Posted by Frank on June 02, 2003 at 13:08:23:
In Reply to: Improving business posted by Paul Roberson on June 02, 2003 at 11:11:16:
: Does improving your business require improving your skill? If you consider that Wal-Mart, Target and Sears stores are far from retailers of elite clothing styles and at best are carpeted warehouses that sell mass produced merchandise that can be found just about anywhere and still turn a huge profit, isn't there a place for the moderately skilled farrier that shoes a few horses a day for $40.00 a head? If we see a host of people that enjoy the "Get it cheap even if its not great" store, shouldn't the farrier industry accept the farriers that provide similar quality of farrier services to horse owners? Do all farriers have to be in the Hall of Fame? Isn't it more important to find a profitable niche and enjoy life than to make your life simply about the next clinic?
: Paul
I agree we should make our lives simple but in order to make it that way one has to afford to make it to the clinic are those words going to put gas in the truck to go to that clinic or pay the food for the table for the day or three that you are gone? it ends up that the guy that does a 40 dollar shoe job does a forty dollar job I find it hard to accept that a guy that is going to be cheap can offer a good service and thats what this business is about I personally do not enjoy getting a frantic call from a new customer cause there regular cheapo can't be bother to come and fix their mistakes and the horse is down I show up on the property sunday afternoon and get the puppy dog eyes cause their baby is sick and make me feel guilty for handing my bill to fix the mistake because he can't be bothered or afford to come back and do it or doesn't have the education Those of us that care for the horse have RESECT for the owner horse and our fellow farrier even though he messes the job up we can't go around and knock the work or under cut him cause he can't get serious about the business the rest of us take pride in what we do and continue our education plan for the future and at the end maybe have a little to play with but if the the guy that wants to go out and shoe for 40 bucks can do so but warn the owner that he or she is getting a second rate job and it will cost alot more to fix it when a serious farrier comes and fixes it just like the merchandise that you would find at Walmart you can not even remotly tell me that a cheapo can ever care or be serious about his job the horse or the owner
I guess it depends on whether or not you care about the good of the horse. Why bother shoeing if you aren't going to do it right? Does the customer really save any money on a $40 shoeing job if he ends up putting out a couple hundred on radiographs and vet calls? Would you buy the recalled firestone tires, just because they are cheap? If the farrier can't do the job right, he shouldn't be doing it at any price.As a customer, are you really satisfied and did you really get a good deal when your cheap Walmart merchandise falls apart with the first wash?
You say that we should keep it simple tell me where the simple is? would that be for the iron hanger while he is out fishing on the weekend or the owner having to phone the vet ,farrier (new one)or the horse??
Frank