Did you ever hear stories about the old sign painter in your area when you were first startin' out? About how narly and short they were to customers? I used to hear stories about these guys and how independent they were and how you had to catch them in a good mood. Well now -- I ARE ONE!!!!!!!!!
Today a gal came in with a mail box. She started out with "You remember that mailbox you lettered for me a while back (She thought maybe 10 years ago.) Shoot I can't remember last week! Well it was a black mailbox and you lettered it like this ?:;"%#@** (gesturing with her hands)--I think you had white letters with a red outline or something. Can we use the same colors again. "No", says I. She looked upset. But I carefully explained that this was a "white" mailbox not like here old "black" mailbox. Minutes are ticking by here and she looks totally confused. Finally I raised my voice slightly and said, "Just let me take care of it -- it'll be fine!"
Later Jane said, "Well aren't you the narly one!" You're right baby. Five minutes before her, a guy came in wanting a Tasmanian Devil painted on something, and Jane went into this discertation about copyright laws and all, and the guy said. "Well I had it on there before with no problem." He said that about 5 times throughout the conversation when finally I cut him short and said "We're not interested!" Duh-do-duh_duh_duh! I mean Monday or not -- I ARE ONE!!!! Just venting of course.
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
hahahahaaaa...welcome to the Curmudgeon Club!
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
Bill, ya gnarly old bastud you. I must be getting long in the tooth too, last week someone wanted me to do a Calvin peeing on an OBX sticker, I went into the copyright talk, scared him off quick. I also say lately "Just trust me. I know what I'm doing" to folks. And it's been working here & there! Next year will be 20 years for me. I'm a mean old sign-hag now. GRRRRR! Love ya Jill
Posted by Mark Casey (Member # 650) on :
I have a book called "Signpainters Don't Read Signs - Memories of and Reflections on an Ancient Art" by Syl Ehr, published in 1955. This guy tells story after story of the "old" days and the battles between the signpainters and the customers and even battles between signpainters and other signpainters for turf. Its mostly a happy book. The guy loved his work! I started painting signs in the 70's and remember turf wars in my area, but if you make signs for a living, you can relate.
Posted by PKing (Member # 337) on :
Where did you get the book Mark? he he he
Posted by Don Hulsey (Member # 128) on :
Hell Bill, you been one as long as I have known you. You're just finally starting to realize it. Posted by Bill Diaz (Member # 2549) on :
Don, If I hadn't gotten wacked upside the head with a 9 iron...........
Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :
Hey Bill,
That guy came in my shop! He did mention the attiude of some sign guys lately...that must have ment you, eh?
I told him I was not that way and asked him if he wanted a hand job! .......(His eyes wide open ...... ...... or vinyl!
sigh of relief came over his face.....
..
Then I told him its a copyright violation and I wasn't interested.
hahahahahah.
Posted by Gavin Chachere (Member # 1443) on :
this post could go so many ways at this point that it could be a zima commercial Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
Had a customer call and ask if I could wait for her (she'd be here in 30 to 45 minutes) that would make it around 5:30 I was working anyway so I said sure ...at 6:30 she was a no show so I called her and she says "Oh I thought I'd just come in tomorrow" I LOST IT..."after I wait for you for over 45 minutes"...then she offered up a lame story about being stranded with out her cell phone on the highway on her way to my shop...@#***@# strange I could reach her but she couldn't reach me...anyway I raised the price on her job about 40% the next day and she went for it...I even have the deposit.
Oh and I apologized for being "cranky"..."no problem I understand" she said.
Being Cranky (narly) can be good sometimes
Do I qualify for this post?
[ May 19, 2004, 09:02 AM: Message edited by: Monte Jumper ]
Posted by Bill Diaz (Member # 2549) on :
You qualify, Monte! Dave, I hope the guy learns a lesson! Years and years and years of people treatin' you with lack of respect makes you narly.
I still remember the first guy I threw out of my shop, and I had only been in business for a few years. I thought for sure the fact that I was narly would be on the NBC Nightly News or something and my career would be over. As luck would have it all turned out well and the guy eventually died. In a small town you have to worry sometimes how you treat people, but at times I just can't help myself. The fumes must be building up. Hey maybe that's Joey Madden's problem -- just kidding Joey!
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
Bill.... The guy eventually died? HAHAHA (at least that stopped him from bad-mouthing you all over town for being a narly old basturd) Just struck me as funny. Love...jill
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
I thought the same thing Jill.
Bill, I guess if you **** people off, look at the bright side...eventually they will die? Posted by Bill Diaz (Member # 2549) on :
Yeah, I guess that is pretty funny! That is an efficient way to keep a guy from bad mouthin' ya! If he's listenin' in from above or in his case from below, I just want him to know. YOU WERE WRONG, Jerk!!!!!!!!!
Well we're born to die, just some need to exit sooner than later! Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
I said the same thing when I read this post..."Bill! I don't believe you said that!!" I live with one "colorful" guy!! We are laughing so hard right now tears are rolling! The story behind that guy....he came in and wanted to know how to remove lettering off his semi. Bill told him to take it to a body shop. Of course that was WAY more than HE was interested in spending and so Bill said "I've heard that Easy-Off Oven Cleaner sometimes works, but I wouldn't recommend it...some times, especially on this type of metal flake finish, it can really scar up the truck". Well, guess what! The guy went home and tried it on BOTH doors. THEN had the nerve to come back here and want us to pay to have his truck REPAINTED because WE ruined his doors!! Bill said "I TOLD you not to do it!" When the guy took his finger and started "tapping" Bill on the chest, I thought, "Buddy, I wouldn't do that if I were you!!!" Bill told him to get off the lot and told him to never come back, in a little stonger language, if you get my drift! He was HOT! But the funny thing was that after the guy left, it was like Bill was giddy...it felt good to throw a jerk out!
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
I love being the gnarly sign guy!!!!
I recently had a customer ask me for a quote over the phone. Told him it was $600 to do the job and he immediately asks if I can do it for $400.
I hung up the phone.
He called back asking if my phone was not working right. I told him "I think the problem's probably on your end." He again asks if I can do it for $400...
I hung up the phone.
Agin he calls and asks what's wrong with my phone. I tell him "I can guarantee you the problem is on your end of the line." So, you guessed it, he asks about $400 again...
*click*
3 hours later he calls back and says "Is your phone working this time?" I said it had been all along. He then tells me he would go for the $600 price. I asked him how many other sign shops he had called in the last few hours. He said seven.
*click*
He immediately calls back and demands to know why I hung up. I told him "The problem on your end of the phone is that it keeps asking me to reduce my price 33%. That's my profit margin on a job like this and I'm not going to to it without making a profit. By the way, since the other 7 shops either couldn't handle it or are priced higher, guess what, it's $800 now. Call me when you have a deposit."
*click*
45 minutes later he comes into the shop with $400 cash and says "Here's the deposit. When can you get started?" So I told him point blank...
"Tommorrow. I'm slow right now."
I wish I had a frameable picture of the look on his face. Rapid
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Priceless Ray.
Posted by Bill Diaz (Member # 2549) on :
Ray -- Fantastic! It does my heart good to hear there are others!
Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Man, I laughed out loud on that one Ray! I got the last laugh in with a narly not-so-old sign painter about 5 years into my career. When I started making signs, I worked for a franchise shop. Knowing there was better, I stopped by a "paint" shop and asked for an application. The owner happened to be working the counter and asked if I had any experience. I told him about my franchise experience and he went nuts! He read me the riot act on how franchises were ruining the industry, blah, blah, blah. Needless to say, about 4 years later we met again. This time he was on the other side of the counter. His company went bankrupt and he no longer had the resources to make his own signs. I never brought up our first meeting. But, I did tell my boss and we laughed about it for quite a while.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
Posted by Greg McRoberts (Member # 3501) on :
Geezus Ray,
That's one of the best (snort, chortle, gafaw) responses I've heard! Ha!
Posted by Kent Smith (Member # 251) on :
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Just venting of course.
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I love being the gnarly sign guy!!!!