Steem4nigeria Accelerator Contest Week 149 “The Artisan Chronicles”

Almost everyone always needs artisan because we can't just live without them. Therefore whether it's just a mechanic, even plumber, carpenter or tailor, they are all part of our daily life. So sometimes they will just try to make us happy, sometimes they will make us really angry. But truth is that artisan is the backbone of the society because its them that solve our everyday problems. Let me use the experience I had with one artisan to explain.

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One time I gave my cloth to a tailor in my area. I showed him one fine style that I saw online, I tell him I want the cloth to looks good, because I'm wearing it to my uncle's wedding. The tailor looked at me and smile, he said “No problem, I'll deliver it to your needs and wants.” I pay him deposit fee, we agreed on the I'll come back to pay him the balance and carry the cloth.

The day of the party was near, I went to collect the cloth. But guess what he didn't sew the clothes. I got angry at him , and he pleaded that he'll sew right away. He requested for two days to deliver the cloth. I didn't have any other choice that to accept, meanwhile the wedding day was only three days left and he's asking for two days.

As the day came i went back again to collect the dress. This tailor give me one kind style that I can't even describe. The sleeve was really longer the other hand, the neck was much wider, the fitting wasn't balance at all. I was really angry, but tailor the tailor keep explaining that the material didn't agree him to do it perfectly. That day I learn that tailor work can sweet you or pain you. But it's still artisan that we will depend on because without tailor, cloth won't be fine on our body.

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Truly I say,the great biggest problem is having trust and good communication. Many artisans promise what they can't deliver. Tailor will tell you “Come tomorrow,” but you will still wait till next week. Customers do suspect artisans, so they don't trust them with full money. Another problem is poor communication. Tailor can say “I will sew it like the style you showed me,” but when you collect it, its different thing that you'll see. No doubt customers might really get angry because they didn't get what they expected. So it's lack of clear communication and trust that causes fight between artisan and customer.

It's not wise to pay tailor or any artisan full money before the finished the work. If you pay all, some artisans will relax, and won't rush to complete the work. Some can even disappear. But artisan too can fear customer thas doesn't want to pay. So the best way is to balance. Customer can pay part of the money as deposit, then pay the rest when the work has being completed. For example, if a tailor sew cloth, you will pay half first, then when you sew the cloth finish, you will pay the remaining. That way, tailor will have the motivation to finish the work well, and customer will have the assurance that the money won't be waste.

First, artisans need to be honest. If work will take one week, say it straight. Don't promise two days when you know that it's not possible. Tailor that is honest will earn respect. So secondly, artisans need to be really professional. So I say even if it's just a small job, do it with much respect. Customers too need to respect artisans. Many people always look artisans down, but the truth is that, they always makes life easy. Without tailor, cloth won't be fine. Without mechanic, spoilt motor won't move. So customers need to appreciate their effort.

Another thing that both sides can do is a clear agreement. Before the work start, let's the tailor explain how much it cost, how long it will take, and what the customer will expect. Customer too need to talk clearly what they want. If it's a cloth style, show the clear picture. If it's a repair, explain the problem very well. That way, misunderstanding won't comes in. Lastly, both artisan and customer need to be patience. Work is not always perfect, but with patience and respect, relationship will be much better.

In summary, tailor and customer relationship is like partnership ,so if trust, respect and clear conversation is available, everything will be balance. If lies, delay and misunderstanding is there, then there will be lots of problems.

_{The thumbnail image is mine.}

Cc:
@Steem4Nigeria