problems with customers

Recently 2 of my coworkers have commissioned me to make jewelry for them.

One, a pin for which I ordered a beautiful glass centerpiece and pin backs (because I'd never made a pin before, so I didn't have that component). It wasn't much money, and I the final price I charged her was very reasonable. I showed her the finished product on a Monday. She said she would give me the money on Friday, payday. She had no problems with the price, and I said I would hold onto it until then. Friday came and went, and there were problems with the checks that day for everyone.

The following Monday, she said that she still didn't have the money. Next Friday. That's 2 whole weeks that this product was ready for her and I have not been paid, not counting the time between her actually ordering it and the time it took for me to make. She knew this whole time that at some point she would be paying me. I think that she thinks I'll take pity on her and just giver her the product, but she's wrong. If I don't get the money this Friday, her product is going up for sale to the public.

Second, a woman wanted a peridot necklace. Peridots are semi-precious gemstones, and she wanted the most expensive kind. This required a lot of time to receive the stones from places like Thailand and India, and a lot of money out of my own pocket to buy these stones. When I got the main component, the most expensive ones, I showed them to her because I thought she would be pleased with the quality of them. They are really pretty.

She agreed they were pretty, but is that all I got? That's not very many. Well, I could have bought more, but like I said, they are pretty expensive, and I don't need any more than this. I did not ask for payment up front - I was going to ask for a deposit - therefore I'M the one that had to shell out the dough for these 12 beads. She sighs.

Conveniently, she keeps "forgetting" to give me the AIDS Walk check she's been promising me for almost a month. She'll say "Let me make this call and then I'll get my checkbook" but I don't see her for the rest of the day. I think she's going to try and pay for the necklace via donation. That ain't gonna happen with this expensive piece. I have it in writing that she's agreed to pay me, so we'll see if I have to call my lawyer friends.

It's these 2 bad eggs that are forcing me to change my policy on special requests. So when I'm stricter with you, blame these 2 dunderheads.