Not counting the 'quickie' banner or coro sign, what is your average turn around time for, lets say, a 3 x 7 blasted or carved sign, with installation? I seem to be 4 - 6 weeks. If we are doing stone pillars or detailed walls up to 8 weeks. Do you think that is a long time?
We usually have 15 - 20 large jobs going and it is only my wife and I.
Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
Not at all... I tell my customers "just the stages of production time for such a sign is 3 weeks min." and can take up to a month or more depending on what is involved with their sign. I usually hit it and normally I'm never a week over. (with proper customer contact of course).
If I have been given a deadline...I only agree to take the job if I know I can make it (never missed one yet).
Customers are good if you keep in contact with them, it only gets rough when they are left to wonder.
Only you know "your" production schedule for the most part I think you're very much in line.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Depends.
How much of that time is lead time before you even actually get to that job? And how much of it is actual production? How much time is spent lolly-gagging around thinking about the job but not getting to it or just procrastinating?
Here's what I would do. Take the cost of said sign, subtract material costs, then divide what's left over by your shop rate x 8hrs (a full day, $480 @ $60/hr) and that will tell you how many days you have to complete the sign and only break even on labor. That might be a good gauge or at least a starting point to see how your turn around time is, it will show you if you're blowing budgets on labor costs too.
If a job is on the books for two, three, 4 weeks before you even get to it that's a different story. That's just a backlog and if you have customers willing to wait, more power to you.
Posted by Jean Shimp (Member # 198) on :
Sandblasted signs are a minimum of 3 weeks, vinyl on PVC and vehicles are 2 weeks. Monument types are more like 6 weeks.
Posted by Tim Whitcher (Member # 685) on :
Banners, temporary signs, site signs, 2 to 10 days. Vehicles, 2 days to 2 weeks, permanent signage, 3 to 6 weeks; all depending on complexity of the jobs and of back log of work. Rush jobs welcome (if we can fit them in without compromising jobs already in production) but a rush charge of 10 to 30% may apply. I don't work Sundays. Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
I'd say as long as your customers are ok with the turnaround time, everything's fine. It's when they start screaming and calling everyday, that you need to start worrying.
Consider yourself very blessed at having that volume of work.
Posted by Suelynn Sedor (Member # 442) on :
Wow, so the 4 months some of my customers have been waiting is a little too long???
Suelynn
Posted by Janette Balogh (Member # 192) on :
hahahaaa... Suelynn, you read my mind!
Posted by John Arnott (Member # 215) on :
Here in Southern California thats way too long. It seems that people are opening next week! Every call seems to think you have nothing else to do but jump right away and start there drawings and estimates. No customers want to hear 2 or 3 days. . . .they like the word "instant". Often the first thing I ask them is how soon do they need it. . . . sorry I can't help. One time they needed 200 various size banners in 4 days. . . . .I made $32,000 by Friday!
Posted by Bob Stephens (Member # 858) on :
At any time I'm telling them between 4-8 weeks depending on the nature of the sign. If they don't want to wait I fully understand.
Posted by Rene Giroux (Member # 4980) on :
Depending on the size of the job, 4 to 6 weeks is reasonable. A larger job might be 8 weeks and an address sign could be 2...
Compare this to your favorite restaurant where you want to take your wife for an anniversary dinner, if there's a 45min line up, it becomes your call on if it's worth it. If your clients are willing to wait for you, it's because your product is worth waiting for, if they say too long and they go elsewhere... do a case study : is it your quality that's just the same as everyone, was it the price, or maybe is it better that they end up buying from your competition after all !!!
I do this a lot because I work alone all the time, but when the client has an opening and you want to do that job, throw in a free banner or temporary sign to keep them happy, they will appreciate the effort.
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
My time frame is a lot like Tim's. I do not do dimensional stuff anymore, and I don't carve. I try to do everything in a timely manner, and I could see where doing really high-end stuff would be time consuming. Vehicles- about a week from initial sketch to installation. (depending on availability of vynull) 4x8s-Hand-painted wooden ones, a week, double-sided 10 days. Vynull: about 3-5 days. Banners/Mags/Coro: 1 to 3 days. I try to work fast so that I can get my $$ fast. Too bad sometimes it spends quicker than it comes in. Love....Jill
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
3 to 4 weeks average for the average sand-blasted signs . . .
I usually say "within 2 weeks - but subject to change without notice" on everything else
I schedule and turn-around an average commercial vehicle the same day. . . they need it for work and I don't like vehicles hangin' out here . . .(wish they'd have the same consideration for me when my shop trucks in somewhere . . .) But then, sometimes I need a week according to the job . . .
The botom line is, the weather is really my boss and everything on-site is juggled around what is and is'nt gonna happen in-house . . .
(Best, most truest "excuse" for bein' really late getting the job out: "Well, it rained ALL week you know and the paint just WON'T get dry...."
Most aggrevatin' event when you otherwise could get a COD: . . .it rained all week and the paint just WON'T get dry . . . Posted by Checkers (Member # 63) on :
Hiya Jerry, We have a 4-6 week turn on larger or more complex signage. It allows us some fudge factor to accomodate the occasional rush job, vendor oops, bad weather, etc. The problem with 4 to 6 is that your client hears 4, but you really mean 5 or 6. So, try to be as upfront with them as possible. I explain that I'll give them a time-line as soon as I have confirmation from my vendors and production staff. If they need it quicker, explain that issues can arise when rushing and they can cause additional delays. If they're impatient or you can't meet their deadline, offer to make them a temporary sign or a banner at a discount. Right now, I have 1 job that's going to take me 4-5 weeks to just get all the parts in - if all goes well. I spoke with the client and tentatively scheduled the installation for the first week in December. As things move forward, I'll give them more updates.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
Posted by Nathan Rule (Member # 4887) on :
I'm with you on that one John... Sometimes 2 to 3 days is to much for people in socal. I just tell them about 2 to 3 and then call them on the 3rd and say hey i think it will be a few more days
Posted by Robert Lambie (Member # 4258) on :
quote:Originally posted by John Arnott: Here in Southern California thats way too long. It seems that people are opening next week! Every call seems to think you have nothing else to do but jump right away and start there drawings and estimates. No customers want to hear 2 or 3 days. . . .they like the word "instant". Often the first thing I ask them is how soon do they need it. . . . sorry I can't help. One time they needed 200 various size banners in 4 days. . . . .I made $32,000 by Friday!
we are the same... i know the initial question was on carved signs etc but here in scotland those type are few and far between. its all aluminium panels, panatrim frames and vinyl or perspex built up letters and the like... standard van graphics can be same day if ordered in the morning they get in afternoon fitted. we even have some customers go a walk round the shops and leave the van to be designed and fitted. we dont let the speed thing effect the standard of our work though, we are used to it by now & its not always like that but we do get it at times. mostly we work 24hrs for vehicles and 48-36hrs on large signs, "thats fitted though" i guess our name "fast signs" doesnt do us any favours
(for the record, no, we arent a member of the franchise group, our family company has been on the go about 18 years now and the we are the only fast signs one in scotland )
nice new smilies by the way Posted by Gary Hove (Member # 4970) on :
3 weeks befor I can even look at it. If they can't wait, sorry join the line up or look eles where (No foul). From sketch to install 2weeks on a small job 5 weeks on a larger job. If the cedar is instock. Oh yeah, 3 weeks working with my wife would seem like a long time..... HA HA
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
We are way out of the average on this list. Our jobs are large... make that VERY LARGE in comparison to most.
Turnaround time for design only is 4 weeks or more. I have one job which has been in design stage for a year and a half and one that has been on the board for 4 years now.
Depending on what else we have on the go customers can wait a couple of months (or longer) to get to the head of the line. We currently have customers booking up to 2 years in advance although we still have gaps in the schedule in the meantime.
Once production starts the jobs last anywhere from a month to a year depending on the size. Four or five months is the average.
=dan
Posted by Jerry VanHorn (Member # 4704) on :
Dan
our shop is probably not as big as yours, but I have in many cases worked with a customer for 6 months to a year before we start production. I have a lady that called 2 two weeks ago, I told her it would be at least 2-3 weeks before I could even think about going to her shop and discuss her signs needs. Most of the time they are impressed enough with our work (and our work load) that they are willing to wait. With over 10 shops in the region that only do vinyl on PVC we are able to skim the best work off the top and let the rest fight for the left overs.
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