how would you deal with this customer

There will be no pleasing him, he is fishing for some financial gain no doubt. If you hold true to the processes you used then you can be assured that cape is his.

 

Ask if he took the photo using a gray scale, because exposure of the camera can cause things to look different in a photo than in real life.

 

The stories seem similar this isn't the deer is it?

http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php/topic,364921.0.html

 

I figured it wasn't, what's the chance of that but anyway, welcome to the forum!

 

sounds like your dang if you do & dang if you don't. if your 100% sure its his cape then your end of the work is done. no one wants to loose customers. even if they are on going. put sooner or later it happens.

 

If your 100% positive it his hide , stand your ground !!! If he walks so be it . Sounds like he's wantin a free mount

 

If you know 100% that it is his cape then you did your job. No one likes to loose a customer but it does happen. Continue doing a good job and move on. Your not going to please 100% of people 100% of the time.

 

Does the old saying "the customer is always right' not apply here..............................j/k I would tell him I'm 100% sure its yours and I'm sorry that you don't think it is but it is and I cant do anything about it. If you give him even a partial refund he'll pull the same crap next time and nobody needs that kind of trouble

 

Pictures can really change things. White balance adjustments or even lighting can alter colors a lot. I got out a cape the other day that I KNOW Is the right cape. I then posted up the harvest pics and thought what the heck at first. The pics looked like a reddish light color cape. So just to be sure (even though I was). I checked all markings, ear split, etc. the cape was grey with a red forehead. The difference was the picture was taken on the bed of a red truck with a flash. I realized the flash changes the color when I got it mounted up today and flashed the pics of it to check alignment. I kinda smiled to myself at how it matched his pic now perfectly. The sky being bright cloudy and ESP at night affects pics. If you know it's his doing anything other than comparing all markings and explaining deer have never had a bath you've done all I would do. Anything else your accepting guilt.

 

Snap a few photos of a mounted deer
Take (2) in each scenario; flash on and off
Inside under fluorescent lights
Indoors with incandescent light
Outside at nighttime with flash
Outside during daylight with sun
Outside in daylight with clouds

In those photos I'm sure you will get some variety of the same hide... Do that and show him how the camera could have captured the colors wrong

 

He picked it up satisfied, called you back and by the end of the conversation was satisfied, calls again and now he's questioning himself not really you at this point. I would assure him your way of punch coding is as fool proof as possible an move on. Can't please them all. Good luck.

 

Here's an example.. Same skull. Photo taken seconds apart indoors one with flash one with out.... Color difference is very noticeable...

 

If you believe you want to try to keep him as a customer you might consider giving him $100 gift certificate for his next shoulder mount. What ever amount you feel comfortable and how much you want to keep him as a customer. Never discount current piece.

 

Just tell him the deer is his and that you are done with it. These are the kind of customers you do not want anyhow. Weed him out and move on.

 

There is just no pleasing certain people. It's just in their nature. Keep Calm and Carry On!

 

Im sorry but how does he know that his deers nose was wider? Most hunters only see there deer a few hours and 98% of that is staring at the rack.

 

Some people will never be satisfied. I try not to let stuff like this get under my skin. I do hundreds of mounts annually. there will be someone in the mix who takes issue with something. I give it my best shot at pacifying them. If that doesn't work, then I've done all I can do. They are NOT getting their money back or credit toward another mount. I have offered a few full refunds, but only if they bring the specimen back, and have never had anyone take me up on that.