A customer in Portland pointed out my spine glue habit, now I measure everything

Last month a customer brought back a journal with the spine cracking after only 3 weeks of use, and she showed me exactly where the glue line was too thin near the hinge. I had always just eyeballed the amount of adhesive from habit, but she was right that I was skimping in that spot to avoid bleed-through. Has anyone else had a specific piece of feedback that made them change their process, or am I the only one who needed a customer to point out the obvious?

2 comments

2 Comments

theabarnes1mo ago

Eyeballing it" is just how most of us do everything until someone else proves the cheap way is costing us.

phoenix_adams601mo ago

Take that same lesson and apply it to anything else you build by hand. I've noticed people get stuck in their own rhythm, and it takes an outside pair of eyes to catch the corner we're cutting out of habit. That customer did you a favor by showing you the weak spot, even if it stung a little at the time. Now you've got a reason to measure that hinge every single time, and that's one less return you'll have to deal with down the road. It's funny how a stranger can point out the thing our own brain just skipped over for years.