I've got a dilemma drawing near, and need some sage advice....but I came here anyway!!!lololol
New customer, but her family is a friend of our family. She's starting a new interior decorating business, and I'd like to do a good job, on the sign for the front of her building. The problem is, her logo(proposed) is a light blue, and a muddy gray, and she told me the building is being painted a "mauvy-gray". She's indicated to me that she likes the "look" and wants to stay pretty much with those colors.
Problem is, it's a new business, and she's NOT going to attract anyone with this dead-looking color combination. I've tried to tactfully advise her that we need to find a brighter accent color, or more contrasting color combination, so it will have some "POP"; but she's been rather resistant. She's even got grays and dark browns inside the store.
I'm torn between telling her "Do it your way" and walking away, and being more forward, and just telling her, "Listen dammit, my job is to make sure customers are attracted to your business; I want you to be successful. I can't do that, with these colors."
What would you do?
[ September 13, 2012, 12:47 PM: Message edited by: Dale Feicke ]
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Normally in those situations, I do two digital mockups - her way and my way.
My way cost less. Her way cost more.
Then let her decide.
Posted by Dan Beach (Member # 9850) on :
I like the second one myself.
Get her some examples of poor contrast signs and ask her to quickly identify the businesses. That may help drive your point home.
Posted by Eric Humphreville (Member # 4762) on :
She's an interior designer it's more important how it looks than how it works for a sign. Good luck.
Posted by Rusty Bradley (Member # 6938) on :
Glenn...once again showing off his savvy business acumen...has your solution.
Posted by Bob Sauls (Member # 11321) on :
Move them towards the better, as far as they will let you. Do the job, you can't always make the world perfect, just better.
Run if you think they are going to be trouble. If they are asking too much from you as far as your comfort zone, walk away.
I am solidly in the camp that says seldom will someone asks who made an awful sign. I do think people who are in the market for a sign suddenly become aware of them. They will be the ones who go to the trouble of inquiring about outstanding signs that they have noticed.
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
Several years ago I told a customer that my job was to make her look good and she informed me that my job was to do what she told me because she was writing the check.
She didn't have to write me a check.
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
Im in business to make a living, not feed my ego, I make suggestions and my professional opinion, but in the end I am in business to make signs for a profit.
If she is dead on those colors, make the sign, cash her check and move on to a customer that gets it.
The best scenerio is she figures it out and buys another sign from you this time, she says " I trust your judgment"
[ September 14, 2012, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
Some really good feedback, guys. I appreciate it.
First of all, there's no ego involved here. My feelings about the job, and my advice to her are based on 40 years of experience and a trust in my knowledge and abilities.
As I said, we are friends of her family, it's a new business, and I want her to succeed (as much as I can have any control over that). Her funds are not unlimited, and I want to be able to give her the best "bang for the buck."
I would like to be able to walk away, knowing this.......and (since it's in our town) be sure her business gets noticed. Also, I know that, due to the pale and "muddy" colors she's wanting, they are going to be more susceptible to fading in our hot sun. I'd like to NOT have her coming back next year, and telling me (or her family telling me) they weren't real satisfied with my work fading so quickly.
After all these years, I still care.
Posted by Bob Sauls (Member # 11321) on :
Dale, I'll just bet that your care and sincerity will come through and get her off center. Give it your best shot. Then do what you can. Serving as unto the Lord.... You know the rest.
Posted by Kevin Gaffney (Member # 4240) on :
Give her your best advice showing her a couple of proofs as previously mentioned, hers and yours. If she chooses to ignore your advice, so be it, do whatever she wants. Youv'e done your best
Posted by goddinfla (Member # 1502) on :
The customer is not always right, but the customer is always the customer. Do it her way and cash the check.
Posted by Bill Wood (Member # 6543) on :
I've lost several jobs trying to convince a customer that choices in the signage isn't very appealing to the potential customer.They went somewhere else and got what they wanted. Fix it their way as long as they pay....If you don't like it,don't put your name on it and leave it out of your port-folio.
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Dale, obviously, you always want to give the customer the biggest "bang for the buck". But YOU are still in business to make a buck.
Give the customer what she wants and cash the check.
There is a difference between a customer and a client. A customer is usually a one timer who insists on doing it THEIR way... A client is a long term client who trusts YOU to do things the right way.
Guess which is the better option?
Posted by Tony Vickio (Member # 2265) on :
I can not believe anyone would "walk" away from a job because the customer wanted their sign done a certain way and NOT YOUR WAY!'Good thing you are not a car salesman! If you liked red and someone came in and wanted a blue car, what would you do? Send them across the street to another car dealer? I've seen this before on this forum and it boggles my mind! In the past 38 years, if I walked away from jobs I did not like because of colors or designs, I would be on Welfare!Try to convince them once on an alternative, then if they still want their design...................DO IT!
Posted by Russ McMullin (Member # 5617) on :
I always try to point out problems, like when a customer wanted red lettering on a black truck. I explained how the lack of contrast was going to make it hard to read. They didn't want to change it, so we put it on the truck. Done.
Posted by Dennis Kiernan (Member # 12202) on :
Raymond sez: "she informed me that my job was to do what she told me because she was writing the check." I've always been intrigued by people who have that attitude about paying for something. Doesnt it occur to them that they're the one who comes beseeching you to help them with something they cant do themself because they lack the knowledge and experience?
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
Isn't it so sad when people spend all of their own and borrowed money to start a business. Then when it comes to the sign, they skimp or put out a really bad looking sign. And as we all know it,eventually, most of the time, after the lease is up, you see the new business gone. A "For lease" sign goes up and the whole scenario starts all over again. I think statisticly, 50% of new businesses fail and 95% fail after 5 years. Pretty bad odds.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Try a white or a black outline between the colours-to help the contrast...
Posted by Sam Staffan (Member # 4552) on :
I would take a photo of the building with the proper color on it and then drop in the two signs one at a time to see just exactly what it is going to look like instead of just picturing what it is going to look like.
Sometimes you would be surprised how well some combinations work together, plus the client gets a real feel of it also.
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
More often than not, the client takes my advice. But if their mind is made up, I do what they want.
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
Thanks guys!! Great ideas!
I'm going to take some new pictures of the building (it's just been painted) and superimpose an idea or 2 of hers with my thoughts, and let her make up her mind.
Then, regardless of my thoughts, she'll have to live with her decision. Then I'll have some ammo, if there's ever any family "feedback".
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