As many customers know I am currently facing an ever increasing demand for my restoration work.
This has lead to long time frames and in all honesty missed deadlines. This obviously tests the patience of my customers and causes me a lot of stress.
I have debated for the last few months how to get around this issue. I have been told if I’m too busy I’m too cheap, but increasing my prices to deter customers feels dishonest and unfair.
The solution I think is best is if I become more selective about the work I take on.
I appreciate this will mean a few of my customers will have to find other repairers but my business is suffering.
The excessive lead time has also tested the patience of my existing customers, and caused me a lot of stress and sleepless nights at the never ending mountain of work I have in.
I realise this situation is one of my own making, but it is no longer possible to continue the way I have.
I am therefore making the decision to no longer repair the following clocks-
American Clocks (Ansonia Style)
Cuckoo Clocks
Mid Century Mantle Clocks
Quartz Clocks
If you are not sure of whether your clock is one of the above please contact me and I will happily offer advice.
When I set the workshop up I set it up with the aim of restoring fine antique clocks and being able to carry out repairs few others in the south west can. I have been fortunate enough to work on some very fine and rare clocks, but in not wanted to disappoint customer who have, dare I say, more run-of-the-mill clocks, I have inadvertently created an excessive lead time which has caused customers with the fine antique clocks I want to repair to go elsewhere. Meanwhile I am left charging, while a fair price considering the time involved, sometimes multiples of the value of a clock to repair it, a situation I also don’t feel particularly comfortable with, especially when the clock is worth the same working or not working.
My apologies to the customers who this will disappoint but I thank you for your understanding.
I will of course continue to repair the ones I already have in from customers and will honour any guarantees I have provided.
