Dear art shop owners and or customers,

This is a thread about how to manage and art shop, and how to act in an art shop. I sincerely hope that some of you will take notice and spend a little time reading this.

Recently, I've noticed quite a lot of "HOMG WHERES MY ARTZZZ?!?!" and/or spamming from art shop owners. Hopefully, this thread will changed your perspective, and give a little advise as well.

 I have divided this into 3 'Sections'. The first is the Introductions. Second is for Art shop Owners, and third is for Art shop customers.

Sincerely,

Timber

P.S You can post opinions, or things I can add to this :'3

~For the Average Art Shop Owner~

How do you get customers? How do you run an art shop? How do you get the customers to keep coming back? Those are some we artists have been aked before. Keep reading for a guide to running your art shop, keeping your 'cool', and getting customers.

Be professional. Goof around all you want anywhere else, but not on your Art Commissions thread. You're running a business, so act as if you were running a business. Chatspeak and customers do not mix well. Adress your customers politely, answer questions honestly, and most importantly, stay calm. A customer is more likely to come back if he/she has had a pleasant experience with you. Likewise, you'll find more bearable to do a commission if you had a good experience with them.

Keeping your temper in check. Imagine this:

You walk into say, an art shop one day.

 User 1: "OMGOMGOMG. I WANWANWANWANWAN YOUR ARTZZZZZ. plzplzplz will u mak me artxzz?"

Art Shop Owner: "What the heck are you saying?  Learn to use proper English, my god! I don't get why I have to put up with all this chicken poop! Get away from my shop and don't come back until you learn how to speak English!!!!"

 The customer probably gonna wonder whether the owner is going to treat you like that. Your attitude is going to make or destroy commissions. A 'bad day' isn't an excuse. If you can't handle stress, leave it until you cool down. OR, talk to the customer over Rmail, NOT your thread. Arguing on your thread will scare customers andmake it an awkward situation.

All play, no work. If you were like that in real life, you'd be fired on the spot. If youre having artist's block, and just want to relax for a while, tell you customers. It's not good to keep your customers waiting and not knowing what you're doing. Keep them updated.

Don't be afraid to say 'No'. You're the artist, you know what you can/can't do. Don't be afriad to turn down a request or cancel a request. If you can't do it, it's not your fault. Sure, it'll be awkward, but better than brooding over it for days and getting both you and the customer fustrated.

Advertising and Bumps. Don't advertise every 30 minutes, saying "Plzplzplz order! I'm BORED!!" Also, please don't Rmail random users asking them to order art. They aren't going to like it. Mass Rmailing people isn't going to help anything, and your Art Shop popularity level is gonna drop like a stone.

 Also, restrict bumping. I've seen people bump their threads every 5 minutes. Patience is the key. If you know you will be away for a while, a bump or two is fine so that you don't lose your thread. We understand. Bumping, frequent advertising and mass Rmails drive customers away instead of too you.

But then where do I advertise? In your signiture, or your profile! It's a perfect way to attract customers, and if you want to make it easier for them to find your thread, supply a link with a picture (Rmail me if you want to know how to do this).

Create slots. Slots. They're the perfect way to keep your commissions limited to a number that you can handle. Don't be afraid to say "There's no more slots left." It's not gonna drive away customers, it'll encouage them to check back to see any progress you've made. It also shows customers that you update your thread, and you actually care about it. This brings us to my next point.

Keep your thread organized. No one wants to go through numerous posts of randomness trying to find examples, slots or the ordering form. If you don't have a form, please say so to prevent customers from spendgin valuable time looking for something that doesn't exsist.

Perhaps keep a table of contents on the first post if you have multiple posts for instructions, example etc.

~For the Average Art Shop Customer~

Recently, I've noticed impolite behavior from art shop customers. Rmailing the art commissioner every day, spamming on threads, repeatedly asking when the commissioner is going to start the art, and so on. Because of the general rudeness, some talented artists have decided they cannot keep up with the demand, and have closed down their art page, or are disgusted by the foul manners they have to put up with.

Politeness.  Politeness is the key to a happy customer and a happy artist. Being rude will both anger and annoy the artist. As an artist myself, I dread having to show up to face the pile of complaints, begging and whinning on my art thread. I don't care if you want the commission to be done by a specific date, and I don't care that you want me to work until I fall dead to deliver your art. If you want something done well, give the artist some time. Artists are people and they deserve the same respect you would show to fellow sb-ers or Rescreatuians.

We are people, NOT Machines. Some artists will spend a good 5 seconds on MS Paint and wonder why no one's buying there art. Now, I'm not saying that 5 seconds on MS Paint will always come out bad, as I have seen truely spectacular works of art done on MS Paint. Others will spend days, and maybe even weeks to finish a request, pouring all their efforts into the art to make it worth paying for. Then, there's always the few artists who will close down shop because they cannot keep up with the constant nagging of customers. Artists have a life outside on Res too. We have artist's block. We go through periods of time where we just can't muster up the courage to draw something. We lose our inspiration. It's normal. Artists are not robots, and they are not factories.

This one time in my art shop this customer asked me to draw them something, i was unable to so i simply said "I'm sorry, I can't draw them" But they kept coming back o.e and asking over and over.

This actually happens to me alot. Idk if this is already said in your post but its annoying...

Politeness.  Politeness is the key to a happy customer and a happy artist. Being rude will both anger and annoy the artist. As an artist myself, I dread having to show up to face the pile of complaints, begging and whinning on my art thread. I don't care if you want the commission to be done by a specific date, and I don't care that you want me to work until I fall dead to deliver your art. If you want something done well, give the artist some time. Artists are people and they deserve the same respect you would show to fellow sb-ers or Rescreatuians.

^ this -.-; 

and this v -.-;

Wait your turn and be patient. Take a look around on some of the art threads. More likely than not, you'll see people ordering art even though the artist said the slots are full. I had to add 5 extra slots one time because people neglected or didn't even bother to read the front page. I have no problem with customers not filling out a form, but if your order is complicated, it can turn into a mess while you're trying to describe it. Some artists prefer that you use a form for their sake and yours. I hate having to send 10 Rmails to a customer tryingto figure out how the wings look, what colour the shoes are and whether animal is a cat or a dog. Don't assume that just because you've ordered from the artist before, the artist will place you in front of everyone else. Commission =/= Friendship.

happens all the time rofl.