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Our family doctor of 20 years asked me to design a new sign for his office incorporating an LED message board. My first quote using a Daktronics board made him faint. I looked around and found a local company who could order one out of Korea for much less. The doctor signed off on it, gave me a deposit check and I ordered the signs. In the meantime, his wife had some questions, so I told her she could go to the sign company I ordered from and see the message boards they had on display. They called me yesterday and said that's not at all what they wanted. I explained that the signs were already on their way and paid in full with his deposit check. The guy I ordered them from says there's nothing he can do and he's not eating them. The doctor says he absolutely doesn't want them, and now I'm stuck in the middle. I know, legally and technically, it's his problem, but we all know it's really MY problem.
Any suggestions how to resolve this amicably?
-------------------- www.signcreations.net Sonny Franks Lilburn, GA 770-923-9933 Posts: 4115 | From: Lilburn, GA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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Wayne, I gave him the info on pixel widths and full color versus tri-color and explained that this was on the low end of the price spectrum, had no video capability, etc. but he didn't see the actual unit in operation until after it was ordered. In hindsight, I should have insisted they see the sign first, but quite frankly, I naiively assumed that most LED signs are about the same regarding the basic display.
Anybody out there need a couple of 2' x 5' Red/white message boards? I'd sell them at much less than my cost just to get out of this quandary.....
-------------------- www.signcreations.net Sonny Franks Lilburn, GA 770-923-9933 Posts: 4115 | From: Lilburn, GA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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Sonny, I'm sorry you're in this mess. I was in something similar several years ago.
This is just my take.....
In your own words, you "assumed". You made it your mistake right there.
You say he's your family doctor. It pains me to say but I going to recommend that you do eat it.
Go back to the client. Show them the LED options and let them pick out what they want. Price it for what its worth. Spell everything out in writing and I do mean "everything".
You're in a lose/lose situation. What you need to do now is minimize the loss as much as possible and turn something in the situation into a positive.
Maybe you can sell the 2x5 displays on Ebay or something. I wish you the best on this.
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I once sold an $8500 sandblasted sign to a doc. Emailed several proofs along with exact dimensions and even included a 5'10' silhouette man standing beside the sign for scale. But when we installed he made a big scene complaining that it wasn't big enough.
But it was his wife who had done all of the coerrespondence with me and it was she who had limited the size. The lady just stood right there and said nothing as he complained to me about it. To think it could have been a $10k or even $12k sandblasted sign if the doc had handled it himself; I guess we'll never know.
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7403 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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I think in this case you might have to eat them, but since they are already coming, why not have them installed and then see if they really hate them.
I have done a few message boards and there is almost always sticker shock on the higher end boards. When I show them the difference, they take the message board off, or they go with the higher resolution. Daktronics is good at sending info to pich the right board. On a message board, I give the client every bit of info I can since they are the ones who will probably be adding the messages or contracting out for animation. Message boards are not a simple note on a sign drawing. on message boards, I get all stressed till the sign is up, turned on, and the client is happy.
-------------------- Rick Chavez Hemet, CA Posts: 1538 | From: Hemet,CA U.S.A. | Registered: Jun 2001
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"I get all stressed till the sign is up, turned on, and the client is happy"
I can relate to that, Rick. This is my first LED sign and I succumbed to his sticker shock and found the cheapest thing that would fit his budget. Champagne taste, beer budget. I had a great conversation with Bill DeBekker today about the pitfalls of selling LED signs. Live and learn - but I really can't handle $5000 problems.....
-------------------- www.signcreations.net Sonny Franks Lilburn, GA 770-923-9933 Posts: 4115 | From: Lilburn, GA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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LIGHT IT UP at your shop and have him come to see it with his wife. They might just change their mind.
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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I 'll tell what happened, his wife got involved. He may have ordered but changed his mind or had it changed for him.
If this were me, I would sit down and ask them what the hell they want. I think right now "calm and cool" is the way to go. Im sure you could move these leds to another sign compnay with no prob
Even though I personally wanna take her out back and bi***slap her! If you gonna come into the game and start calling shots dont come in when the freaking game is over! Just a shame for you the Junior League let out early that day.
I would be interested in hearing the outcome of this
-------------------- You ever notice how easily accessible people are when they are requiring your services but once they get invoice you can't reach them anymore
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If the medication he prescribes for you doesn't work to cure his diagnosis...would he give you a refund on your visit with him and call the pharmacy and kindly ask them to take those pills back because they ain't working for you,so I think treating him exactly the way he would treat you is the best way to handle it.Your shop is like his office,the order you placed is the same as his prescription to the pharmacy,the sign is the pills,you cain't return it.
-------------------- Bill Wood Bill Wood, Sign Artist 3628 Ogburn Ave., NE Winston-Salem, NC 27105-3752 336-682-5820 Posts: 397 | From: Winston-Salem, NC | Registered: May 2006
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The doctor and his wife are both wonderful people - the problem they had with the sign was the number of words that could be displayed simultaneously. The mistake is mine for not knowing more about the product. I've since learned a bit more and the good doctor is going to have to dig much deeper in his wallet to get what he envisions.....
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By the way, the fire sale price on these are $4999 for the pair or $2500 each. They should be in next week, so I can e-mail pictures and specs if anybody's interested......
-------------------- www.signcreations.net Sonny Franks Lilburn, GA 770-923-9933 Posts: 4115 | From: Lilburn, GA USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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1 dont do biz with friends without extreme precautions and very precisly written conditions 2 dont do biz with ppl having their wife or son having the last word unless they accepted the written order too
how did I learn that?
-------------------- Stein Saether GullSkilt AS Trondheim Posts: 1183 | From: Trondheim Norway | Registered: Nov 1998
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I'm in the process of selling a message board to a client. The Daktronics salesman has multiple boards on a trailer that work and he will bring them right to your customer and show the different sizes and pixel resolution. He also showed them the ease of service, operation and quality of the sign. They are quite a bit more money but the boards are worth it. My customer agreed and now we're in the process of getting the permits. I even thought they were overpriced until I saw them.
-------------------- Lou Pascuzzi www.economysigns.com Fine Hand Lettering since 1973 Danbury, Ct 203-748-4580 "IOAFS" Posts: 341 | From: Danbury, Ct | Registered: Feb 2000
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Find a way to advertise these to sell at cost. There is always someone looking for a bargain. Who would use this type of board? Start making some calls. It'll take some work, but you'll keep afloat and continue your friendship with the doctor. The relationships last longer than the money.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6713 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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To think it could have been a $10k or even $12k sandblasted sign if the doc had handled it himself; I guess we'll never know.
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