Yesterday while at one of the dealerships we do quite a bit of work for, someone other than my usual contact needed to talk to me about a sign.
His first question was:
What color of signs do you have?
“Well...we have 2 blue ones 3 yellow 1 red...no wait...we just sold the red one yesterday and we won’t be getting any more of those in for a few weeks”
Is this really a dumb question...is it too much to think everyone realizes most signs are custom made to just about any color you would want or need?
Just a thought to ponder...
Jeff Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Actually, its not so dumb given the changes in today's sign industry.
I think that the question derives from people's experience with some franchise shop or similar beast
We have one former franchise shop who turned independent here. He has maintained the same formula of offering only a limited number of color panels and such. He does very little custom stuff and doesn't want to. Surprisingly, this has worked out for him very well because he's able to turn out work faster and often at a lower price than I'm willing to do. Its just a niche that he's very happy to stay in.
.
Posted by Jill Marie Welsh (Member # 1912) on :
It's actually a little of both, Jeff. It's NORMAL to get DUMB questions like that every day here! I still treat these folks nicely, tho, their $$ spends as well or better than those who come to me using "smart" words like font and signage and substrate. Most people who ask that are pleased to know they can have almost any color sign they want from me, as long as it's not a rush job. Love.....Jill
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
...I charge extra if they insist on BLACK copy on a WHITE background.
Posted by Rene Giroux (Member # 4980) on :
Dumbness is a normality now... just yesterday I had one asking me, after seeing a sketch I did for a directional sign, if he could add an arrow pointing to the right. I said: man you're in luck, the arrows pointing to right are on sale this week !!!
He kinda grined a little and realized what he said...
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
That's not dumb at all.... Wait till one asks for a sign which is already made up with whatever copy they want on it...
And I don't mean "for sale"
Posted by Teresa Bostic (Member # 6214) on :
The one I run into most often is ring....ring..... Good afternoon, Bilbrey Signs! Yes,....ummm...a.....do you make signs?
I spent 20 minutes on the phone the other day trying to explain that it didn't matter which side of the sign the power supply was coming in, because the sign was double faced. Bless his heart, he just couldn't see it.
Posted by mike meyer (Member # 542) on :
Jeff, show them a sketch of that sign you did for the Winter Muster....That will confuse him. It has many colors on it. Maybe he can figure it out.
Posted by Jeff Spradling (Member # 1615) on :
I thought ya lost that Mike...did ya find it...or is it just haunting you?
Jeff Posted by mike meyer (Member # 542) on :
Haunting
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
There are no dumb questions, only dumb people.
Posted by Tracie Johnson (Member # 6117) on :
This is one I've received more than once over the years: I give the customer an ink jet print out of their proposed sign and they ask, "Is this the actual size?" or, "I need the letters bigger than that."
Posted by KARYN BUSH (Member # 1948) on :
or you get the call..."yeah how much for a sign??"
me "gee i dunno how much for a house?"
then i usually say..."depends on what kind...how big, how complicated the artwork, what material, 2 sides or one" by now they realize how dumb the question was and we both usually laugh.
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
The only really dumb one I get is.....
Ring.....
"Creative Graphics. May I help you?"
"Is this Doctor Pruden's office?"
.
Posted by James Donahue (Member # 3624) on :
More than once, while selling a two sided sign with arrows, I've had to take two pieces of paper, each with an arrow facing opposite directions, and put them back to back to convince a customer that's how the arrows should be.
Sometimes they're STILL skeptical, and wnat to hold the papers themselves to see if I'm tricking them. I have to tell them I don't relish return trips to change arrows pointing the wrong way. Posted by lolita leblanc (Member # 3453) on :
I have a few samples of house signs to show my cutomers. Once I had a guy tell me he wouldn't buy a sign from me because he wanted it brown and I didn't have a brown one to show him...
Posted by james chrimes (Member # 5864) on :
I love the people who want you to build the sign so they can see what it will look like and decide if they want to buy it or not. (hence deposit)
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
I'm going to defend the dumb people because I resemble some of these remarks. I think we all say stupid things when we have something in mind, but words fail us. Being nervous contributes to the problem.
I think most of the time when someone says something that doesn't make sense, it comes from a thought that does make sense.
With regard to customers asking dumb questions right after you answer the phone, you might consider how well you articulate your greeting. Many, many, many times I have had to ask the person on the other end to repeat what they just said because it came out as a slurred mess. The same is true for people that leave messages on my voicemail. They are so familiar with their own name and number they try to get it overwith as quickly as possible. Then I have to replay it 6 or 7 times before I can decipher it. When I leave messages I try to clearly state my name and number at a speed where someone could comfortably write it.
Posted by Tom Rose (Member # 606) on :
About a month ago a young guy came in for a " windshield sign " He wanted the name of his favorite song across the windshield. He was in a hurry and asked if I had any on hand, and in what colors! I was polite and told him I had to make them up and that they are not a stock item. He was going to think about it...
I guess I really should cut about 30,00 song names in at least 50 colors! In various sizes of course.
This is why I have a sign on my door that states that I only work for commercial accounts. This guy probably didn't read it anyway!
Posted by Tom Rose (Member # 606) on :
About a month ago a young guy came in for a " windshield sign " He wanted the name of his favorite song across the windshield. He was in a hurry and asked if I had any on hand, and in what colors! I was polite and told him I had to make them up and that they are not a stock item. He was going to think about it...
I guess I really should cut about 30,00 song names in at least 50 colors! In various sizes of course.
This is why I have a sign on my door that states that I only work for commercial accounts. This guy probably didn't read it anyway!
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
quote: Is this really a dumb question...is it too much to think everyone realizes most signs are custom made to just about any color you would want or need?
It is too much these days. The majority of people out there these days have these common misconceptions about the sign industry...
*Most signs are custom made.* Not these days. Key word there is "MOST". The majority of the signage out there these days is far from what many would consider custom...simple layouts, lower cost materials and a whole lotta the same look to them. IMHO, I can't blame a customer for asking this question. A burgundy, mauve or magenta backround on a sign is a rarity these days, and with their day to day exposure to red and black on white signs, it's no wonder they ask.
Just about any color you would want or need also has been replaced with "any color the supplier can get to me in 2 days or less". Let's face it. The sign business has become more and more about speed...how fast can you get it done. Unless you can have it in from the supplier next day without a big shipping bill, into the "special order" catagory it goes...hence, it's gonna be a week to ten days before they can get it to you.
So, either you or the customer will back off on the color choices (and often the design) and go for the faster turnaround.
Face it. As much as we'd like to educate the customer, they've already been brainwashed for years. Vinyl wins, cheaper is not only better, but easily obtainable by shopping around the mall section of town where the lowballer-price-wars continue, and "IOAFS" is now the mindset of the customers. Upselling has gotten damn near impossible these days.
Not that all of us couldn't do better work....but in a lot of instances, we aren't asked to.
Stepping off soapbox... Rapid
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
I occassinally get someone asking for the bus to come pick them up.......the reason: I do the buses in town and put Vision GRaphcis and the phone number on the back. It doesn't matter that the phone number for the bus line is all over the bus. They just see my little 12 x 18" advertising on the back lower corner and call that number.
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
Maybe it's time to turn the tables. Call a mechanic, asked him if they can give your motor and tranny an over haul... while you watch, so that next time you can just do it yourself. Or hire a plumber, tell him that you will provide the tools and pipes he's gonna need so he won't have to charge you his regular hourly rate.
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