Reply by JAAune

I’ll often do minor repairs either free or at minimal cost (regardless of who’s fault it is) using the Carl Sewell principle. If it’s something that you wouldn’t charge a friend for, don’t charge the client. I don’t have any written warranty, just a reputation for keeping customers happy. This week I patched up a chip on a piece of furniture sold four years ago to a church. A couple months ago I built some extra shelves and spent an hour doing touch-ups at a restaurant that has our cabinetry for less than half the normal shop rate.

None of that is profitable but small services like that keep clients coming back and generates referrals. They know that they may need to spend thousands to buy new furnishings but the knowledge that someone will take care of them gives them peace of mind. The cost of doing this is defrayed by timing trips to coincide with profitable jobs nearby.

I find that people seldom try to take advantage of this generous policy. If anything, they repay us with more jobs and loyalty.

-- See my work at http://altaredesign.com