This is topic Lowballed by the ULTIMATE lowballer!!! in forum Letterhead/Pinstriper Talk at The Letterville BullBoard.


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Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
 
For the last 10 or 12 years I have been doing all the lettering and graphics for the local snowmobile club Trail groomers, trail signs, clubhouse signs etc.

Last week they called me to go take pics and measurements for the newest trail groomer.

Just got a call saying that they were sorry, but they were going to have someone else do the job. I thought it was nice of them to call and let me know and to also give me an explanation.....

Seems that the local "Ski-Doo" dealer, who I used to do work for, bought a plotter of their own. At the monthly meeting, he, as a member of the club offered to do anything they needed done for FREE!!!!

Ya can't compete with FREE!!!!

(No, I'm not upset..I appreceated their call and I can sorta/kinda understand the guy offering to do the work to help out his fellow smowmobile enthusiasts. AND it is probably a good business move on his part to build up goodwill with potential customers for snowmobiles)

[ October 17, 2005, 06:59 PM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
 

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Posted by jake snow (Member # 5889) on :
 
Well, like the old saying.."He will get what he pays for
 

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Posted by coop (Member # 504) on :
 
Dave,

Quick! join the "Club" so he can do all your work for you for FREE! Keep this guy BUSY!
 

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Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
 
Thank goodness we don't have snow here
(just some lowballers!)
 

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Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
 
Dave....no way ya gonna beat FREE!


 

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Posted by Harris Kohen (Member # 2139) on :
 
Dont even try to compete with his pricing schedule or you too will go broke.

At least it wasnt the quicky sticky up the street just lowballing your price anyway. This guy has a vested interest in the funds of the club.
 

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Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
 
FREE???? I'll see that and raise you two more frees for that job, show them!!!!!
 

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Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
 
<Ring Ring>

Hi, thanks for calling Shirl's signs, how can I help you?

Is this Dave?

Yes, sure is!

Hey Dave, this is Cheesy McCheaperson over at the Ski Doo dealer. I just bought one of them sticker cutting machines and I need you to *give* me the artwork files for the local club. I'm making all their stuff for free now.


 

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Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
 
hahahhahaa Mike....Ya know, THAT was the first thing that I thought of when I heard the news.

And I KNOW that they have no vector artwork for any of their stuff, because I had to create it myself!

Unfortunately, both of my computers got hit by lightning and my back-up DVD,s got stolen and the bank where the safety deposit box is with the really secure back-up disks just burned to the ground! I woulda been happy to oblige but I just can't!!!!
 

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Posted by Harris Kohen (Member # 2139) on :
 
Bummer man.

hehe
 

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Posted by Rene Giroux (Member # 4980) on :
 
(Imagine a gingle in the background...)

At "Ski-Doo Signs" you know it's always "Satisfaction Guarantied or your Money Back" !!!
 

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Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
 
Yesterday...
<ring ring>

Hello.

Hi, Rapid, this is D. Value, the race car driver. I really like the job you did on my car last year.

Thanks. What can I do for you?

Well, we bought a plotter this year and were wondering if you could come down and show us how to use it. We want to do lots of race cars, btu really don't have the time to learn how to use it. Remember those 4 guys you used to do over this way? We did them free this year for sponsorship.

Really?

Yeah. They didn't come out as good as your stuff, but they looked okay.
Oh yeah, what kind of equipment do we need to do the realistic flames like on your truck, too. you did a great job on them.
....
Hang on a sec...got a woman on the other line for an oil change and tune up. Can you hold?

Sure...
.
.
.
.
.
<click>

Welcome to my world, Dave!
Rapid
 

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Posted by Carl Wood (Member # 1223) on :
 
Soooo. . . .did you go take the pic's & measurements before you got the news? If so, they would git a bill from me . . .
at least for an hour of my time. I would disagree with it being a "good business move on his part" by giving away your livlihood. How much will they value that service now? Oh, any 'Ol Billy Bob can cut me out a sticker !!!
 

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Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
 
Carl..yep, I did go and take the pics and measurements. Gave them the same price as I had done their previous machine for 4 years ago. Some of these guys are and will continue to be my friends.

I absolutely don't blame them for taking advantage of the offer they got.

And I have no intention of billing them for an hour's worth of my time. Hell, some of them have fed me free beer on occasion! LOL

(and NO, the Ski-Doo dealer is NOT going to get any vector files from me...if he want's to be in the business then he can spend the time to learn how to do stuff the same way I did! )

Actually, that type of work, although very much appreciated, is definitely NOT how I make a living. If I had to depend on "clubs, organizations and one man operations" (like I actually am) then I would have taken up another line of work a long time ago.

That type of work is too seasonal, too personal and too unpredictable for me.

I like the corporate work. It is reliable, repeat, pays fairly well and is easy to do once you get past the initial "bidding" process.

Someone once said that it is better to wheel and deal with the person who ISN'T signing the cheques and I believe he is correct. (OOOP's..I think I might have said that! )
 

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Posted by Steve Eisenreich (Member # 1444) on :
 
Time for you to start giving away skidoos that would fix his wagon.
 

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Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
 
Steve!!

Just had a thought...Since I don't care much for snow...maybe if he gave me a free SEA-DOO I would be so grateful that I'd not only show him how to vectorize..I'd even GIVE him all my files for the club!!!!

Now THAT would be a cool deal!!!

(Gotta point out, again, that I am NOT upset about this thing at all)
 

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Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Dave Grundy:
Unfortunately, both of my computers got hit by lightning and my back-up DVD,s got stolen and the bank where the safety deposit box is with the really secure back-up disks just burned to the ground!

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I hate when that happens.
 

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Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
 
dave i just got a call from that sno mobile dealer....he bought a roland and want me to help him set up to cut from a copy of corel his kid pulled down off the internet!!!!!!! what should i do.....hehehehehehehe
like i keep tellin all you good folks, its now commin your way, we down here been dealin with this crap for 10 years now....
i lived in sarasota....and a sign painter friend of mine i helped him get set up with plotter/computer/ vinyl....he did all the work for the local BUDWISER BEER DIST. most of you know these aint small time companies. my freind get a call one day....from the guy who used to call him for sign work from this dist....wanting rick to come down to the dist and TEACH THE $5.50 AN HOUR EMPLOYEE HOW TO MAKE SIGNS WITH THERE $20,000 WORTH OF NEW EQUIPMENT that BUDWIESER HAD THEM BUY to do in house graphics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i wont say what rick told them!!!!
 

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Posted by Donna in BC (Member # 130) on :
 
LOL Coop!

LOL Dave!

LOL... FREE!
 

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Posted by Steve Purcell (Member # 1140) on :
 
Didn't you mean ultimate snowballer?

 

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Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
 
Sounds like it's time to open a shop selling deeply discounted Ski Doo Doo parts and accessories as a countermeasure.
 

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Posted by Carl Wood (Member # 1223) on :
 
Hey Old Paint - a friend of mine around here had about the same "opportunity" to go work for Budweiser/Distributor - to TRAIN their employees to compete with his own business. They provide Mom & Pops with FREE banners as long as they sell their beer - I have even lost out on a few jobs over this - sorry, can't do free . . . .my buddy told 'em to shove it - sorry don't know a more polite term at the moment - - -
 

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Posted by FranCisco Vargas (Member # 145) on :
 
Dave, I remember a Night Club Lounge owner invited me to see his show cards signs he had in his entrance to the club, he wanted to know if I could make signs like that. I said sure, then he said my friend did them for me, can you beat his price? I asked how much did he charge you, he said FREE. I said "the only way I could beat his price was if I did them, and PAID YOU!" but not today, call your friend. He said he wasn't around anymore. Oh well.....
 

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Posted by Dawud Shaheed (Member # 5719) on :
 

quote:

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Someone once said that it is better to wheel and deal with the person who ISN'T signing the cheques and I believe he is correct. (OOOP's..I think I might have said that! ) [/QB]

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You, sir, Are absolutely correctomundo!
As A matter of fact, I try not to wheel and deal at all with those guys, just ask what they need and hand them a bill at the end of the job. It works most of the time.
 

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Posted by Deb Fowler (Member # 1039) on :
 
Right on, Dave. Those lessons all get filed in my "don't eat the yellow snow" files, to pass on to future generations.
Gee, I have to start a file of "things to avoid" since they reoccur every couple years to haunt us.
 

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Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
 
Hey Dave,
really, this is great to know this guy . . . now when those dedicated bargain-huntin'-low-price-hungry, tire-kickers come in, you can immediately send them to the guy who does stuff for free!!
Gee, you'll actually MAKE money not havin' to spend any time with those people . . .
 

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Posted by Brian Diver (Member # 1552) on :
 
That would be fun to be a fly on the wall at the skidoo place when Bubba walks in and bellows - I need some O'them sticky thangs to put on my twuck & snowmachine to makem look cool. Someone said you do'em for free, now gimesome!

OP our Bud distributor has a new printer and are cranking out nice looking free banners now (in addition to the crapy looking ones) for free. If the bars had to pay for them it would clean up the city immensely.
 

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Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
 
I agree with Mr. Grundy. If people like that can be called "the competition", there's a huge problem and that problem is NOT the Skidoo dealer with a plotter. Does anything seriously think that Saks Fifth Avenue pays any attention at all to Target and Walmart? Same basic service, different market.

[ October 19, 2005, 05:48 PM: Message edited by: Don Coplen ]
 

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Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
 
$10,000 SIGN PYRAMID GAME SHOW:


CLUES:

Things that are tacky . . .

Things that are temporary . . .

Things that are extremely cheap . . .

Things that are free . . .


Answer: THINGS THAT CREATE SIGN ORDINANCES!!!!!
*crowd roars applaus over win*
 

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Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
 
huh?
 

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Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
 
Hey Don..Ya doesn't have to call me MR!!!

I call you Don...except when I am refering to someone who knows how to draw in vector format...THEN I call ya GOD!!

But I NEVER call ya MR!!!!!!
 

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Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
 
I know how to pull your chains, Dave. lol I knew "Mr." would get ya.
 

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Posted by Carl Wood (Member # 1223) on :
 
Sheila - THANK YOU !
Sad but true.
 

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Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
 
In OP's neck of the woods, someone would have done it for half of free!
 

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Posted by Don Coplen (Member # 127) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by David Harding:
In OP's neck of the woods, someone would have done it for half of free!

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