Annik - Sunday, June 09, 2002, 10:55 PM
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Desh
comes into the SmithCraft Tent <ST>
Desh
has arrived.
Desh
steps back into the tent, lips quirked up at the corners.
Annik
watches as one of the apprentices makes a feeble attempt at a sale. Thankfully,
a journeyman comes to the rescue, but one the tent is clear of customers, Annik
speaks up, "Y'know, I think some of you could use a good lesson on how to
be successful in this tent."
Niobe
thankfully is propped up against a bench, or she'd likely fall over at the
mention of a lesson - here, and NOW.
Desh
regards Annik with interest, moving closer to the displays. "Any help
would be appreciated. This has been most educational."
Annik
nods and motions for the apprentices to gather round. "Sit down and
listen. Some of you have a lot to learn." She smiles and glances around to
make sure that there aren't any non-Smiths inside. "First of all, the main
rule here is to do your absolute best to please the customer. Be nice, be
respectful, and be polite. You should all be aware of this by now."
Desh
settles into a seat, lips quirking to the left. "Regardless of how rude
you may or may not think they are," he says quietly, though with a complete
lack of vehemence.
"Or
how rude the Smith is or isn't, in actuality..." Niobe grins.
Annik
continues, "Your main goal is to sell things, but even if that doesn't
happen, you want to make a good impression so that the person will want to come
back when they do need something. Remember, in a gather situation, we're
competing against several other crafts. We want to outshine all the rest."
Niobe
raises a hand.
Annik
nods at Niobe. "Yes?"
"What
about if a patron is truly abusive or, well - dangerous to his or her
surroundings?"
Desh
quirks his eyebrows, regarding Niobe with interest, and then Annik with similar
attentiveness.
Annik
replies, "Stay as polite as you can for as long as you can. All Smiths
have the right to ask someone to leave if that person is dangerous. If there
are other people around, you especially want to show them your ability in
handling that kind of situation. Be firm, but do not lower yourself to their
level."
Niobe
nods. "And if it escalates, who gets to 'escort' the person out, if we
can't handle it?"
"I
think one of us would be able to do it - one of the Smiths." Desh looks
down at his arms speculatively. "I will be very, very strong. I am already
stronger than I was, I think."
Annik
smiles wryly. "Whoever can. If the person is threatening injury, find
someone that they can't fight, or get help from somewhere."
Niobe
looks down at her own figure, so curvaceous and deceiving. "I'm strong,
too - but a drunken, angry person can be impossible to deal with..."
Desh's
head bobs. "That is very true."
Annik
nods knowingly. "Yes, and that's when you'd send someone for help. If
anyone has a trained firelizard, send them as well."
Niobe
absently carresses Kai at that. "True."
Desh's
eyebrows raise again. "Ah! A use for firelizards."
Kai
sighs softly in his sleep, a faint hum emerging from his chest before he falls
asleep again.
Annik
moves on. "So, stay polite as much as you can. Customers drive our entire
craft, you know. Without someone to buy what we make, we'd be in big
trouble."
Niobe
nods, smiling.
Desh's
head bobs as well. Polite? Desh? What a stretch.
You
say "Now, when a customer first comes in, you want to be careful not to
seem too eager. Some people get annoyed if there's a crafter breathing down their
neck, trying to get them to buy something. In most cases, I give them a
friendly welcome and let them come to me. Sometimes I ask if I can help them
with anything, but if they say no, then let them be.""
"Shells,
yes!" Niobe murmurs. "I hate it when a person is hanging on me like a
drapery. It follows that others would as well."
"That
would be rather irritating," Desh remarks.
Annik
gestures to the tent as a whole, including everything in it. "Some of you
don't know this, but you are welcome to sell anything here, even if you didn't
make it. The reason it's in here is to get sold, by any Smith. Ask an
appropriate price for it, if someone is interested, and the crafter will get
his or her share when the marks are distributed."
Niobe
smiles and nods at Annik.
Desh
tilts his head to the left. "And if someone wants an item similar to
something displayed, but not quite, may we accept a comission to make such an
item?"
Annik
nods at Desh. "Any rank higher than Junior Apprentice may accept a
commission for themselves, though apprentices still need to have the final
items approved. Junior Apprentices may only accept commissions on behalf of the
Hall, and they must pass it on to someone of a higher rank."
Niobe
smiles at Desh, and then returns her attention to Annik.
Desh's
head bobs. "Ah, I see. It will not irritate the crafter of the original
item to have another smith produce something similar?"
Annik
shakes her head. "If it does, then they can take it up with the other
crafter. I don't see that it would happen very often, though. Smiths are
required to mass produce items all the time, so unless it was an entirely
original piece with the distinctive mark if its creator, then it shouldn't be a
problem. If it is a trademark item, you should tell the customer that it would
be best produced by the original creator."
Desh
nods slowly. "Ah, most excellent. I do not think my windchime plans are
terribly similar to the one on display, so there ought not be any
problems."
Niobe
perks up at the mention of windchimes. "I love those! I hope we can work
on something together, Desh."
Desh
nods. "It should be interesting. Carissa has agreed to show me how to blow
glass, and Riane is happy with the idea of not having perfectly spherical glass
balls on the chimes, so it will work out quite well for everyone."
Annik
smiles now, eyes sparkling. "On to making a sale... Bargaining is an
acquired skill. Always start with a higher price than you intend to settle for.
If your customer agrees with that price, then you've earned a few extra marks.
If not, then you have room to work your way down to your actual price."
Niobe
"Ahhs" at this information.
Desh
pauses. "That always seemed somewhat dishonest to me. I know all traders
do it, but..."
Annik
raises an eyebrow at Desh. "Crafters have the right to set their prices as
high or low as they wish. The thing is, though, that many people enjoy a good
bargain and will want to see if they can lower the price. If you set it as low
as you'd go, then there's no room for negotiation."
Desh
nods, murmuring, "I see. If they enjoy it, then..."
Annik
grins and nods. "You never know, you might start to enjoy it yourself. It
really can be quite a challenge sometimes."
"I
think it winds up being that if the price is /too/ high, no one is going to buy
it," Niobe speaks up.
Desh's
lips quirk a little, and he inclines his head. "I'll give you that."
Annik
nods at Niobe. "Very true. If the customer doesn't think that the item is
worth the price, then they won't buy it. If the price you give them is higher
than you think it's worth, but they like it, then there's really no problem.
The point is that the customer should be satisfied with their purchase."
Niobe
nods.
Desh's
head bobs a few times. "That makes sense. I have found that selling things
can be enjoyable. You certainly meet many
people."
You
say "When you're done with the transaction, put the marks in the mark box
and ask the customer if they would like their purchased wrapped. Usually, they
do." She grins. "And don't look too excited when they hand you the
marks. Act like it's no big deal, to give them the impression that you're experienced
at this sort of thing."
Niobe
giggles. "Like bluffing, in a way."
"We
wrap things, too?" Desh sounds mildly surprised. Ack!
"Of
course!" Niobe loks at Desh, a bit offended.
Annik
nods at Niobe and grins at Desh. "Yes, there's a whole pile of soft cloths
and twine behind the main table. You especially want to wrap the more delicate
items, so as to prevent damage from being handled."
Desh's
head bobs. "That makes sense. At least I was wrapping those."
Annik
nods and smiles at the apprentices. "Any questions?"
Niobe
shakes her head in the negative.
Desh's
forehead scrunches more than usual - he seems to be thinking that question
over. "I have no further questions," he finally says.
Annik
grins and asks, "Learn anything then?"
"We
wrap things!" Desh says immediately.
Niobe
looks a bit perplexed. "Of course, Annik."
Annik
nods, looking pleased. "Good."
"I
think the tent has been very successful today," Desh notes, peering about.
"Not that I know from experience, but... I think we did well."
Annik
grins at Desh. "That we did. It's been a fine day."
"For
the little I caught of it - yes," Niobe adds.
"And
a fine experience. I have never /been/ here before," Desh says,
cheerfully.
Niobe
grins. "Me either.
Annik nods at both. "Well, I'm glad you finally got
to be in here, for a little while at least. It should help you a lot in the
future, dealing with customers."
Niobe
nods sagely. "Absolutely."
Desh's
head bobs. "Very much so."
Desh
stands again, peering about. "Should we start packing our things up?"
Kai
leaves the SmithCraft Tent <ST>
Kai
has left.
Niobe
deftly transfers the bronze from his current perch to their shoulder.
Annik
nods at Desh. "Yeah, we'll be needing to head back tomorrow morning."
Niobe
quietly picks up Kai and cuddles him in the crook of her arm.
Desh's
head bobs, and strides off to be helpful and pack things like a good little
apprentice.
Desh
leaves the SmithCraft Tent <ST>
Desh
has left.
Niobe
does what she can, being generally a bit weak and rather tired.
Niobe
leaves the SmithCraft Tent <ST>
Niobe
has left.