posted
I did not know who she was at the time, but seven years ago she walked into my shop and ordered numbers for her mailbox. Since her home was just down the street, I offered to apply them for her.
Turns out she is the President and CEO of a major corporation in our area, and I've been doing their signs and vehicle graphics ever since. Now they are moving into their new corporate headquarters which means A LOT more signs.
I'm sure others who have been in the business as long as I have can relate to this.
Moral: Don't turn down those simple jobs, and go out of your way once in a while.
-------------------- Thom CREATIVE SIGNWORKS Lancaster,PA creativesignworks1@juno.com Posts: 79 | From: lancaster,PA usa | Registered: Dec 2000
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Seven years ago we bought our house from a local lady, she was a stay at home mom at the time.
A while later she started a job at one of the local plants and over time she worked me into doing all of there sign and promotional projects.
About a year ago she changed jobs and now I am doing all the signs, etc. for a nearby paper mill. Not a week goes by that I don't have something on the board for them.
Been trying to figure out what to buy her for Christmas!
posted
I was taking a break outside the back door of a shop I had. Hot Steamy August day. I was smoking a joint, drinking a beer (Yes, I used to do that stuff!). Fellow comes out of the office building next door in a 3 piece suit. Goes to start his car to nothing but a click. He does not have a clue as to what to do. I offer to get my battery charger. Get him going in a matter of minutes. He asks what do I owe you? I say "Nothing". Well. what do you do in there? Signs. Next day one of the managers comes over with a $2000.00 order. This was 1976. The fellow in question ran the local United Way. Since then, I did all their campaigns for about 25 years until he retired. Then I did a carved gilded sign for his Condo association. Sure glad I took that break
-------------------- Jerry Starpoli Starpoli Signs... since 1952
845-795-2438 Posts: 446 | From: Milton, NY US | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
It's called Karma. Do nice things just for the sake of doing something nice & see what good comes back to you. You just can't something expecting something in return.
I laugh at the people here who dismiss potential clients because of how they are dressed or because they wanted something simple and the signmaker deemed the job beneath them.
One of the wealthiest men in this county you will run into at the local hardware.... looking like he's about 6 months late for his haircut appointment, wearing a stained pair of jeans & a ratty flannel shirt. Most people dismiss him because of his appearance, thinking he can't afford anything nice. Truth is, he will gladly pay big prices for nice things, he just doesn't like dress clothes. Oh, and he's not at the hardware because he's too cheap to pay a plumber, he's there because he likes to tinker on his own. He'll gladly call the plumber & pay a premium to fix what he messed up.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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That is how I got one of my largest clients. He called at 5pm one day and needed 25 tiny decals. It took me all of 10 minutes to do. I hand delivered them to his office early the next morning since it was on my way to see another client. He was ecstatic. He had $2.5 million worth of equipment that could be shipped without the decals and his regular decal supplier couldn't have the needed decals to him for a couple of weeks.
I didn't hear from him again for a couple month. Then one day out of the blue we received an order that ended up being worth about $10k. We've been doing decals for him ever since.
posted
I was in need of a ride home one night after working at a races and the scorer's husband offered to help.
He was planning to start up his business in a month or so and mentioned he wanted me to do letter up his 2 pieces of equipment...a backhoe and the trailer he used to haul it with.
Today, his company is continuing to grow and he has a fleet of 15+ trucks and plenty of equipment to letter up...always by hand.
In 2004, some of you here met him...as he graciously donated his new building for the Looney Letterheads Meet. Rex and his family are good people and I'm sure those who attended the meet are happy to hear of his continued growth and success. He often asks when we will all be coming back again.
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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I would have to use some of my hapless loser vacation time for that... gladly.
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I cut out some reflective numbers for two motorcycle police officers helmets at no charge since the city was not going to pay for it. They had a hard time telling whose helmets was who's. So I did it free for them and applied it and never saw them again. About a year later I got laid off from the sign company I was working for and was going home bummed out when I didn't realize I was speeding. I got pulled over by the same motorcycle officers. He didn't recognize me so I piped up and said, "Hey you are the guys I did the numbers for" He put away his ticket book and told me to just go.
Merry Christmas
-------------------- Charles Borges de Oliveira Borges Lettering & Design Snohomish WA Posts: 352 | From: Snohomish WA | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Ah yes, I remember it well. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. And then there is this one, As ye sow, so shall ye reap. What ever you do, you will be rewarded for, good, bad or otherwise. Just my 2 pennies.
-------------------- Donald Miner ABCO Wholesale Neon 1168 Red Hill Creek Dobson, NC Posts: 842 | From: North Carolina | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
Seven years ago I got a call late one Friday night from a lady in a panic. Her usual sign company had lost her order and had just called to tell her the signs she had to have for a Saturday morning golf tournament weren't going to be ready. I drove to her office, picked up the artwork on floppy disks (it was that long ago), then drove to a neighboring town to borrow the right colors of vinyl to do the job.
I stayed up half the night to get them ready, met her at the golf course at 6 the next morning. She checked everything twice, everything was perfect and she was delighted.
That lady was the regional director of the American Heart Association and in charge of marketing. I left hearing the promises of many, many more jobs in the future.
I've never heard from her again.
[ December 11, 2007, 11:22 PM: Message edited by: Patrick Whatley ]
-------------------- Pat Whatley Montgomery, AL (334) 262-7446 office (334) 324-8465 cell Posts: 1306 | From: Wetumpka, AL USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Do nice things just for the sake of doing something nice & see what good comes back to you. You just can't something expecting something in return.
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![[Rolling On The Floor]](graemlins/rolf.gif)
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