posted
Just a rant here. Can it be possible to say and do everything perfectly all the time when selling a sign?
Sign sold. I order the substrate. It's on backorder. It's too heavy to ship from the next nearest distributor so I notify the customer via email of the backorder.
I don't get any acknowlegment from the customer so I call said customer. Next thing I know the customer wants the sign in time for an upcoming festival.
I finally get the substrate and now I've got a week to get it out the door. I hope the paint cures before I lay the vinyl....
It's doable but there's no margin for error.
So I suppose I've got to add another expression to my sign sales that basically says:
Do you have any hard deadlines? If the material goes on backorder will you accept a substitute otherwise I can't be held responsible.
This can be a frustrating business sometimes.
-------------------- Denis de Leon Creative Signcrafters 125 Railroad Avenue, suite 4 Hightstown, NJ 08520 Posts: 128 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Jul 2005
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Had a customer stop by VERY early this morning "thinking" about droppinng his truck off to be lettered. He's been thing about it for 3 weeks and th truck is across the street from my shop. I had the artwork on file and time to sqeeze it in, so it was no problem.
He then asked if I could whip up a few signs for next Wednesday. I called another sign shop here in town to see if I could pick up some Coroplast from them since we only get deliveries up here once a month.
Tonight the truck is still in the driveway, the customer has neither stopped by or called back so I can update them on the signs. If he waits too long, he ain't gettin' them.
It never ceases to amaze me how some customers drag a job out to the point of frustration then look at you with cow eyes wondering why. Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Denis, because of that, we tend to keep a bit of anticipated material on hand- sure that costs more, but the convenience when that job comes in makes up for it. Alternately, you can say to someone thet I just happen to have a peice of ... that's this size...would that suit you?
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
over the years I have weeded out the "bad customers" and the non-payer" to the best of my foreseeing ability. I have also weeded out "no room for error deadlines" if you have a job that has no room for error your gonna have errors.
the only time things go wrong is when you dont need them too. When Im approached with these sort jobs Im upfront with them by telling them I do no have adequate time to do this and Im sorry and send them to someone else. IT IS NOT WORTH IT!.....and in case your wondering these are the same people that if you did pull their ass out of a life death situation your going to have to beg to be paid for it later
-------------------- You ever notice how easily accessible people are when they are requiring your services but once they get invoice you can't reach them anymore
posted
One thing about living in a remote area is that freight charges make getting small orders impossible. So like Ian I carry inventory.
While the downside of this is that it limits what I work with, and I have a fair amount of money tied up, the upside is that because I order in quantity I get really good pricing, and the material is always there to use.
Working with mining companies rush orders are the norm. I rarely have less then 10 sheets of Dibond, Coroplast or Gatorfoam on hand. Common vinyls I order 2 or 3 rolls at a time, same with banner. Paper I order by the skid.
-------------------- Mike O'Neill
It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value. - Arthur C. Clarke
posted
Oh come on now Denis, quit your whining! You're in an area that is probably serviced by a half dozen sign suppliers that offer regular delivery. If your regular supplier doesn't have what you need, try the next guy. I always ask the client, "when do you need the sign"? This helps me determine if I want to take the job, and if I take it, how much I'm going to charge. Remember the old saying, "good, cheap and fast, pick 2"? There's a reason for it
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Checkers, typically I'd agree with you. in this case I called the manufacturer to obtain a list of distributors in my area. Its an odd substrate and its' not carried by any of the suppliers in my area. I suggested a substitute but it wasn't acceptable to the customer.
-------------------- Denis de Leon Creative Signcrafters 125 Railroad Avenue, suite 4 Hightstown, NJ 08520 Posts: 128 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
I definitely can relate to that scenario Denis. As the saying goes, been there done that. What are you looking for (if you didn't already get it), maybe I can help you locate it.
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
One of the most important things that is rarely mentioned about completed projects, especially detailed custom oders is..... when the project is picked up or delivered there should be a line on the contract that states the following: "I, John Doe..am in total acceptance of the recieved product that has been produced by... XYZ Sign Co. on this date___________. The product is as agreed upon within all design specifications."
Somewhere along the line in the future (could be as soon as when the product is seen by a partner or spouse or whatever) the client may begin to have second thoughts about the end result and want to make attempts to do a back step and become troublesome.
CYA man,CYA
Keeps things clean and tidy at your end and it is really not asking to much of your client.
Just thought I would throw it in.
Jack
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
Forgot to mention....I have been in law suits that I have lost. In the past when I was doing murals on Vans and other moving objects, I let slide...a customer to take his van for a quick moment to pick up some 5 gallon buckets of paint. Sometime after the van was done he sued me for all the dents that had been made from the inside (buckets flying in air during a driving mishap)and won $2500.00 in damages. His Lawyer was one of my best clients. They were after $10,000. but the judge was a friend of my family.
Jack
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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