No Idea what to put for a title….
Bah, here i go anyway. ( To those who actually understand what i’m talking about, i’m just ranting abt someone.) The most irritating thing about running a business in finding anime/game-related stuff is the customer base itself.
For me, it isn’t much of a problem because the majority of them are young working adults, or parents, which while a pretty stable source of income, they can be intimidated by certain ” tomodachi” . My main pet peeve is with the younger generation, my peers if i need to be particular about it. These guys are the bunch who can either afford my services, or else not and would rely on other sources. While i’m a reasonable person, i have not had anyone, and i mean anyone, come to me looking for series, twice in a row and complain that i charge them for something their friends would give them for free, while completely giving me the impression that he has the moral high road. Hello, brother, you want to have free stuff, then please find someone who isn’t running such a business. I admit, i’m not cheap when it comes to my services, but i make sure i do a dammned good job of it to justify the payment.
If i were to do Pro Bono Work for Original DVDs and other merchandise, how the heck am i going to turn a profit? Where would that benefit me? Your permament friendship? Even a measly price of SGD$100 for a hardly-known series which you want, which i have No interest in watching, to be found in original DVD format, you don’t have the means, and you expect me to do it for free? Dream on brudda.. If i have the interest in the series, i will do pro bono if i think it is worth it, not on some whim of yours.
Another irking trait i find in such “nightmare” customers, is also the “actor”like i call em. Most will make a big show of being all elite about wanting a particular item, right down to the “must be original stuff” cliched lines that make me roll my eyes. If i was charging that much, i’d certainly make sure it was the real deal. Yet when i present the job to them, they would hem and haw, or else outright accuse me of bringing a poorly made product and expect me to reduce the charge. As one fella learnt, I do the job to the best of my ability. If i do a job for you and you don’t want to pay up, then you can prepare to see me in court for damages. I will certainly make you regret even thinking of weaseling out of a deal you agreed upon.
You have resume your business?
Is finding anime figure your job too?
I closed the business, but i just want to rant about ppl who come to me, then balk at the price i qoute them, and then complain that as a friend, i ought to do it for free for them. ==”
In the deep recesses in my crooked mind, for a moment, I thought you are employing yourself and publicize morally unright advocation. ‘Hello, brother, you want to have free stuff, then please find someone who isn’t running such a business. I admit, i’m not cheap when it comes to my services, but i make sure i do a dammned good job of it to justify the payment.’
@wah-liao-eh: When you run a business that is related to finding merchandise for clients, especially original ( meaning not off the torrents, not off the ddls, but actual paid merchandise.) items, you can;t be expected to do it for free. I was actually ranting about it because i had a person come to me twice with requests for my services, for Zero payment. Just because someone is loaded, and they are your friends, means that you can expect it from someone? if that’s the kind of thinking that arises from friendship, then i think i really pity the person because all he is doing is being a leech, who stretches his hand out for freebies. I have clients who baulk at the price of my services, but none of them have actually come to me with a budget named “FREE” The moment anyone asks me to find something, i immediately treat them as a client, whether they are a close friend or not. If it is simply a normal enquiry on something, but not my services, i will give information, but not to someone who asks me to do something for him, and expect me to do it pro bono for him just because i’m ” his friend”.
When are you going to resume the business?
How much is your fees?
I give u an example scenario.
If i want to order a gurren lagann yoko figure, how much will that cost? From the website, i see that it is around 6000+yen, plus shipping will be around 7000+yen (around there or less than the price) Do you charge this 7000+yen price or more? (plus your service charges)
Just curious..
i charge a 10% Service charge on the item+ the item’s cost itself. i absorb the shipping costs. although i’d like a reference point, especially in the case of figurines, so i can get you to item you want instead of just from any maker.