From: "Balloon Decor Australia" <sales@balloondecor.com.au>
To: "Melanie Binkley" <applause2x@earthlink.net>,
Subject: Re: What would you do?
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 12:28:57 +1100

....what would YOU do?
>
> Interested in hearing from you all....
>
>

Mel,
         Let's get the situation clear here. Any advise any of us give you
is really after the horse has bolted and the only person who should have
ensured the gate was closed is YOU. But we can use it as a learning curve,
an expensive one for you but ever so worth while for us all.
Perhaps it's another fine example as to why we all should have contracts for
every job we do.


    I have been in simular situations ( both being hired and also doing the
hiring) where the job escalated to more labour and time I calculated. In all
honesty if the oversight was my error I believe I'd have to wear the cost.
 Either I can quote or I can't.
Try pulling that one on any one of your clients and see if they'll pay extra
to cover your bad management skill. ............ " ho yeah, sorry Sir I have
to add another $20 to the bill because I forgot that I didn't get my
balloons for free ...... dam wholesaler has the nerve to charge me for them"
Good one Bozo.
How would McDonalds outlet be if they bumped up the price of a Big Mac on
any particular day because two of their staff were away sick and they had to
either work harder on the day or hire temps who actually cost more for the
day?  Yeah sure that's real fair trading. I'm sure their customers would all
agree that it's a fair deal ......... we don't want Macs loosing money do
we. Well I'd think some of us would even donate a few dollars to that store
to help see them through the rough times.
Quoted costs can have a little variation in them but restate EITHER THIS
PERSON CAN QUOTE PROPERLY OR NOT!

When it was the clients error ( in this example that's you) for not
supplying all the details related to the actual job then I'd feel
justifiable in adding an extra cost for extended time and effort on the job.
After all I quoted a particular price for a particular job any extras incur
extra costs. Sounds fair to me.

If it was the end clients fault for providing you and inturn me with the
wrong information or by changing their mind on the day then I'd also charge
more and I'd expect you to pass it on to your client. I'm sure we all know
how once your on the job some clients try to get that little bit more out of
you for free. I'd feel obliged to assist the client but at their expense
.... I am not a charity  ... I am a balloon artist.  I'd expect you to work
that one out with the client. That's the difficulty of being the 'middleman'

Let's be real here if I  had to hire an extra person so I can cover a 170
inflation then I think I was over taxing my business and staff in the first
place and should never have consented to taking the job in the first place.

 Be careful that you aren't being charged extra because they over booked
themselves on the day.

If it was me and I believed I was being ripped-off then I'd only pay the
quoted price. If I realised there was some extra unforeseen costs involved
then I'd add a little extra out of fairness.

But that's easy to say from the other side of the world
Sean O'Kelly                                   *
                                            *
Balloon Decor Australia                       *
P.O. Box 83, Dingley Village. 3172
Melbourne, Australia                 *

ABN  22 080 693 209        *
Ph 61 3 9558 0723  Fax: 61 3 9558 0717
 0414 546  173
http://www.balloondecor.com.au
We take our balloons seriously so, you can have all the fun.
             HELP SAVE THE MANY RUBBER TREE FORESTS OF THE WORLD BUY LOTS OF
BALLOONS