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Ever thrown anyone out of your shop?
- Thread starter threeputt
- Start date
Gino
Premium Subscriber
Hey threeputt....
It's not the swing that counts, it's that glassy eyed, crazed look that comes over your face while your mouth starts to hang open as you don't look directly at them when you talk to them. Then you slowly walk over towards the bat and start telling them nonsense as you sit on the bat and wobble around on it and pick it up because you knocked it over..... Yeah, they slowy get the idea and you don't even have to step into the 'Batter's Box'. :Sleeping:
It's not the swing that counts, it's that glassy eyed, crazed look that comes over your face while your mouth starts to hang open as you don't look directly at them when you talk to them. Then you slowly walk over towards the bat and start telling them nonsense as you sit on the bat and wobble around on it and pick it up because you knocked it over..... Yeah, they slowy get the idea and you don't even have to step into the 'Batter's Box'. :Sleeping:
SignosaurusRex
Active Member
They suddenly come to the realization that you just might have a "Treacherous" streak and a deep need to exercise it!
Arlo Kalon 2.0
New Member
There is an Arab businessman down the street from me who has absolutely ruined it for anyone from that culture with me. I spent about 45 minutes with him designing a banner layout to get it to his satisfaction. When I quoted him the price, THAT began about another 45 minutes of "C'mon man, I KNOW you can do better than that!". He even threw in the proverbial "give me a better price than THAT and I'll bring you more work". (I dunno why the saying is "he tried to jew me down"... to me, Arabs are much worse.
I told him the price again, to which he promptly offered me half that amount and added "I'll pay you cash". At that I told him to go somewhere else and just leave - I have work to do. About an hour later, he sends a Hispanic employee down to my shop to try and place the same order, this time being okay with my original price. I told him "sure, just tell your boss I need it in cash up front before the order will be done". The Arab called me back to ask why I was doing that to him. When I said I had concerns about being paid, he told me "you don't what it is the hell you are talking about" and hung up on me.
Like I said - he ruined it for others of his culture here.
I told him the price again, to which he promptly offered me half that amount and added "I'll pay you cash". At that I told him to go somewhere else and just leave - I have work to do. About an hour later, he sends a Hispanic employee down to my shop to try and place the same order, this time being okay with my original price. I told him "sure, just tell your boss I need it in cash up front before the order will be done". The Arab called me back to ask why I was doing that to him. When I said I had concerns about being paid, he told me "you don't what it is the hell you are talking about" and hung up on me.
Like I said - he ruined it for others of his culture here.
Sign_Boy
New Member
I had one guy that wanted business cards printed along with some signs. He had a logo that he got online (they did do a good job on it) The stationary was also laid out so I figured ok no big deal this should be easy....
Boy was I wrong....
It started with I need these names and numbers on the cards OK, I told him that I would have to charge him a one time set up fee. No problem. I e-mailed the proofs and estimate to him, all was good.
Oh but no he wanted to get fancy with the paper stock and wanted to be sure of the ink color. Fine I understand, so I went to his office, I should have known something was up when I saw a sign hanging in his entry way and a Fast Signs brochure on his desk. (probably should have walked away then) but I figured he needed cards. We spoke but he was not sure about the color, he wanted to match it to the paint he had not yet purchased.
Anyway to make this long story short he stopped by my shop one day with a paint sample so we could match it to my pantone guide. As he thumbed through it I noticed blue paint on it. YES, the paint sample was wet and he got it on my guide!!!
I darn near bit my lip off.
I did not throw him out (should have) and after all the time I spent with this guy he never even got the cards and never paid the setup fee but did manage to give me the shaft.
I try not to get thrown out of bars, I respect them way to much!
Boy was I wrong....
It started with I need these names and numbers on the cards OK, I told him that I would have to charge him a one time set up fee. No problem. I e-mailed the proofs and estimate to him, all was good.
Oh but no he wanted to get fancy with the paper stock and wanted to be sure of the ink color. Fine I understand, so I went to his office, I should have known something was up when I saw a sign hanging in his entry way and a Fast Signs brochure on his desk. (probably should have walked away then) but I figured he needed cards. We spoke but he was not sure about the color, he wanted to match it to the paint he had not yet purchased.
Anyway to make this long story short he stopped by my shop one day with a paint sample so we could match it to my pantone guide. As he thumbed through it I noticed blue paint on it. YES, the paint sample was wet and he got it on my guide!!!
I darn near bit my lip off.
I did not throw him out (should have) and after all the time I spent with this guy he never even got the cards and never paid the setup fee but did manage to give me the shaft.
I try not to get thrown out of bars, I respect them way to much!
SignosaurusRex
Active Member
44 mag. cartridges (no powder of course) take up less space. After 35 + years the collection grows!
Ken
New Member
I do not have "walk-ins". As a home-based, word-of-mouth- business I am fortunate enough not to have to deal with this. E-mail, telephone, fax and on-site consultation pretty much does it. Still learning to just say NO..
But last summer I said no to an established client that wanted somethin "right now"..and I see that I lost a fair bit of business 'cause of that.
Oh well...get in line..
Cheers!
Ken
But last summer I said no to an established client that wanted somethin "right now"..and I see that I lost a fair bit of business 'cause of that.
Oh well...get in line..
Cheers!
Ken
Signguyno1
New Member
In the last 50 years, i've had two that I can think of. The last being my step son's partner, who was responsible for all signage for the company.
After many meetings for 18" x 24" site signs for their building company and finally choosing the design and colors, upon the completed signage, he did not like the way they looked and wanted repeated changes. Signs delivered, he brought them back and said you could not read them, making more changes he came to pick them up, I placed the signs out in the yard and had him look at them from many different angles and from many distances, after his approval he left with the signs, returning hours later with all the signs and one destroyed from ripping off a tree, His reply was you can not read them from a distance! My reply was from what town, distance and from how fast? He was so belligerent that I told him to leave the signs and get the f%ck off my property! And never call me again as I don't need to deal with anal individuals!
Needless to say there was absoutely no problem with my stepson and a year or so later their parntenship came to an end.
It's your business and if you feel that the customer is a pain in the a$$, belligerent, offending, anal and or any other reason that you can think of, don't hesitate to ask them to leave or to have a sexual affair with themselves.
After many meetings for 18" x 24" site signs for their building company and finally choosing the design and colors, upon the completed signage, he did not like the way they looked and wanted repeated changes. Signs delivered, he brought them back and said you could not read them, making more changes he came to pick them up, I placed the signs out in the yard and had him look at them from many different angles and from many distances, after his approval he left with the signs, returning hours later with all the signs and one destroyed from ripping off a tree, His reply was you can not read them from a distance! My reply was from what town, distance and from how fast? He was so belligerent that I told him to leave the signs and get the f%ck off my property! And never call me again as I don't need to deal with anal individuals!
Needless to say there was absoutely no problem with my stepson and a year or so later their parntenship came to an end.
It's your business and if you feel that the customer is a pain in the a$$, belligerent, offending, anal and or any other reason that you can think of, don't hesitate to ask them to leave or to have a sexual affair with themselves.
mark in tx
New Member
When customers start to weasel about price, and they continue after I tell them for the 2nd time, I inform them "This is not a garage sale, but you're welcome to go and look for one."
They leave or pay up.
They leave or pay up.
BIGLETTERS
New Member
Luckily, I've had very few problems with customers from my many years of learning the 'ways of the weasel' in the Printing Trade. Man, there is a story or two. Recently, I had a Pizza shop owner wanting to rent one of my Hwy. Signs from me & he tried the, "Can't you do better than that?" routine. I am already one of the best rates around as I am new to this area but always doing my best to earn a new customer, I offer him a few extra days free of charge. It was the 26th. of the month & he wanted the sign for a month rental. He also wanted the Declaration of independence on his sign but I managed to get him to a more sensible level of words & made a Coroplast Add On for his Ice Cream Special, also free of charge. After installing his sign, setting up his message & making the 2 Coro Add Ons for each side I went in to have him sign the contract & give me a cheque. That's when he started. "You didn't tell me there was tax or a Deposit & I usually get 30-60 days to pay my Bills. I don't have to leave a Deposit with the Other Guy in Town." & on & On! I gave him the option of signing the contract & paying the invoice or my sign goes home. He declined & I left with my sign. Needless to say the Other Guy in town hasn't rented him a sign but the Shop owner has installed a very tasty Handwritten piece of Plywood out front of his store & the Ice cream special has been put on his front windows using electrical tape! Ooh! It really makes you want to eat there.
yea plenty... one was a big ol woman who insisted on silver metallic on a white background! (i tried to get her to outline in black at least but no)
even after explaining to her that it would be unreadable from 3 feet away, she still wanted it like that.
she paid, left and came back the next day with her panties in a knot, saying "you cant read them" go figure
another was a guy ordered a set of mags for his car... he called up yelling that the mags didn't stick and he wanted his $$ back... i told him to bring em in and we'd gladly replace them, if it was a defective product. he came driving up in.....a corvette lol
even after explaining to her that it would be unreadable from 3 feet away, she still wanted it like that.
she paid, left and came back the next day with her panties in a knot, saying "you cant read them" go figure
another was a guy ordered a set of mags for his car... he called up yelling that the mags didn't stick and he wanted his $$ back... i told him to bring em in and we'd gladly replace them, if it was a defective product. he came driving up in.....a corvette lol
BlueRidgeFabrication
New Member
Ha! Ha! This is a great thread. I have never really thrown anyone out, but have wanted to. However, I wish I could throw myself out sometimes though! And go and take a day off! 
stoner
New Member
I had a guy just show up one Saturday morning with a large stone he wanted sandblasted as a grave marker. I said OK, but it is not of good quality for this, but if we stay with just a name and date it should work. He said my sister ( here it comes what we all love to hear) wants to design it. I gave him my email and said have her email me the design when she is done, but keep it simple text, no graphics.
After 3 weeks of email and phone calls she sends my the design over 200 letters and 3 graphics, small graphics for a stone that is more like a large piece of gravel. That night he stops in and starts with "what does it take to get a simple stone done and when WILL you have it done!" I said the design just got here 4 hours ago and it will not work, he said he would "just take it down the road to someone who knew what they where doing" I jumped the counter and said "LETS LOAD THAT MOTHER##&K*& UP so you can get the ##&k out of my shop" ... My son-in-law was there picking up some address markers for a brick side job and was shocked at how I handled this jerk. I do not take this from anyone.
Over the years I have thrown a few out the door... I am here to provide a service, and it is not to be their whipping boy!
After 3 weeks of email and phone calls she sends my the design over 200 letters and 3 graphics, small graphics for a stone that is more like a large piece of gravel. That night he stops in and starts with "what does it take to get a simple stone done and when WILL you have it done!" I said the design just got here 4 hours ago and it will not work, he said he would "just take it down the road to someone who knew what they where doing" I jumped the counter and said "LETS LOAD THAT MOTHER##&K*& UP so you can get the ##&k out of my shop" ... My son-in-law was there picking up some address markers for a brick side job and was shocked at how I handled this jerk. I do not take this from anyone.
Over the years I have thrown a few out the door... I am here to provide a service, and it is not to be their whipping boy!
Dave Drane
New Member
os101king
New Member
oh yeah, that's the best one. customers who go behind your back with a design you did but didn't charge/release to them... especially when you give them a hook price to get the jobs in the door. happened to me with one towing company in specific, just basically put the word out that he wasn't welcome and I don't see him anymore. only a couple guys in the area on my level design-wise, so I just don't give out designs on disc or paper until they're asked and paid for in total. actually happened to the guy i used to work for.
get this one. did a design in cooperation with a Berkeley Township (NJ) police officer. He brought us in 60% complete sketches of what they wanted the cars to look like. Easy, we went over the designs, digitized and re-proofed, adding colors. They loved the designs, but because of budget concerns they purchased the kits and had the shop monkey at their garage put them on. Needless to say he sold a few "extra" sides because the worker didn't quite have the hang of "straight".
Fast foward a few years. The orders stop coming for a couple months (usually a car a month or so somebody would bang up and need new decals) and then a visit. From a couple DETECTIVES from Berkeley. Here's where it gets good. They claim that the guy is LEGALLY BOUND TO RELEASE ALL ARTWORK DIGITALLY TO THEM!!!!! He got no request from anyone on the force, and had made the agreement in the beginning that the artwork was the property of his company. He had it in writing, but the 'detectives' (barney fife and his cousin billy bob I believe) simply didn't acknowledge this. They continued to harass him for a few weeks on this point until the guy had to go through higher up channels and give them the opportunity to buy the design outright. They finally agreed, but of course they denied that anyone was at his shop in the first place to demand it from him..... what a surprise.
Here's the best part. Some clown in the roads dept thought it would be a good idea to print the cars in-house... now the cars my buddy did are 3-5 years old, edge printed & cleared on 3M reflective, and fading just a little. The cars bozo did in their garage turned from maroon & blue to robin's egg and pink in a year. Last laugh...
os101king
New Member
yea plenty... one was a big ol woman who insisted on silver metallic on a white background! (i tried to get her to outline in black at least but no)
even after explaining to her that it would be unreadable from 3 feet away, she still wanted it like that.
she paid, left and came back the next day with her panties in a knot, saying "you cant read them" go figure
another was a guy ordered a set of mags for his car... he called up yelling that the mags didn't stick and he wanted his $$ back... i told him to bring em in and we'd gladly replace them, if it was a defective product. he came driving up in.....a corvette lol
HAHAHAHA!!!!! Same thing, substitue LAND ROVER for the 'vette. Aluminum sticks about as well as fiberglass. This guy was cool about it, used them on another vehicle. I ask now.