You would think that after all these years I would have heard it all...but this one was new to me.
Around noon on Saturday I get a call from a landscape company and they have a truck that needs some "stickers". He's on his way and will be at my place in about an hour to get signs put on his new truck.
"I can't do the job this afternoon but we can schedule it for later and work up a design for you."
No, we need it this afternoon and the truck goes on the job early Monday morning. We want it to be just like our other vehicles, so no design is necessary.
"OK, I'll need to see the other truck so I can match everything."
Don't you just cut the stickers with your computer? Our other sign guy just cut them with his computer and stuck them on when we came by. We will have a ton of work for you when we get our other trucks.
"Yes, we can cut the design but we have to have a sample of what you want."
Well, just get it off your computer...you have a computer don't you? (Somehow, he thought computers came with everyone's lettering already on it - just cut and stick).
After explaining the process, he more fully understood that we didn't have "stickers" on a shelf.
Well,I guess we can just come by early Monday morning and you can stick on the stuff.
After suggesting that he just go to the "sign guy" that had done his work previously, it seems that he was no longer in business. Wonder why?
I guess I missed out on a "whole lotta work".
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
Man, you really blew that one, Ray! They could have thousands of trucks in the future.
Makes you wonder, doesn't it? There must be some credence to "the dumbing-down of America."
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
i had a client callme a week ago sat at 3 PM.......tells me he just picked up the CHURCH VAN from the paint shop(you ready for this one?) and wanted to bring it over(3 pm sat)so i could letter it so they could use it sunday morning)))))) NOW i will admit, wasnt nothing fancy, I HAD ALL the lettering in the computer, as i did the same van little over a year ago.......so no design time just pull it up and cut, weed, tape and apply.....it got done WEDNESDAY MAR 26.........sat he called, hennie and i were working in the yard......
Posted by Donald Miner (Member # 6472) on :
Well, well, so the old "We have a lot of trucks, if you can get this one right now, we will give you all our business" story. I have heard that line so often, I could have retired several years ago, if it had been true. Oh well, have a great day, Peace, Don
Posted by bill riedel (Member # 607) on :
Lots of trucks in the near future, must be a line from a book on how to fleece an honest sign painter.
Posted by Dan Beach (Member # 9850) on :
You should have printed sticker that say your company name and slap those on there...
Posted by Shirley Carron (Member # 2446) on :
OP, Aren't you concerned about the paint not being fully cured? I always thought it not a great idea to decal a freshly painted vehicle. The paint may be dry, but the fumes still come off until it cures for a for while.
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
[ April 01, 2014, 06:03 PM: Message edited by: Sonny Franks ]
Posted by Bruce Crawford (Member # 495) on :
I had that customer last year, they cancelled when they heard the price and my requirement of a 100% non-refundable deposit.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
shirley.....YES & NO.... YES..... some automotive paints need to out gas. these are older ENAMELS/ACRYLIC ENAMELS. NO the newer URATHANE....either single stage or base coat clear coat....(single stage meaning there is no clear over the base)can have vinyl applied as soon as 72 hours. in the case of this van.......it had already set bout a week before he went to get it. and when i saw what a crap job of painting he paid for.........there was nothing i could do to hurt it)))))))
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
Sonny, I've heard all that designer talk many times before.
One interior designer wanted me to paint a square logo on a wall that was 10' x 40' and wanted it to cover the entire wall - not multiple times, just once. She never could understand why I couldn't do it.
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
I had a lady come in, years ago, who said she wanted a banner which said simply "Jesus" on it. I said that I could do it and she asked to see the banner. I pulled a blank banner out of the box on the shelf and showed her the material. She asked me to unroll it so she could see the rest and I said "it looks the same all the way through" to which she said "I want to see what's on it". When I replied "It's blank...doesn't have any words on it" she said "It don't say Jesus on it?" Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
Had a lady call me about a "Happy Anniversary" banner - 3' x 8' with 36" tall letters. I tried to explain but when she said to make them 30" instead I referred her to a company down the road..... (who probably complied)
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
People are getting so into thinking that everything has to be ready in two minutes or less. It's the fast food society mentality. Now that I am semi retired, I go a bit slower. I just had a guy drop off a Harley and the tanks, fenders etc. from another Harlry. I might not even look at them until friday. I plan on striping them on Sunday. And why, because he said he needs them back right away.
Posted by Chuck Peterson (Member # 70) on :
I had a lady recently showing me the font she liked by drawing it in the air with her finger.
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
I had a Guy call and ask me to do a Design on a New Freightliner just before Christmas.. he was in a Hurry because the owner of the company was going out of town in a day or so.. he said they have one truck coming up and had 3 more down the road.. I did up a couple of designs and never heard back.....but after christmas he called again to get another revision.. I sent off another proof, a few weeks later I got a call from them again and said they had a truck bought and asked if I could get it done the next week... I said "Sure!" Sure enough I got the Job and completed it and got a cheque and less than 5 days for over a grand... they said Great work, but theybought an old ambulance to be converted for their own use.. anyway I did that the next week... sure enough payment was Prompt! over a grand again..... and then 2 weeks ago they said they had bought the other 3 Brand Spanking new freightliners.. all I had to do was get them done exactly the same way as the first...but in a weeks time if I could... No Problem.. got them done in 4 days... emailed the bill, in 2DAYS i got the cheque for all 3 of them...one of the best new clients I ever did work for...so it's not always true what people say...
[ April 03, 2014, 08:38 AM: Message edited by: Neil D. Butler ]
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
And then this morning at 11:00 a local air brush artist wants to know if I can cut some vinyl stencils for a motorcycle tank he's doing. Shows me a highly detailed custom logo that needs to be 3" x 6" - making some of the lettering about 1/8" tall. I explain that I need to scan and then digitize everything.
He almost faints at the price, but reluctantly asks when he can come back and pick it up. "Not today" says me, but he explains that the owner is coming to pick up the tank at 3:00.
I wonder why these things bother me more now than they did 50 years ago?
Posted by Chuck Peterson (Member # 70) on :
Raymond, I don't know either. I'm 61 now and early December I had a ruptured appendix with complications and was in the hospital for two weeks. I stayed pretty calm through the whole ordeal and just stayed positive. I wonder when I'll learn to do that with some of the little problems.
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
The guy with the Harley stuff that I had mentioned earlier, is a friend of one of my truck customers. Being that I was going to letter/stripe his buddie's Kenworth, he thought that on the same day, at the same crowded shop and poorly lit shop, I could do the work on his Harley's, silver leaf stripes, lettering and some pinstriping. Right now his stuff is sitting at my shop. Tomrrow his Harley is going to be put in the corner to make room for a log truck I have coming out.
Posted by Roy Frisby (Member # 736) on :
All this proves what has been said before, "You can't fix STUPID!"
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
