Hey guys, actually I have this case with a good customer, who is known for claiming replaces. At a shop he tried to get a replace for his shoes, which he worn intense for one year and the sole became loose. The shop gave him a replace, because he is a customer who buy alot. Now I have these problem as his stringer. In the past he was always unhappy that the stringbed gets soft after several month. So I recommend him to go for a slightly higher tension, but also told him that higher tension means less durability. He agreed and I did this job. I strung his racket in Dezember 2014. Now the string is broken. Tension was 25.5x27.5 with a 0.68 string. The string doesn't show much wear and tear, so I believe him that he didn't used this racket much. The string broke near the frame on 1 o'clock. I told him that a these tensions a mishit can be deadly and I can't normally give a replace for broken strings for mishits at this tension and after this long time. If somebody breaks a 22lbs job in 2 weeks, this is not usual and I would give a replace. He told me that he did not hit hard etc. and the string looks like new. I offered him to do for the half price as an exception. What do you think and how would you solve this issue? IMO the string is pulled for a half year on a racket and under stress, so that the string can became during this time waek and broke easier without much wear and tear.
Leaving the social component completely aside, the situation is clear. From my point of view a 25.5 x 27.5 lbs. stringjob with a 0.68 string that lasts for 6 months is fully within or even on the upper end of the range - no matter how often or how hard someone uses the racket. So the answer is no, I don't think that there is a any reasonable justification for a replacement or concession. Now comes the big BUT.... since he is a good and well known customer of yours, it is hard just just plainly refuse it and not showing any goodwill at all. So I think with offering the next restringing for half the price, you found a good way through the middle. However, I would make it absolutely clear, that this is a one-timer only, and only based on your goodwill. Else he might think that he got himself kind of a half-price flatrate for your string jobs.
You are being far too nice if you offer him a new stringjob for half the price after 5 months. That's a very long time to use strings anyway. You probably don't want to offend that customer or get a bad reputation... But if this was me I wouldn't even think about replacing the strings for free or a reduced price. Especially as I don't do this for a living. If he's unhappy about the stringjob or the broken strings he can change stringer, which can magically make the strings last forever... Even the thickest strings can break after 5 months - that's just the way it is. But that's not your fault. And I guess you are thinking the same way as you already described his behaviour as branzenly.
You are being too nice, I would just say sorry but strings break after that time. If he is still unhappy, he has the choice to go somewhere else, don't be worried about getting a bad reputation, I don't think you will. I'm sure other people that you string for will come to you no matter what as you have done good job for them. I hate people that do this type of thing, its happened to me twice in the last 3 years, two separate people, one guy I strung for and the frame was intact and no issue. He claimed I cracked his frame like 1 week later when it clearly looked like a clash of frames by him. I told him where to go. I politely advised I inspect every frame before I take on the job and don't string if the frame is damaged in any way. Kindest regards, -Ajay- Quote of the Day Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired
Thanks, for judging the situation. My mind said also "NO! After this long time it's absolutely clear that the stringer didn't made a bad job, or the string was defect." But my mind also said "He is the coach at a big club and alot of people from this club bring their rackets to me." It's easy to calculate that if I give once a stringing job for the half price I don't get any harm, like if I refuse him. I must also say that I have honest customers which say:"I went for a 32lbs job with a thin string, it's may fault to choose this combination. I hit it badly, so it's alright that it breaks after 1 day." I also made the experience that alot of people blame the stringer for breakage. I did several rackets a month or more ago. These people are known for clashs, because they take every shuttle during doubles or a lefties or tend to drop their rackets on the floor, if they are angry. This people came always to me and try to claim any replace, because I was the stringer. I refused them everytime, but it makes me angry that people try this. I don't want just talk about my case. Because I made the experience that alot of people blame the stringer for everything. Please share your experience and impressions of such people.
That makes it even worse. He should know about the problems described here when he's a coach. Sometimes I really don't understand people... He's either very miserly or very ignorant. Some people really don't understand and it helps if one tells them politely. Then there are other people who are somehow immune to good arguments.
What are your prices compared to other stringers in your area? How necessary is those people's business to you? Can you survive without them? If you are very confident and meticulous about your work, and you do a good job (and have been doing it for a long time), then you can slowly refuse those stringing jobs from those people! The regulars will stay with you. For the coach, it's a bit of a give and take. If he is referring you a lot of work, i.e. you are the preferred stringer for the club then you may consider doing his racquets for free, so long as it's only 1 or 2 per month. But you better tell him that and perhaps he would like to give you some free coaching in return. But you have to state it explicitly that every time he brings a racquet to you, you say "OK, let's arrange a coaching session in return."
There is only one stringer here, who only offer BG65 and he returns rackets in 3-6 weeks. he only strings at 21lbs default. His maximum is 24. I don't know him, but a lot people told me that he is not reliable. We have the same price. The next badminton shop is 50km away and this owner is also not reliable (Not my impression). He strings much lower than requested (according to my customers), sometimes his shop is closed during opening hours etc. His price is mine +25%. It's not necessary, but it's nice to make money with your passion. I can survice without them. I can tell you that I have customers, which came to me from different cities and dismiss option with better access. I don't think that I'm a master stringer, but I do every racket with care and love and threat every customer well. If somebody needs a racket tomorrow, he can ring me up. I do my best. I offer him from time to time demo stringing jobs like the ZM fire strings for the purchase price of the string and his whole family gets one job for free on their birthdays for a few years. His son called me several times on saturday 10pm that he need for sunday 6am 2 string jobs and he got them everytime at the normal price. He don't brings me tons of rackets every month, because badminton is not very popular here and his club is really small. I think that I give him enough decent and quick service at a good price and sometimes special threatment. If I start stringing his racket for free, I can quit the whole cooperation. I won't work at low wages in an expensive country if I don't need this to survive. I got a few times coaching from him in the past. IMO this wasn't a coaching lesson, it was just training with a buddy. Nothing special which I can't do with my friends or club mates.
My impression is that you're being socially manipulated here. It sounds like this person is used to doing this and knows he can get away with it. It's great that you are so conscientious. It sounds like you give excellent service to your customers. But I think you need to respect yourself too.
yes, some people don't act like this because they think they are right. They do it to see how far/much they can go/get.
Sounds to me like you offer a good service at a good price compared to other stringer in your area. Sometimes you have to back yourself and simply not offer a free re-string if it is not warranted. 0.68mm at 27lbs usually lasts my customers around 4-8 weeks. If he is a coach, he should know that..... Sounds to me as though this customer is just trying to push and see how much they can get as per Amleto's comment above
The more detailed you describe the situation and your special customer, the more I agree with the latest posts. I guess he is fully aware of his position as being your contact point to his club and now he pushes the boundaries to see how far he can go. Being a coach he must have enough experience to know that a string at that tension doesn't last forever - there is no chance that he is really so naive. And when I read the services that you are offering your customers generally and for him and his familiy especially, I think he is just a real shameless guy. If I had a stringer around here with the amount of passion and the service you described, I would not have started stringing myself, that is for sure. So if in a worst case he doesn't bring the rackets from his club to you, I am sure that the players there will find another way. But since there is no other decent stringer around, where should he bring them to anyways? So now you have to decide for the future how far you let him push you and where you draw the line. I bet that within 5 months time he will come up with another bold request.
So while we're at it... I got a question for the stringers on here: Let's say you string a racket for a customer (moderately high tension: 28-30lbs) and he/she breaks it within the first evening of use due to a mishit. Would you restring again for free? And if so, why?
Depends on the string and the customer. If he is a hard hitter and used a thin string, I would have the simple argument: If you choose a tension of a pro, you will have the wear of a pro. I made the experience in the past that a customer broke two strings with 31lbs + 10% pre stretch in one day. He played a tournament with plastics, hit hard, but sometimes not very clean. I told him that high tension is like russian roulette and I can't make any prediction for the lifetime.
Thank you guys, for your opinions. You are right. I should be more confident and make my point clear. With this access to stringers in my area, I don't must be afraid to lose a bunch of customers.
OK. This is what I think. It sounds like you hold the cards! If you like stringing for free, continue as you are doing now. If you want to feel appreciated and keep control, then you will have to adjust other people's expectations. If it breaks in the first match, that is the game. You can't control this. Plastics are even worse! For the coaches son, he cannot drop off the racquets at 10pm and expect 6am service. Impossible. No need to charge more. Just say it cannot be done as you have other racquets to do. He simply has to join the queue. For the coach, stop offering free restrings to demo new strings. There is no benefit. If he is unhappy with the strings getting soft, change the string (but you still charge the normal price) - remember, he has a choice to either string with you or go to another stringer. Even a six months racquet, I would not give him a cheap restring. If he argues, just say to him he is welcome to find another stringer (then watch his facial expression do some contortions), and then straightaway talk to somebody else so he hasn't a chance to reply. Remember, free market
Agreed. It's ironic for him to make these complaints. There are a lot of badminton players and as Cheung mentioned, you'll have other customers who are more loyal which will help keep your business going. As most people said on here, you just need to stand tall and draw the line that it's business only. No, because that's their problem for mishitting it. I have a friend who played at the national level and I use to string his racket around that tension and watch him break them at a session. He knew he was in the wrong and would give me the money to restring it but that's probably where the difference lies - he was a national player. Personally, I don't string rackets at a high tension unless I know they play at a high standard. Someone ask me to string their racket at 30lbs when I went to play at a club one time. I declined when I saw the condition of his racket and the way he played.
Yeah, that's good if the players are knowledgable. Once I strung a racket for a player and he broke the strings after just 5 minutes and he came to me almost reproachful like it was my fault. Obviously it was a complete mishit...
