posted
This is the second time this happened to me. The largest GM dealer in town has a vinyl cutter and will letter new commercial trucks for free. A long time customer of mine called yesterday morning telling me that they have a new truck that they would like me to do. I tell her just stop by on the way back for the dealer and we will take a pic and measurements and get it done.
In the afternoon, she pulls in driving her Subaru and has a not so good look on her face. She comes in and asks me if I'd send them a copy of their logo. Now, it is THEIR logo. I never designed it and the original vector file was theirs. She was very apologetic and actually pi$$ed but the decision was not hers. Free is free, I can't compete with that.
My only question is whether to write a short sharp statement to the dealer about taking business away for much smaller local businesses or just send it an keep my mouth shut.
-------------------- Bill Modzel Mod-Zel screen Printing Traverse city, MI modzel@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1357 | From: Traverse City, MI | Registered: Nov 1998
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Boy, I can sympathize with that scenario Bill.
The only thing I can say is that the dealer probably bought a cheap-arse US Cutter brand plotter and uses the cheapest vinyl they can get their hands on.
So, hopefully their Chinese cutter will break down or not function correctly within the next few months... and after a short time the vehicle lettering will begin exhibiting the problems associated with inferior materials....and the customers will show their dissatisfaction by returning to you.
You might, as you suggest, contact them and see if you can strike some sort of deal with them. Probably futile though - because they already have the equipment, and as slow as it is, they have lots of time to play with their fun new 'sticker' toy.
Good luck and let us know how this unfolds.
-------------------- Todd Gill Outside The Lines Potterville, MI Posts: 7792 | From: Potterville, MI | Registered: Dec 2001
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How can you fault a business that is doing something to try and ensure their survival in this economy? I know it bites into your bottom line but what are you going to do about it?
IMO... If I got a short yet sharp statement from someone, I would, most likely, write it off to sour grapes. I would advise against doing that.
-------------------- 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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Lots of things are free and have as much value. I am surprised to hear you say this Bill as if we don't have more to offer than vinyl letters like the dealer does. Do I need to itemize here and list all the value you get from a qualified sign company beginning with design, knowing the correct materials, servicing and being in the same business years from now. (Much more I know.)
But I assume for many people the allure of free will be like a siren song to them and not much you can do about that segment.
As for me, I offer a free oil change and lube job with every van and truck lettered.
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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Thanks guys, I appreciate your input very much. File sent without comment. Hopefully, their next truck will be a Ford and all will be right with the world again.
I have 4,000 Buried Pipeline decals to print. Time to make some money.
-------------------- Bill Modzel Mod-Zel screen Printing Traverse city, MI modzel@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1357 | From: Traverse City, MI | Registered: Nov 1998
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Bill, unless they've gone and hired an experienced sign guy that is out of work, there's no way in the world their work is gonna look good... and you are still going to get a lot of work.
So maybe you could offer a 'special'....
I'd keep my eye out for new vans they've done. If it looks shoddy or simple, I'd actually walk up to the customer, hand them a business card and say (very nice and friendly like)... "I see you have a new van, was it lettered by the dealership?"
When they say "Yes", you say, "I thought so, I can always pick them out."
When he says, "How's that?", you say, "Well, the vinyl they use is very cheap... that 'free lettering' thing is to get you IN the door, but once you buy, all they want to do is get you OUT the door, so they all look the same. By the way, I'm running a special on re-lettering these vans with a good design and high-quality vinyl."
He'll say, "Well, I'll probably leave this on a couple years, then get you to change it..."
You say, "If you leave it on longterm, the paint is going to change colors a little bit around those letters, and you'll be stuck with an imprint of that bad design forever. Also, once that cheap vinyl starts cracking in the sun, it's very hard to get off so the price will go up, so come in as quick as you can."
Probably won't work that often, but at least you can feel a little satisfaction of instilling some doubt in their customers mind about how 'AWESOME' their free lettering job was....
Also put a banner up that says "FREE ISN'T FREE IF IT COST YOU IN THE LONG RUN" "Come talk to us before you get your 'FREE' lettering." Maybe it will may people curious and they'll stop in...
[ May 13, 2009, 10:13 AM: Message edited by: Jon Jantz ]
-------------------- Jon Jantz Snappysign.com jjantz21@gmail.com http://www.allcw.com Posts: 3395 | From: Atmore, AL | Registered: Nov 2005
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Don't sweat it Bill, it's something we all face sooner or later.
However, here's a different twist or approach for ya...
Since the dealerships are hurting and looking to cut costs, why not offer to letter their trucks on a commissioned basis?
You can work directly with the end user and send the dealership a "finders fee" for every sale you make through them.
The dealer can use the "finders fee" to throw the occasional client a bone or "freebie" and they don't have to maintain their inventory or equipment or pay their staff to letter vehicles when they could or should be making the real profit on repairs.
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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Checkers, Now that may be a great service to offer some of the competing dealers in town!
-------------------- Bill Modzel Mod-Zel screen Printing Traverse city, MI modzel@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1357 | From: Traverse City, MI | Registered: Nov 1998
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It's just a sign of the times, Bill. The car business is in bad shape. Dealers are having to offer every incentive they can imagine to get customers in the door.
With hundreds of thousands or more dollars of overhead, they are hardly going to care a bit about you/us.
Hopefully, and probably, the work they do will suck; and you should be able to capitalize on that. From what I understand, Obama the omnipotent himself will come out and do the installation personally. With all the other stuff he has to do, he'll probably botch this job also.
Keep your chin up...
-------------------- Dale Feicke Grafix 714 East St. Mendenhall, MS 39114
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Posts: 2963 | From: Mendenhall, MS | Registered: Apr 1999
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Why would you even bother to send "THEIR" file. I wouldn't. That would be ANOTHER free service to them. I would have just smiled and said OK, but never send it. It took you time to get it. It took you time to open it. Etc. Tell them to get it from the source you got it from. So they can spend time in it, not you. Sometimes it just dosen't pay to be the nice guy.
-------------------- John Arnott El Cajon CA 619 596-9989 signgraphics1@aol.com http://www.signgraphics1.com Posts: 1443 | From: El Cajon CA usa | Registered: Dec 1998
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I can understand Bill's frustration with what he is experiencing....
But...
I have to disagree with you John....
quote:Tell them to get it from the source you got it from. So they can spend time in it, not you. Sometimes it just dosen't pay to be the nice guy.
Over the years, I had requests for files that I had, whether I had done the design or someone else had done the design.
I was always the "nice guy" and sent what was asked for.
Strange as it might sound, I built up a very nice, loyal, client base by being the "nice guy".
To paraphrase real estate agents who say "location, location, location"
I say "service, service, service" (and charge accordingly of course)
You may lose one job by being the "nice guy", but in my experience, you will be the one that they call when the "other guy" doesn't deliver what the customer has been used to from you.
I am quite happy being retired and have no interest in getting back into the "game", but I know that if I wanted to, I could create a brand new client base that was lucrative in a couple of years.
SERVICE SERVICE SERVICE!!!
edited for spelling (Hey OP, you might try that some time!!! LOL)
[ May 14, 2009, 07:42 PM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
-------------------- 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
I agree with you Dave, Service them and always make them feel that they are important. My customers have been super loyal to me and when It comes down to it, they are the ones paying my bills. They can go anywhere to anyone, but if my design is better, my service is better and they feel better about dealing with me because I don't make an issue about every little request of theirs, then why would they go somewhere else? Price you say? maybe, but my bills are paid and I have work lined up. I charge for what needs to be charged, but I know of Sign people who,when a file is requested by them by a customer who paid for the design, (because customers do lose files) They will charge a $25 fee to email over the file or burn the disc. I just don't operate like that. To me, that $25 could cost me the next $300 or $3000 job that customer might bring somewhere else because I charged them to send an email. But yes, people do that. Our time is valuable for sure, but pick your battles. I'm not that hard up for $25 in exchange for 2 minutes of my time for a customer who might send me thousands of dollars worth of business in a year.
posted
Not to worry, Bill. By tomorrow the dealership may be out of business anyway...
General Motors is expected to mail letters this week notifying its dealerships across the country whether or not they’re on a list for closure.
"In a bid to make the company more financially viable, GM has announced a plan to cut 400 dealers per year until 2012." The company "hasn't set specific elimination criteria yet, but the automaker will base its decision on the age of the dealership, location, volume, and customer satisfaction."
Today, Chrysler announced the closing of nearly 800 dealerships. Here is the complete list of closings in alphabetical order by company name.
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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Should have sent them a 2 x 2 inch 72 dpi gif file.
Hey that's what I get all the time. I know.... my bad.
I was going to say the same thing Ray said, but if they are the largest GM dealer in town they may not be on the chopping block for a while. But I'll bet my little dealer here in Crystal Falls will be.
[ May 14, 2009, 08:39 PM: Message edited by: Dave Sherby ]
-------------------- Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 sherwoodsign@sbcglobal.net Posts: 5397 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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i'm in agreement with john on this...unless of course you get alot of other sign business from them. but, if that's not the case then let them go to the original source. or you could say, well i charge a $25 fee for that. if some people don't think that's fair then too bad...life isn't fair.
[ May 15, 2009, 08:59 AM: Message edited by: KARYN BUSH ]
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Thanks again for all the input. There are a few things I ultimately took into consideration. 1) The truck is normally a $180 slam dunk two color edge print so it's not like I was loosing a huge chunk of money. 2) I've always dealt with the same woman. She's one of those great up front gals who keeps all the gears turning over there and she was ****ed that her boss took the deal, so she's on my side. 3) They buy an assortment of vehicles and job trailers so it's not likely that I won't be doing future jobs for them. 4) If I jumped all over the dealers case and he passed on my rant to the customer, it could isolate the owner enough that he may tell his girl to find another supplier for the future work. 5) Some days, like Dave and Dawud said, it's just better to be the nice guy.
-------------------- Bill Modzel Mod-Zel screen Printing Traverse city, MI modzel@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1357 | From: Traverse City, MI | Registered: Nov 1998
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We don't have any Car Dealers with vinyl cutters's around here, but I have lost alot of business due to the local Beer and Soft Drink Distributors getting a Large Format Inkjet Printer, gone are all those banners for events, bars and liquor stores, they get them for free upon request from the distributors. One local distributor resisted buying one because he figured he would have to add another employee, but the large breweries told him they would no longer provide banners only the generic artwork to print from.
-------------------- Silver Creek Signworks Dick Bohrer Two Harbors, MN Posts: 236 | From: Two Harbors, MN USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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