noticing!
I almost left on the spot, but then had a funnier idea. Neither of us had given him a price quote yet, so I decided to give him my special "jerky customer price" (which in this case, since he was extra jerky, was about double my regular prices). I didn't think he'd acutally go for it, it was supposed to be my way of flipping off the sale. So I told her and she decided to do the same. We both privately communicated our new prices to him, and he agreed! He paid both of us way too much money while trying to "fly casual" in spatial chat and act like he wasn't doing business with the other person. 
This situation turned comical pretty quickly, but if the other Tailor and I hadn't started talking she could have easily gotten really annoyed and thought I was stealing her business. Of course this kind of thing doesn't excuse people who are living next to you and deliberately undercutting your vendor, or anything like that, but it seems to me like sometimes the customers are intentionally trying toplay us against each other. And a little communication would definately help with that.
I don't see a problem with her yelling out that she can make clothes, but saying that she can make anything you do, and specifically to a customer who's waiting on you is without tact.
Now what would be really bad is if someone would stand outside of your shop and tell customers as they approached that she can do anything you see in there for 25% less. Then I'd have to kick some ass.
Thanks for everyones comment! You guys are right.. as long as I keep my head held high and keep giving people the best service possible everything will work out. 
I made a great contact with a dancer in the local cantina. She's been driving business my way nonstop and spreading word for me! And I just hit Field Wear I yesterday too.. so I'm making Tech Packs and Swooper helmets too.
I'm just wondering how everyone started out on the Tailor tree. I know Field Wear is most popular and profitable.. and Casual wear is really important to entertainers. So i'm wondering what path everyone took along there way up tailoring. Seems like Level 3 Field and Casual is where the really nice clothes are at.. Duster, Cloak, and Bustier
Snowleeper, you figured out a good way to keep them from reselling your stuff. But what exactly is your reason for not wanting to raise your prices if the market will bear a higher price? This is what I don't understand. You steadfastly refuse to sell at a higher price when you know the items will sell at that price. And as far as 'gouging' customers, well a fair price for an item is determined by what people will pay for the item. So just because someone's charging more doesn't mean they're 'gouging' anyone. My point about the combat types having money was only meant to illustrate that you're not going to hurt anyone by charging more. If you think you're being more 'fair' by keeping your prices at or close to cost, you're not a very good at management.
SnowLeeper wrote:
They are welcome to resell, but I doubt it's very easy when the item description says 600 credits and they are selling for 1500. I've gotten more than a few tells asking me why I was selling for 1500 and that was in the description. I explain what happened and that customer comes to me instead of the reseller.
Like I said problem solved. The only person upset is the one complaining that I'm hurting the reseller. That's their problem not mine. My problem has been solved: ie: products with my name on them are not being used to gouge other players. In fact, that *IS* the real issue. My serial numbers being used to cash farm excessively. I'd have no problem if you bought every item on my vendor and destroyed it. It's reselling that's my issue.
As for combat types having lots of cash, great. More power to them. Still no reason for me to overprice my goods to meet a "market" value.