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I wish you were here as I am trying to tell my customer not to look at the monitor but to look at the roll of vinyl I was holding in front of his face. "Well that looks yellow",seys the customer. I said "No, don't look at that, look at this",as I was holding a roll of orange vinyl. The other color was Avery Silver Leaf. "Is that the way it's gonna look, that looks different" as he looks at the monitor. Again I say "Don't look at the monitor, look at the vinyl" "How are you going to do this" as he looks at the outline. I says "It's a black outline" "You gonna paint it?" "No, it mostly going to be all vinyl" "What other colors do you have?" The guy is standing right in front of my wall with the vinyl rack on it.
-------------------- 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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that is when you pick up an empty tube, and smack them in the back of the head with it.... Just wants you to ask them "what's it feel like to be a (#&$&@ idiot?"
-------------------- Mark Kottwitz Kottwitz Graphics Ridgely, MD www.SeeMySignWork.com -------------------------- Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein Posts: 746 | From: Ridgely, MD | Registered: Oct 2000
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Takes all kinds to make the world turn. I once had a customer ask me, when I showed him a neon sculpture, I had just finished, what does it do? In tried to explain that it was an a form of art, again he asked, but what does it do? I shrugged my shoulders, turned it off and just left him standing there. Oh well, I think we all get an oddball once in a while. 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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Or what about the customer who stands in your showroom, looks all round and asks "Did you make these signs?".....no silly the shop down the street made them, I'm just displaying them here!
-------------------- Shirley Carron Black Sheep Designs 184 John St. N. Arnprior,On.,Canada shirleyc@magma.ca 613-623-7053 Posts: 503 | From: Arnprior, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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That's one reason a client never looks at my monitor or anything else but my showroom of finished work. No vinyl, paint, sizes, plotters or printers. I'm selling images, not letters by the pound.
Never, ever, let a client stand behind you at the computer. You are no longer the designer - they are. You are just taking an order..."Want scrolls with that?"
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Last month had a CEO of a tech company watch me dig holes for a post and panel. His qestion after I had the holes dug: "What do you do with the dirt you took out of the ground?"
I told him I bury it.
Stupidity runs at the highest levels.
-------------------- Mike Duncan Lettercraft Signs Posts: 1328 | From: Centreville, VA | Registered: Oct 2000
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I was asked by a customer if white was bad to fade...it was in group presentation at a church...maybe 20 people were there...with a little smile I told her that the white I use is guaranteed to not get any lighter.
Many times I received detailed drawings of project signs from architects. EVERYTHING was spec'd out in detail.
Only problem was....they specified a 4x8 sign but the spec's added up to a 4x10 sign (or multiples of those dimensions).
Ya think I could explain the problem to them??? NAW...I just modified their "detailed" stuff to fit what they wanted. Never had anyone complain. They didn't even notice the "minor" changes.
I always wondered how they could design buildings that didn't "fit" and how the lowly contractors worked around the design flaws!!!
-------------------- 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
Or the guy who says, as he points to the monitor, "Are the letters going to be bigger than that?"
-------------------- 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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I think I may have to set my my camera next time.
-------------------- 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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Ray I must say one thing about the customer being there as you design. If you cannot sell him something you are doing something wrong. here is what I mean. It is the perfect situation to use the alternate of choice close. "Would you like this font or that one?" do you like the navy blue or the slate blue?" Once a customer makes a choice or two you turn and say "Are you ready to order YOUR sign?" It almost is not fair. Now This is optimal on meat and potatos signwork...I am in agreement with you about more complex and expensive orders it can get too involved and the chances of getting bogged down are greater.
-------------------- 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 like having a customer sit there and watch what I'm doing. I know right off the bat what they like or don't like & don't end up making endless modifications. My customers don't have the imagination to visualize what their sign will look like by looking at one with someone else's name on it. So, I pretty much do it the way Bob does whenever I can. I may not "finish" the design in front of them, but I sure get through the main "preference" decisions & explanations of what will & won't work, in a hurry. I've found that what most people's preconceived idea of what their sign should look like is usually way different from the final outcome. And, you can explain as you go "why" you're doing what you're doing. Works for me ........
-------------------- Rodger MacMunn T.R. MacMunn & Sons C.P.207, Sharbot Lake, ON 613-279-1230 trmac@frontenac.net Posts: 472 | From: Sharbot Lake, Ontario | Registered: Nov 2003
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I've got to agree with Ray on this one. My experience is that the ones that want to look over your shoulder may drive you crazy with too many changes. Besides that it seems like things I do a million times may go haywire when someone is watching. That's just me.
-------------------- Jean Shimp Shimp Sign & Design Co. Jacksonville Beach, Fl Posts: 1266 | From: Jacksonville Beach, Fl. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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It really is not my preference to have the customer there but for a yard sign layout why not nail it down and get a deposit while they are there?
-------------------- 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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One thing I've found, on a couple of occasions of having the customer watching......once they see the tremendous variety of options (fonts, colors, distortions, etc.) they tend to get overwhelmed and confused. They go wild, with " Try this" or "What happens if we stretch that?" Etc.
-------------------- 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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That's never been an issue, Dale. You just have to ask all the right questions first, & explain as you're working "why" something works & something else doesn't. Get the basics down, then get around to the personal preferences. If they say "that's perfect", & it's something you'll be ashamed of, just say "we can do better than that" & show them. Unless you're into node editing, it'll just take seconds.
-------------------- Rodger MacMunn T.R. MacMunn & Sons C.P.207, Sharbot Lake, ON 613-279-1230 trmac@frontenac.net Posts: 472 | From: Sharbot Lake, Ontario | Registered: Nov 2003
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