I belong to several on-line professional groups, and interesting questions pop up all the time. Please excuse a brief interruption from our GETTING STARTED series, because I thought this one was interesting.
This particular scenerio came up in a jewelry forum, but it happens with ALL craft media. I get it with my jewelry, with my polymer clay work, and with my fiber work, so I'm sure other media get it, too.
The thread is about jewelers who get hit up for free repairs, even requests for free product, in social gatherings and family get-togethers.
Someone meets you at a party, finds out your "a jeweler". They immediately wants to know if you can fix their watch, their broken necklace, replace a lost earring, etc., etc.
Sometimes artisans get pretty indignant about this. "Laywers and doctors don't hand out free advice. Why should we??"
I can sympathize. I get all kinds of odd questions and requests, too. And sometimes they are, indeed, annoying. But in general, no matter what my initail reaction is, I try to feel and act differently about it.
First of all, we DO have a lawyer and a couple of doctors as friends. And we DO ask them questions like this all the time.
They don't get angry. They know it goes with the territory. They take the same approach I do.
If it's a casual question akin to their expertise, they give us quick insights into our issues. If it sounds serious, they give us advice us to come in for a consult or refer us to someone else better qualified to pursue it.
It may be as simple as "You have no case" or "You don't have cancer" but they have always been willing to advise us as to our next step. In fact, many lawyers DO offer you a free consultation to determine if the issue is worth pursuing.
I treat such craft-related questions the same way. They come with OUR territory.
I also see these questions as a function of how people connect to other people.
You tell someone your profession or field of interest. Their interest is piqued. ("Jewelry?") Their brain goes through its filing cabinet. ("I have jewelry!") It comes up with a possible link. ("Hey! My favorite necklace is broken. Maybe this lady knows how to fix it...?") It's a natural progression, and I'm guessing we all do it.
The trick is to not personalize or internalize these requests. If your reaction is, "Oh great, someone else wanted me to do something. And for free! Where do they get the nerve??", then you have done just that.
What I've found is, these requests usually fall into one of three categories.
The first stems from a genuine dismay that something they love is no longer wearable or usable. You've reminded them of that, and you offer some solution just because you'll know more about it than they do.
The second comes from, believe it or not, a genuine desire to help you. They think they are offering you their patronage, or the chance to do something you love--work with jewelry, in this case. Or the chance to get some free advertising in your community. "I'll tell everyone how you helped me and that will generate soem publicity for you!"
The third, of course, is to get something for nothing. But I have to say, this is the minority of requests I get.
Here's my strategy:
If the question or request is beyond my expertise, I tell them so and give them suggestions on what they could do next.
If it's a simple repair I can do (say, replacing an earwire or ear nut), I do it for them, often at no charge.
If it's more involved (restringing, redesigning), and I have the time, I tell them I can do it. I give them a ballpark quote on the spot. I tell them why it will cost that--expensive materials, intricate work, time, etc.
If it's beyond ANYONE's expertise, I can still suggest ideas. On pieces that are beyond repair or not really worth the work (but it means a lot to them), I can suggest making the piece into a pendant, or framing it in a shadow box, or incorporating it into some other kind of memorabilia.
If it's an odd or unusual job, I think about my time and whether I need the money or the goodwill of the person. I consider that, though it may be "outside my box", sometimes going outside that box has been a good thing. Some of my best new designs have come from taking on "outside my box" jobs.
And of course, if it's MY jewelry they're bringing back, I apologize profusely and fix it at no charge!
I'll give you that the person who asks for a free diamond ring is pretty outrageous! But there are still diplomatic ways to handle something like that.
I'm not saying we have to take on all the weird jobs. I'm saying sometimes people are perfectly happy with the information that gets them to the next step. I find many people are as clueless as to what goes into making jewelry as I are about abdominal surgery. They don't know what the piece needs or where to go--except that it's something they love and they are dismayed when it gets broken. A simple suggestion from me might be just what they need to be happier.
I just had my open studio this past weekend, and I got some walk-ins who were not my regular customers. Some of them had some outlandish project they wanted my help with. I let them talk it through, then eventually start steering them to other alternatives. I even showed one older gentleman a few books that will teach him how to do his project himself! He left with a great idea HE can do and a few book titles to research, a very happy and delighted gentleman.
The thing is, I live in a smallish town and a very small state. My communities--local, professional, etc.--are small. People know each other. Small acts of kindness and great patience have not only gained me good word-of-mouth advertising, they have brought me good customers.
Years ago, one person approached me with an out-of-my-box project. I grumbled about it (to myself) at the time. But I figured out how to do it. She so pleased, she came back for more and more of the same jewelry design for her friends. I got better and faster at making it.
Her orders kept me afloat during a very thin season that year. And now she's become a collector of my "regular" designs.
She tells everyone about my work. In fact, she always comes to my open studio and purchases a nice selection my jewelry. Her husband sometimes comes back and spends quite a bit more for her Christmas gifts!
I am very glad I took that odd little job.
