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Feel free to add your sign-related rants here. I have three just from today. 1: A new Avery failure! This time layered under SignGold! For a lawyer! 2: Lady calls, from a nearby Girl Scout council. Not our local, who has referred her to me. Wants a quote on an 18"x24" corosign for her yard. She balks at $25! Says she's been quoted "much cheaper". I tell her to go for it, because I can't do it any cheaper. 3: Another lady calls..."Can you make camp signs?" I sure can! "What kind?" Anything but electric, heck I can even paint signs! "How much?" Depends on what you want. "How soon?" Depends on what you want! "Are you going to be there today?" In between deliveries and estimates, please schedule an appointment so I can show you my portfolio. "I'll get back to you." Yeah right. Why don't people know what in tarnation they want before they call me? Here's one from yesterday. A customer calls at 7am to change the copy on HIS corosign, then asks me if I can give him a price break! Hell no! He didn't give me a break on my septic system! OK I feel better now. Hey at least I'm busy. Next? love...Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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At leaset people come to you when they want to buy something. I sell window splashes, my van is almost my shop. I do have people who track me down or see my sticker on a splash and call. But sometimes its frustrating making time to connect with the right people at the right time. Often when I stop in to check on customers I walk out with a deposit check for a new splash. But some times people string you along. Or what would be a good splash promotion gets budgeted for some other advertising just because someone else was there when the owner had an idea. Do I need contact management software or what?
-------------------- Dawn Drake Signs That Scream Grand Rapids MI Posts: 44 | From: Kentwood Michigan | Registered: May 2006
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I have two or three things to rant about...but nothing sign or business related. So I'll keep em to myself!!!
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
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Vendors whose name does not appear on caller ID when they call to try talking me into switching to them, which of course is always when I'm in the middle of something & the last thing I want to do is listen to their spheal.
Weeding permagrip or reflective vinyl & ending up with your hand wrapped in vinyl. The adhesive is violent enough to make ya think about cutting your hand off (it would be quicker).
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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>>Wants a quote on an 18"x24" corosign for her yard. She balks at $25! Says she's been quoted "much cheaper". <<
How can ANYBODY do ANYTHING for less that $25?? That's our shop minimum, even if its just cutting some 1" snowmobile numbers. Makes you wonder, how cheap does she want it, if the first price, which was "much cheaper" wasn't low enough? And every time you answer the phone for someone like that, there goes at least 5 minutes out the window. Because of that, we have started adding a seperate "screw-around time" fee of $2-$8 to every job to make up for lost time. Is anyone else doing that?
Dan
-------------------- Dan Marquis Marquis Signs Lewiston, Maine dan@marquissigns.com Posts: 118 | From: Lewiston, Maine, USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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quote:Jill sez: 2: Lady calls, from a nearby Girl Scout council. Not our local, who has referred her to me. Wants a quote on an 18"x24" corosign for her yard. She balks at $25! Says she's been quoted "much cheaper". I tell her to go for it, because I can't do it any cheaper.
I ran into that exact thing last week. Ended up selling him a DIY coroplast sign kit (1-24'x18" white coroplast, el'cheapo wire stand and a used Sharpie) for $18.
-------------------- Gavin Chachere Plotter in the garage,New Orleans La.
"Sgts Shugart and Gordon again request permission to rope down to crash site two" Posts: 1223 | From: new orleans.la. | Registered: Mar 2000
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-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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When they specifically ask for coroplast, I know they are wanting it for the price of the coroplast.
I've many times given a price for an aluminum sign just to hear "how much do it on that plastic stuff?" Or...they bring in an old piece of painted plywood...."That much?"...."I've already got the plywood!"
These folks seem to think that the actual value of a sign is the substrate and nothing else. Never mind that they've come to you...the professional, to use your expertise to turn this blank, lifeless, worthless piece of plastic into an effective ADVERTISING tool which will benefit their business. Sometimes I want to hand them a piece of blank coroplast and say "here's your sign"...
"How much is one o' them there plaskit ones?" "Our regular price is 99 cents" "well...I' don't know...I'll check back with ya" "But we're running a special this week....three for $3.99" "I'll take it" (hand them three coro blanks) "Hey...whut about the letters?....you gowna put the letters ownit?" "Sure...I can do that...lesse...that'll be....$37.50 each" I think I'll try that sometime....
[ May 26, 2006, 03:56 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Webb ]
-------------------- 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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I was 12" short of 24" 2 mil Olympic Blue for a 5 truck project that I am doing. I stopped at my regular supplier while passing by this morning. "Opps, sorry, haven't had any Olympic Blue since you bought us out on Tuesday". (Four days, and still not re-stocked, even though head office is only 120 miles away?)
On the way home I stopped at the other supplier in town. "Opps, sorry, I guess we forgot to order in any of that since someone else bought us out the other day"
At least the second supplier had some 30" material so I bought just enough of it to complete the job (I'll slit it down to 24" tomorrow)
Why can't suppliers keep their inventory up to date?
I mean Olympic Blue, along with Sapphire Blue, are probably the two most common blues that shops want. I can understand not stocking some really oddball colour but the basics should be in stock at all times.
EDITED TO SAY..I like your new picture Jill!!!!!
[ May 26, 2006, 08:41 PM: Message edited by: Dave Grundy ]
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
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