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September 18, 2012
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john9861, i didnt want to highjack your thread so i started this post because id like to hear opinions/advice from all of you guys that have been around a while when it comes to picking up heads from processors.
My local processor is a great guy and he has really helped my biz.
he calls me at times with 2 3 or even 7 or 8 heads to pick up at a time. he provides the name check in number and most of the time the correct phone number
while im grateful to him, it hasn’t been the smoothest road for me. Deposits: i have to call and call and call to get the customer to stop by the shop to pay a deposit and pick a pose. I still have 4 from last year that i don’t know what to do with.
from wrong names to wrong or disconnected numbers im in a jam. Since i picked up the deer, i don’t have a signed work order. The customer still has to come to the shop. i have to call and call them to set that up so really the only benefit is to the processor. the deer heads get out of his way. i am strongly considering putting an end to it and just tell him to have the customer bring the head to me as he/she will have to come to the shop any way.
most capes i get are in great shape but i did get one that wasn’t frozen and was in a bag of bloody water for a day. it was a close one. I would be blamed in a case of spoilage.
question is pick up from processor or have them bring deer straight to me? seems like it may eliminate issues and keep me from getting blamed from things that are not my fault.
July 22, 2011
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Keep picking them up. Worse case, tan and freeze the capes as spares and start you a nice antler collection, for the ones who don’t respond or bring a deposit.
Then if they come later and want their antlers back have you a fee set for skinning and prepping, and they have to pay it before they pick them up.
Dealing directly with the processer is a nightmare, I have a number of processers that I deal with in my area and they give out my price list and business cards, I use to spend way to much time tracking people down to get information and deposits. If it is important enough to the customers they will bring in the head to you and pay the deposit at drop off, my policy is No Deposit/ No Drop Off / NO EXCEPTIONS ! Customers that are hard to track down and try to get the deposit are almost always a nightmare to collect on and get paid when the mount is finished.
I have been pretty fortunate with the few customers I have picked up from processors but at the same time I have had more problem with the processors trying to influence my regular good customers. Every processor around has some taxidermist they push and of course some taxidermist hang around the processors trying to scavenge prospective customers. I have had some of these processors actually lie about my work just to try to get the customer to take their deer to the taxidermist they are pushing. Some of the stories that make their way back to me are pretty amusing sometimes. Last year one of the guys working for the processor told a very good friend of mine (who just happens to be a taxidermist) “Parker’s mounted a deer for me and the seam opened up all the way down the neck”. Of course he did not know the person he was talking to is a friend of mine. My friend them told him that was pretty odd seeing that Herman chisels all his antlers and has no incision down the back. If I do pick up a deer from the processor for someone I do not know I do pretty much what D said. I call them to come by the shop and tell them nothing will be done until they come by. Take the cape off, throw it in the freezer and go on about my business.
I had a problem with one….It was kind of like Hermans deal. A processor was telling customers that ” he dont take the time to carve out all the detail and muscle work like so and so does”..I truley dont care to have my deer looking like they are on steroids…But I work at a processor now, and I don’t advertise with any other ones. It can be a nightmare trying to right down deposits,poses, and info, while trying to skin out 15+ deer laying on the ground.
September 18, 2012
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Processors have the power to influence potential customers for sure. I had a deal with the local processor that if he pushed me exclusively i would do his taxidermy for free. Now i realize that he cant force people to use me but at the same time when i learned he had another taxidermist picking heads up from him it upset me a little. In the short term potential customers may be persuaded for any reason by the processor to use a different taxidermy than you. that is where you have to do the best work that you can because in the long run quality will win back customers that may have been “led astray”.
PROS:
you are exposed to alot of local hunters who may become life long customers
you may pick up work that you otherwise may not have gotten
CONS:
you spend gas to go to the processor to pick up the heads WHEN THE CUSTOMER STILL HAS TO COME TO YOUR SHOP TO PICK A POSE AND PAY A DEPOSIT
In case there is spoilage you share in the responsibility even if it wasnt your fault the customer doesnt know if it was your fault or the processors and that could let to the hunter telling others that you ruined their trophy
getting stuck with heads. i currently have 4 heads from last year that i dont know what to do with or what i legally can do with. they wont return my calls and i have no signed work order(contract) with them. the only option is to take them back to the processor.
the processor tells me that if i tell people to bring their heads to me, they may take them elsewhere and that they usualy dont want to wait around til their deer is caped and then have to bring it to me. the way i look at that is if they feel that way how serious are they about having it mounted. do i want that customer?
Im of the opinion ,based on my experiences that it isnt worth the hassle and it could harm your biz. in cases of spoilage and mix up’s. whether its your fault or not you will get blamed. the processor gets the most benefit because they just want the heads gone. it would be nice if processors would just say you have to take your head with you and pick your taxidermist yourself.
Ive given it a lot of thought. Im not picking up heads anymore. I will focus solely on doing the best work i can and let that bring them TO ME. Nothing against any processor at all. I can honestly say that i have never accepted a spoiled cape or had a mix up on any deer that was brought to me directly. the only issues ive had have involved a middle man. Processors handle a lot of heads and my hats off to them but accidents happen. I dont need the potential problems especially when they have to come to the shop any way. im only 10 miles away. if they really want it mounted and wont me to do it they shouldnt have a problem bringing it my way right? have a great day everybody.
July 22, 2011
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I’m gonna start by saying this: I have never had a processor or any kind of middle man to deal with, so Im shooting blind here. I may should even stay out of the thread, but you know me, I’m always game for a good discussion.
It sounds like a lot of what ifs, and over thinking here. So please correct me if I’m mistaken.
Pick up the deer, along with the harvest number and hunters name and phone number, thats all you need.
Skin the deer, tag the cape and freeze it, tag antlers hang them for skull plate to dry out.
Call the hunter and tell them you need his address and kill date and location info while the deer is in your possession(Ask for this first before you say anything else besides introducing yourself). Enter it in your record book. Then.
Tell him/her there is a $50 caping fee(you had to skin it due to limited freezer space) and they have 5 days to pay it and pick up their deer or put a deposit down on a mount. The deposit can be done over the phone with a credit card or PayPal account, they don’t even have to come to your shop. Tell them after the five days the deer is surrendered to your possession and you will despose of it due to freezer space.
After five days and no pay, mark the capes “Stock” and have a record of what you have with measurements and sell them to another taxidermist who needs a spare cape for what ever reason(This is legal). Mark the antlers “Stock” throw them in a pile and you begin a good collection for repair tines for paying customers or extra racks for competition, you can’t sell them though. You can “Give” me all you want though.:shocked: Mark your record book as “Gifted”.
If you get a spoiled or even border line cape from the processor call the customer emmediately and tell them you picked up their deer and the cape was no good when you received it,(due to issues that were out of your control) but you have removed the antlers for them at no charge, and they have five days to come and pick them up or they are forfeited due to limited storage space. If no show, mark em “Stock” throw in the pile. Again mark your record book as “Gifted”.
Do not tan or mount anything until you get a deposit and signed contract, and you will not be stuck with them.
Now I typed all this out assuming the processor is not cutting the capes to short and hacking them up. If thats the case disregard everything I have said.
But, if you don’t atleast skin them, they will expect to be able to come pick it up at no charge because you haven’t performed any work. Thats why you say, due to freezer space you had no option.
…And worse case if they come and show their *** tell them they can get the antlers and you will take the cape in place of the caping fee and keep it for a spare.
If they really get upset and refuse to pay or show their *** tell them you are not in the mini storage business you are a taxidermist. Then tell them to kiss D. Price’s ***.
September 18, 2012
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i like the caping fee thing. good advice ! i do exactly as you suggested as far as bagging and tagging and you are right it takes time to cape bag and tag. when they decide to come get it or they just want the horns ive done that work with no contract. the caping fee will either get me paid or ill have a spare cape.
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