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Hi Heads. I have had a recurring problem with a client. It is a local man who fancies himself to be an antique expert. He goes to sales & auctions, buys stuff, and wants me to repaint it. He will buy a cool old thing like a Sun Beam Bread sign from a screen door. He sands it, repaints it (thus ruining the antique value) then brings it to me so that I can re-paint the embossed lettering. Or he will bring me a cast eagle head to repaint. I hate this stuff! He is annoying and a pest, and he smells bad too. Last year I told him I no longer have time for this type of work, but he is trying to elbow his way back in my door. I can usually avoid him thru the use of Caller ID. However, thinking he was a Letterhead en route to the PJ Jam, I mistakenly answered my phone. (PRIVATE CALL) Now he wants me to re-paint SUNOCO on an old oil can! He has called 3 times so far today. It would be different if he paid me big bux (tho I still would not like working for him) but he expects me to charge $25 for whatever. He simply won't take NO for an answer! I am sure he will drive up any second since I did not answer my phone. What would you do? Love- JILL
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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You answered your own question. Charge the big bucks. Don't try to tell him no. Tell him YES, I can do that. It will be $350,00, cash up front for this one. Explain to him how his sign is worth soooo much money, and you really want to do it right. If he says do it, Hey, it'll be worth putting up with him.
Always remember, He runs his business, but YOU run yours.
-------------------- Don Hulsey Strokes by DON signs Utica, KY 270-275-9552 sbdsigns@aol.com
I've always been crazy... but it's kept me from going insane. Posts: 2281 | From: Utica, KY U.S.A. | Registered: Jan 1999
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You could tell him you'll see if you can squeeze his project in, at your convenience. If he wants to drop it off, you'll call him when you get to it, and that may be next month. Tell him up front what you are going to charge (if you really want rid of him, make it a very high price) and that you are now forced to require a deposit before any work begins.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Yep yep, charge him through the nose for it and require full payment up front.
The only reason he keeps coming back is because he hasn't found anyone else to do the cheap work for him. Make it impossible for him to get it cheap and he'll leave.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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I had one of these jokers when I first came to town; old Italian guy who fancied himself a big shot real-estate magnate - he had his office in a ratty little house with a sign proclaiming it "The Quattromani Building". He came around with all these ideas he wanted to do on signs to boost his realty business, he just didn't want to pay for anything. His favorite line was "this is just an experiment" - no, Guido, its not an "experiment", its a sign, and even if you do supply the wood (a moldy chunk of plywood from under the garage, I'm going to charge you to letter it. In between being pushy and nosy and cheap, he would brag about how great things had been in his day, back in the "old country", where he claimed, with a tone of breathless reverence, to have been a chauffer for Mussolini (like that would be something to brag about! )
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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This reminds me of a retired senior in my hometown who would bring me diagonal slices of logs he rough cut on his own sawmill and ask me to paint landscapes and signs on them for his friends and family offering only pocket change for my efforts. He would hang around and visit because he had little to do with his time. It got so that whenever he showed up I bailed on the pretext I had somewhere else to be.
He was a kindly old man and I didn't have the heart to tell him he was wasting my time and I don't think he ever got the message that I couldn't create a painting for $5! That was 25 years ago and I still haven't got around to painting several slabs he left with me.
-------------------- Happy Signing...... Marty
M.F. (Marty) Happy Signmaker Since 1974 Happy Ad Sign & Design Regina SK, Canada S4N 5K4 306-789-9567 happyad@sasktel.net www.happyad.ca
Get Happy & Get Noticed! Posts: 773 | From: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada | Registered: Jan 1999
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I say have some fun with the guy! Find out what day he is coming and invite your "sister June" to be there that day (see post about Hearts in Letterville) and let HER deal with him! Tell him she has taken over the business now and things are going to change! Prices have tripled, she fired Jill, and if he wants, you can paint that over with lime green and hot pink (suggest AWFUL combinations). You can't guarantee that this new paint you got, though. You bought it at a swap meet real cheap and it kinda has this funny skin on the top and it smells sort of weird but it should be alright, you think. Tell him about the new method you have discovered where you rub dirt on the wet paint after you are done painting, to age it. Hey, you could go on for hours till he runs screaming from your shop!!
-------------------- Jane Diaz Diaz Sign Art 628 W. Lincoln Ave. Pontiac, Il. 61764 815-844-7024 www.diazsignart.com Posts: 4102 | From: Pontiac, IL USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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posted
This reminds me of a retired senior in my hometown who would bring me diagonal slices of logs he rough cut on his own sawmill and ask me to paint landscapes and signs on them for his friends and family offering only pocket change for my efforts. He would hang around and visit because he had little to do with his time. It got so that whenever he showed up I bailed on the pretext I had somewhere else to be.
He was a kindly old man and I didn't have the heart to tell him he was wasting my time and I don't think he ever got the message that I couldn't create a painting for $5! That was 25 years ago and I still haven't got around to painting several slabs he left with me.
-------------------- Happy Signing...... Marty
M.F. (Marty) Happy Signmaker Since 1974 Happy Ad Sign & Design Regina SK, Canada S4N 5K4 306-789-9567 happyad@sasktel.net www.happyad.ca
Get Happy & Get Noticed! Posts: 773 | From: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada | Registered: Jan 1999
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It will feel the greatest I wouldn't just raise my price without telling him you dont make any money doing it so it isnt a job you want to do.
If you dont mind doing the work for a fair fee then tell him you need to get what you need to do it , if not just tell him flat out you no longer do that kind of work. Plain and simple!
[ January 14, 2004, 12:22 PM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Jilly, you could have had him come by when Steve was there in his slippers and long johns and introduced him as your new assistant. Tell him that he's really good with crayons and elmers glue and that he would be tickled to redo his signs.
""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3487 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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fart and put in a chaw of tab-accy...and spit on his shoes!!!! if that dont run him off...charge him 50 times whats its worth!!!!!!heheheheh
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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THANK YOU HEADS. Just as I am about to leave to hand-letter a boat..."HE" appears. My "closed" sign was up...my lights off. Coming into my shop on a whiff of garlic, bringing his own can of craft paint, carrying an old oil can which he has drippily coated with Rustoleum. I let him tell me where he wanted the colors to be placed. I told him I preferred to use my own paint. I said, "Charles, that will be $50." His eyebrows ascended into his Deerstalker hat. "Are you KIDDING?" He asked, incredulous. "I only paid $45 for the can!" I told him my minimum had gone up and I would have at least 2 hours in labor. He replied "I'll just paint it myself." And promptly departed. YESSS!!!! I don't think he'll darken my doorstep again. THE END love Jill ps: OP...a lady never farts.
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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My favorite line when faced with a project I have no interest in: "That is a not a service that I currently offer" It's reasonably polite, & not usually taken too personally.
That line doesn't fly at home when I'm asked to take out the garbage, however!
-------------------- Jane Diaz Diaz Sign Art 628 W. Lincoln Ave. Pontiac, Il. 61764 815-844-7024 www.diazsignart.com Posts: 4102 | From: Pontiac, IL USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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SONGPAINTER Original Sign Music by Sign People NOW AVAILABLE on CD and the proceeds go to Letterville's favorite charity! Click Here for Sound Clips! Posts: 1974 | From: Orleans, MA, Cape Cod, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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"PS: OP...a lady never farts." The true reason for "cottage cheese thighs".
I have found that asking somebody if they have ever really considered Amway, works miracles when you want to get out of talking to them
-------------------- Mike Pulskamp Pulskamp Arts Sacramento, CA mpulskamp@earthlink.net Posts: 165 | From: Sacramento, CA | Registered: Dec 2002
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Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6720 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Next time a cheapskate like that walks in, just ask yourself how much money you are LOSING because this guy is wasting your time; if he takes 2 hours to chew the fat and then you do his touch-ups for charity, what $$ would you have lost by doing this instead of doing a "real customer's" job???
I also recommend saying to him "I know who would do this for you and the job would be smashing" and then send him to the guy you hate the most...
-------------------- Steve Burke Cascades Inc NS Canada
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving isn't for you Posts: 359 | From: NS Canada | Registered: Jan 2002
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No, guys.... He does not want a relationship with me. He used to stalk my sister tho! He (60) is married to a much younger gal (48?...some plastic surgery) who just drips with diamonds AND venom. She smells like garlic too! Maybe they bathe in it? I really think I fixed him this time. And I am guilty of referring folks like him to the guy whose new shop is over the hill. He told me @ 18 when I tried to apprentice at his old shop that I'd NEVER be a sign painter. Now he's the new kid on the block & I have been here 15 years! love- JILL
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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