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She: Our rink sign needs to be repainted and we really can't afford to have it done, so I was wondering if I could just follow the lines and paint it. That shouldn't be too hard. Me: Sure, it's fairly simple lettering, but you'll need to sand it back and use some primer before you do that. She: That won't be a problem. Me: Other than the fact the primer would cover the lettering. She: I could trace the lines with Jiffy marker - it would bleed through. Me: Actually there is a clear primer that supposedly stops peeling that would likely work. She: Where would I get it? Me: You can get it from any Benjamin Moore Store. I can show you the can. She: Could I just buy a little off you I won't need that much. Me: Sure, no problem. Next Day... She: My husband took that sign down, could you come with me to look at it. Me: Okaaayy...Later when she drops me off..... She: Do you think I could do it here? Me: (puzzled) At my shop? She: Yes, that way you can tell me what to do. Me: Well, things are kind of in upheaval here, I'm pretty busy and trying to move so things are all over the place. She: No problem, You could just clear off this table here. Me: Just one question, Why wouldn't you do it at the rink, there is tons of room there. She: Well I wouldn't want to bother you by making you come down there to answer questions, this way you won't be as inconvenienced when I need help, and I will need help. (Laughs) Me: Uh yeah, I never thought of that..... She: Okay, let me know which days you'll be here. You have all the sanders and stuff, do you have enough sandpaper or do I have to pick some up? Me: Maybe we can do lunch at the cafe...if you bring the groceries I'll cook, I'm sure they won't mind us using their space..... She: (incredulous look) You think?
[ May 21, 2011, 10:34 AM: Message edited by: Kelly Thorson ]
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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For reals? I'd tell her, oh yeah, okay, and your husband can mow my lawn and do other landscape work all day long, while you work in my shop.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3813 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Send her to your competitor's shop...tell her that he's set up for it and does that sort of thing all the time...he even offers "How to Restore Your Sign For Free" classes...all materials and instruction free to the public...however she sounds so out of touch that the sarcasm might go right over her head.
""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3484 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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Rusty, you've never been to Saskatchewan have you? I think Holdfast has 200 people & it's the BIG town in that area. She's moving her shop homne to Penzance because of the traffic during the commute ...... last year she met 11 pickups, one set of B-trains, 21 combines & a 190 horse John Deere pulling 5 haywagons. Oh yes, & one 1978 Buick with no rust & a cracked windshield .......that;s all. It's 45 minutes to Kelly's closest competitor.
-------------------- Rodger MacMunn T.R. MacMunn & Sons C.P.207, Sharbot Lake, ON 613-279-1230 trmac@frontenac.net Posts: 472 | From: Sharbot Lake, Ontario | Registered: Nov 2003
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Kelly, you sound like me. It's hard to say an outright flat NO. Just throw back the liability issue as a good excuse. They aren't insured to work in your shop! Can't hurt...
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Rodger...then just tell her that although this guy is 45 min away...he pays milage to all those who attend class...and along with his class comes a complimentary meal...this woman is so out of touch I bet she'll believe it.
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Actually I need to start moving things home and the guys are busy in the fields...I might just let her use my shop - she's pretty strong.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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say it with me: no, no, No, NO, NOOO, No way, No Way in Saskatchewan!!!-- you really don't even have to explain ANYTHING to her--- just say NO!!!!
-------------------- Michael Clanton Clanton Graphics/ Blackberry 19 Studio 1933 Blackberry Conway AR 72034 501-505-6794 clantongraphics@yahoo.com Posts: 1735 | From: Conway Arkansas | Registered: Oct 2001
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-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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Kelly, Kelly, Kelly . . . Hey, will you produce some signs for me for free? That's pretty much what you're doing for this woman. It is not your problem that she doesn't have dough. Guess what's going to happen after "she" finishes re-painting that sign - she's going to call herself a "sign painter" - I swear it will happen. Please follow Michael's advice - just say NO, or NO WAY.
-------------------- Kathy Weeks Weeks-End Signs & Graphics Lake Elmo, Minnesota Posts: 249 | From: Lake Elmo, Minnesota | Registered: Mar 2009
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quote:At least 6 lanes wide!!!! Enough room to drive around the potholes and not worry about oncoming traffic!
Jon, many outback Qld towns still have wide main streets- Gayndah is a great example- and the reason was you needed to be able to do a u-turn with a bullock team & waggon in it without endangering people or buildings...food for thought!
-------------------- "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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-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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Some people eh? What nerve! How ridiculous! Those gosh darn clients!
Most of us have had the odd run-in with DIY customer that thinks it's "easy" to do. If it's that easy why are they asking a professional for advice? As soon as I hear "cant afford " SEE YA! I can't afford to have my time wasted. I've learned that trying to work with people like this gets you nowhere. Why bother.
So instead give them free advice, show them what materials are used and where to buy them. Be helpfull to the cheap person to ensure they have the best materials for the job, to help them spread the word and mentality that sign making is easy, and dont forget FUN too! Down at the bingo hall on sunday night all the ladies will hear of the generous local sign maker who is eager to give out advice on how to bring your farm sign back to life for cheap!! You can do it all yourself on a lazy weekend day, just go see the signmaker for all the best advice!
This scenario cracks me up! Not at the stingy person, because we all know how cheap people can be, but at the signmaker! Actions like this just breed more and more people like this. I think it is quite irresponsible to the industry, but mostly to your own business to put up with this and to guide this person to DIY.
But it makes for a good excuse to post threads about it here! Where we can all say "darn people", "I had one like that last week", "too funny" and my fav "its a wal-mart mentality out there"." My fellow sign people will back me up and relate to this!"
Some Signmakers!
Yeesh!
-------------------- Stevo Design Illustration Logos Sign Design Clip Art www.stevo-design.com Posts: 1680 | From: Edmonton Ab Canada EH! | Registered: May 2001
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I posted this because I thought it was funny how unaware she was of her behaviour. Did you read the cafe line at the end of my post or see the razz icon where I said I might let her use my shop because she was strong.
Regardless, whether I help her or not is really not going to have any effect on the industry. I guess maybe you need to live in a small town to understand the mentality. I volunteer work in the rink kitchen to raise funds to keep it going, sometimes I do signage for free for service clubs and charitable events, other times I get paid, just as the local carpenter built the rink cabinets for free and the local electrition fixes electrical problems and other local people donate their time for whatever their talent is. If this woman wants to spend her time to spruce up the sign then more power to her.
I guess I'm missing the paranoid "someone might get the better of me gene" Whatever it is it's working for me because I have loyal clients and more work than I can handle.
But thanks for sharing your viewpoint.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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I thought that was what you liked about me Erik.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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