Im working on a custom and the constant asking for updates is driving my insane. Has anyone here ever stuck to a set amount of updates the customer will recieve? If so, how did it work out for you?
I was thinking about telling customers that these are the updates they will receive:
Is this reasonable?
It’s really up to you. I usually give updates every week or every important steps, like for skin tone or mottling. I make it clear upfront but I have never once had a customer asking for updates. I have been lucky I guess.
With all the scams out there, both by buyers and “artists”, I presume some people can be a bit scared if they don’t have update regularly ? Some of them may have had a bad experience previously or have heard of stories like artists never shipped the doll, took 6 months or shipped something that wasn’t as expected.
You can just reassure your customer that you are working on her doll and will be sending her pictures every x day or every steps.
I think you should update more than just those times… I would suggest after basic skintones and after creases and blushing and after final details…then during rooting to show progress and after completion and assembly.
Customs are a lot of extra interaction with your client, but i don’t get upset when they ask for updates because mostly, they are just excited. I don’t think they mean to be a pain in the arse, but I try to be a good sport and humor them. Some customers never ask, and some do. You have to keep in mind that a big part of this is about potential repeat business, and great communication and patience, along with painting a beautiful baby will get you that. You also want to strive to have amazing customer reviews, which will also increase your business.
try to be patient, people are paying good money for their baby and they just want to know that it is coming along as promised. I think you should show them pictures at main stages (as everyone has suggested) in cause they would like the eyebrows a little darker, more mottling, rosier cheeks etc. It’s much easier to add these things as you’re moving along rather than when the doll is all completed and assembled. Just look out for yourself along the way. Also, if you make this customer happy, they would be more likely to recommend you to someone else looking to buy a custom. JMO.
Sounds reasonable to me. I don’t do constant updates. For one, if the customer sees the baby only partially done, they may change their mind if they don’t know/understand the process. Two, it takes away time for working on the baby. I send an occasional email so they know I haven’t disappeared. I usually give a set amount of time for the baby to be completed and add a week to allow for unforeseen circumstances. If it’s done earlier than that, I send a picture of the completed baby and everybody’s happy. When I do customs, the customer chooses kit, gender, skin tone, hair/eye color and any special things like a birthmark. The rest is up to me. I hate doing photoshoots and I sure don’t want to be taking and sending pictures every couple of layers.
In my experience customs customers make it not worh doing customs at all. I can understand wanting updates. But there is a limit.
For example.
I had one customer email me over and over for days for updates. To the point it was making me anxious. I finally told her politely to back off so i could actually work on her doll. She comes back wirh how she has anxiety and if she doesn’t hear from me every day she gets upset.
Another customs customer kept asking for progress pics. I sent them each time until she got upset that i wouldn’t give her the care bear plush that just happened to be in the background of one of the progress pix.
Another customer paid for her doll. I went to the store to pick up some outfits for the doll. And when i got back she had reversed the payment because she didn’t hear from me in the few hours i was shopping.
I have lots of horror stories about customs. Lol.
Give updates. But also set boundaries.
A few years ago I had a customer ask me to literally paint with my phone in my lap so I could send pictures of every single step along the way. Every. Step.
Turned out she was using me as a tutorial on how to paint a reborn. She is now a reborner.
That was my last custom.
Fortunately, I don’t have any customs horror stories.
As I was reading this, I was thinking she wanted a tutorial. You should have charged extra for private instruction.
The one im working on now, she asks for updates like 3-5 times a day. Its crazy.
I only do loose customs for previous customers but I make it clear from the start that I will send update pics after each main step in the process which is usually, blank kit, base skin colour, mottling, blushing and fine details, I then send them a couple pics during rooting and then the finished doll, I have not had any one hassle me for more than that.
That is totally crazy! 3-5 times a day is completely unreasonable. I have stopped doing customs because they are more trouble then they are worth for me, but I usually agree to one update a week. I always make sure they know that reborns go through many awful looking stages before coming together, so not to pay attention really to skin tones and such until I’m almost finished. I also usually create a Google album that I add WIP pics to, I send them the link so they can check on progress when they want. I did have a custom that emailed me daily wanting updates, she kept asking me to change colors that I already painted even though I kept telling her after the other layers that color wouldn’t stand out anymore. It was so stressful I ended up cancelling her order halfway through and refunding her deposit. When I explained that her constant emails and feedback was making it impossible for me to paint properly she was understanding.
Yeah i sent her an update last night and it was right after mottling and bad lighting so i told her it looks completely different in person and then she argued that the baby is to pale. Like obviously when im not done her skin tone she looks pale. 
Sooo why are people asking for customs when they know what to do 
Send them to BB and tell them to do it themselves 
I mean cause basically they are trying to!
What do they think a custom is? Choosing where each mottle exactly appears? So they not understand you are a human? You need to eat shower 
not just 
And when you are done they don’t even appreciate all the work and time you put in because the hair is a shade darker or lighter or it does t look exactly like a prototype photo that had them falling in love with a certain kit but couldn’t afford the prototype or any of that artists work