Tailor Archive
Thread: The reason why Tailors are hard to find!
Page 1 of 2
sys8000
Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:11 pm
#1
My alt is Master Tailor, Master Merchant and Master Artisan.
The last couple of days I've set his title to Master Tailor and yesterday three people asked me to make some clothing for them.
The first was a Jedi who wanted all BE defense clothing so I've made all of the parts in the color he wished and told him the price which was about 100k. BE Tissues are expensive and even more important my time is precious and then you also want to make some plus for your work. He said it's very expensive but paid me the price.
The second wanted some normal clothings and after I've made them he ran away. I've asked him if he doesn't like to pay people for their work and he replied that he tipped me 2k. Interested that he is the one to decide the cost!
The third one was like the second one except that he didn't paid at all.
Now I don't want to set my title to Master Tailor anymore! Instead I will make my own series of BE clothings and put them on my vendor.
I'm angry because those players (n00bs, roXXor kiddies) think that clothing is inferior and they would much prefer armor (the Jedi can't, the other two were not high CL enough to wear armor). And then it's difficult and time consuming to make the clothing if the customer doesn't exacly know what he wants. The game mechanics make it hard for the Tailor profession!
The last couple of days I've set his title to Master Tailor and yesterday three people asked me to make some clothing for them.
The first was a Jedi who wanted all BE defense clothing so I've made all of the parts in the color he wished and told him the price which was about 100k. BE Tissues are expensive and even more important my time is precious and then you also want to make some plus for your work. He said it's very expensive but paid me the price.
The second wanted some normal clothings and after I've made them he ran away. I've asked him if he doesn't like to pay people for their work and he replied that he tipped me 2k. Interested that he is the one to decide the cost!
The third one was like the second one except that he didn't paid at all.
Now I don't want to set my title to Master Tailor anymore! Instead I will make my own series of BE clothings and put them on my vendor.
I'm angry because those players (n00bs, roXXor kiddies) think that clothing is inferior and they would much prefer armor (the Jedi can't, the other two were not high CL enough to wear armor). And then it's difficult and time consuming to make the clothing if the customer doesn't exacly know what he wants. The game mechanics make it hard for the Tailor profession!
Lrae-Vai
Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:18 pm
#2
sys8000 wrote:
My alt is Master Tailor, Master Merchant and Master Artisan.
The last couple of days I've set his title to Master Tailor and yesterday three people asked me to make some clothing for them.
The first was a Jedi who wanted all BE defense clothing so I've made all of the parts in the color he wished and told him the price which was about 100k. BE Tissues are expensive and even more important my time is precious and then you also want to make some plus for your work. He said it's very expensive but paid me the price.
The second wanted some normal clothings and after I've made them he ran away. I've asked him if he doesn't like to pay people for their work and he replied that he tipped me 2k. Interested that he is the one to decide the cost!
The third one was like the second one except that he didn't paid at all.
Now I don't want to set my title to Master Tailor anymore! Instead I will make my own series of BE clothings and put them on my vendor.
I'm angry because those players (n00bs, roXXor kiddies) think that clothing is inferior and they would much prefer armor (the Jedi can't, the other two were not high CL enough to wear armor). And then it's difficult and time consuming to make the clothing if the customer doesn't exacly know what he wants. The game mechanics make it hard for the Tailor profession!
I never wear the title, and rarely do custom orders. I even have gone so far as to request payment up front before I craft if I don't know the person I'm dealing with. People take advantage of tailors all of the time -- especially when they want their "special" colors. So, I rarely mess withcustom ordersanymore.
TheNola
Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:23 pm
#3
Every tailor has had those types of customers, but you are just having a really bad tailor day. There aren't that many of them on my server, at least for me.
Here are some things I go by when approached by a customer (hope it helps):
- I always tell them the total and make sure they agree to the price before I make anything (of course, this doesn't include the customers you trust and know will pay anything for your clothes).
- Never meet up with a tailor to make clothes for them "on the spot". (I've had terrible experiences with "let's meet at Theed so you can make me some clothes"... because people don't know what they want and I end up having to wait an hour. My time is more precious than a mere 3-100K of clothing)
- Have customers email me the name and color of the clothes they want. (because emails are such a great way to organize)
- Let them shop for what they want at TkFashions.
- Keep an ingame clothing FAQ (mostly about BE clothing) email so I can forward it to clueless customers.
About how clothing is "inferior", yeah... some people think that, but there are also a lot of people who love to look good, mainly Jedi and entertainers. I make at the very least 100K a day on clothing. Tailoring's not hard. It's very fun and social and hands-on. Just that the longer you are tailor, the more "experience" you get in how to prevent yourself in those yucky situations. =) Good luck, hehe.
TheNola
Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:27 pm
#5
MiraLuka3 wrote:
Always get payment up front.
Yeah, that's always a good idea. I remember the days when I used to ID people and have them pay me first.
Lrae-Vai
Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:54 pm
#6
TheNola wrote:
Every tailor has had those types of customers, but you are just having a really bad tailor day. There aren't that many of them on my server, at least for me.
Here are some things I go by when approached by a customer (hope it helps):
- I always tell them the total and make sure they agree to the price before I make anything (of course, this doesn't include the customers you trust and know will pay anything for your clothes).
- Never meet up with a tailor to make clothes for them "on the spot". (I've had terrible experiences with "let's meet at Theed so you can make me some clothes"... because people don't know what they want and I end up having to wait an hour. My time is more precious than a mere 3-100K of clothing)
- Have customers email me the name and color of the clothes they want. (because emails are such a great way to organize)
- Let them shop for what they want at TkFashions.
- Keep an ingame clothing FAQ (mostly about BE clothing) email so I can forward it to clueless customers.
About how clothing is "inferior", yeah... some people think that, but there are also a lot of people who love to look good, mainly Jedi and entertainers. I make at the very least 100K a day on clothing. Tailoring's not hard. It's very fun and social and hands-on. Just that the longer you are tailor, the more "experience" you get in how to prevent yourself in those yucky situations. =) Good luck, hehe.
#1 and #2 -- Yes I agree. I started (#1)and stopped (#2)doing this immediately after I flew to theed to meet a guy ( back when we had 10 min shuttle waits) and I get there ahd he wants me to follow him 3k to his "mall" which ended up being a small generic house where he had 9 vendors he wanted clothed. His first item: a doc dress. I craft it and tell him 1k for the dress and he immediately started going off about my price saying that so and so "charges half that". It irked me so much i just turned wround and walked out, got on my bike, and drove back to theed. The whole ordeal took about 1.5 hours. Funny how it only takes one customer to change your entire perspective on how to run your business.
#3 and #5 -- These are is also an excellent ideas, which I also practice. Most of the time if I do a custom order, I do it through email. A few of my return customers I will actually allow into my shop while I'm crafting. I have a list of all BE-able items handy in email that I can forward to anyone who says "can you put BE's in gloves?". I also added colors tothe emailso that customers can easily follow the content inside the email.
AerynTalyn
Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:55 pm
#7
On my tailor alt I don't wear my title either. I don't mind making custom orders but when I'm dancing and doing something that "I" want to do I don't like to stop and starting making clothing on the spot. If it was only one or two people I wouldnt mind but one sees you doing an order and it's a nonstop line. I always have them send me an email and I let them know exactly when I can have it done. Works well.
Tralmek
Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:50 pm
#8
That's a horrible experience!
The first time I ever set my title to "Master Tailor" I had my worst experience ever with a customer, and even it wasn't so bad.
He wanted a red robe, but didn't have a clue what type, so I recommended tkfashion. He claimed not to have the time, so I got busy on my crafting tool and made him a Double Robe, Robe of Honor, Cloak, Admin Robe, Grand Mayoral Robe, Plain Robe, and Smock. A couple of variations on some of them. I let him look at them in the trade window and he clicked "accept" *rolleyes*
I asked him to pick which one he liked, so he picked the Grand Mayoral Robe. I told him the price and set up the trade, he clicked "accept" again, and I politely reminded him that I needed payment before I could trade. The rest of the dialogue went like this:
Me: I have to make my living by selling clothes and there are a lot of people who might run off without paying.
Him: i'm honest!
Me: I'm sure you are, but I can't just start giving away clothes without getting paid.
He enters 1000 credits
Me: The full amount, please.
Him: aw come on man! i can get the same thing from (another tailor's name) and there only charging half that.
Me: Please continue to buy from (the other tailor). I don't have time to deal with this.
I cancel the trade and return home to my vendor to list the robes. A few days later, my vendor sold the robe to him. *shrug* guess his other tailor wouldn't sell him a Grand Mayoral Robe for 500cr?
Anyway, since then I've taken several direct orders, and although I usually request an e-mail with what they want, I've found it relatively easy to deal with most of the people. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, I had 3 special orders sent to me via /tell, and I met with each of the customers personally. Each time I came away with much more than what I would normally charge. (One exceedingly nice guy was desperate for a pair of custom HAWTpants and he tipped me 250,000 for them! ...but what am I doing preaching about the power of HAWTpants here? You guys already know all about that.
)
The first time I ever set my title to "Master Tailor" I had my worst experience ever with a customer, and even it wasn't so bad.
He wanted a red robe, but didn't have a clue what type, so I recommended tkfashion. He claimed not to have the time, so I got busy on my crafting tool and made him a Double Robe, Robe of Honor, Cloak, Admin Robe, Grand Mayoral Robe, Plain Robe, and Smock. A couple of variations on some of them. I let him look at them in the trade window and he clicked "accept" *rolleyes*
I asked him to pick which one he liked, so he picked the Grand Mayoral Robe. I told him the price and set up the trade, he clicked "accept" again, and I politely reminded him that I needed payment before I could trade. The rest of the dialogue went like this:
Me: I have to make my living by selling clothes and there are a lot of people who might run off without paying.
Him: i'm honest!
Me: I'm sure you are, but I can't just start giving away clothes without getting paid.
He enters 1000 credits
Me: The full amount, please.
Him: aw come on man! i can get the same thing from (another tailor's name) and there only charging half that.
Me: Please continue to buy from (the other tailor). I don't have time to deal with this.
I cancel the trade and return home to my vendor to list the robes. A few days later, my vendor sold the robe to him. *shrug* guess his other tailor wouldn't sell him a Grand Mayoral Robe for 500cr?
Anyway, since then I've taken several direct orders, and although I usually request an e-mail with what they want, I've found it relatively easy to deal with most of the people. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, I had 3 special orders sent to me via /tell, and I met with each of the customers personally. Each time I came away with much more than what I would normally charge. (One exceedingly nice guy was desperate for a pair of custom HAWTpants and he tipped me 250,000 for them! ...but what am I doing preaching about the power of HAWTpants here? You guys already know all about that.
)
Ylis
Mon Oct 10, 2005 1:11 am
#9
In my experience, I am expected to make clothing right there on the spot if I have the tag up. Even though it says in my bio I do not craft on the spot (several reasons, like I don't lug around resources and components, and I use a barker droid so can't call my crafting droid, and if I am in a cantina I am usually dancing and having fun!)
Even when I tell them to email me their order and it will be on my vendor by the next day, they beg and plead to the point that some get on the ignore list.
Even when I tell them to email me their order and it will be on my vendor by the next day, they beg and plead to the point that some get on the ignore list.
Grreeta
Mon Oct 10, 2005 2:06 am
#10
You have my sympathies for having had such a bad day but I guess all crafters occasionally have to put up with the idiots in the game. In my time I've had the person who ordered a whole set of clothing for the vendors in their mall, asked me to deliver, never bought the stuff when I offered it to their vendor and ripped down their establishment with a 100k's worth of my goods still in the vendor stockroom. And the person who wanted a foul coloured BE outfit (4 socket of course) and never collected it ... leaving me with a shedload of pink and puce combat gear. But if it's any consolation I reckon that the same idiots make life miserable for the combat types as well. It's no fun going out on a group hunt with someone clueless who won't listen to any advice and just ruins the enjoyment for everyone else.
On the plus side Tailoring can be really rewarding when you get the person who really values your service. In recent weeks I've had a very nice noob who admired my "out and about outfit" and asked me if I could possibly design something for him within his limited budget. I came up with a couple of ideas and he was really enthusiastic, didn't quibble over price, came to my crafting hall to select and collect the items ... and every time I see him he comes over for a chat and to ask how I'm doing (still dressed in his distinctive outfit!).
This weekend I had a guy who was doing an in-game movie and wanted some costumes. We spent a fun hour coming up with stuff to suit his requirement. Not a big earner but professionally very satisfying ... and he was polite, fun and nice to know.
The great thing about tailoring is that nobody really *needs* the vast majority of what we produce. They just want it to enhance their game playing experience. I mean, I sell Grand Ball Gowns by the score ... as you all know they're bugged so have no sockets, and what would anyone want with 10 of them? But players do want them (in assorted colours). They like to dress up for parties and trips out. They like to sparkle when they entertain. It doesn't help them grind points or reach CL80 or get Ace Pilot or become jedi but it helps them to enjoy themselves. So I have fun making outfits and people have fun wearing them .... it's a win win situation!
Anyway, in my view, the really nice people in SWG (and life) far outnumber the horrible ones. So I just put the bad experiences to the back of my mind and remember the good ones. I won't allow the impolite, condescending idiots to spoil my enjoyment.
Cheers,
Gawgax
On the plus side Tailoring can be really rewarding when you get the person who really values your service. In recent weeks I've had a very nice noob who admired my "out and about outfit" and asked me if I could possibly design something for him within his limited budget. I came up with a couple of ideas and he was really enthusiastic, didn't quibble over price, came to my crafting hall to select and collect the items ... and every time I see him he comes over for a chat and to ask how I'm doing (still dressed in his distinctive outfit!).
This weekend I had a guy who was doing an in-game movie and wanted some costumes. We spent a fun hour coming up with stuff to suit his requirement. Not a big earner but professionally very satisfying ... and he was polite, fun and nice to know.
The great thing about tailoring is that nobody really *needs* the vast majority of what we produce. They just want it to enhance their game playing experience. I mean, I sell Grand Ball Gowns by the score ... as you all know they're bugged so have no sockets, and what would anyone want with 10 of them? But players do want them (in assorted colours). They like to dress up for parties and trips out. They like to sparkle when they entertain. It doesn't help them grind points or reach CL80 or get Ace Pilot or become jedi but it helps them to enjoy themselves. So I have fun making outfits and people have fun wearing them .... it's a win win situation!
Anyway, in my view, the really nice people in SWG (and life) far outnumber the horrible ones. So I just put the bad experiences to the back of my mind and remember the good ones. I won't allow the impolite, condescending idiots to spoil my enjoyment.
Cheers,
Gawgax
Abaie
Mon Oct 10, 2005 2:33 am
#11
I only really craft custom orders on the spot, and I craft for tips not a set price, as I understand some people who have just started dont have the cash, and there are plenty of richer people who tip very generously that make up for those that cant tip very much, or at all.
I dont have a problem not getting any money from some people I craft for as my satisfaction comes from seeing a satisfied customer be really proud of how they look, and as I said before the amount of people who tip generously more than make up for it on the cash front. The amount of times I am pleasantly surprised or down right shocked at the generosity of some players somehow makes me think there is hope for this world yet
I find entering into things with this attitude means I am yet to be upset at a transaction. I guess it all boils down to what you want to get out the profession, but I have made much more money than I expected, but its not for the money I craft, its for a better dressed Chimaera, the satisfaction of a job well done and a happy customer who will recommend my service to friends, guildies etc. This in turn generates more business, some of which will pay well, and some not, but the wonderful Chimaera community means I make a healthy profit.
I'm happy to rely on the discretion of the buyer to pay what they consider fair, or on how happy they are with the service I provide, and ultimately what they can afford. Sure, some people may take advantage, others are more than generous, such is the way of the world.
Don't know why but thought I would share a little of my philosophy
I dont have a problem not getting any money from some people I craft for as my satisfaction comes from seeing a satisfied customer be really proud of how they look, and as I said before the amount of people who tip generously more than make up for it on the cash front. The amount of times I am pleasantly surprised or down right shocked at the generosity of some players somehow makes me think there is hope for this world yet
I find entering into things with this attitude means I am yet to be upset at a transaction. I guess it all boils down to what you want to get out the profession, but I have made much more money than I expected, but its not for the money I craft, its for a better dressed Chimaera, the satisfaction of a job well done and a happy customer who will recommend my service to friends, guildies etc. This in turn generates more business, some of which will pay well, and some not, but the wonderful Chimaera community means I make a healthy profit.
I'm happy to rely on the discretion of the buyer to pay what they consider fair, or on how happy they are with the service I provide, and ultimately what they can afford. Sure, some people may take advantage, others are more than generous, such is the way of the world.
Don't know why but thought I would share a little of my philosophy
Abaie
Mon Oct 10, 2005 3:41 am
#13
Oblox wrote:
"its for a better dressed Chimaera"
Uphill struggle
Your're probably right but, meh, I can live with the small hope that I might be doing just a little something towards making a difference...
Page 1 of 2