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I know it's my fault. But it still bugs me! So yins can holler at me all you want. You won't say anything that I haven't told myself already.
How many times have you rushed to finish a job, because you are hurtin for certain, only to have the customer dilly-dally when it comes to paying you?
These are two deposited-on jobs. All of the materials are covered....BUT....
One is for banners that seemed to be urgent. Got em done an entire day in advance and even hurt something in my shoulder. I called the client a full week ago...there they sit in my garage, mocking me. That's $1,100 worth of yellow banners. I have called and emailed him, he will supposedly pick them up tomorrow.
The other is a client I've had for 5 years. This is the first time he's ever just said "Make it look good" and given me free rein. Of course, he was out of town when I did the job, and he called and complained about it as soon as he got home. Off I rush to add 3 more services to his five pounds of crap in a one-pound bag, all the while with both of us knowing he still owes me $439.
...that was a week ago. I called his secretary to see if a check had been cut yet, and of course it hadn't. It's near the end of the month and I have bills to pay and kids to feed. Just needed to vent. Love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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I hate to admit it, but Karen's sign is often my first reaction too.
What really gets me is that even if you figured out an airtight, foolproof way to prevent somebody from doing XYZ again, then Boing! up pops some totally unforseen way of making your life dificult. Amazes me at times.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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Today I got a check from a guy who I gave an invoice to in Feburary!
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3816 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Ever tried walking outa a Supermarket without Paying???????????
Why should we be any different?
I had to buy a special substrate the other day. Only supplier in Queensland would not let the stuff out the door before my check cleared! Then sent me a 5 (yes FIVE) page application form for a credit account. You wouldn't believe what they wanted to know.I don't give those sort of financial details to anyone. My credit rating is A1 everywhere, so if they don't accept the basic details they can suck! I'll pay cash again if I ever want anything else off them.
posted
Make no bones about it. In this shop, I set the prices and payment terms, not the customers.
A couple of days ago, I had a customer come in looking to have his race car lettered. I've done several for him over the last 12 years. I told him the price (raised from last year's) and he reacted like I'd just shot him in the heart. Yesterday, he was courteous enough to call and let me know I wouldn't be doing the car. I know for certain that the price scared him off, but such is life. This ain't 1992 and if he can't handle the price increase, so be it.
My terms are clearly visible on the walls of both the office and workshop...
50% deposit on all work required. Balance due upon pick up/delivery. NO EXCEPTIONS!!
From a personal standpoint, I've often had customers give me the "make it look good" command more than once. I won't just whip something up without some kind of a sketch or design approval. Last thing I wanna hear is "That's not what I expected" followed by a long winded argument for additional (free) work or a "discount".
I do this for the same reasons you do, Jill. I feed the family and keep a roof over their heads with my business. Sometimes you gotta take a hard line with how you operate...just to remind the customer that it's WORK, not a hobby.
Big hug! Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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That's why I hate "RUSH" jobs . . . and that's why I ask for a special RUSH fee partly for having to get stuff here overnight that I may not have on hand . . .and then primarily mostly for havin' to stop-n-drop contracted jobs to do this RUSH thing . . .
And the fee is also a chastising penalty for them . . .TSK! TSK!...Waitin' 'til the last minute to get something done . . . .UH!
And sometimes, I have to say, "Sorry...I can't do it.", because it's not worth holding up my on-going jobs for, or I just don't feel like foolin' with it because it's junk.
Usually I notice too, the rush-fee (or saying I can't get to it fast) culls out the ones who REALLY want it fast from the one's who don't:
Serious customer: "I don't care HOW much more it costs . . .I gotta have it!!"
The serious customers will also start callin' just before the time you said they'd be ready in case you have them ready early . . . and will call a coupl'a more times during the process until you say they are READY. Yep. Them customer's are agger-vatin' in a whole new way.
Now, less'ee...what is the name for the customer who is not really and truly in a rush but just SAYS they are. . . . .
Well anyway...their typical response, when confronted with the additional rush price is:
"Oh! . . .Well (nervous chuckle). . .I guess we don't HAVE to have it today or tommorrow . . . . . . . um'...no, we really we don't even HAVE to have it that bad this week . . ."
HA! Called THEIR hand, I smile sweetly and think to myself . . .
I love it when they give me free reign too . . .but unless it's (a re-peat thing) some small standard thing, I still like to make a ruff thumbnail and fax it over, with the price and completion time just to be sure . . .this is an activity that takes only about 5 to 30 minutes (depending on the job) and deters hours of needless worry . . .because I'm always unhappily surprised when they are not happily surprised and I will go to the ends of the earth to avoid that situation, and also because I also have great affection for bein' paid, and that ON time.
Anyway, good luck babydoll!! I know how it feels to get dogged-out . . .
Don't you hate ventin' on people who just give you advice back in spades....lol...I'm sorry.
-------------------- Signs Sweet Home Alabama
oneshot on chat
"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
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Got a $231 job that's been done since The second week in March(have deposit)but the sign's still here, an $1100 truck job that was invoiced three weeks ago(for a municipality...no deposit) and a $300 truck job for the school board(no deposit) that I did about 4 weeks ago.
I just let a $273 job go out the door yesterday (a RUSH job) which I know they'll pay but may be a little slow. Those are the ones I hate too, but 95% of jobs don't start without a deposit.
I get real uneasy when the customer gives me "free reign" as I prefer for them to see a proof first. But the only two customers that I can recall who ever complained about one of my signs complained about the SIZE. And, in both cases the customers were given the exact measurements of their sign along with prints of the finished design (one even had my 5'10'' silhouette man standing beside it) BEFORE production began.
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7404 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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Just got paid $420 for a job that's been sitting here since November...Calling didn't help. The person was always in a meeting, had just left, wasn't in today, etc, etc. I finally drove to the place, walked in and said I wouldn't leave until I could talk to him. He was apologetic, said he had never received any of my invoices/faxes/messages. Hmmm. Anyway they came to pick up the signs and paid the next day. Oh, did I mention that it was a rush job?
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Yay! Yippee! Hoorah! Woo Hoo! They just picked up the banners. Gotta run to the bank! Love....Jill Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Hey Jilly, while you're in town; Stop by the bike shop (you know the one), and pick up $754 for me, please. It's (only) 14 months past due...
-------------------- Pete Sharkins MotoArts Decals and Signs New Kensington, PA motoarts@yahoo.com * All vinyl, all the time * Posts: 138 | From: New Kensington, PA | Registered: Mar 2004
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Pete, with the mood I'm in...I just might. I'm so glad that you warned me about that damn bike shop (NOT Zanotti's) in Butler. The banner money paid all of my bills, except for the mortgage, which that truck money would cover nicely. Can I bring my RoboGrips? Painting that wall, weather permitting, at Fender Menders on Route 8 in Middlesex iff'n ya wanna stop by next Saturday! Love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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You're making a lot of threats lately with your RoboGrips, Jill... people are going to start to wonder....
-------------------- Janet Bakewell One Sun Grafiks Inc. Slave Lake, AB Canada www.onesungrafiks.com Posts: 128 | From: Slave Lake, AB Canada | Registered: Apr 1999
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-------------------- Harris Kohen K-Man Pinstriping and Graphix Trenton, NJ "Showing the world that even I can strategically place the pigment where its got to go." Posts: 1739 | From: Trenton, NJ, USA | Registered: Jun 2001
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Anyway, good luck babydoll!! I know how it feels to get dogged-out . . . 
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