Can you believe this sign company?

[Texas_Signmaker]

Got a call today from a prospective customer. Wanted to know how much we charge for two "In memory of" decals. I told him we don't make those and he proceeds to bad mouth one of the longest standing (and respected) sign shops in town. He said he called them three days ago and checked in with them today to find they don't have the decals ready. "Well, I'm not going to give them my business, I will give it to someone else" he said. Our of curiosity I asked how much he was buying them for, he said they were selling them for $15/ea. He then told me that's up from $12 from (another respected shop) in town.

My shock is that these two long standing and respected companies were even doing them! They are far from small shops.

 

[2B]

Money is money.

Down time means you fill it with projects.

Sent from my SAMSUNG using Tapatalk

 

[Circleville Signs]

I have been a 1 man shop for the past 5 years. I'll do IMO decals - for my shop minimum of $100.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I have been a 1 man shop for the past 5 years. I'll do IMO decals - for my shop minimum of $100.

I would too but has anyone you pitched that to take the bait? When I tell them about our $75 minimum they get disgusted and hang up. Now you have a pissed off person that just found you online and can easily post something bad about you.

 

[Circleville Signs]

I honestly don't give a shit.

I am not rude about it, but when they get indignant about the price I kindly explain exactly what goes into their IMO decals, from layout time to weeding and taping. If they still dont understand, I send them to another guy in town who will do this stuff all day long.

I'm too old to work for $10/hr. If I'd rather play a video game.

 

[bannertime]

I do jobs like that when I'm between jobs on a machine. As long as I can do it right then and there and takes less than a few minutes, or they don't mind waiting a few days or weeks until I remember to attach it onto another job. Otherwise I enforce order minimums. Though lately we're seeing a lot of "can't you just do this real quick like you did last time?" issues. So that probably won't happen anymore. Edit to say; we're not a large company by any means, but we still don't target the IMO, family reunion, "I think it'd be funny if I could get a sign that says...," "please, we're a non-profit" type customers.

 

[Fred Weiss]

This is what you're up against ...

https://www.amazon.com/s?field-keyw...9-def00-dsk00-nomod-us000-gatwy-feature-SEARC

 

[mobileartdept]

This is what you're up against ...

https://www.amazon.com/s?field-keyw...9-def00-dsk00-nomod-us000-gatwy-feature-SEARC

You mentioned at the bottom of your quote, you do Expert Gerber Edge Printing for the Trade...
I cut my teeth in the industry on a couple of great Gerber Edge units
I still have Gerber Omega software on the shelf but use FlexiSign12 cloud now and have been happy
I am looking for a supplier to do small orders of decals (25,50,100,200,etc)
do you do this, or know of anyone? I thought I sold my shop after 18yrs in biz and it fell through, so I have moved on to less stress doing art on-site with no employee head aches and overhead
with my MobileArtDept.com biz and love it! I am looking to network with great shops for my production

 

[Fred Weiss]

We would be happy to quote on your needs. Just send file(s) and details to the email in my signature.

 

[ams]

I am shocked that you would turn it down. Little jobs turn into big jobs. Making your customer happy is key, because they will tell more people about you. They will also come back with all of their future business.

 

[Gino]

Don't remember anyone ever coming in and asking for just 2 decals like you said. Usually they want groups of like 50 or 100. They either sell them to others or give them away. Most of the time, it meets our shop minimum ($125). When it's for fallen cops or other service type people, we usually donate them.

To set a file up, print and contour cut, the whole thing doesn't take more than 15 or 20 minutes. That's nothing out of a week of regular work.

It's a shame you can't do the same for them....... or at least talk them into an order which will benifit and fulfill your $75 minimum.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Don't remember anyone ever coming in and asking for just 2 decals like you said. Usually they want groups of like 50 or 100. They either sell them to others or give them away. Most of the time, it meets our shop minimum ($125). When it's for fallen cops or other service type people, we usually donate them.

To set a file up, print and contour cut, the whole thing doesn't take more than 15 or 20 minutes. That's nothing out of a week of regular work.

It's a shame you can't do the same for them....... or at least talk them into an order which will benifit and fulfill your $75 minimum.

I would do 50-100, but that is not what I usually see. If a $15 decal is worth your 20 mins then all the power to you. I'd rather clear my mind or spend the time eating.

 

[Gino]

There u go with all the questions Gino, just answer it!

I would do 50-100, but that is not what I usually see. If a $15 decal is worth your 20 mins then all the power to you. I'd rather clear my mind or spend the time eating.

Once again, your comprehension skills are lacking. If you'd read what I said and not what you think I said, I said, we don't get one or two at a time. They're always in larger groups of 50 to 100 at a time. Whether you are putting a file together for 1 or 100, it takes the same amount of time to do everything, with a little more time invested if you're printing out 50 or 100.

I'm getting the impression you do one thing at a time. If you don't do 2 decals, you're gonna go eat ?? Based on many of your responses on this forum, you tend to say things hinged on very little volume. Now, we're no huge shop by any means, but we always seem to have several jobs/projects going at any given time. So, while many things are going on, it's nothing to donate 15 minutes to a fallen cop..... anyway, not in my eyes.

I think you might need to get more sleep. Things are getting rough for you to follow.

 

[eahicks]

I am shocked that you would turn it down. Little jobs turn into big jobs. Making your customer happy is key, because they will tell more people about you. They will also come back with all of their future business.

Yes, but you can't do that stuff for $12, $15.... I can setup and print $1000 worth of signage in the time it takes to lay out and cut one of those stupid decals. Which do you think we prefer?

 

[Circleville Signs]

I am shocked that you would turn it down. Little jobs turn into big jobs. Making your customer happy is key, because they will tell more people about you. They will also come back with all of their future business.

See, that's the thing. I dont want their future business. I don't want their friends business either.

With very few exceptions, these clients are much like local race car guys. The only future "business" you get from them is more local race car guys who want you to "sponsor" them.

Fallen police/military? Yeah. I'll do those.

 

[TimToad]

See, that's the thing. I dont want their future business. I don't want their friends business either.

With very few exceptions, these clients are much like local race car guys. The only future "business" you get from them is more local race car guys who want you to "sponsor" them.

Fallen police/military? Yeah. I'll do those.

Everyone has their own tolerance of and desire to fill their client's needs regardless of project size. I'm sure in the bustling 13,000 person metropolis of Circleville, OH you have no shortage of high ticket corporate clients who keep you busy year round doing only the best and highest paid work that is offered to you.

We live in a small town of 28,000 with half a dozen shops and in a county of 200,000 with dozens of other shops to compete against. Despite that high level of competition, we still take pride in being accessible and helpful to anybody that walks in the door as long as they don't abuse our good nature or expect something unreasonable for both sides of the transaction.

We also aren't so full of ourselves that we can't stop what we're doing for a regular customer or a customer who infrequently orders signs and knock something out in a few minutes time.

Those seeking "In Memory Of" decals are vulnerable, still grieving people who if shown a little kindness and empathy can be your shops greatest ambassadors.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

See, that's the thing. I dont want their future business. I don't want their friends business either.

With very few exceptions, these clients are much like local race car guys. The only future "business" you get from them is more local race car guys who want you to "sponsor" them.

Fallen police/military? Yeah. I'll do those.

Lol, yea the IMO decals turn into IMO t-shirts! "Hey, I'd like to sit down with you and design my t-shirt because we need it this afternoon." Dang, why would we want to pass that repeat business up???

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Everyone has their own tolerance of and desire to fill their client's needs regardless of project size. I'm sure in the bustling 13,000 person metropolis of Circleville, OH you have no shortage of high ticket corporate clients who keep you busy year round doing only the best and highest paid work that is offered to you.

We live in a small town of 28,000 with half a dozen shops and in a county of 200,000 with dozens of other shops to compete against. Despite that high level of competition, we still take pride in being accessible and helpful to anybody that walks in the door as long as they don't abuse our good nature or expect something unreasonable for both sides of the transaction.

We also aren't so full of ourselves that we can't stop what we're doing for a regular customer or a customer who infrequently orders signs and knock something out in a few minutes time.

Those seeking "In Memory Of" decals are vulnerable, still grieving people who if shown a little kindness and empathy can be your shops greatest ambassadors.

And I'm glad there are shops out there that will do that. In my OP, it's clear that if you DO do it, you better do it quickly or that same person will bad-mouth you all over town over that $15 decal!

 

[TimToad]

And I'm glad there are shops out there that will do that. In my OP, it's clear that if you DO do it, you better do it quickly or that same person will bad-mouth you all over town over that $15 decal!

I think it all boils down to how you want to be perceived in your community. Its far less of an issue in a bigger town, but in smaller towns, perception is reality and people do talk to each other.

If some recently widowed woman or perhaps a more topical issue, a husband whose wife was just killed in Las Vegas by that madman came in and wanted an IMO decal, you want him or her to walk out thinking, what a heartless bastard? Couldn't even give me a few minutes of his time in my moment of grief?

I've been a signmaker almost 40 years and frankly, my position in my community and how my wife and I are perceived within it is as important to us as the money we make producing all the beautiful signs we do every day.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I think it all boils down to how you want to be perceived in your community. Its far less of an issue in a bigger town, but in smaller towns, perception is reality and people do talk to each other.

If some recently widowed woman or perhaps a more topical issue, a husband whose wife was just killed in Las Vegas by that madman came in and wanted an IMO decal, you want him or her to walk out thinking, what a heartless *******? Couldn't even give me a few minutes of his time in my moment of grief?

I've been a signmaker almost 40 years and frankly, my position in my community and how my wife and I are perceived within it is as important to us as the money we make producing all the beautiful signs we do every day.

"I'm so sorry for you loss. I appreciate you reaching out to us but unfortunately we don't make those. I can suggest Joe Blow at XYZ sign company, would you like their phone number?" How is that heartless?

You can have good business sense and be nice at the same time.