Hey ladies.
I need some advice.
I’m working on a custom toddler and the customer asked me if I knew when I would be done. I haven’t even started rooting and she knows this. I sent her photos several times of the painting and have answered every email she sent.
This is what she just sent me. And I don’t know how to say something and not sound rude. Honestly this ticks me off. I’ve been updating her consistently and kept on time with working on the doll. What am I supposed to do. Coddle this person? I have an anxiety disorder myself and I would never expect a business person to do this.
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Awe she is just excited! Tell her nothings wrong you have been working your butt off trying to make sure the Baby is looking good and meets your standards. Tell her you will contact her once you are finished as per your agreement, thanks for the inquiry.
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Normally I would agree. But that’s not what this is. I received this email before the one in the original.
I got this one 3 days after I got the kit in the mail.
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OMG, sorry you are dealing with that. Hurry and finish and get her off your back! I would have been done after the first strange text. But that is why I don’t sell yet. I have patience but not unlimited.
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I would not stand for this nonsense… “she has control issues???” tthat is terrible
I would refund her total paid so far, with a note “I don’t work like this. You will need to find another artist. Your refund is back in paypal” and then finih the doll and sell it
BOL xx
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I thought about that. But I was an idiot and under charged her. Its the Madeline toddler kit with rooted hair.
I charged 400$
The sculpt was. 135$ and then I bought a full ounce of slumberland mohair and glass eyes. I didn’t realize she was a toddler until I quoted a price and felt it was wrong to change it.
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I get that. Although this isn’t her first reborn doll as she said in many emails. Lol
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I’ve never sold a doll but I do know crazy pants, and this woman sounds more than a little crazy pants to me. You need to cut her loose or set some strict boundaries asap!
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I would refund her. She sounds like eventually she will file a claim with PayPal.
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That stresses me out and Im not even you. I also have anxiety and I could not deal with a person like that, constantly on my back and asking for percentages. Also I would have severe panic attacks after I sent it! I tell people that they have to understand that I have serous illnesses that can sometimes prevent me from working. I have done only two customs and am doing two more, if someone treated me like that I would do just what @NancyW and @Kimmiee are saying. Its not worth it!
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We are all so différents ! I see no problem with that and would gladly send her pics everyday if it could make her feel reassure. Not a big deal ! I think the person is a bit weird but not disrecpectful.
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You have two choices: refund her money and be done with her or work with her. If you’re going to work with her you need to set a schedule and stick to it. Tell her the baby will be done by that date and you will send her pictures every Friday for example. This will ease both her and your anxiety about it. If she is too much to handle, refund and be done with her. Finish the baby and sell for more.
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If you do decide to work with her, I would definitely emphasize the point of sending pictures on a certain day or days, maybe even adding that the more time you spend taking and sending pictures, the less time you have to actually paint.
I have ended up working with a couple of crazy people, then there were others I just couldn’t do it, just refunded and got on with life. I have an anxiety disorder too, but do not harass artists or anyone else I deal with. There are limits.
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Thanks ladies.
First. I want to be clear. I do understand her issue. I have a horrible anxiety disorder. I suppose that is what annoyed me. I would never put it on another person to deal with. Its my problem and I deal with it.
I was always told the world owes me nothing and will not cater to me so I learned how to cope with it without putting it on other people.
That said. I will finish the doll and send it out along with letting her know that I’m only sending pictures on certain days.
I’m pretty sure it won’t change her behavior. Because quite obviously she expects to be able to use her problem to push people to do things her way. But its only fair to give her the doll she paid for.
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It sounds like you may have your solution already, but my first thought was, do you have an average time frame for customs? Like 6 months or 3 months? Perhaps, if you could tell her that “It usually takes about 3 months to complete a doll.” Or maybe, “It can take up to 4 months to complete a toddler doll.” Maybe she would take a giant chill pill and leave you alone? Maybe not, but it might be worth a try. I know I can be much more patient if I have some kind of idea how long something will take verses me just assuming it will take a month and having it take 3.
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8-12 weeks for a rooted toddler. Which is spelled out in the listing she bought and which I told her when we discussed what she wanted.
Just take a photo every few days and send it. Say something like; “it may not look like lot of progress but sticking in each hair individually is a very slow process, and I can only work X minutes in one go without my arm cramping up”.
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I just realized that it was an old post and I don’t even know how I’ve got to it. But now I am curious how it all ended.
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I’m curious too now. 
I finished the doll and sent it. And she left me a negative review. My first negative on my etsy shop. Meh
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