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Dealing with "trucker" types who want paint or film on their vehicles. This includes general contractors. Have you established yourself with them ? How did YOU do it?
------------------ Girls carve too! Behind every good Woman, there's a man.............waiting.
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Rosemary...I don't know how the girls deal with the male truckers..but I know how I deal with the female owners of the biggest trucking company I deal with. I treat them with the respect they deserve as business people and as my customers.
------------------ Dave Grundy AKA "applicator" on mIRC "stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!" in Granton, Ontario, Canada 1-519-225-2634 dave.grundy@quadro.net www.quadro.net/~shirley
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Hi Rosemary. I do many transport trucks here in a small town. I deal with truckers almost everyday.
To be honest, I have never had a problem with any of them. I know that most people have a stereo type of truckers, and some do fit the shoe....but, most truckers are just regular people who will respect your knowledge and professionalism as long as you act confident. Bring pictures of your work to help sell.
We have a local transport truck centre here in my town and I do all the vinyl work on trucks that have had body work. The Truck Centre also recommends me to new buyers of trucks for their lettering. I often do trucks that are not even from this area.
Actually, the Truck Centre treats me exceptionaly well. I often get my own customers to do lettering on and I don't have indoor bay to work in. The truck Centre lets me use thier paint bay any time I want as long as it's after 4:00pm. (Body shop guys have gone home). They don't even charge me!!!!!!!!!!
If I were you, I would find a local truck dealer or body shop and talk to them. They would be great for recommendations as well as sales people for you.
------------------ Brenda Beaupit Classic Graphics Kemptville, Ont CANADA
Posts: 346 | From: Stittsville, ON | Registered: Dec 1998
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Often I get, "Hey darlin'......where's "the boss"?
Response: "You're lookin' at her."
Mostly I'm able to cajole a Montana Trucker into working with me, but every once in a while a "Real Trucker", you know the ones who wear a Levi jacket and just a mudflap front and back, and jack-boots, comes in and refuses to acknowledge the "little girl up front"? My dad, to his credit, tells them........"She runs the lettering show. I just do the carving". Reluctantly they'll work with me, and, if I play my cards right and allow them to condescend to me.........I take their money! :^)
Brenda, My post was just behind yours. I guess i didn't really make it clear that I'm talking about LOGGER truckers. They're a different breed around here. You're right, though. Over the road guys are really great people. ------------------ Girls carve too! Behind every good Woman, there's a man.............waiting.
[This message has been edited by Rosemary (edited February 09, 2001).]
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Truckers are like any humans.. some are great and some are despicable... I have one trucking company that has used me for their truck lettering since 1990. There are others in my area that won't call me for a bid... Depends on the person... Some want quality, some want price.. some have good taste, and some want someone with a p*nis to do their truck... I treat 'em all the same... until they are my customers, and then I cater to them like they are my livlihood! You can't please 'em all... so just work on the ones there is a possibility of pleasing... LE
------------------ LazyEdna in RL known as Sara Straw from southern Utah 5 National Parks within 3 hours drive Red Rock Heaven
Posts: 776 | From: Aurora, Utah, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I'd say contractors are our best customers and since I'm stuck in back crankin stuff out- it's my wife that talks to them and makes the sale.
They're owner/operators/craftsmen themselves and know what it's like to have customers only concerned with price and they hate not getting paid too. Most of them say "You're the expert, design what you think is best and charge what you need to". They also whip out the checkbook up front without asking. And if you screw up- they have a bigger screw up story to laugh about.
------------------ Rick Cooper Sierra Sign & Award Lake Tahoe, USA www.engrave.pctrader.com $$$Letterheads Website Supporter$$$
"The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese."
Posts: 135 | From: Incline Village, NV, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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If you're wearing self-conceiousness about your sex or your age on your sleeve, somebody is bound to spot it ask to see the BOSS. Do you project that in control image?
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Santo, I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't wear ANYthing on my sleeve. I wasn't asking for advice. I handle my own customers. This post was a simple question to the rest of the girls.
------------------ Girls carve too! Behind every good Woman, there's a man.............waiting.
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Hi Rosemary. Perhaps what Santo is referring to can be found in the topic line of this very post. If you think of yourself, and others of your gender as "girls", rather than bright, articulate young women, then you may be unconsiously projecting this "image" of yourself. If this is the case, the people that you deal with will pick up on this and also view you as a "girl", rather than a sharp, professional young womam.
------------------ Ken Henry Henry & Henry Signs London, Ontario Canada (519) 439-1881 e-mail kjmlhenry@home.
Some days you get to be the dog....other days, you get to be the fire hydrant.
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Hi, Ken. I can see what you're saying. I probably didn't say it correctly. Among "the guys" I have a reputation for being a "Cookie with a Tough Hide". I can live with it. I've had very few of the guys ever walk out without dealing with me in the 5 years I've been actually working "up front" in the studio. I hope Santo didn't take offense. I hope his hide is as tough as mine is reputed to be. Sometimes it isn't really that tough, though. I don't try to project any image at all. I'm just me. My dad taught me to be myself without putting on any airs at all. I'm good at what I do and the proof is always in the portfolio we keep up front. We have tons of semi tractor/trailer pics, and they speak for themselves. I do admit it looks a little strange to see me up on a scaffold working corrugation and rivets. (I'm not very big.) But the end result leaves no room for comment on my size, sex or age. Thanks for the observations, though!
:^)
------------------ Girls carve too! Behind every good Woman, there's a man.............waiting.
...the truckers I worked with were mostly polite...I got to the point though, where I'd just pick up the keys to a fleet yard and spend the weekend sweet talkin guard dogs and lookin for a coffee house to warm up when I quit for the day. I'd turn in the keys by throwin em over the fence when I locked up and cash the check after they called me monday to rave about the work.
The few rude ones I knew never asked about murals...I feel safe now hehehe!
------------------ Linda Silver Eagle Silver Eagle Graphix Studio Georgia, USA
ICQ# 60434646
Signwriters never die...they've always got 1-Shot left!
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Rosemary, Looks like your skin is not quite as thick as you think. I got a rise out of you with a very small effort. If you don't were your feelings on your sleeve, do as Ken suggests. Read your title line and then read the tag line on the bottom of your post. It looks like you sandwiched your post about your concern between 2 pieces of girlie "can do". There's nothing wrong with you doing what you're doing so just "do it". Everybody has problems they face daily.
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GOTCHA!! Is this what you do when you're home sick?? Are you going to be nice to these folks? You're not too old to spank! I'll be home soon. BEHAVE!!
------------------ St.Marie Graphics & Makin' Tracks Sound Studio Kalispell, Montana stmariegraphics@centurytel.net http://www.stmariegraphics.com 800 735-8026 We're chiseling every day of the week! :^)
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I have to agree with Santo. You make it your problem when you react. Deal with it like a smart woman. You will get comments like that from more than just truckers throughout your life.
------------------
Posts: 100 | From: north gower, ont., canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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IF I had the problem of truckers not seeing me as the boss, I'd get me a hat made that I could throw on my head every time I saw one pull up. The baseball cap could say something like, "You're looking at the BOSS" or "Because I'm the Boss and I said So." Or maybe even having it say "BOSS" with an arrow pointing down - just like those maternity shirt that have to point out where the baby is.
------------------ Laura Butler Vision Graphics and Sign 560 Oak St. Lapeer, Mi 48446 810-664-3812 visiongraphics@tir.com
"Anything thats comes from my shop, comes from the right brain."
Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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Right On Rosemary! You said it..that's the first place they look. The majority of my work is semi trucks..transport and loggers too. I deal with the truck salesman as well as the truck driver. In the past 21 years I haven't ran across any trucker who was rude to me. Of course living in the deep south may have something to do with it...most southern gentlemen even watch their mouths around me and other women. Guess I have been lucky Rosemary Judy Judy
------------------ Judy Pate Signs By Judy 110 LuMac Road Albany,Ga 31701 229-435-6824 Letterville is my HOME! Life is like a canvas...you do the painting.
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Your mother or sister taught you well, Jim!
Right on the money, Jill! I absolutely desPISE soccermoms! ANyway.......let me set a wandering record straight. I'm not particularly talking about rudeness. I'm talking about "polite chauvenism". You gals know what I mean. It's always there just below the surface in most men in one subtle way or another. Even when it's not apparent, WE know how to bring it out, don't we? The only guys who have zero% in them are usually looking at other guys anyway. You guys may deny it, but think back............There are NO occasions when you didn't condescend, or step in because you were convinved that it was "beyond" us?? Be honest. I'd bet my second best SR that every single one of you has had more than one chauvenistic moment.
Still think I'm "girlie"??? Hmmm?
------------------ Girls carve too! Behind every good Woman, there's a man.............waiting.
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so, let me get this straight. If I open a door for a lady with a bagful of groceries, or should I offer my seat on a bus to a young mom with a baby in arms and a toddler she's trying to contend with, does that make me "a polite chauvinist"?? I could let that lady open the door for herself and prove to one and all that she's capable of doing so... I could also keep my seat, and let that young mom cope with her baby and toddler whilst standing, and I remain seated. Personally, I happen to see this as simply having good manners, but these actions COULD be construed by some women as being "politely chauvinistic".
Help me here ladies. Just where do you draw that line and define where and when you decide to hang such a label on those of my gender.Also, when going out to lunch with a member of the opposite sex, do you take offence when the male offers to "pick up the tab"?? How often do you insist on being the benefactor in such a situation?? Do you apply a double standard in such cases, or are you "rigidly feminist" and take offence and characterize such actions as "politely chauvinistic"?
I guess that my point is that if you are actively and constantly looking for chauvinistic tendancies, then you are going to find them. In a way, it's a bit like walking around with a "chip on your shoulder" and daring every living, breathing male to knock it off. I'm not perfect, and I'll gladly admit that. But, like the optimist who sees a glass of water as being half full, I prefer to look for the positive things in an individual...male or female.
In closing, I'll leave you with a chauvinistic joke that works only because it has a measure of truth in it.
Question: Why do women have such difficulty establishing eye contact with men?? Answer: Because boobs do not have eyeballs.
------------------ Ken Henry Henry & Henry Signs London, Ontario Canada (519) 439-1881 e-mail kjmlhenry@home.
Some days you get to be the dog....other days, you get to be the fire hydrant.
[This message has been edited by Ken Henry (edited February 22, 2001).]
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KENNNNNETTTHHHH!!!!! This is NOT rocket science! Politeness does not equal chauvenism! If I get there first I'LL open the door. If you rush to get there first, then YOU open the door. I can be polite too. If you have to make continual judgements as to reason, rationale, politeness and logic, then I would say you DO have a problem. You don't have to analyze our every intention to death. Allow us the same leeway you allow your buddys. If you insist on being chivalrous, we're certainly not going to complain, but if you're NOT chivalrous, we aren't going to cry about it. At least I'M not. Just the fact that you've verbalized your confusion in your post tells me you haven't figured it out yet. We won't love you any less for allowing us to be equals in all respects. Don't assume we all want allowances and provisions. Lots of us don't.
:^)
I should check spelling. ------------------ Girls carve too! Behind every good Woman, there's a man.............waiting.
[This message has been edited by Rosemary (edited February 22, 2001).]
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