how to be assertive especially with small businesses?

poozers

a lot of explaination for a fairly short story...sorry in advance.
i have 3 10x8 photographs that i brought to a framer... 3 weeks ago!
I brought them in 3 weeks ago and collected them the following week. The man has been running this business for years. Its down a little lane and he's a very nice elderly man and obviously this is his own business.
i picked out the frame i wanted, and returned a few days later. he showed them to me, explained that he ran out of the frame for the last photo, so he did up one similar. I said grand, ill bring them home, and he assured me theres no problem bringing them back if they didnt really look right.
I brought them home, saw one frame was perfect, the second frame was spraypainted to look like the first frame (a little tiny white border), and the thrid frame was alot lighter than the first 2! as it turned out, the third frame was actually the nicest so that was the one i decided to keep and bring the other two back (so i didnt mention anything about the spraypainting cos i didnt feel it mattered now)
when i went into his workshop on friday the 16th and explained, he gave me kind of a "well,... ok..." kind of attitude. Told me due to the bank holiday weekend that it may take a few days longer. So i said id come back the following friday. all was grand.
I went in the following friday, he saw me and said "oh i havent gotten my delivery in since! i dont know whats going on with them but come in next friday and ill have them for you". disappointed but thanked him anyway.
I went in yesterday, same thing again. He went on how at this stage he was embarrassed etc etc. Im a fairly laid back person when it comes to this kind of thing, but at this point, not so laid back anymore!!!
i have paid him 50euro for all three frames (he let me off 4euro) the first time after i brought them home. even though i am not going for the frames i have originally picked out, should i be expected to be charged again? i think i should definitely get a reduced price!! because of the fact i have been waiting for so long, when a job like this should normally take about 3-4 days. I dont feel he's really looking after me as a customer and would not recommend him to anyone if they asked (but wouldnt like to go around bad mouthing him either!).
how do i be assertive with this man??? he took my number and is going to ring me when they are done, and he said in the next few days. which kind of makes me doubt his "delayed delivery" explanation. i kind of have the impression that he just kept putting off my frames because they weren't worth as much as maybe bigger more important jobs he gets. help! im very bad a these kind of confrontations and would love to hear what someone would do in this situation!

Thoie

I'd ask for a daily phone call with an update before, say, 4pm each day. Tell him that if he doesn't call, or if everything is not completed by Friday, you'd like your pictures back, unframed, with a full refund so that you can take them somewhere else.

Note, this is not your *right*, it's what you are proposing he should do to remedy the situation (do not start shouting that you know your rights ). See if he makes an alternative suggestion that is acceptable to you. Point out that you were originally paying for all 3 to be framed the same, and that you've been patient.

Don't raise your voice, don't have a hissy fit, just have a calm conversation.

coylemj

How to be assertive with posters....

OP, try a bit of punctuation (use paragraphs), then people might read your post. It looks a complete mess.

poozers

thanks for the tip Thoie! will definitely be going in to him tomorrow!


andcoylemjthanksforthetip,
hopethisisabitbetterforyou,
butthinkilldowhatThoiesaidinstead

antoinolachtnai

Be gentle here, I would say. You have to be realistic about what this business like this is capable of. They are obviously accustomed to working to a lower standard than what you expect. He is obviously not trying to rob you.

I am not saying that you are not right, just that you have to be realistic in order to get what you want here. You need to be persistent, but gentle too. If it costs a few euros to get satisfaction, I would live with it. His prices don't seem terribly high.