Weaponsmith Archive
Thread: How to say no to a customer without being rude
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p4Samwise
Tue Jan 20, 2004 4:32 pm
#14
/reply **edit** you, I'm busy
/addignore luser
Problem solved.
feliks
Tue Jan 20, 2004 10:39 pm
#15
I never run around with my WS title and when ever i get an e-mail. I reply sorry i don't do costom orders. /tells don't realy bother me unless i do something stupit like run into correnet with my WS title on.
OverClock
Tue Jan 20, 2004 11:17 pm
#16
I try not to over use the "Im out of resources" trick because by time it can be a bit harmfull for my business.
Usually I got with eighter "Im sorry but im just about to log off" or "Im sorry but I cant take any orders at the moment because theres a guild meeting going on in GuildChat"
Both willleave the impressionthat I could and would do as the customer requests but the timing was justbad on hes behalf. I really dont want to be sending anyway away for good 
| _______|_| .-. .-|-===-|------|b| .o8
banditxx99
Wed Jan 21, 2004 8:53 am
#17
Someone once made the suggestion of changing your afk message to "No." I've recently taken them up on it...
"Can you make me a 1337 t-21?"
AFK-Auto Response: No.
"Can you make me a crate of Proton Grenades"
AFK-Auto Reponse: No.
"Are you there?"
AFK-Auto Reponse: No.
"Hi!"
AFK-Auto Respnose: No.
oops.. so it doesn't work all the time. 
but it's quite funny.
but it's quite funny.
Eola
Wed Jan 21, 2004 11:52 am
#18
Rudeness is a bad character trait, and I'm rarely accused of being of fine character. But I do try not to be too pissy to my customers. Let me give you a bit of history and then I'll get into cases:
I have at this point probably... 350-400 customers, most of whom stop by my store at least once every few weeks to check to see what's in stock. Others have gotten used to waiting for me to send email updates about the status of my shop before they descend on it like locusts 
(I really do love my customers). This lets me stock all kinds of goodies that the regular visitors get first grabs at, and stock generally high-quality stuff that all of my customers get a shot at when I send out my updates.
(I really do love my customers). This lets me stock all kinds of goodies that the regular visitors get first grabs at, and stock generally high-quality stuff that all of my customers get a shot at when I send out my updates. Here's the problem though, my customers tell their friends, or buy guns for their PA or give their old models away etc etc etc. So I get a fair number of tells asking the same exact question from the list that follows, and I have several stock replies that I just cut and paste:
1) Hi do you make weapons?
- Hello there, I do in fact make weapons and I like to think that my weapons are at the top tier of quality on our server. My shop is located at XXXX, YYYY on Naboo near the player city of Tranquility, if you're off planet fly into the Theed starport, you can insta-shuttle from there.
2) What are the stats on your XXX?
- Hi there, unfortunately I'm not standing by my vendor right now, and I'm working on some new schematics. The best weapons that I can make are currently loaded onto my vendor at XXXX, YYYY near the Player City of Tranquility on Naboo, I recommend stopping by my shop and taking a look at what's available for sale, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
3) Can you make me an uber XXX?
- Hi there, I understand wanting the best weapon possible, and as a Weaponsmith I believe in making the best weapon possible, and putting them on my vendor for general sale. While weapons can be augmented with Krayt tissues and other loot drops, those drops also tend to be quite expensive to buy so the guns they're in come with an expensive pricetag. I generally recommend slicing over other options but if you're really looking for something more, please send me an email and I'll get back to you when I can.
4) What's your best pistol/carbine/rifle/blahblahblah?
- Hi there. 'Best' is really an ambiguous term, given Armor Piercing, Damage Types and differing playstyles, it's hard to say that in all cases Weapon XYZ is best for any one job. I heartily recommend talking to others in your profession that share a playstyle similar to yours about the type of weapons they use and why, that recommendation will be much more helpful to you than what I can make as a creator of guns.
5) Can you make me a super fast XXX, with great dam, good accuracy and HAM costs of 0? I've got 12K.
- Unfortunately weapon experimentation only allows us to experiment fully along one of four 'lines' of research. Damage, Durability, Efficieny, and Range. Damage changes both speed and damage and we have no control over which, Durability increases the max condition, and Efficiency/Range effect HAM Costs and To Hit bonuses respectively. Unfortunately we only get a set number of experiment points, and those points are frequently needed to max damage with little left over. When there is left over, Durabilityis what I experiment because Efficiency/Range experimentation makes very little change in the final numbers.
6) You don't have 'XYZ' on your vendor!
- (always asked when there are some XYZ in stock) Because my vendor Jasmine has over 900 weapons, you should use the sub-categories under weapons to limit your search to a specific type of weapon. After that you still may need to hit the 'Next Items' tab located under the listing of produts to see the next 100 weapons, because only 100 are listed per page no matter if you scroll or no.
7) Do you make XYZ?/Can you make me an XYZ?
-(Now this question does annoy me sorta, cause it's almost always asked by people who know better than to ask it.If I can make it, it's on my vendor, if I'm out on my vendor it means I'm restocking it soon.) I do in fact make that weapon, and I should have several still in stock on my vendor at XXXX, YYYY. Please remember to use the sub-categories and 'Next Items' tab when browsing through the vendor because I have too many weapons in stock for everything to show on one page.
8) Can you make me a Krayt FWG5/Tangle Pistol/Two-Handed Cleaver
- Unfortunately that weapon doesn't take Krayt products for enhancements, so cannot be made with Krayt tissues. Only Ranged weapons that use Power Handlers can use Krayt tissues.
Now I'm not perfect, sometimes I'll just tell someone no, sometimes I'll be a little rude, I had someone nag me for 2.5 hours about a gun and stats and never visited my vendor, then start asking me about a Krayt build weapon. Realizing 2.5 hours beforehand that he couldn't afford a Krayt gun (because tissues.. damned expensive now), I suggested sliced instead... 1.5 more hours of questions etc before he's finally like 'That's too expensive' (sorry.. no Krayt DXR6s for 60K).
So at that point I just decide I'm done, tell him if he finds 6 tissues I'll build them at cost, and if he can find someone who'll make one in his price range more power to him, sorry we couldn't do business. I then go afk and ignore his next 5 /tells.
Shortly afterwards I get new mail, he bought two sliced DXR6s, and he comes to my store every few weeks now. I can proly afford to tell off some customers and I can proly afford the cover lie of 'I'm doing xyz', but I tend to find people bother me less if I just say 'not right now' or if I put my AFK message up saying what i'm doing instead of answering tells.
I've also got some informatie emails that I keep in queue that explain WS'ing, list the guns that can take power handlers, list other weapon enhancements, etc. Over time, they've helped me build up an educated customer base...
...the downside is all the new customers. I stopped wearing my WS tag a long time ago, but my name is still on every weapon I sell, and I'd be lying if I said I'm not considering changing that to a unique mark .
.
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