The Letterville BullBoard: How do you go about offering different services to your customers?

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

Hi everyone,

I'm getting into that rut where I feel I need to offer more service to my customers to feel like I'm giving them the best product for their needs. Here's an example.

An eye glass place requested lots of labeling for their display cases. Lots of info signs in the rest of the office too.

The office is very upscale so plain vinyl smacked on the walls is not what I feel is in their best interest. I invisioned what would look good and came up with engraved name plates. Having no idea what was avail, I offered to look into it and then hopefully bring them a sample or at the very least a full color brochure of what I had in mind.

After searching out the options, I realized there's so much design potential in the name plate biz as well. I must have an overactive imagination because what I saw avail disappointed me big time. I know I can do better than what's readily avail. Now I just have to figure out how.

Here's my question. When a customer's needs requires a service you don't readily provide and you are required to do alot of footwork to get the idea off the ground to make it happen, how do you personally go about it? Turn the work down? Attempt to find out more on your own time and chalk it up as money in the bank for next time? Or charge accordingly for your time while you scout out what's avail?

The reason I'm hesitating charging for my time is because my customer would have been more than happy to have vinyl stuck to her walls. All the brass and glass and high end furnishings screamed to me not to go that route. I even walked her outside and have encouraged her to seriously think about a whole new look for the outside of her building too, which is sadly neglected compared to the inside.

I'm starting to think that this much potential of work just in one location requires more like a specialized design type of service rather than signmaker status.

I'd love your thoughts on how you handle 'the unknown' you know you're capable of once you figure it all out.

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Graphic Impact
Abbotsford, BC, Canada
gisigns@sprint.ca

Posted by Larry Elliott (Member # 263) on :

Donna,
There's lots of products and proceedures we are not capable of doing in-house but we do know where to out-source them. You'll find there is good profit in 'consulting' and getting your clients what they want. If you can create the concept and sell it to your customer there are lots of places to acquire the materials. Dealing with reputable sub-contractors is a MUST, although they may be doing most of the work, it is your name that is on the line when you take on one of these projects.
In place of engraved name plates, you could order some clear plex and put vinyl lettering on the back, looks classy and is easy to make. If you can't cut the plex and finish the edges, then you can order the pieces from an engravers supply.
We only have one rule when it comes to helping a client, and that is 'can we make a profit?' You may have a little extra time in the first round but consider it a learning experience in researching what is available. I had rather design and have someone else do the manufacture and installs anyway. Not that I don't like to have hands-on but we as small shops can't afford the equipment to do everything in-house.

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Larry

Elliott Design
McLemoresville, Tn.

If you can't find the time to do it right,
where gonna find the time to do it over?

Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :

Donna...When my largest customer built new facilities, which included two stories of beautiful office space, the local government inspectors told them about all of the warning and directional signs that were required to installed. They COULD have bought them from a supplier of generic signs but thought they would look tacky when stuck all over the walls and doors of the offices. They asked me to come up with a solution and I did what Larry suggests. I had my supplier cut and edge finish a bunch of clear plexi plates to the correct sizes. I then applied the vinyl lettering in the colours that the inspectors insisted on (red for danger warning etc.) I then applied various coloured vinyl on the back so that the background would compliment both the lettering AND their office colour schemes. They loved it. Now I am not just the guy who "stickers" their trucks and trailers, but also the guy they call for ALL of their sign needs. And they respect my judgement in how things should be done.

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Dave Grundy shop#340
AKA "applicator" on mIRC
"stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!"
in Granton, Ontario, Canada
1-519-225-2634
dave.grundy@quadro.net
www.quadro.net/~shirley
"A PROUD $ supporter of the website"

Posted by cheryl nordby (Member # 1100) on :

Hi Donna. I have always had a problem saying 'no I can't do that'. So I always searched and scoped out other sign options that I really 'couldn't' do myself, but I knew my customers would like. I ordered the solid brass signs,(great markup!) the plastic formed letters etc. I sometimes got someone else to install them. But carried on like it was all just part of my business. Then I tried the sandblasted signs myself (fun!) Most customers don't want to work with so many different sign companies. Lots of customers really appreciate you doing the searching and working only with you. I don't think you should charge for your time in this case however. They didn't ask you to search. You are doing it as a favor for them, and if they like your ideas, you will have served them well. I don't silkscreen, but have them done elsewhere. I make good money on them by marking them up! Most companies (brass plaques, and silkscreeners) give sign shops a 40-50% discount. Good Luck!

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"surf" or "MoJo54" on mirc
Cheryl J Nordby
Signs by Cheryl
(206) 300-0153
Seattle WA.....!
signsbycheryl@hotmail.com
I had a life once. Now I have a computer. http://signsbycheryl.homestead.com/home.html
http://mojosignco.homestead.com/home.html

Posted by Mike Pipes [in a cubicle] (Member # 1841) on :

Donna,

Don't turn the work down if you think there's a remote chance of finding a place that can do it for you, the profit on that kinda stuff is great!
There's no cost for materials, no labor, all ya do is pay the guy to make it, mark it up however much you want and deliver it to your customer.

I'm like you though, I look and see what other companies have readily available and I am not impressed at all.. it's gotta be custom to look good. =)

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Mike Pipes
-----trapped in a box with a computer and a slice of cheese-----

Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :

Donna,
I am in the same boat to a point. I do some sub-contracting and there can be great profit to those things that you don't even touch. I just had a customer that wants reversed channel like lettering with LED's. I now have to struggle to learn how to get this project off the ground. I let the customer know that I just saw this at the convention in Atlantic City and was very impressed the advantages of LED's over neon but had never done it YET. I think she appreciated my honesty but yet still feels confortable with my professionalism and ability to make a statement about her business with a great sign.

Something that I have been doing recently that is very classy is selling black plexi (that we cut to shape in the shop) with the imitation goldleaf border and lettering. Its really stylish and shape.

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Laura Butler
Vision Graphics and Sign
560 Oak St.
Lapeer, Mi 48446
810-664-3812
visiongraphics@tir.com

Posted by Chuck Churchill (Member # 68) on :

Donna....for your eye care client go back and look at the engraving from a different perspective. The engraving stock material makes a great substrate to put vinyl letters, logos and graphics on. It comes in great colours and patterns like granite and mirrored silver and brushed aluminium. Also the stuf if quite easy to cut. We have even had letters cut out of engraving stock. For small product identification signs. A couple of my clients led me to engraving several years ago and we have developed several new clients by using the engraving materials in combination with vinyl. Once in a while we even get someone the engrave in it for us!

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Chuck Churchill,
It's A Good Sign Inc.
3245 Harvester Rd, U-12
Burlington, Ont.
Phone: 905-681-8775
Fax: 905-681-8945

Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :

Gday Donna,
I've had good response from a couple of things in the past...
I have a stock letter I give to customers that buy banners off that covers care, cleaning and storage.
I hate washing my car, but seeing as how I have to wash most vehicles before writing them I generally get out the tyre black and Armour All, it adds to the appearance of the job, the customer is usually happily surprised and it takes about 15 minutes extra or makes a good fill-in job for the apprentice or brushhand (if you're lucky enough to have one)
Theres plenty more little things like that if you really think about it, I'm pretty sure you could dream up more than me, I'm pretty lazy in that regard.
Enjoy,
David

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D.A. & P.M. Fisher Signwriting
Brisbane Australia
da_pmf@yahoo.com

Posted by Dave Draper (Member # 102) on :

Hi Donna,

I don't think that anybody mentioned the resource sign magazines. Every year SOT has an issue entirely devoted to companies that outsource every sign related product.

Also, you can do a search on the internet. Try interior signs or plexiglass signs or brass signs or ...well you know.

I needed a way to hang 250 coroplast signs over a wire, I didn't / forgot /to include the hangers in with the price of the signs.
Cindy searched the web and found the right hooks that would work perfect. 1000 hooks for $38 bucks! She searched for about an hour. She kept digging to get the hook that would work for the least amount of money!
One place was $200 bucks, another was $98, another was $150...yada yada yada, for basically the same hooks!!!!! go figure!

Hope this helps.

------------------
Draper The Signmaker
Bloomington Illinois USA
Stop in and visit a while!
309-828-7110
signman@davesworld.net
Raptorman or Draper_Dave on mIRC chat

Posted by Joe Rees (Member # 211) on :

Hi Donna,
Over the years I have done plenty of farming-out special orders as well as improvising with odd materials to create unique looks for special needs. When I'm experimenting or researching, I usually consider that education and do it on my own. When that investment leads to developing a new process or product that I can market is when I get my payoff.

These days I find myself in the position of being very careful about what goose-chases I take on. My current company Cape Craft Signs has built a reputation for doing high-end handcarved gold leaf signs exclusively, and I'm turning down or referring most work that doesn't fit that profile. Even when things are slow and we could easily take on vehicle jobs, site signs, interior sign, etc., I don't want to confuse our clients or ourselves about what we're here for. I fear we could water-down our momentum by offering too many products. I am sooo happy that 90% of the calls coming in are for exactly the nature of work we have chosen to specialize in. That didn't happen by accident and I don't want to loose it by accidently forgetting our focus.

In other companies in other places, my motto was "Anything for Anybody, Anytime". That served me well and has been hard to let go of. It just doesn't work for what I'm doing now though. Still, it practically kills me to turn work away. I've entertained the idea many times of starting a whole different company to specialize in custom commercial signs. In the mean time I bite down and recommend another company.

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Joe Rees
Cape Craft Signs
(Cape Cod, MA)
http://www.capecraft.com
http://www.dave-joe-show.com
e-mail: joerees@capecraft.com

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