One more point, and I know I risk both extending this thread too long and ruffling feathers, because I’m not a shaper, but in my humble opinion, the idea of the custom board and the shaper relationship is the only reason there are shapers in business at all. If you seek to standardize the process so that a machine can do your work, guess what? the machine will do your work, with the help of an hourly wage operator, and you are out of a job.
In photography, we cultivate the idea that somehow, we bring to the table something the client can’t, or they would do it themselves. This is especially true in the digital age. When these cameras came out, the buzz was that we, with our film and exposure knowledge, weren’t needed anymore. the clients themselves could just rent a camera and click away until they got something they could use. It is up to us to convince them that it is our developed eye, sense of framing, lighting knowledge, experience, and aesthetics that makes it worth paying for.
Shouldn’t shapers strive to develop this cachet? The idea that the magic flows from their hands? If a custom board is harder to produce, then it should be priced above those numerically defined machinable options. But if nobody thinks that’s special, no one will go for it. It sounds like trickery, and in some ways it is, but part of what they would be buying is the idea that a wizard put some magic in their board. Wanna know how a local shaper can compete against Al Merrick and Rusty? Develop that cachet. If people get the idea that while a custom rusty is probably cut on a machine and finished by a ghost shaper, but YOU gave THEIR board your personal attention, they are gonna come back to you. But only if you convince them that you offer something special. How do you develop the cachet? Two ways. First, create some portfolio pieces. I’m talking about art here. Shape some really beautiful, interesting, off the beaten path designs that mirrors your design philosophy and sets you apart. Put’em where the public can see 'em, and tell everyone their either not for sale, or well over a grand. Develop an image of yourself, a brand. The second way is to develop relationships with clients. That’s where this thread comes in. All it takes is a straight answer why the board’s gonna be late, and spin it to your advantage–“Ah, yeah, it’s still at the glassers, they were due to get a new batch of resin in, so I told them to hold your board until it came, the fresh resin will be stronger” make them think the wait is to make their board better, then the lateness becomes a positive thing. That’s a lot better sounding than “uh, we’re out of shipping foam…” ugh. If production is backed up, mention it when they are ordering, soften the blow. Don’t say it will be done in two weeks, when you know darn well it won’t be done in five. Airlines started padding their flight times a few years ago, so that now, flights come in “a few minutes before expected” alot. Dishonest? yes. Effective? absolutely. I know it’s going on, but it still gives me a little lift, “ah, we’re early, I have time…”
I dunno, that’s just how I see things, maybe I’m way off. But the shapers that get my business work that way already. These are guys that i’m comfortable saying do what you think is best for these waves, and my style. No machine can do that.
running out of pennies, wells
