Today... I took a hard choice (a bit long)

[cybersix]

Hi all, just wanted to share my story with a big customer.

I am (was) making candles for them, they provide scents, tumblers and packaging, and I make the candles, using soy.

They never cared about my advices on scents, they want me to put 12% FO in all candles, but their FOs are not made especially for wax, and not all for soy wax.

They are multi purpose FOs, they use it in every thing they do, reeds, sachets and to save money they refused to have them made especially for soy.

Then, everytime they deliver what I'd need to work there is always something missing. They ignore my requests to give priority to what I should make fisrt, so usually there's the last minute call, I have to stop making scent A and start quicly making scent B.

Last time they delivered scents were in a sort of small barrels, all leaking, with a strange lid I couldn't open easily, and when I started to pour FO in bottles it went everywhere on the pavement, the scale, a total mess.

They also pay me when they want, despite the initial agreement.

Packaging means an adesive label on bottom of tumblers, a lid, a inner box, a box, and three candles groups go in a bigger box that has to be labeled too.

I couldn't go on.

I work 8 hours a day in an office, I have my little candle business to follow, a house to mantain and a life...can't use every minute of my time for them and they knew it from the start.

Since we don't have a contract I am free to do what I feel, so I made a choice. I'm not very proud of it, it's not something I'd do in other circumnstances, but I feel I had to do so, or this company would have continued to do whatever they like.

I just wrote an email, saying that starting today I won't accept any other order. I will finish the ones they already sent in (350 candles more or less) and I won't accept any delivery of materials after feb. 15. So what I have I'll use, the rest will go back to them, if they don't spend some time thinking before sending the guy with stuff.

I mean you send an order for 200 candles, send the boxes and not the tumblers?

My life has been directed by them lately, and I don't want it to be so.

For what they pay me!!

I need a rest, and some stress relief.

I know it seems not ethical, but I had to find the way to break free, it made no sense to give them a longer term, I'd be in the same situation.

Sorry for the long post, I needed to vent a bit.

Any opinion welcome

Thanks!

[ILVCANDLES]

I think you made the right decision! It is not fair to you to bust you butt for nothing. If you did this much longer you could have lost your love to make candles!

[cybersix]

Among all the things I feel you said the more appropriate, I was about to hate wax and wicks..

Now I want to dedicate my time to push MY candles, the ones I really love, with my reliable fos..

Thanks!

[Dana]

I am on the verge of making the same decision. I have struggled with this for a couple of years and see "freedom" on the horizon. It is so tough when it is money coming in though. I keep saying as soon as I finish up these jars....as soon as the holidays are over....as soon as these scents are gone....I just can't seem to find the right time. I was actually (secretly) waiting and hoping the company would change owners, then I could change it to my terms a little easier. If they didn't accept it, well fine. But the owner now is a dear friend of mine, which makes it really tough to quit on her. I agreed to all this when I was just first starting out and I was willing to do ANYTHING to sell candles. Well now that "MY" candles are outselling hers I really don't have time to spend on making wholesale when I could be using that time to make retail.

Anyway, it sounds like you made the right decision. I think this will come to an end with me also. My cusomer (friend) said something about selling the other half of her business by next Christmas. She already sold half right before this Christmas. So, I may just ride it out to save our friendship. Meanwhile, I have these huge PITA orders to fill!

[cybersix]

Dana, I know how you feel, I almost feel bad because I'm letting a perfect stranger down, so I can figure how you would feel toward a friend.

Money wasn't so flowing lol, the prices are low, too low for the quantities they are asking, and I don't have any other satisfaction. It doesn't bring lots of money as they are stagional candles, I made them only from november to february usually, nobody knows who makes them so I don't have any return of image.. so.. they'll probably get upset, but I have to do what's right for me and my life.

I wish you luck for everything, I hope you'll find a way to work it out without breaking a friendship.

Thanks!

ETA: I apologize for my poor english, when I try to say something a bit complicated I know I can make a lot of mistakes, so please be patient!

Thanks

Edited February 4, 2010 by cybersix

[gabriellel66]

Good for you! I think you've made definitely the right decision. They sound like a nightmare to live with. Having worked with people like that (though in a completely different area), I felt nothing but a huge sense of relief when I sent them a mail telling them I was walking. That alone told me I'd made the right decision.

I don't think you were unethical at all--you told them what was going on and told them you would return their raw materials. You didn't simply disappear and keep everything.

Good luck! (And to you, too, Dana--can't be easy when there's friendship involved.)

[Trappeur]

Hi Sabrina,

Without going into a lot of detail, I think you should write that letter to them. And it's a wise thing to get out of it now before somenthing happens. You should be the one dictating how you will be making your candles,not them. That is your signature on each candle and your liable for them should something disastrous happen, like an accident by a customer purchasing from them. "Lawsuit"......And I would definitely have a contract with then also should you in the future decide to get back with them. There are guidelines that each of us candlemakers must adhere to and that should be explained to them to produce a quality and safe candle.

Trappeur

[cybersix]

Thanks everyone for chiming in.

I feel no sense of guilt, LOL, but the fact is that I am the lonely italian candlemaker (artisan) who uses vegetable waxes, and I believe I am one of the most experienced, as I said many times here in italy there is not the same approach on candles as there is in USA, so all the thing I learned here thanks to all of you made me a sort of expert.

I doubled my prices for them 6 months ago, they bithced and bla bla but in the end they gave me what I ask, because they can't find anyone else. So I was feeling I was letting them in trouble, that's way I thought it could be unethical.

But in the end it's not my problem.

They didn't answer or call, I really hope they won't pretend they didn't get any email...

Now I'm working hard to finish what I have left (and I can finish, since a lot of things are missing) and I really hope to put the word "end" on this.

Thank you all for your words!

[cybersix]

Hi Sabrina,

Without going into a lot of detail, I think you should write that letter to them. And it's a wise thing to get out of it now before somenthing happens. You should be the one dictating how you will be making your candles,not them. That is your signature on each candle and your liable for them should something disastrous happen, like an accident by a customer purchasing from them. "Lawsuit"......And I would definitely have a contract with then also should you in the future decide to get back with them. There are guidelines that each of us candlemakers must adhere to and that should be explained to them to produce a quality and safe candle.

Trappeur

I can see your point.

I tested the candles, no hazards, only they don't behave well (mushrooms and so on), and the look is worst than any other soy candles I made.

Anyway my name is not on those. Here in Italy in matter of lawsuit things are really different, it's not that easy as it is in your country.

Thanks for your opinions!

[lauramw71]

I really think you made the right decision. If what you love to do is turning into a strong dislike, then it's time to do something about it. You don't want to lose your passion for something you are extremely good at because of one company. Crafts, no matter what they are, are so much better if your heart is in it. My fiance did the same thing not too long ago. Now that he isn't doing it as a "job" and more of a "love" he is back to enjoying it and is much happier. No more dread associated when he starts doing it now. Follow your heart! You definately made the right choice!!!