posted
I don't think there's a generic answer for this situation. Too many factors involved....
Yes, the situation has changed. I have more than a few people stop by here in "off hours" lately. I also have my business hours posted clearly, but when you live over the store, people think you're always there in a pinch.
I'm less worried about holding true to the hours than I am of... 1: Losing the work 2: Being a little inconvenienced or 3: Thinking that it isn't going to happen from time to time.
I guess it's not so much your situation, but how you approach this with both parties involved. Not unlike a customer who has a specific due date, you're either going to agree to it or not. Sometimes it will mean a little extra work to make the date, but such is the nature of time. There's 24 hours in a day....some of which you allocate to you work.
It's not about how much time you lose, but how well your time is spent. And overtime isn't that bad a thing, now is it?
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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posted
lol . . . gee, Michael, your customers are just like the rest of the people . . . they need a bail out . . . if your gonna keep up with the politically-correct-Jones, you gotta help 'em out man! lol
On an (only slightly) more serious, and psycological note, I'm venturing a guess; these customers really want and need a sign, but, due to the economy, they resent not being able to pay for it right now. The only way to absolve themselves of the pressure is to 'attempt' to get a sign while consciously or sub-consciously sabotaging their own attempt at 'trying' to get a sign by doing things like coming by at obviously inconvenient times or whatever. The other guess might be, you were the second or third shop that did'nt respond as they desired. . . . . also, was there a full moon that week??
-------------------- 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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Well there's definately 2 schools of thought here! As we also live & work from the premises, we try to retain our privacy & a professional working standard which means I will politely ask someone at the door outside of hours to please come back during business hours. Actually we take it a step further and request they make an appointment to come to the shop (also mentioned on our answering machine) This way we are not interupted when working on a deadline job, and we get to give the service to those who have done the right thing & booked in their jobs in advance (and are paying us our full rate to get quality work) No weekend work for me unless it's booked in well in advance. We are pretty formal with our "rules" or steps to handle a customer, and it works great! As long as you politley explain how you work, most people will respect your trading conditions. Of course there's always the odd one trying to bend the rules!!!
-------------------- Sonia Grothe Far South Design South Pambula NSW Australia Posts: 2 | From: NSW Australia | Registered: Mar 2009
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You win the prize-!!! Well, if there was a prize to win, I'd give it to you first, but I think anyone who took the time to read this thread and give their input deserves a prize-!!!
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Ive always bent over backwards(boy would that hurt)to help my customers,especially truckers. I will usually quit what Im doing to help one out, cause I know they need their rigs on the road to make money. Ill try my best to do whatever they need to keep their business, to an extent. We all do have other lives besides making signs,and want to enjoy our families and other such things, so time has to be set aside for this. Customers have to understand that we dont work 24 hours a day,and arent sitting by the phone waiting for them to call so we can go do thier signs. There are two types I dont like dealing with. Those that think they are my only customer, and those that want it done super quickly, but want to pay super slowly. Those kind cause stress,and lord have mercy, I dont need or like stress. I dont run into many of this sort, but occasionally do,and just deal with it the best I can.
-------------------- 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 I had a one-man shop in an Industrial Park. I would occasionally still have to "go out" and paint windows, give an estimate, pick up something etc. I had this customer that was in a hurry for something and he made an morning stop to the shop and waited for awhile and then came back, and also made calls while I was gone, "BC" (before cell). Well I had never even gone in that morning as I had left that morning in the opposite direction to do a window promo. When he finally reached me later that day , he started spouting off about maybe me "sleeping in" etc. And I had another that asked am I ever there? I went ahead and letered my door to say: HOURS: By Appontment Only It did the trick! I would get people calling to ask for appointments! Unreal. Of course my fellow Sign Makers that it was pretty arrogant, but hey it commanded some sort of respect ...now excuse me,I need to get back to bed.
-------------------- Rich Stebbing RichSigns Rohnert Park CA 707-795-5588 Posts: 755 | From: Rohnert Park, CA | Registered: Nov 1998
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lol
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