Gray Posted July 13 Report Share Posted July 13 Just had a customer in for a watch battery (335) . Ladies watch with 6 little screws to get the back off. Those "T" chaps just quoted her £50. What's that all about. Boils my blood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamparker Posted July 13 Report Share Posted July 13 34 minutes ago, Gray said: Just had a customer in for a watch battery (335) . Ladies watch with 6 little screws to get the back off. Those "T" chaps just quoted her £50. What's that all about. Boils my blood. Did they offer a lifetime guarantee for that price . Had one customer local who had been back to T's 3 times with a lifetime offer to be told it only covered 3 replacements even though he had kept his reciept. Obviously he is now one of our customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Muppet Posted July 13 Report Share Posted July 13 The lifetime would have been £85 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted July 13 Report Share Posted July 13 1 hour ago, Count Muppet said: The lifetime would have been £85 How much for a watch then? Without a lifetime guarantee.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamparker Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 8 hours ago, Count Muppet said: The lifetime would have been £85 So is there a limit on changes ?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDH Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 3 hours ago, grahamparker said: So is there a limit on changes ?. Definitely is no limit on changes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Muppet Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 No limit at all. they’ve added a thing to the newer cards that suggest they may want a service after the 3rd battery but that’s just a suggestion and they don’t have to have that done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Muppet Posted July 14 Report Share Posted July 14 11 hours ago, Flash said: How much for a watch then? Without a lifetime guarantee.... Depends on the make of the watch. they start from £11.95 these days with a year guarantee. the watch that was taken into Gray’s was probably a Longines, Rado or Cartier by the sound of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted July 20 Author Report Share Posted July 20 You were right Count, I charged the customer £10. How T's can justify charging £50 is beyond me. Fortunately I have a moral compass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k4mrc Posted July 21 Report Share Posted July 21 16 hours ago, Gray said: You were right Count, I charged the customer £10. How T's can justify charging £50 is beyond me. Fortunately I have a moral compass. thing is, there getting this kind of money, are we 'VERY BUSY FOOLS?' we also have two jewellers around our shop that are charging what we call ridicules prices - pens the question if they'd pay them why are we so cheap? Is our work not as good? Fast Fix Elgin and keithm 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithm Posted July 21 Report Share Posted July 21 20 hours ago, Gray said: You were right Count, I charged the customer £10. How T's can justify charging £50 is beyond me. Fortunately I have a moral compass. Get what you can! Busy fools indeed, you don't have to charge Timpsons prices, but if you were 60-70% you would be better off £10 is just too cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamparker Posted July 21 Report Share Posted July 21 We have the sterotypical "Market Guy" less than 1/4 mile from us and he charges £3.50. This does have a knock on effect especially if you are in a poorer part of the country. Gray 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted July 21 Report Share Posted July 21 Overcharging loses customers to the trade on a permanent basis. If I was quoted £85 to replace a watch battery I would throw away the watch and buy a cheap replacement. Most customers already do this with their shoes. Repairs, servicing, has to be a viable alternative to replacement. How busy are the "busy fools" really. Gray 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Muppet Posted July 21 Report Share Posted July 21 One town that I had worked in maybe 10 years ago had a timpson that had one of those watch battery wagon things directly opposite doing batteries for £3.50. The timpson were starting from £7.95 back then and still doing batteries. a couple of doors up timpson also had a “watch workshop” which wouldn’t do a battery under £15. they had no problem with charging that money to customers and many would pay much more. It was a good looking brand, so people trusted them. there was also a high end jewellers a couple of doors up from them charging at least £20 per battery and they were doing ok themselves. I guess the better your image and reputation is, the more you can charge. Undercharging is just as bad as over charging. People won’t respect you if the price is too low. They just assume you don’t know what you’re doing. also consider what happens if you accidentally slip with the screwdriver and take a chunk out of the watch back or round off a screw. Would you be happy with a £200 charge to put it right if you’re only charging £5 a time? And any watch that’s being charged £85, although I agree it’s far too much, the watches would usually be worth £800+. Not the kind of money I’d be chucking in the bin and buying a new watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers.keys Posted July 21 Report Share Posted July 21 1 hour ago, Count Muppet said: And any watch that’s being charged £85, although I agree it’s far too much, the watches would usually be worth £800+. Not the kind of money I’d be chucking in the bin and buying a new watch. That's a fair point. Although I must be a busy fool because on a "general" watch I charge £5 a battery with having two jewelers within 20 yards of my shop either side of my shop. Profit is still good and customers still come to me for straps and pay £10-£35 each. Also while they are waiting they can see all the other services and products I provide. Gray 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted July 22 Author Report Share Posted July 22 On 7/21/2021 at 11:28 AM, keithm said: Get what you can! Busy fools indeed, you don't have to charge Timpsons prices, but if you were 60-70% you would be better off £10 is just too cheap. I can't even justify £40 for a battery Keith. It doesn't sit well with me when we know what we pay for them. Personally I would not like to be a customer of yours if that is your philosophy. x minit uk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted July 22 Report Share Posted July 22 On 7/21/2021 at 11:28 AM, keithm said: Get what you can! Busy fools indeed, you don't have to charge Timpsons prices, but if you were 60-70% you would be better off £10 is just too cheap. That's not a very professional way to build a price structure, "get what you can" if that's Standards way, as well as lack of trust, no wonder this trade is on the decline. x minit uk and Gray 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted July 22 Author Report Share Posted July 22 18 minutes ago, Flash said: That's not a very professional way to build a price structure, "get what you can" if that's Standards way, as well as lack of trust, no wonder this trade is on the decline. We seem to be of the same mindset Flash. I've been in business for 48 years. I sleep well at night knowing I've not conned anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted July 22 Report Share Posted July 22 1 hour ago, Gray said: We seem to be of the same mindset Flash. I've been in business for 48 years. I sleep well at night knowing I've not conned anyone. 56 Years for me, I sleep well every night, love every minite of my job, 6 days a week, 54 yrs in same shop. Gray 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted July 22 Author Report Share Posted July 22 8 minutes ago, Flash said: 56 Years for me, I sleep well every night, love every minite of my job, 6 days a week, 54 yrs in same shop. That's great, Same as me 6 day's a week, Some scoff but I love what I do and I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfman Posted July 23 Report Share Posted July 23 14 hours ago, Gray said: That's great, Same as me 6 day's a week, Some scoff but I love what I do and I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet. 14 hours ago, Flash said: 56 Years for me, I sleep well every night, love every minite of my job, 6 days a week, 54 yrs in same shop. that makes 3 of us gents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamparker Posted July 23 Report Share Posted July 23 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsy9 Posted July 23 Report Share Posted July 23 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jontheshoe Posted July 23 Report Share Posted July 23 32years ,but only doing watch repairs for last 2 ,£5-10 for batteries depending . I applaud you older guys still working 6 days a week .lockdown has given me time to re asses life so gone down to 4 days a week ,having a sun ,mon off is a real godsend . Playing golf twice a week is certainly more enjoyable than work . Although I do go back in with renewed enthusiasm. Your a long time dead boys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted July 23 Report Share Posted July 23 Seems there are a lot of old soldiers still around. Can't agree with Jontheshoe, Golf is a good walk spoilt, if golf is more enjoyable than your work why not find a job playing golf? da miller 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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