Need Help Ever run into this......................... ??

[Gino]

Have a customer for the last 35 years or so and they did something I've never heard of to their signs.

They ordered a buncha site maps for the buildings which get hung on walls and then some double-sided signs to hang, showing people where things are. All are made of .177 white acrylic with holes drilled in them for hanging. All were printed on a flatbed printer 8 pass with a liquid laminate overtop. All were wiped down with 91% isopropyl right before printing.​

Got a call a day or so after they received them that the inks were coming off. They sent pictures and I couldn't figure it out. Went and picked all the signs up and gave them 2 more coats of liquid lam. Reprinted about 7 of the 40 some signs at my own cost. I couldn't scratch them off with my fingernail and I tried about 5 or 6 different pieces. I was satisfied. Got an e-mail last night, same thing happened, to the first one they tried.​

TRIED ????? What do you mean tried ?? Turns out they are putting Liquid Yellow (a foam cleaner) on them and then hitting them with a hot water sprayer.

WHY ?????

It's a cleaning standard for them to remove food, like chocolate, butter and other ingredients from all surfaces.​

I said, had I known that, I would've printed second side reverse and backed up with white paint or vinyl.​

So, anybody ever hear of customers purposely hitting freshly printed acrylic to test it after they ordered and not do a test on only one first before ordering the whole project ??

Gino​

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

 

[GAC05]

Seems like they are really messy eaters if they have to get butter and chocolate off their signage on a regular basis.

 

[Gino]

Hahaa..... it's a candy and bakery factory.

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

You didn't ask what they were doing that the ink was coming off? Not saying it's your fault, because it's not, but I would have asked.

And no, I've never had a client intentionally test my prints unless we did a prototype.

 

[Gino]

I did ask the first time and she said, just touching them, it came off. We delivered all these signs, they shifted around a little bit and we took them all inside their main building..... and nothing at all peeled or lifted. So, I said I'd add a few more clears on there. I didn't want to laminate with rigid stock, because of all the static. The second time is when she said mentioned they were trying something with them.

And that's the word I couldn't think of...... 'prototype'. ​

 

[2B]

So a customer didn't provide the scope of the project and then wants you to fix it when they intentionally break it?

You didn't ask what they were doing that the ink was coming off? Not saying it's your fault, because it's not, but I would have asked.

And no, I've never had a client intentionally test my prints unless we did a prototype.

this, learned LONG AGO, ask lots of questions.
typically there is information to be found and, just like said, a keyword will change all.

we also call them "pre-production runs"

 

[letterman7]

I would have asked where they were going and asked if they needed any special considerations. Not your fault that they did testing on them - they didn't let you know.

 

[Gino]

I generally ask plenty of questions. In fact, I've been accused of asking too many questions to the point of p!ssing people off. I don't believe anyone can ask too many questions, but it can happen. In the beginning stages, I gave them 4 samples of the materials I thought would work for this intended project. My only directions were. They wanted plastic with pre-drilled holes in the corners for putting on walls and hanging in particular areas of the plants. Nothing was ever said about special cleaning procedures involving foam cleaners and hot water sprays. I had no idea the ingredients were going to make it to the hallways, stairwells and go about 18' in the air. Anyway, a light rubbing with water and a soft rag would've accomplished that. No need for pressure sprayers and chemicals..... especially in a food environment.

Again, had they ever mentioned the cleaning methods, I would've known to move in a different direction. We've been doing food industry signs for decades and never heard of this one.

Pretty much what I expected though, sa far. No one has ever heard of customers purposely destroying signs and then expecting them re-done. Sorta explains a little why the girl said she felt bad after the first go around.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

sounds like ANOTHER line gets added to the 10 pages of disclosure on each invoice....

 

[Gino]

Well, a happy outcome.... ending for me, anyway. They've elected to have me get non-glare .060 cut exactly the same and drilled out and will use tiny nylon washers for spacers and then they can wash the fronts of them to the cows come home. It was that, or start all over. She seemed very happy that we figured out a fix.