As many of you know, I've been working hard to develop a dimensional sign niche in my area. I just spent nearly two weeks on a project for a new Olde-Irish themed tavern in town. The ownership/management of the place, which I believe numbers at least 4, had difficulty settling on a paint colour scheme. Eventually it was decided that the colour scheme would vary considerably from the original logo, much to the dismay of the designer of that logo who is a good friend of mine. I should have known better than to deal with a 'commitee' of owners where everyone would have to have their preferences addressed even though I dealt with one spokesman for the group. The original logo had 4 colours and I had to add 2 more for a total of 6 colours. I finally got that sign looking 'decent' after having to adjust shades of several colours so that they co-ordinated and looked aged and delivered it as they were going to install it themselves.
Somewhere between the time I delivered it and the time they hung it up, they let their interior decorator/painter have a go at it to 'age and distress' the sign. He drybrushed and smeared brown and black paint over the entire sign to the point where it is pretty much a monochromatic mess without any definition. I am completely embarrassed, not to mention angry and don't even want to be associated with that sign anymore. I won't take any photos of it and it will never be in my portfolio or website even though it is a well engineered, built and potentially attractive sign. In fact I'm hoping that some act of God destoys that sign if you can believe it! I'm also tempted to march in there tomorrow and give them their money back and personally unbolt it and let it smash into the sidewalk before tossing the pieces in a dumpster. That is how ugly it now is! I'm terrified that it's going to destroy a reputation for classy distinctive signs that I've been working hard to build. It is in a highly visible location with lot's of traffic. This is a pretty small city and bad news and reputation spread fast and the owners are well connected. I'm worried that I could easily become a scapegoat being the actual signcrafter. What would you do?
Un-happily Signing at this moment.......Marty
------------------ Marty Happy Signmaker Since 1974 Happy Ad Sign & Design Regina SK, Canada S4N 5K4
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Hey Marty. sorry to hear about your sign being destroyed. What a bummer.
I designed two signs for some LMP (licensed massage practitioners) awhile ago. 3 women were involved in the decision. What a mess. We went from my very nice design....to a destroyed version.
Funny what some people think looks good. Baffles the heck outta me sometimes.
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alot of my customers I have told them ! I dont tell you how to do your biz!! dont tell me how to do mine trust me and you will be happy and they are! I always get (looks better than what I was thinking (dreaming) of !) sure make you feel good when they say something like that !
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Marty, It's a tough thing to deal with adamant committee idiots and we all have to at some point. One approach I use when the powers that pay can't make up their minds is to tell them "its not what I like or what you like that really matters, its what the people that will be shopping in your business likes, they're the ones your trying to entice into coming into your business. I feel that I know more about that part of the project than any of you because as a professional signmaker I deal with those problems everyday, if you will trust in my judgement you will get what you are needing the job to do,,, and that is, making customers want to come into your business. I will listen to all of your input and preferences but if something doesn't work, it just doesn't work and I will tell you so. We've all heard the old adage that too many cooks spoil the stew, well, that also holds true for signs". Let 'em know up front that changes and edits will greatly effect the estimated cost and that they will be charged (your rate) for all extra time involved. Most of the time its a 'power struggle' thing between the ones involved and you can bet that the partnership will not last 'til the paint is good and dry.
------------------ Larry
Elliott Design McLemoresville, Tn.
If you can't find the time to do it right, where gonna find the time to do it over?
Posts: 486 | From: McLemoresville, TN. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I'm really sorry that they ruined your sign. These projects of ours become an extention of our personalities and display our talents, and to have someone ruin something you worked so hard to make professional must be VERY frustrating. I know you where counting on this to open more doors for you, so you must be very frustrated & angry.
Could you make a smaller version of the sign the way you designed it for your portfolio? Then at least you have something to show how great your work is.
Also, look at it again in a few days. It is possible that it is not so bad after all, after you get over the initial shock of the "assault".
Keep your chin up.
Sue
------------------ "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, Sk Canada
Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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I know this pain, and I can't talk about it yet. It only hurts when I laugh. And I don't want to rip open an old wound just to watch it bleed some more! So, I'll try to just laugh (ouch) for now. Lets go get a cup of coffee!
------------------ Draper The Signmaker Bloomington Illinois USA Be Sure to Check Out My Next Article On "Sign Shop Photography" in the March Issue of Sign Builder Illustrated! 309-828-7110 drapersigns@hotmail.com Draper_Dave on mIRC chat
Posts: 2883 | From: Bloomington Illinois USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Marty I know we have all had this happen to us. When it happened to me it was a job were I showed the customer the finished job, they loved it but wanted to change a couple of colors .I did the changes and pleaded with them not to do it, I assured them it might look good on the screen but in real life it will Suck in a big way ( I used more technical terms!). They had me do it their way and what do you know,"it Sucked in a big way". The wierd part was they loved it, could it be their tastebuds are in their butthole? Anyway I keep that shot in my shop and proudly display it, Anytime someone wants to F with my work I show them that job, It has never failed. So look for the positive in these setbacks,and incase you are wrong about how bad it looks you can always fall back on what a used car salesman told me when I asked him how he sold cars that were a hidious color or style. "There is an ASS for every Seat" Leonard Lee
------------------ Leonard Lee Best freind of REBEL the Wonder Dog
Posts: 11 | From: Milo IA. USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Are they truly happy with the "new look" of the sign, or are they just being "nice" and settling now that they've made a poor judgement call on it? Factor in that it could also be that they don't want to take the time or money to get it back to it's original state. If the sign is really as bad now as you say, I can't imagine that your customer would seriously be happy with a sign that has gone from wonderful to disastrous. There are some questions in this vane that I would sincerely, and kindly pose to them as I further address my own feelings about this situation with them. Are you concerned enough about your reputation here to try and right the wrong? Can the sign be saved with a repaint? ... or would it take reconstructing the entire thing again?
Are you willing to offer them the option of either, and at minimal to no charge, to save face in your community and to revive the piece that you've put your efforts and creativity into?
I would not express my feelings to them as explicitly as you have here with us, but I would definately put a sense of seriousness, and perhaps a tad bit of urgency in my words as I discuss this with them.
If this were me ... I'd make the effort and approach the customer on this.
Good luck Marty, don't let this dampen your spirit. Keep up the good work! Nettie
------------------ "When Love and Skill Work Together ... Expect a Masterpiece"
Janette Balogh Sign Studio in Sunny Florida jbalogh@earthlink.net Start packing and move in! It's just too easy to be a Resident! Location, Location, Location! It's all right here! [URLhttp://www.letterhead.com/supporters[/url}
You have my letter on the issue. As expressed in the letter, I would not come down on the folks, instead, make sure that the public knows what the situation is. Being in a small town, good word can travel quickly too. You did take a picture of the finished project when you were done, didn't you? A personal interest story with color photos of what you have done with several projects and could spread a lot of positive news around the area. Even if the customer decides to re-negotiate the situation with you or not, this feature in the paper could really accomplish many positive things! What do you think?
------------------ Deb Creative Signs
Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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Marty, I think we have all probably suffered a similar assault on our work at one time or another, I know I have. It can be done in many ways, even in the method a customer might use to install a sign in a ridiculous unprofessional way because they wanted to save some money. I would go to them and express your distress at what was done to your sign. Take them out to look at it, and explain to them what is wrong with the effects added by the decorator, and how it destroys the effect you (and most likely they) were trying to achieve. Then suggest that the interior decorator maybe needs to stay inside! Give them a cost for correcting the damage done, and if you have to, offer to do it at a real bargain just to protect your image! Only extremely unreasonable people would not be enlightened by this approach.
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For a small contribution to the Taliban Movement...they will send over one of their militants to blow it up...just like they did with all the images of Budda in Afganistan!
------------------ Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA (714) 521-4810 ICQ # 330407 "SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
Brushasaurus on Chat
Gladly supporting this BB !
Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Marty, I think Nettie has the right idea. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I'm sure after what they did, you aren't going to care if you get any more work out of them. So approach them as if they already know how much damage the "other artist" has done and offer to fix it at a reasonable cost. If they all couldn't agree when the sign looked great, how could they agree now that it's all f***ed up? You are the pro. Good luck, buddy.
------------------ Mike Kelly theSignWorx Ashburnham, MA 978.827.4439 thesignworx@hotmail.com
Posts: 42 | From: Ashburnham, MA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Thank you for your kind words. My head is much cooler about this situation today. Local Letterhead Cal Trauter and I sipped coffee and stared at this sign this morning. He didn't feel it was as drastic an 'assault' as I did, though he suggested a more subtle approach to what they did. He has offered to help me 'age' the additional one-sided sign this tavern requires for above their back entrance and hopefully once these folks see a good professional 'aging' job they'll see the light and have us repaint the 2-sided front sign which of course we wouldn't do for free.
Again, thanks for all your commiseration. Suelynn, I loved your term "assault" because that's exactly the way it felt. And Janette, I would definately not be nearly so explicit in communicating my deepest darkest fantasies regarding this sign to anyone but signfolks. And of course Joey and Si had entertaining ideas for retribution so I got a few belly laughs and what can be said about Leonard's contribution that "There is an ass for every seat." That really put's things in perspective. Hopefully I can work out a non-threatening solution where everyone saves face and I make more $$$$.
Thanks all and Happy Signing.....Marty
------------------ Marty Happy Signmaker Since 1974 Happy Ad Sign & Design Regina SK, Canada S4N 5K4
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