friends as customers...

[animalxii]

ok heres a question to the people on here who do taxidermy for a living/business, what do you do when a friend comes to you and wants something mounted?  DO you charge them your full price or do you give them a break?  lol because most of our customers happen to be our friends and it seems like we are being under paid....our fault i know.  Any one else in our situation what do you do? 

[Rebel]

to me it depends on who they are i have a couple of friends that i give a deal to because they send me a lot of work and always recommend me so yes they get a break but you have to remember when you have a taxidermy business you will have allot of so called friend that are just looking for a deal

[duxdog]

If they were a friend before you started and you would have helped them paint their house or roof their shed. Yes, give them a deal. If not, I would say no. Don't do it for free though.

[George Roof]

Friends come in all shapes and sizes.  Most budding taxidermists seldom realize how many "friends" they have until they start their busness.  Remember, all your customers are your "friends".  Your enemies take their work to someone else.

[ElkinsTaxidermy]

Sounds like you answered your own question ("our fault, I know.")

[countryview]

george i like that post i charge full price just quicker turnaround except my dad   ;)I triple his price

[Christie]

Our business is based on our friends and family.  If we took out everyone who was our friend/family, we wouldn't have a customer list.  It takes the same amount of time to complete a friend's mount, and they usually expect it back sooner, so to charge less for it is not beneficial to you.  Plus, if one of your "friends" is friends with another one of your customers, and that customer finds out that you charge differently for different people, it makes you look unprofessional.

Now, we have (for some of our TRUE friends) completed a mount for them ahead of time, and given it to them as a gift.  But that's rare, and is usually used as a way to say "thank you".

[Rogerst]

I operate a Professional business and do a taxidermist as a hobby and to make a few extra bucks, but in my business I get an occassional friend that needs my services.   I bill them the full amount, and then make on the bill a "friends" discount.  For example:

Regular service ............ $750
Friends Discount .......... $250

Total due ................... $500

Hope this helps

Roger

[Cole]

George, you beat me to it. I used to have a sign in my shop that read, "In order for this business to remain successful I must charge all friends full price, as my enemies have taken their business elsewhere."

[AOTaxi]

I do not charge for friendships, they are free, but business is business so don't ask for a deal.

[Brian]

Ive been doing my friends mounts for real cheap for the last few years and I'm sick of doing it. this year all will pay full price. I'm raising my prices this year(alot).i get 200.00 for a duck and i charge them 150-175.00 this year they will all be paying 225.00. i get 400.00 for a deer head and charge them 300.00 well not no more as I'm going to 450.00 and thats what they will pay. i have no problem at all charging them fullprice this year.i just had my sons baptism and half  them so called friends didn't even show up. i also just replaced all the windows on my house and guess what none came to help. so screw the deals for friends. i have 3 friends that will still get deals but they've been my friends forever. everyone can go down the road to the next guy if they don't like my prices this year.

[magicman54494]

I am not a taxidermist. I'm just getting started and am doing it for fun. But I am a businessman! I tell my "friends" That they expect to get paid at their job so I expect to get paid at mine. I seperate my business from pesonal. One suggestion is to move them forward on your list or offer to spend a little more time on their mount. My "friends" have always understood this. The ones that didn't weren't really my friends!

[abbytaxi]

Just charge enough that even with a discount to a friend you still make money on his mount.  I only give discounts to really close friends and it usually works both ways as I've had these friends help me out with their businesses in some way or another

[Brian Jones]

I have to friends that get a discount because any time I or my family has ever needed someone or something they were the first ones there. I have also been that way with them. Other than that full price.

[Old Fart]

As you can see, there are reasons to give discounts and reasons not to. If you are charging enough that you can actually afford to give a discount, I find no reason not to. If you decide that it may be the  "right" thing to do, I have ONE suggestion. Do it on the back end of the deal, NOT UP FRONT.  And always have a legitimate reason for it....As a repayment for past favors, customer referrals, etc.  If you do it "up front" they will come to expect it each and every time. Just another lesson learned the HARD way!