posted
I've got a dilemma drawing near, and need some sage advice....but I came here anyway!!!lololol
New customer, but her family is a friend of our family. She's starting a new interior decorating business, and I'd like to do a good job, on the sign for the front of her building. The problem is, her logo(proposed) is a light blue, and a muddy gray, and she told me the building is being painted a "mauvy-gray". She's indicated to me that she likes the "look" and wants to stay pretty much with those colors.
Problem is, it's a new business, and she's NOT going to attract anyone with this dead-looking color combination. I've tried to tactfully advise her that we need to find a brighter accent color, or more contrasting color combination, so it will have some "POP"; but she's been rather resistant. She's even got grays and dark browns inside the store.
I'm torn between telling her "Do it your way" and walking away, and being more forward, and just telling her, "Listen dammit, my job is to make sure customers are attracted to your business; I want you to be successful. I can't do that, with these colors."
posted
Move them towards the better, as far as they will let you. Do the job, you can't always make the world perfect, just better.
Run if you think they are going to be trouble. If they are asking too much from you as far as your comfort zone, walk away.
I am solidly in the camp that says seldom will someone asks who made an awful sign. I do think people who are in the market for a sign suddenly become aware of them. They will be the ones who go to the trouble of inquiring about outstanding signs that they have noticed.
-------------------- Bob Sauls Sauls Signs & Designs Tallahassee, Fl
"Today I'll meet nice people and draw for them!" Posts: 765 | From: Tallahassee, Fl | Registered: Jun 2009
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Several years ago I told a customer that my job was to make her look good and she informed me that my job was to do what she told me because she was writing the check.
She didn't have to write me a check.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Im in business to make a living, not feed my ego, I make suggestions and my professional opinion, but in the end I am in business to make signs for a profit.
If she is dead on those colors, make the sign, cash her check and move on to a customer that gets it.
The best scenerio is she figures it out and buys another sign from you this time, she says " I trust your judgment"
[ September 14, 2012, 10:16 AM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Some really good feedback, guys. I appreciate it.
First of all, there's no ego involved here. My feelings about the job, and my advice to her are based on 40 years of experience and a trust in my knowledge and abilities.
As I said, we are friends of her family, it's a new business, and I want her to succeed (as much as I can have any control over that). Her funds are not unlimited, and I want to be able to give her the best "bang for the buck."
I would like to be able to walk away, knowing this.......and (since it's in our town) be sure her business gets noticed. Also, I know that, due to the pale and "muddy" colors she's wanting, they are going to be more susceptible to fading in our hot sun. I'd like to NOT have her coming back next year, and telling me (or her family telling me) they weren't real satisfied with my work fading so quickly.
After all these years, I still care.
-------------------- Dale Feicke Grafix 714 East St. Mendenhall, MS 39114
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Posts: 2963 | From: Mendenhall, MS | Registered: Apr 1999
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Dale, I'll just bet that your care and sincerity will come through and get her off center. Give it your best shot. Then do what you can. Serving as unto the Lord.... You know the rest.
-------------------- Bob Sauls Sauls Signs & Designs Tallahassee, Fl
"Today I'll meet nice people and draw for them!" Posts: 765 | From: Tallahassee, Fl | Registered: Jun 2009
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Give her your best advice showing her a couple of proofs as previously mentioned, hers and yours. If she chooses to ignore your advice, so be it, do whatever she wants. Youv'e done your best
-------------------- Kevin Gaffney Artistik Signs Kinnegad County Westmeath Ireland 044-75187 kevingaffney@eircom.net Posts: 628 | From: Ireland | Registered: Oct 2003
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I've lost several jobs trying to convince a customer that choices in the signage isn't very appealing to the potential customer.They went somewhere else and got what they wanted. Fix it their way as long as they pay....If you don't like it,don't put your name on it and leave it out of your port-folio.
-------------------- 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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Dale, obviously, you always want to give the customer the biggest "bang for the buck". But YOU are still in business to make a buck.
Give the customer what she wants and cash the check.
There is a difference between a customer and a client. A customer is usually a one timer who insists on doing it THEIR way... A client is a long term client who trusts YOU to do things the right way.
Guess which is the better option?
-------------------- 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
posted
I can not believe anyone would "walk" away from a job because the customer wanted their sign done a certain way and NOT YOUR WAY!'Good thing you are not a car salesman! If you liked red and someone came in and wanted a blue car, what would you do? Send them across the street to another car dealer? I've seen this before on this forum and it boggles my mind! In the past 38 years, if I walked away from jobs I did not like because of colors or designs, I would be on Welfare!Try to convince them once on an alternative, then if they still want their design...................DO IT!
-------------------- Tony Vickio The World Famous Vickio Signs 3364 Rt.329 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 t30v@vickiosigns.com 607-535-6241 http://www.vickiosigns.com Posts: 1063 | From: Watkins Glen, New York | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
I always try to point out problems, like when a customer wanted red lettering on a black truck. I explained how the lack of contrast was going to make it hard to read. They didn't want to change it, so we put it on the truck. Done.
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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Raymond sez: "she informed me that my job was to do what she told me because she was writing the check." I've always been intrigued by people who have that attitude about paying for something. Doesnt it occur to them that they're the one who comes beseeching you to help them with something they cant do themself because they lack the knowledge and experience?
-------------------- dennis kiernan independent artist san francisco, calif, usa Posts: 907 | From: san francisco, ca usa | Registered: Feb 2010
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Isn't it so sad when people spend all of their own and borrowed money to start a business. Then when it comes to the sign, they skimp or put out a really bad looking sign. And as we all know it,eventually, most of the time, after the lease is up, you see the new business gone. A "For lease" sign goes up and the whole scenario starts all over again. I think statisticly, 50% of new businesses fail and 95% fail after 5 years. Pretty bad odds.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3812 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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posted
Try a white or a black outline between the colours-to help the contrast...
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
I would take a photo of the building with the proper color on it and then drop in the two signs one at a time to see just exactly what it is going to look like instead of just picturing what it is going to look like.
Sometimes you would be surprised how well some combinations work together, plus the client gets a real feel of it also.
-------------------- Sam Staffan Mackinaw Art & Sign 721 S. Nokomis St. Mackinaw City, MI dstaffan@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1694 | From: Mackinaw City, MI | Registered: Mar 2004
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I'm going to take some new pictures of the building (it's just been painted) and superimpose an idea or 2 of hers with my thoughts, and let her make up her mind.
Then, regardless of my thoughts, she'll have to live with her decision. Then I'll have some ammo, if there's ever any family "feedback".
-------------------- Dale Feicke Grafix 714 East St. Mendenhall, MS 39114
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Posts: 2963 | From: Mendenhall, MS | Registered: Apr 1999
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