Feelings and Thoughts from a Tailmaker

There's threads for people buying tails to vent about the tail, thought it might be nice to have a thread for tailmakers to vent./ventI have spent the last 6 weeks straight working on my only current tail order. This is a very involving tail. Including scale work of 5 different colors and an entirely unique fluke construction design. It started out as a normal order, and half way through it was turned into a rush (no fee was charged). For having been a rush, this tail is absolutely gorgeous, and honestly is among my top 2 best tails, possibly even better than the tail that I made for Melu. But it is by no means perfect. There are flaws from having been suddenly rushed, I will admit that honestly.The tail is finally finished and is going to be shipped tomorrow with a custom hair accessory (free gift which was started before the rush as a thank you to the buyer for being patient). This is where my feelings come in. I am absolutely terrified that she is going to get the tail and is going to hate it or pick it to pieces. I have worked myself sick on it, trying to get it done by the deadline. Even kept Miyu on after my arm was better because without her help I never would have gotten it done by myself. Working on it has gotten me so stressed that I had an emotional breakdown early this morning (I hadn't slept as I had been working non stop all through the night).This tail has made me drastically rethink my policies and what I am charging for my tails. I'm going to be making changes to my prices and policies during my break. And I'm going to stop being such a push over. I keep getting told repeatedly that I am far too nice. I just worry that in adhering to my new policies, people will give bad customer service reviews and such, even though I do everything I absolutely can to make sure that the entire process is a pleasant one./end ventTo admins- I hope this is in the right place. Other tailmakers- Feel free to vent here. I just ask you refrain from using names or posting pictures etc. that would identify who you are venting about :) (Or feel free to change names, just make sure you say so ^_^ ).

Aslo- not sure why my writing doesn't have the paragraph spacing I put... Or why my edit tools aren't showing up around the text spaces....

Ugh that sucks ive watched Raven go through it too. People just do not have appropriate expectations at all

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I will be more than happy to help develop policies...while I am not yet a pro tailmaker, I have spent many years as a freelance art director/designer and photographer. The product is different, but ground rules apply.

For a laugh, and to know it's not just tailmakers, read some of these at www.clientsfromhell.net

I think it doesn't exist because then clients will read and get the wrong impression from you. Then they wouldn't want your business ._.

Potential clients should understand that artists/tail makers/creative geniuses are people too... I do SO MANY CRAFTS, and I am a horrible perfectionist, so I get really disgruntled when people think I'm charging too much or that they can make a complex project just as well in 2 hours... Art/craft projects, especially custom ones, can be SO INVOLVED if you're making a quality item.

I get rather sad when I look on Etsy and find things that are priced way past my prices, but using inferior materials or shoddy craftsmanship... When I put SO MUCH time, effort, and anxiety into absolutely everything I make... I *do* have OCD, which with most of my triggers is rather mild and only bothersome, but when it comes to my products, especially an item for someone else, I strive to make it as "professional quality" and perfect as I possibly can... I lose so much sleep because my brain won't stop thinking of better ways to do things and making a mental checklist of things I need to research (I have to use the search function for my bookmarks now; I have thousands of pages bookmarked just within the past year).

My need to make projects perfectly has led to me to sell a $300-$400 hat (made entirely by hand, knitted, embroidered, fulled, decorated with hand-made laceweight fishnet and handmade lace that took me WEEKS to crochet, hatband and tacked to keep its shape, plus using my favorite beads from my personal stash)... for a measly $30. Thankfully, this woke me up and I put my foot down about not getting decent payment - customer is a "model" (I know him personally, he's more of a nightlife kid who tries to make money by being pretty) who promised me some portfolio pics... All I have is one blurry bathroom shot, not a good example of my work (one of my best pieces ever), and because I was rushed I didn't take a pic of it before I sent it out because honestly I just wanted it gone... But I have learned not to accept "portfolio boosters" and promises of more orders from friends and "exposure" as a form of payment. Never again. Nope.

(I know, not tailmaking, but it was a pirate hat, so I guess it's kind of relevant...?)

What doesn't exist? Every successful business should have standards and practices, ESPECIALLY businesses that do any kind of custom work.

1. A non-refundable deposit.
2. A kill fee, traditionally 50% if the final cost. Once the supplies have been purchased and work has begun, should a client cancel, they only get half of their money refunded.
3. Rush fees, depending on how fast a tail needs to be rushed, is an additional 50% to 100% of the cost.

And that's just a start. Conversely, a tailmaker needs to be ready, willing and able to live up to certain expectations as well, regarding consultations, adjustments, alterations...a tailmaker wants a happy customer, word of mouth recommendations, repeat business, a good profit, just as a customer wants a tail that meets their expectations, is of a good quality and excellent works(wo)manship, delivered in a timely manner, a good value for the price, and a reasonable expectation of repairs/modifications in the case of something really wrong.

These are just good business practices. If a client doesn't want to agree to terms ahead of an order, then that is a client you should not be afraid to tell to look elsewhere.

Thanks guys for all the contributions. Just needed to vent some stress and frustrations. I absolutely LOVE working on the orders but, some can be extremely stressful.

I truley feel like the more transparent you can be about the final product, the better, because I see so many people get mad over things that are EXPECTED AND NORMAL for tails. People just in general do not seem to have accurate expectations of tails. And they try to threaten tail makers when their super high and unrealistic expectations arne't met. Oh, I can see seams inside my tail? Oh, the fluke is tricky to lift up? Oh, I have knees? YOU BETTER FIX THESE THINGS/MAKEMEABRANDNEWTAIL/GIVEMEAFULLREFUND OR I WILL RUIN YOUR COMPANY AND SAY TERRIBLE THINGS TO EVERYONE IN THE INDUSTRY. I have seen it happen so many times It's not even funny at this point. I also get LOADS of emails from people whohave bought all manner of tail and just do NOT understand what they bought.

lol at the knees part

I find myself in need of some advice. Over the last few weeks I've had someone constantly messaging my page, asking if I'm going to be doing another giveaway any time soon and prices every time I post something. When I tell them the price, they get upset and complain that it costs too much. Now they are asking if they can be an admin on the page and when asked why they want to be they ignore the question.

Any advice on how to deal with someone like this?

ban them. don't be afraid to ban people like that, it's in your right. I did it when someone kept bashing jazz on my page and wouldn't stop because they didnt understand transgender, and I've done it when a local girl wouldnt stop asking to buy my tail. it's in your right to ban people, you dont have to tolerate that behaviour

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I third that, although my experience if from long ago Yahoo Groups and forums. Block/ban them. Unless you have a really good reason not to.

Just had a chat with another tailmaker/accessory maker. Seems I'm not the only one dealing with them. I know of at least 2 others :/ Talked about a possible solution with one of them and it hopefully will work out. Definitely going to be putting a ban on them for now though.

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