Is it okay to decline a large custom order?

[EmilyMadeMe]

I had someone contact me for a quote on 40 of my pendants. They also wanted to know if they could be delivered in about 3 weeks. As etsy is only a hobby for me and I have a full time job I felt I couldn't make this many and get them delivered within the time scale, particularly as I'm in the UK and they are in the US. Whilst the money would have been nice I knew that the stress would be awful.

So I sent a polite email saying that I was sorry but I didn't feel I could take on this order but now I feel really unprofessional. Just wondered if other people have declined orders because they are too large or difficult or stressful

[Former_Member]

Much better to set yourself achievable targets than to mess up and get yourself upset......

[Pininkie]

You did the right thing. A hobby should be fun. And if I were the customer, I'd much rather be told "no" than receiving an order later than expected.

[Former_Member]

Yes, I have. I only have two hands and they only paint so fast. It's much more professional to be honest upfront than take on something you know you can't reasonably handle.

[WilliamsGiftshop]

Of course it is okay!
Remember it is YOUR business and you make the decisions.
And saying no to an order you cannot deliver anyway is the only logical thing to do.

[drudruchu]

That's the right thing to do. Custom orders can be stressful, especially when they have a tight deadline. It would be more unprofessional to accept it and then not be able to finish.

I had to do the same thing when someone requested a big order in November, the busiest time of the year. Like you, the thought of the money was nice but it wasn't worth the stress and all the things I wouldn't have time for because of it.

[beatroad]

If you have doubts about being able to meet the customer's needs, its best to decline. :)

[Former_Member]

If you don't feel that you can complete the order within the requested time frame you are much better off to decline the order immediately rather than have to tell the customer later on that you won't be able to deliver.

[PaperScissorsPop]

Also you might be able to negotiate the delivery time. Maybe you could do them in increments. You could maybe deliver half or however many is doable for you in the 3 weeks. And then negotiate the rest. Could this be an option?

[Former_Member]

Being professional means turning down business when you know you can't fulfill an order rather than taking it on just to please someone else

As far as postage times, you could use Fed-Ex, which takes about 48 hours door-to-door from the UK to the US. I used http://www.parcel2go.com which gets you a better deal than going through the Fed-Ex site.

[EmilyMadeMe]

Thanks everyone, I have done the right thing but it's nice to hear reassurance from everyone. I'm always keen to please customers so it's hard to say no.

Dan and Emily - thank you for your advice. Although I think that I'm best to just decline the whole order on this occassion I will definately have a look at parcel2go and think about how I might handle large orders in future (in case it ever happens again). So far I've been getting to grips with sending small orders abroad, to be honest I hadn't consider anyone wanting to buy lots!

[Former_Member]

I've done that quite a few times in both of my shops. I think you did the right thing. But, you are right, it is so hard to say no sometimes. Both because you wonder whether you just missed a great opportunity, and because you don't want to make the buyer feel bad. I've seen shops who have bitten off more than they could chew, end up getting really behind, not being able to deliver, getting terrible feedback, and eventually getting shut down. Much better to feel a little bit uncomfortable saying no, than to go down that road. Maybe next time it will be the right time, and you'll be able to say yes :) But the no's do get easier the more you have to do it.

[MountainGoth]

Saying no is just part of the game. I probably decline a quarter of the custom request that come my way.

[TheDorothyDays]

I agree with what everyone said, you did the right thing

[Former_Member]

Absolutely. I made the mistake of saying yes to a large custom order and although I managed the deadline-it was a rather awful experience. I learned a great deal-but the hard way!

[PiecesofMeCardsnMore]

I've turned down large orders. Well, I didn't technically turn it down but I quoted enough time to make the order and that probably scared the customer away. When I first reopened this shop someone contacted me to make 80 of my handmade mini envelopes. My envelopes are cut two at a time, then hand folded and hand glued. It's not a quick process even for my standard orders of 8. I lose money on the time spent but I list them as a courtesy for buyers who purchase my mini note cards. Anyway, I digress. I quoted at least 3 weeks to make them and never heard back from the buyer. I was glad because after I sent a price quote I realized that I shortchanged myself big time. It would have taken forever to make 80 envelopes by hand.

[PAPERFLORISTS]

Emily, don't beat yourself up. I do mostly custom orders and I have had to decline quite few orders because I didn't have enough lead time. It never seems to get easier to say no but then I think of the couple of times I said yes when I shouldn't have and all the stress it caused. That makes it a little easier. I think you made the right decision for yourself and ultimately for your customer.

[Former_Member]

Yes, I declined a large custom order to include one of my products in a gift bag for a "ladies night out" in my area. It would have been an amazing way to get noticed, and my products would've been seen by all the little boutiques in my area! I was 9 months pregnant, ready to pop any second and just about to set my shop on vacation mode! So bummed!

[Former_Member]

Its your shop and your create at your pace.
Its also completely acceptable to decline an order, don't feel like you need to accept every request that comes your way.

[StuckOnSilver]

You did the right thing! We need to know our limits! I bet this customer will be back, this time with a more reasonable timeframe..

[3bearsco]

I think it was okay, and they might consider a smaller order hopefully!

[Former_Member]

i´ve had someone approach me for a custom order of 18 wide friendship bracelet. his/her expectations of a possible time frame were totally impossible at first so i told the customer what the possible time frame was from my point of view and the customer agreed on my time frame. i was done a little earlier even than expected so i was able to ship earlier and my customer was happy.
maybe next time when you are approached don´t say you don´t feel up to it but make a time frame you can live with and propose it. the customer can then always decline your offer. very often they understand when you argue well enough and if they really want what you offer they accept your time frame.

[SelkieCrochet]

you totally did the right thing xxx

[joliefemmebydiana]

Great learning experience to read about what everyone thinks on this subject and what their results have been whether they said yes or no.

I always tell myself and customers that being handmade means, I make each item by hand. How can you live your life and take care of yourself if you are over committed to a big order? And what will the quality be if you are rushed?

Sometimes it's better to say no.

[PaperScissorsPop]

Good that you are happy with your decision. And very exciting that you have that sort of interest in your product. Best of luck for the next big one that bites. :)