Customers occasionally complain to us about other picture framers refusing to give picture framing price quotes or cost esti
mates either online or over the phone. So far as we are concerned, we provide free online picture framing and picture frames price and cost estimates and anyone (even our competitors) can use our free, online picture frames prices estimator. But for other picture framers, why is is that some of them are still refusing to give online or phone price quotes? While we understand framers not wanting to give binding price quotes to frame unknown items at sight ... unseen, we believe every picture framer should offer potential customers either online or at least telephone estimates for picture framing work for making photo frames and picture frames.
Picture framers know that as much of 75% of their work is the straightforward picture framing of inexpensive reproductions such as commercial prints and posters. These types of artwork involve no object-framing, conservancy or museum standards criteria and thus, for picture framers, costs should be quite easy and simple to work out. Photo frames fall mostly in the same category though often customers will ask for the glazing to be non-reflective glass.
So there's no real reason for picture framers to be reticent to give cost estimates over the phone. We perceive though there might be a problem when customers come in with telephone conversation price estimates written down and then give the picture framer additional, extra, or different items to be framed than previously quoted. This has sometimes happened to us. Often we have phone-quote our standard price for the standard picture framing a football jumper.
The customer may come in later wanting, for pretty much the same quoted price, to add "bits and pieces" like extra medals, ribbons, pins, badges or photos. These additions are object-framing. These take framing time, patience, skill and effort to assemble into picture frames and so we have to revise the earlier cost estimate we may have given to a customer. That said, we maintain that a picture framing cost estimate is a reasonable approximation of how much it will cost a customer to frame an item.
In most cases, prints, posters and photos only require a basic black, white or silver picture frame, a backing, mounting down, clear glass and fitting up. Again, this is the bread and butter of picture framing and most picture framers ought to be able to rattle off standard size picture frames costs off the top of their head. There some picture framers who aren't that computer literate, or tech-savvy, or perhaps they're the only picture framer for miles around.
These picture framers can't, won't or don't have change with the times and so they do things as they've always done in decades gone by. Ring them up and ask them for the the cost of framing anything and they'll more than likely tell you that you "have to" bring the item in for them to see as "every piece of art" is different and requires "different, specialist" framing. Well, you don't have to believe that! Some other picture framers, quite a few actually, ask you to fill out a computer from on their web site and then they'll either call or email you back.
One of them in the U.S. even asks you to fill out a form requiring as many as 33 disparate clicks just to have someone get back to to you! But most customers want to know the prices there and then, they don't want to have to wait hours or days for an answers. This is the twenty-first century after all! Yet some other picture framers farm out the picture framing quoting business. Others sites construct four and even five-step information and data submission procedure just for someone to get back to you with a quote!
In fact the public's demand for free and fast picture framing price quotes and picture framing prices information is so great that there are even non-picture framing web sites non- picture framing we sites advising visitors on how to calculate the cost of picture framing themselves! To us, this smacks of market failure! We think that picture framers do themselves and to all their potential customers a great disservice by not freely and openly publishing their prices. We urge them to do so as soon as they can as this free information flow will benefit both the public and the picture framing industry. Thank you for reading this post "How to get free, fast and easy picture framing price quotes or custom framing cost estimates".
Ah good, I used your online prices estimator for two picture frames I need to do. I’ve printed the site estimates and will bring them in. I was given two prints from work and don’t want to spend a fortune framing them., I’ll also print your custom picture framing 10% discount voucher which says that you’ll give me 10% off if I pay the Invoice in cash. I’ll hold you to this !!
Rang a picture framer my brother knows in Brighton this Saturday. I asked him for a picture frame quote to frame my graduation certificate but the guy said that he was very busy ( I hate when people say that !!! ) and that I should bring it down for him to measure. I then told him that I didn’t want to drive all the way down there without having some idea od the price. I said I knew the size and that I wanted my certificate matted and framed. He then started to carry on about how hard it was from him to give exact quotes over the phone. I then pressed him for a ball-park estimate and he quoted between $50 and $150. When I complained about this range being pretty much useless to me he snapped and said that if I had to ask the price of custom framing I probably couldn’t afford it and that I should go and get my certificate frame at K-Mart !
Rang a picture framer about having a print framed and he quoted me over the phone $99 for having it custom picture framed. When I went there to get my poster framed he wanted $185 !!! When I showed him my note of the conversation I’d made about his earlier phone quote he said that it was dearer because it didn’t include GST, glass and his ‘consultation’ fee !!! He said that’s normal for picture framers to do that! What a bull ! Has anyone else heard of that ? Anyway that’s a picture framing rip-off so far as I’m concerned and I reported the dude to consumer Affairs VIctoria. They said that framer’s conduct was illegal ansd that they’d investigate it ! Needless to say I now go to another picture framer fro my picture frames and photo frames !!!
Very informative and very interesting blog on picture framers, their prices and the cost of having picture frames made! I had a good look around the web for picture framers with picture framing prices wizards or tools. There’s only about 2 or maybe three in the whole of Australia, but there must be hundreds of picture framers! Why are only a couple of picture framers making their prices available online? It it because it’s too hard of because they too cheap to have someone make the application or script or software? Or maybe, as the blog suggests, picture framers are used to quote and work as they’ve always done? Personally I think most picture framers haven’t woken up to the power of the internet and online shopping and think that customers will always drive down to their shops or stores to get price quotes and to get things framed. But they’re wrong and they’ll go out of business unless they change -and soon!
Unfortunately it seems like picture framing has been left in the dust a little when it comes to being an internet savvy industry. Some industries like shopping or takeaway food seem tailor made for the internet but picture framing just isn’t very compatible. The free picture framing estimator I’ve used on this site is the best I have found. The price estimate I got the other day was about 35% dearer than the quote which for my mind is very good.