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HI again... just thought while I am here I would throw this one out there....
I have a customer, who is an auctioneer. He has a hoard of banners from previous auctions, some made by myself and others from a previous signmaker who is not in business anymore. One thing... he always has me remove the dates and times and replace them for other upcoming auctions. I have made several of these banners and he always seemed to wait until the week of the auction to NEED them.. reducing my ordering a reqular banner (hemmed and grommeted) so.. after using my stock up and havegin had customers that need a quick banner, I ordered bandana banner material. I have used around three rolls or more and he seems to be having a complaint with them.. he is installing these with nylon rope between two posts...I have seen these one because we go to the auctions and two - we had an auction to sell all my inlaws personal items..the banners are folded and thrown around and they always smell like mold meldew and someother smell I can't quite put my hand on... but they aren't taken care of. He has brought the banners back to me to repair...
IE: install another grommet however I can.
This is not very easily done, since the banner is ripped, etc. However I do what I can and then clean the banner and install the new dates...etc. even drop them off the next morning on my way into town. I don't charge enough to do a new banner..and I have insisted that some that he brings in be remade beacause they are all cracked and have holes in them... this guy is loaded and he is such a penny pincher... oh well I guess thats how he got that way... HA HA
What would your suggestion be to him? I have thought of getting some pole banners to make for him... do you have any other suggestions that I am not thinking of?
THANX wanda
-------------------- Jan & Wanda Graham Vision Signs Blacksburg, VA Posts: 58 | From: Blacksburg, VA USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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I can tell you this... he never would have left that first moldy, mildewed, and generally rankly soiled banner with me, and I sure as heck wouldn't have cleaned it.
You set a dangerous precedent when you did it the first time. You told him that this was acceptable behavior. Same goes with dropping stuff off. Not to mention repair all the rips and holes.
That said... Has this guy ever been told the correct way to install and store his banners? If not, maybe you should instruct him. If so, too dang bad his banners look like stink. That's his own fault.
We save some of the cores from vinyl and large format media and use them to wrap the banner around. Handy for our customers, free to us, and environmentally friendly, too.
I might tell him that it is more economical (notice I didn't say CHEAPER... bad vibes there, man...) to replace than to repair. Make price for cobbing worth your while. It should be very close to the cost of a new one.
Have a great one!
[ May 29, 2004, 01:50 AM: Message edited by: Bruce Bowers ]
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6454 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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He should run a rope clear through every top grommet & out from each corner to whatever he ties off to. A couple of strategically placed knots at the corners will keep the banner from scrunching up, but will still allow the full length rope to take the strain of the wind (or trees blowing in the wind or whstever) off the grommets.
My shop rate is $60/hour, so cleaning an old banner is priced at that rate. That will usually get them to do it themselves. Removing letters is sometimes easy, but adhesive residue is never a fun job & even at $60/hour if I'm busy I won't do it for a banner. A truck maybe... but a cheap banner that could just be re-made... you don't have to do that, but if you do... like Bruce said CHARGE them good.
Your topic heading & the "MAD" face makes it look like you are unhappy with Bandana Banner (one of our sponsors)I guess that's not the case though huh?
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I just charged a guy shop rate for date changes & cleaning of 4 banners (those slick Coca-Cola freebies) I don't think he was real happy, and next year I think he will just order new. I hate being a "maid". Usually if you tell people that there is a fee, they do it themselves. Brooce is right. And Doug is right about the ropes. I had a grommet tear on a Bandana banner, but it was in a really high wind situation and installed with bungees. My fault. As for the product itself, I LOVE IT. I always used Polly-banners, and Bandana/Banana is so much thicker and nicer. I got a roll from my friend Catherine who won it in the Resident's Draw here in Letterville. I must have made $1,000 off of that one roll without one bit of waste. 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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A little hint I give to banner customers is to mount them with a bungee cord in each corner. This allowes the banner to move with the wind, but remain taunt without too much strain on the banner itself.
-------------------- Frisby Signs, Inc. El Dorado, Arkansas Posts: 902 | From: El Dorado, Arkansas, USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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I have heard the bungee at every corner part, but never thought a lot about the rope through every grommet...think I will suggest that to him...
No Doug..I am not "mad" at Bandanna Banner... just aggravated at this customer... I guess you could say that the was for him...
Thanks guys...
-------------------- Jan & Wanda Graham Vision Signs Blacksburg, VA Posts: 58 | From: Blacksburg, VA USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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YEs, Bungee cords. The perfect shock absorber.
I give my clients a small sheet with a suggesion to use bingees on the banner or at least on one end of the rope.
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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![[Smile]](smile.gif)
wanda
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
was for him... 
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