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Fired a customer

G

garyroy

New Member
We usually give everybody NET 15 terms up front. Then we basically allow them 30 days to pay us.
If they pay us in 60 days or if we have to make more than 2 calls for our money, once we collect their current invoice their next job is
Pre-Pay. If they don't want to pre-pay, they can go to my competition and use them as their vendor.
They basically fired themselves and did us a favor.

We have a pretty good sense up front also for new customers if we want to deal with them or not.
We've had the same customers for 8, 9, 10 years, repeat over and over. Those are the ones you want.
I tell my kids, "You don't want every person as a customer, you only want the good ones"
 
gnubler

gnubler

Active Member
Great feedback here, especially Z Signs. This is only my first firing, good practice for future firings, I hope.

Update on the original post: passed by the former customer's place and there's a banner hanging on the building fastened on the top corners only, flapping away in the wind, and it's really windy today. That district requires a permit for banners, so I give it just a few days until the city tells her to take it down, or the wind does it for her.
 
2B

2B

Active Member
garyroy said:
"You don't want every person as a customer, you only want the good ones"
Click to expand...


Exactly! The Tim Ferris 80:20 Rule is another way to look at this
1. Which 20% of sources are causing 80% of my problems and unhappiness?
2. Which 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of my desired outcomes and happiness?
 
Last edited:
96XP

96XP

New Member
In contribution to this thread;

Have had close calls, but haven't fired anyone yet. If I feel they will be too difficult from the start, I say no with pricing.

And having had some close encounters of the 6th kind, I make amendments to the site every time I experience something different. Then I can send them to the page so I don't have to spell it all out.
Have also encountered a few [from time to time] that simply have never ever reasoned once in their life, but most are easy to please and give me full creative license - and those are the best ones.


Customer:
I need it to match perfectly. I'll take a picture tonight from the parkade and send you a [crappy blurry dark] picture with my dumb phone. This one is the canopy, this one is the interior, this one is the color of the gelcoat stripe, and.................
From website:
There is no perfect color matching, however I will work as closely as possible so that the design will compliment your current color scheme.

Customer:
I found these [5,000] images references on the interweb this past week and want this one, with this background, these details, this color, but facing south, with .......... and has to be exact. How much you gunna' charge me?
From website:
I will not copy another artists work, as I have the skill and abilities to produce superior original art. However, if you have been inspired by something you have seen somewhere in your travels, and would like my rendition thereof, you must submit the visual reference by way of e-mail, so that I may assess the direction and time it will take take in order to create that personalized and unique piece of art.

Customer:
I got my package today and didn't look like what I saw on my screen:
From website:
NOTICE Due to the difference between monitors, screen and various devices, the picture may not reflect the actual color of the item.
[customer was using old monitor]

Customer:
WoW! That looks incredible !!! Can we move this over here, then change the color of that, and how about trying two or three different fonts, and.............................?
From website:
Getting new inspirational ideas after I have submitted a finished proof will cause timely delays and back up the work flow here in studio. Please be courteous and have your thoughts and ideas well ironed out before I get started on your special project.
Changes made after 'proofing' are prorated at $50.00 per hr.

Customer:
So if I pay you the base rate of hundred dollars [for 20 hrs of your time], that includes the print and I'll be the only one with it, right?
From website:
All work produced remains under the copyright of the artist unless otherwise specified.

Customer:
I'm sending the package back because I don't like how it looks.
[customer sends back full package showing pounce patterns on every panel]
From website:
Any items that have been tampered with, such as, tracing with pounce wheel, copying with any form of marking instrument will NOT be accepted as a return for credit or exchange and will be returned back to you at the buyers expense.
[and was]


Thought I had all the bases covered, but noop.
Have amendments to make asap.

Customer:
I really regret buying this package. The panels aren't staying on and now I need new ones. Can you send me replacements?
My first question:
Did you install wet, or dry?
Customer: Wet.
Me: I wrote in black marker on the backsides 'Apply DRY not wet' 'Use No Liquids'
Did you see that?
Customer: Yes, but I haven't done this before.
Me: Two minutes of pure silence........

Customer:
I placed my order Sunday night and it's now Thursday. I need this for a special event / gift / Xmas, etc... I needed this right away! Why isn't it here yet?
---

Customer:
Can you come and help me install it?
---

Customer:
Got my kit and nothing fits.
Me: What year is your skidoo?
Customer: It's a 2001 Polaris.
Me: dead silence............................................3 minutes.................

Customer:
We received our boat package and it's really nice, but the registration numbers are backwards.
Me:
That's what you sent me in the email.
time passes....
Customer: [comes back]
Well, I sent my son out to get them from the boat, and when he wrote them down, he wrote them in reverse because of the other side.

?

Me: dead silence............................................8 minutes and counting.................


I'm patient and have scars on my tongue to prove it. haha.
Just some, but not all the true stories I could tell.
I try/make the best of it :)
 
gnubler

gnubler

Active Member
96XP said:
Customer:
We received our boat package and it's really nice, but the registration numbers are backwards.
Me:
That's what you sent me in the email.
time passes....
Customer: [comes back]
Well, I sent my son out to get them from the boat, and when he wrote them down, he wrote them in reverse because of the other side.

?

Me: dead silence............................................8 minutes and counting.................
Click to expand...

That's a good one. Reminds me of the trucker who wanted his passenger side numbers to appear backwards for a scale scanner or something. Not mirrored, but backwards, as in "00055 WVG". So that's what I gave him.
 
Scotchbrite

Scotchbrite

No comment
gnubler said:
That's a good one. Reminds me of the trucker who wanted his passenger side numbers to appear backwards for a scale scanner or something. Not mirrored, but backwards, as in "00055 WVG". So that's what I gave him.
Click to expand...
We have a saying in the office here, "truckers be crazy".
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
I think ya should paddle around on the lake and drum up more business.....................
 
Boudica

Boudica

I'm here for Educational Purposes
gnubler said:
That's a good one. Reminds me of the trucker who wanted his passenger side numbers to appear backwards for a scale scanner or something. Not mirrored, but backwards, as in "00055 WVG". So that's what I gave him.
Click to expand...
I remember that one!
 
S

Souldar

CLGK
Getting in a bit late on this conversation but wanted to tell my customer firing story. At my last shop we had to fire a couple customers that were "Sign Shops". They would sell these jobs to their clients then come to us for estimates on fabrication and installation on their designs. Then they would freak out when we sent them a quote on what the signs would really cost to produce. We wouldn't budge on cutting corners as we tried to be fair and make a profit from the get go.
Turns out they had already used some magical formula to figure out the price they had already given their client, taken deposits and given time frames for production before they ever talked to us. Also, the deadlines were impossible even if we were to start work immediately. No thank you and good riddance.
 
C

CanuckSigns

Active Member
Souldar said:
Getting in a bit late on this conversation but wanted to tell my customer firing story. At my last shop we had to fire a couple customers that were "Sign Shops". They would sell these jobs to their clients then come to us for estimates on fabrication and installation on their designs. Then they would freak out when we sent them a quote on what the signs would really cost to produce. We wouldn't budge on cutting corners as we tried to be fair and make a profit from the get go.
Turns out they had already used some magical formula to figure out the price they had already given their client, taken deposits and given time frames for production before they ever talked to us. Also, the deadlines were impossible even if we were to start work immediately. No thank you and good riddance.
Click to expand...
I've come across this as well, I just chuckle and wish them well in their search.
 
B

Bobby H

Arial Sucks.
I can't stand those "sign broker" outfits. They're usually middle men with zero in-house production capabilities and not even any design staff either. The only sense I can make out of the game they're playing is they cold call lots of businesses trying to get leads. But unless they really know all the details about sign production the only thing they accomplish is muddying the waters. They're an unnecessary go-between getting in the way of the customer and a real sign company.
 
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