special orders

[rebeccajo99]

I've been searching this board and can't find what I am looking for. At my show this weekend, I had somebody ask me if I carried a particular scent. I did not, so she walked away. I was talking to my mom this weekend and she suggested making a book of available scents from my FO supplier(s) and put up a sign that I take special orders. I'm thinking... hmm, this may be a possilbity because it would add to my scent stock by scents people want, not what I think they want. (I'm new so I currently only have 6 scents in 1 jar size and tealights)

However, realisically, is this even feasable. I'm thinking it would take 4 to 6 weeks to get a candle ready for sale if I concentrate on testing that candle only. Who is going to want to wait 4 to 6 weeks for a candle. Is my pestimistic side of me kicking in and shutting out this opporunity, or am I being realistic.

I do this full time, so here is how I come up with the math...

Place the order for the FO as soon as I get home from the show. That takes 3 to 4 days to come here. Pour the test candles the following day (I live in a cold climent so I always have my fo sit out at room temp for at least 24 hours before using). let cure for 2 days.- week 1 done

Start testing mode. Light each test candle and start 3 hour burn tests... I made 40 hour candles so that would take 14 days to finish testing. Week 2 and 3 done

If I'm lucky and get a good candle from my tests, pour candle for sale... let cure for 3 days before shipping... week 4 done.

Then that gives me 2 weeks of extra testing incase my tests results are bad from the first batch.

Or could I shorten test time and do two 3 hour burn tests a day... one in the morning and one in the evening. That would cut out a week. I currently only do one 3 hour burn test a day.

[diamondk]

I try and do at least 2 test burns a day since I don't know when and how the customer will burn them. I do take special orders but I also tell them I will call and let them know when they are ready to be picked up. I am at our flea market every weekend. HTH

[Candybee]

I think your idea of taking notes on what scents customers want is a good one. After a while you may see a trend or have several requests for the same scent.

Personally, I don't start purchasing a scent everytime a customer asks for one I don't carry. I wait til I see there is enough interest for it then start my testing for next season.

Honestly you will always have customers come up and ask if you have a certain fragrance. If you tried to make each one it doesn't guarantee that anyone else will be interested and its gonna cost you a lot in time and money to accommodate each single request.

[Circle]

Test a few new fragrances every month and see how they go. When a customer asks for a particular fo and you don't have it, offer something else that you think they will like. Say to them that they will love it and should buy it and maybe next time you will have something on their wish list. If you made candles for everyone, you would be busy the whole year and still make no money. Customers sometimes use this line as an out. Make sure you sell them something. Tell them it is your most popular fragrance at the moment. The object is to sell what you have at the time

[Brenda (OH)]

Anything is possible if you are willing time wise to work on it and calculate all related the costs. My thought would be if a customer was looking for a certain scent all suppliers FO's do not smell the same. For example Sugar Cookie . . there are a huge variances from one supplier to another and other scent names can smell like Sugar Cookie.

I have had customer's request a scent only to be told after all the testing is said and done that it doesn't smell like so & so's. Time is money. I agree with a list to see if there is a trend.

[Starr]

I've tried doing this a few times. It doesn't always work very well.

I had someone tell me "I want Pomegranate! If you get it, I'll buy from you and no one else." As someone I was more then acquaintances with, I said "Ok, I'll get you Pomegranate!" Well, don't you know, I bought it, she HATED it and I was stuck with it! Luckly, I didn't buy very much, but nonetheless.

It's impossible to please everyone. Look at a scent like vanilla. Everyone has their own idea as to what a "good" vanilla is and that could encompass dozens of different types.

I agree though with the idea of taking notes and seeing if there are any trends. If lots of people request "warm apple pie" let's say, then maybe it's something you should add.

If someone REALLY wants that custom order and they're willing to wait for it, then maybe it's worth it.

[islandgirl]

I take into consideration my customers request.

If I get enough requests, then I may test it.

Testing is time and money, which I don't have much of either right now!!

No matter if you have 50 or500 scents, there will always be one scent you don't have and that is the one a customer will ask you for.:rolleyes2

If you feel that a scent may sell well for you, then by all means, test it and try it.

Just don't make your self crazy trying to please every customer with every request they ask for. Sell what works for you and makes you money!!

[Vicky_CO]

In the long run that idea you have will cost you more than you will ever make from it.

This is what I do if a customer is looking for a certain scent and I think I can get it. I tell them if they will commit to buying at least 4 candles I will bring the scent in to test they pay for the candles up front and I deliver when they are ready and yes it can take up to 6 weeks for them to get the candles but I look at it this way I can test a new scent with the cost of the FO paid up front.

I do not mean they can buy 4 votive candles they have to spend at least $20 plus for me to do this.

[diamondk]

I think I need to clear up something that I stated earlier. My customers will special order a larger candle in a scent that I carry in votives and melts so therefore I already have the scent. They do pay up front. I only do jj and use 4630.

[Stella1952]

Testing new FOs is something which should go on continually behind the scenes. Keeping current with "what's hot and what's not" is part of our job. That's not to say we'll try anything that's popular, but we do try to keep up with what's all the rage at any given time and if those scents fit into our plans, we will test and offer them as a new fragrance. We have tested MANY FOs that we do not keep in stock. We test the same FOs from different suppliers, too, in case one supplier's is vastly better than another's. Unless a customer is planning to make a lot of purchases or has a special event or need for a particular scent I don't carry and haven't tested, I simply put them on a list to contact if I ever carry or test that one. So we have three categories:

stuff we NEVER run out of; the "in stock" scents.

stuff we've tested, like, but don't sell much of; and

stuff we haven't tested.

For example: a certain customer is really into essential oils. We plan to offer EOs in the future, but have not done our testing yet - that's a whole 'nuther product line!! We have very little call for EOs and I'm not gonna test and test for ONE candle sale! The EOs she is interested in are ones not commonly offered and the minimum order I'd have to make to simply get a tester is not cost-effective at this time. So she waits. She buys other scents from us in the meantime. When I DO test an EO here and there, I usually offer her a tester to show her we haven't forgotten her and her desires and to get her opinion on how the EO throws. Might not work for everyone, but it works well for us.

I also ALWAYS take a deposit for special orders (half). In case the customer doesn't come through, I don't lose the money I put up for the supplies.