I saw that on a coaster at Outback Steakhouse and have been using it ever since.
I work at a wood office furniture company. I help people buy our furniture, and sometimes help them with creating special products to meet their needs, that are something we an manufacture, and they can afford. My customers are interior designers or furniture dealers that are a middle man buying furniture for an actual customer.
The customer wants a bookcase. They tell me that they need it to be 34" wide and about 70" tall. No problem, our standard is 36x70. Here is the conversation:
Customer: I need a 34" bookcase.
Me: Our standard is 36".
Customer: Ok, quote it.
(I send them a quote that afternoon. The next day they call back:
Customer: I told you I need a 34" bookcase.
Me: well, 36" is our closest standard size.
Customer: They specifically requested. 34"
Me: Ok, well, we can do 34" as a special, but it is more expensive.
Customer: Why?
Me: (thinking "What part of SPECIAL do you not understand?") Well, there is a top panel, a bottom panel, and the 4 shelves that all have to be cut down to size. New part drawings have to be generated, and a lot of engineering work to implement those part drawings for that specific order.
Customer: Oh. Well, quote it.
(I re-do the and send it to the customer.)
Customer: Hey, why did these get so much more expensive?
Me: They went up the exact amount that I discussed on the phone with you.
Customer: Well....I thought you were exaggerating. Can't you just tell the bookcase guy to make that one a little smaller? I don’t see what the problem is.
Me: Well, every order that gets entered goes in by model number. Each model number has an associated set of drawings, and machine programs that cut out the pieces needed. Those pieces have a set of shop routing paperwork that sent the pieces thru assembly, thru finishing, and thru inspection where they have charts on how to and where to measure the piece so we know it was built right. Your bookshelf does not have a standard model number, so we have to manually create the drawings of all 11 pieces that need to be made, only TWO of which are standard parts. Then we have to create machine programs that will cut out the parts needed. Then we have to create a special shop routing page because the normal equipment are built to assemble a 36" case, and a 34" case will not fit, so it has to be assembled by hand. Then we have to create a custom measurements page so the inspectors can verify that it was built correctly. That is the extra cost for the Specials. Most things seem simple until you understand them.
Customer: Wow, I never knew that much was involved in a special.
Me: Well...our specials are special, hence the name.
I work at a wood office furniture company. I help people buy our furniture, and sometimes help them with creating special products to meet their needs, that are something we an manufacture, and they can afford. My customers are interior designers or furniture dealers that are a middle man buying furniture for an actual customer.
The customer wants a bookcase. They tell me that they need it to be 34" wide and about 70" tall. No problem, our standard is 36x70. Here is the conversation:
Customer: I need a 34" bookcase.
Me: Our standard is 36".
Customer: Ok, quote it.
(I send them a quote that afternoon. The next day they call back:
Customer: I told you I need a 34" bookcase.
Me: well, 36" is our closest standard size.
Customer: They specifically requested. 34"
Me: Ok, well, we can do 34" as a special, but it is more expensive.
Customer: Why?
Me: (thinking "What part of SPECIAL do you not understand?") Well, there is a top panel, a bottom panel, and the 4 shelves that all have to be cut down to size. New part drawings have to be generated, and a lot of engineering work to implement those part drawings for that specific order.
Customer: Oh. Well, quote it.
(I re-do the and send it to the customer.)
Customer: Hey, why did these get so much more expensive?
Me: They went up the exact amount that I discussed on the phone with you.
Customer: Well....I thought you were exaggerating. Can't you just tell the bookcase guy to make that one a little smaller? I don’t see what the problem is.
Me: Well, every order that gets entered goes in by model number. Each model number has an associated set of drawings, and machine programs that cut out the pieces needed. Those pieces have a set of shop routing paperwork that sent the pieces thru assembly, thru finishing, and thru inspection where they have charts on how to and where to measure the piece so we know it was built right. Your bookshelf does not have a standard model number, so we have to manually create the drawings of all 11 pieces that need to be made, only TWO of which are standard parts. Then we have to create machine programs that will cut out the parts needed. Then we have to create a special shop routing page because the normal equipment are built to assemble a 36" case, and a 34" case will not fit, so it has to be assembled by hand. Then we have to create a custom measurements page so the inspectors can verify that it was built correctly. That is the extra cost for the Specials. Most things seem simple until you understand them.
Customer: Wow, I never knew that much was involved in a special.
Me: Well...our specials are special, hence the name.
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