I have a customer who has been very successful in his business. He worked very hard and took a lot of chances to build a very successful race track. But he is a tight wad. He has trouble getting past the early days of making his own signs with cardboard and two sticks(sign post according to the rest of us). His adult daughter and I have worked on him for years to get him to understand the importance of image as far as signage goes at the track. We are finally making some progress and he has accepted spending money on professional signage the last few years.
Now that we have him trained, he is retiring and letting the kids take over the race track business. Poor Geno is bored now and thought he would be helpful and make some frames for the new signs for this year's season. His daughter told me she drove past a new row of fencing they just put up at the track and saw some bread bun racks hanging on the fence that Geno had whitewashed.(bun racks from the concession stands). She asked her dad what they were for and he said they were frames for the new signs I was making them.
This may not seem incredibly funny to the rest of you, but I almost fell of my chair when the daughter told me about this. Geno has come from the "cardboard and two sticks" type signage to allowing me to make their signs. He just thought the bun rack frames would add a nice touch. For Geno, this is a "great" improvement.
I may have a few disfunctional customers, but I have learn to laugh about most things they come up with. He doesn't have to save a $buck$ anymore, but old habits die hard.
One of my customers (that has more money than the IRS) calls me all the time to "re-paint" his old (vinyl lettered) 4'x8' signs...after making him mad several times trying to explain to him it would be cheaper to start with new materials...I finally gave in and now I pick up the old signs...destroy them (without his knowledge) and put them in the dumpster...use new materials and charge him for the trashing of the old signs...now he's happy...I'm happy...the world is happy and all things are good. Go figure!
But the truth is this would be a beautiful business if we could just do it (without) customers. Don't ya think?
------------------ Monte Jumper SIGNLanguage/Norman.Okla.
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Does anybody remember Rick William's article in Sign Business about a customer of his that moved? Seems they called him to come out to the new place and letter the new windows, so Rick goes there to take measurements etc., only to find they had removed every single vinyl letter off the old windows and was wanting him to reapply. There they were, perfectly intact, wrinkled and disformed, all laid out for him. The killer is ,the time and trouble it must have took to get them off in the shape they were in.
------------------ Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Since 1978 http://www.wrightsigns.bigstep.com All change isn't progress, and all progress isn't forward.
Posts: 2786 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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I have a funny one that just happened. A local stamping plant called and wanted a new sign. when the sign was done and ready for installation I called and ask them to go mark the spot with spray paint, flour, or some lime so that the installer (my husband) would know where to put it. two days before he was to install it, I went out to fine the spray painted marks but couldn't see them any where. I called the next day to the purchasing agent and explained that I had been out on site and couldn't find them. I heard her speak to someone in the booth next to her and she came back on and told me that they had marked the spot and that they had used green spray paint. Keep in mind that its spring here in Michigan and the grass is coming in real green. I went back to the shop and told my production manager and we just shook our heads and laughed. I thought that we had the last laugh but when I told my husband that night he laughed ans said that they probably knew exactly what they were telling you and were laughing trying to imagine the look on YOUR face. Oh well.
------------------ 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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We had one of those guys here that's trying to do several things and wants to advertise them all on the same vehicle. Each thing he does has a different business name. One name for his tractor work. Another for his yard clean up, and another for hauling. When I see his truck, I can't figure out who he is? He didn't want anything priortised.
------------------ The SignShop Mendocino, California "Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"
Oh, for the faith of a spider! He begins his web without any thread.
Posts: 6806 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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the customer who had the sketch in hand, layout and all, giving me three other names of what the business should be, changing his mind every three minutes...note, he had already given me the deposit, and knew he had to pay for changes, and was creating a company merging with another... didn't he realize that not being registered with the state had an impact? If he were registered, wouldn't he realize that to change at this point would be a hassle there too? After I cut the lettering and applying it (a fleet of trucks) he asked me while applying the door lettering at last, was that the name we really decided on? He didn't have access to the paperwork, even though he was in the office. I thought he was joking... how do they run an 11 million dollar company? This was a classic...
------------------ Deb Creative Signs "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime."
Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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I think I've told this story before but it fits well with this thread.
I have a customer who is a real estate developer that wanted a sign for a downtown commercial lot. "For Lease, build to suit". As usual he didn't want to spend much money, but I talked him into spending a little more for a more effective, attractive sign. About a week later I saw the sign leaning against the wall behind his office, so I stopped in and asked if there was something wrong with it. Nope! Leased the property the third day the sign was up. I jokingly remarked that if I had known the sign was going to work that well, I'd have charged more money for it.
His reply was that if he had known that he was only going to get three days use out of the sign, he'd never have spent that much on it. The sad part is that he was serious.
------------------ Jerry Mathel Jerry Mathel Signs Grants Pass, Oregon signs@grantspass.com
Posts: 916 | From: Grants Pass, OR USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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I had a lady bring back a "For Sale by Owner" sign,wanting her money back,because the sign didn't Work! Her selling price was TWICE the amount for other houses of the same quality and size. Go figuire.
------------------ PKing is Pat King of King Sign Design in McCalla,Alabama The Professor of SIGNOLOGY
Posts: 3113 | From: Pompano Beach, FL. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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The same customer that I mentioned above, with this dump truck and D2 cat, wanted "licensed & insured" on the doors. He is required to have a state contractors license in several categories and liability insurance. What he has is a city business license and PL&PD on his truck! He wasn't attempting to fool anyone, he just didn't seem to understand beyond that!
------------------ The SignShop Mendocino, California "Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"
Oh, for the faith of a spider! He begins his web without any thread.
Posts: 6806 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I had a customer order a for sale by owner sign on Thursday & he came back Monday asking for his money back. It seems he sold the house on Saturday. He didn't advertise in any paper. He admitted the sign sold the house. He couldn't understand why I would not refund his money. He "barely used" the sign.
I always wondered if his house sold for $19.95, but if you order right now we also give you...
------------------ Jerry Morrissey Rapid Graphics & Signs Omaha NE 402-597-3606 jcm@novia.net
Posts: 92 | From: Omaha, NE. USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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Good Thread and I figure this fits in just fine here. We had a customer in Pulte Homes to be exact who at one of there locations used snipes to bring people into the property. We'd make up the signs and let them place the arrows as they needed them. Well about a week later the secretary called and says she needs more arrows to point to the right, She has about 40 that face to the left, well I tryed to explain that the arrows we're byedirecitonal and the manager got on the line and asked if we had a problem. Fianlly the only way out of this was I asked if he had a left hand arrow there, he says yes, I say lay it on the table and tell me which way it's facing? He say its facing to the left. I say turn it 180 degree and which way is it facing now? The phone goes dead. True Story.
------------------ Richard Girard Girard Signs & Graphics Oakland Park, Florida richard@girard.com 954-772-0059
Posts: 148 | From: Oakland Park, Florida U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Florida, California...guess they're the same! Had a freind ask the same as Richard's customer, he called needing more left arrows, I told him to get one, which he did, them told him to rotate it on the table 180°....pause...nervous giggle...them "and I'm supposed to be an engineer! OK, problem solved!" Kiddingly told him that I was goning to send him a bill for the lesson!
------------------ Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA (714) 521-4810 ICQ # 330407 "SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
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Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Don't ya think?
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