posted
After over 50 years in this business I guess I've seen and heard just about everything, so today's events were not all that unique - they just came back to back.
A prospective client just walked out the door. She had called just a little before five to see if I was still in the studio and wanted to drop by to discuss some vehicle lettering. She came over, we discussed her needs and what the cost of lettering her van on both sides and rear would be. She didn't faint at the price, but just said that she would call her husband to pick her up and that she would be back to pick up the finished van in the morning! She was aghast that I refused to letter her van tonight and said that she would take her van and her money to someone that actually wanted to work.
Number Two: Less than an hour earlier a lady with a local youth booster club called and wanted to know if I could do their sponsor names on the donors board (4' x 8'). I did the board several years ago and have always added the new sponsors each year and removed the old ones. The names are on PVC strips that fit into a track. I just cut black vinyl, stick on the names and they add them to the board. This year there were 75 names. She didn't have the complete list yet but would bring it by in the morning. And....she didn't need them until tomorrow afternoon since the event was Saturday morning!
What a wonderful life.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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That happened to us (lady and the van thing) except we told her we would do it that night. When she left, so did we, and we started on it the next day! Ooooohhhh
Well, "We had a problem come up" (Monday Night Football) "We'll call just as soon as its ready"
Two can play that game!
[ January 31, 2013, 07:02 PM: Message edited by: Dave Draper ]
posted
Ah Ray, you could have really had some fun with this one. Park the vehicle, give the nice lady a place to sit and wait for her hubby. Look at the vehicle, give it a real good up and down, take a few measurments, type in some copy and look seriously at the monitor. After about 15 miniutes, say to the lady, you need to order more vinyl, product (make up something) for her vehicle. Tell her she can leave it or make an appointment for another day. And if you ever need to get out of any jam, just call me.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3813 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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I finally put up a sign in the shop that says " Night and weekend work is double time and holidays are triple time." I don't have the problems anymore with those people.
I had a woman call and tell me she had a sheet someone donated as a banner and they wanted me to hand paint their sponsor names on it for free. When I explained how long it would take to hand paint all those sponsor names on a sheet, she replied by saying, " you know I'm going blind don't you?"
Poor Ray, you got a double whammy in one day.
-------------------- Pam Eddy Niles, MI ple@qtm.net Posts: 460 | From: Michigan | Registered: Dec 2000
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Ray, it is people like that always are the most difficult to get paid from, if at all.
-------------------- Bill Riedel Riedel Sign Co., Inc. 15 Warren Street Little Ferry, N.J. 07643 billsr@riedelsignco.com Posts: 2953 | From: Little Ferry, New Jersey, USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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You cant get nor do we want to get them all.
Its partly the assumptions that the public makes about technology and how businesses operate. Yes, the technology speeds things up,,,and you still might have 12 jobs ahead of theirs.
-------------------- 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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I've been asked by several people via PM why I'm easing out of the sign business.
I'm not getting out of it entirely....sorta. I'm simply changing the focus of the shop toward better sources of revenue. I'm tired of the feast or famine rollercoaster ride. Too many shops in my town are simply giving the work away just to have work. One shop in town is retailing below what Signs365 charges for wholesale.
I've often said that if you listen to the Market, it will tell you what it wants. I hired an outside salesman last April. Most of last year was spent talking to potential long-term repeat clients and formulating a new business plan.
Starting January 1st, we started working the plan. We've added new services and products and weeded out unprofitable ones. I've applied a lot of Dan Antonelli's advice. This January has already become one of the most profitable ones in the last 10 years as a result. If it continues to trend the way it has lately, this could potentially be one of our best years ever.
I'll continue doing signs, but it will be on my terms at my price. If I don't get the job, fine. I've got a lot of other things to keep me busy.
posted
A few years ago I landed (what I thought would be) a tasty contract of 4x8s at a local ballfield. I did get about 12 signs that first year. I got a materials deposit then got paid pretty promptly.
The second year I of course got less signs and they took about 2 months to pay. I had to raise the price due to materials costs.
The third year was even less and they took SIX months to pay. I told myself that I was going to dump them. The 4th and 5th year there were no signs, period. I had almost forgotten them.
At the very end of December I got a rather frantic call, they needed sign-up coros ASAP. I charged my regular price and got them their signs within 3 days all while working a part time job. It's now been almost a month with no pay, after I told them at the initial call that I would require a check upon delivery. Last week when I called about the bill I was told "the check is in my purse" well it still must be a week after I was told it was going to be mailed.
I will remember them the next time they call, and they can go to a local hack or pound salt for all I care. I too am easing myself out of the biz. I'm changing what I will do and what I won't. I'm gearing more towards design to the trade and also planning on marketing hand-painted novelty signs.
I hate working a real job, and I have been busy as all-get out since last June. But I no longer trust signs or customers. What was once a proud trade is a dime a dozen. Love....jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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It's really disheartening to hear so many tales of loss of revenue and interest in a profession that so many of us have loved and done well at, for many years.
But things do change, some very sadly; and this "I want it yesterday" mentality is becoming more prevalent, as time goes by. Notice that the term "quality" has pretty much disappeared, in preference to "fast". That too, is I believe, another disturbing sign of the times.
I too, have dialed back my business in general; preferring to try to stick with doing only custom-type work.....stuff I still enjoy, and stuff I can do that no one else in the area can.....stuff I can still make a buck on.
-------------------- 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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I had a customer ask me how I got to be a ''signman', right after she told me I knew nothing about signs. I calmly said, doing signs for people that respected my 50 years in the sign business." Ain't life grand?, I haven't seen her since. Peace, Don
-------------------- Donald Miner ABCO Wholesale Neon 1168 Red Hill Creek Dobson, NC Posts: 842 | From: North Carolina | Registered: Apr 2006
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I had a lady call frantically "NEEDING" t-shirts printed by the weekend (it was already Wed afternoon) she insisted that they had to have them no matter what... so I explained that it COULD be done, but that it would cost extra for the project... and that it would have to be paid in full up front before I would even start on it...
About an hour later, she called back and said she had spoken to the bookkeeping lady, she said that in the past I would just send them an invoice, and whenever they collected enough money, they would pay me...
Yep- it took over 60 days to get payed for the last project (which was over 2 years ago), my new business policy is simple- everything is payed in full up front- I explained how I was not in the business to finance their projects...
About 30 minutes later she called back to cancel the order- turns out they didn't have THAT kind of extra money to spend on frivolous things like t-shirts... I guess they thought I did.
-------------------- Michael Clanton Clanton Graphics/ Blackberry 19 Studio 1933 Blackberry Conway AR 72034 501-505-6794 clantongraphics@yahoo.com Posts: 1735 | From: Conway Arkansas | Registered: Oct 2001
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I had a handyman guy fax me a layout for a set of magnetics. It could only be 12 x 20. He had the lines spaced about .25 inches apart. He had so much listed on there, and the color scheme was aweful. When I made some suggestions as to what it should read to make it workable and readable, he snapped at me "I don,t tell you how to run your business, you don't tell me how to run mine. What you see, is what I want." I told him I was only trying to make it work for you. You are fired as a customer,
Diane
-------------------- Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 12020 518 885-9899 signs@balchsigns.com http://www.balchsigns.com Posts: 1695 | From: MaltaNY | Registered: Jan 2000
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