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Fired My First Customer Today

C

CentralSigns

New Member
Today I sent out a hefty bill to a customer that I've been revising artwork all summer for. Gonna cost about $500 and no sign. Finally he pissed me off today by changing direction and deciding not to get his piddly $200 sign done. Probably put 10 hours over the summer on this sign revision 67 I think, guy's a fool. He obviously thinks sign people work for free. The first customer I ever fired, I really needed to send him packing. What a waste of air. Well that's my rant for the month. And I feel good about it. Any one have similar stories of wasted air.
 
RandyToons

RandyToons

New Member
Lesson learned eh?...Every customer I deal with helps make me that much stronger. After a quick question and answer session, I can usually lead my customers to reach a solution and direction that will benefit the both of us. This did not come overnight but through many years of success and mistakes. For new customers, I'm one for a down payment before the pencil hits the paper...this usually helps determine who is going to be the problem when it comes time to collect. As I write this, I have a Sign Co that I did some designing and illustrating for and they still owe me $3,200 since last Easter and not returning calls...Lesson learned :)
 
Dave Drane

Dave Drane

New Member
Potential customers who come in and ask for a price and artwork??? Can't have them both for free, and if you let them know then it soon sorts the sheep from the goats! If you have already done work for him under an agreement, then he owes you money that you should follow through with.
 
Spud Murphy

Spud Murphy

New Member
One of my worst was an $85 job for an Art Teacher. She needed a show title cut in vinyl. Something simple in a sans serif font...OK that doesnt look good, how about a serif?...OK do you have anything that looks more modern?...Ok maybe we should go with the sans serif..and on and on....She finally approved a layout and came into the office to pick it up, saw a postcard on my table ...OH I really like that-How about cutting it in that font?

I just pointed to the door and said "Get the F...out of here" and she did
 
Craig Sjoquist

Craig Sjoquist

New Member
My latest was just the other day. Did 2-22x28" for a stand up sign, they wanted something that can be seen at night and they had a plywood panel for it to be painted on.

We agreed on white background & price, I came back next day installed it were they wanted, later getting a call saying can not see it. and did not like it.

I painted it alot better looking, used fluorescent for background like we agreed, installed again ..He claimed it was only worth half paid me $20 I said do not call me again.

Here's the picture. What would you charge about ?
 

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L

Locals Find!

New Member
Craig Sjoquist said:
My latest was just the other day. Did 2-22x28" for a stand up sign, they wanted something that can be seen at night and they had a plywood panel for it to be painted on.

We agreed on white background & price, I came back next day installed it were they wanted, later getting a call saying can not see it. and did not like it.

I painted it alot better looking, used fluorescent for background like we agreed, installed again ..He claimed it was only worth half paid me $20 I said do not call me again.

Here's the picture. What would you charge about ?
Click to expand...

$50 uninstalled and not hand painted. For what you did you deserve at least $75 in my book. Go turn him into homeland security or burn the sign down.
 
M

mark galoob

New Member
i fired one this summer and he went to one of my competiters who is on this forum...you know who you are...funny thing is this customer was always coming in, making revisions to menue and to banners and such, and he would order, and id make the art then he would change his mind and not do the order...really started pissing me off. last time he came in and wanted a complete revision and as he was walking out he said he be by in the next few weeks to order it...(1000 post cards) i said nope, they need to be paid for now...well he paid and i printed and there was some mistakes he missed on the proof and he wrote me an email and said my competitor will do it for so and so price...funny thing is i totally know the costs of everything and my competiter is gonna get his lunch eaten with this guy...lol you wait and see...any way long story short is i told the customer good luck with his business hope all goes well with the competitor... good riddence

mark galoob
 
HulkSmash

HulkSmash

New Member
mark galoob said:
i fired one this summer and he went to one of my competiters who is on this forum...you know who you are...funny thing is this customer was always coming in, making revisions to menue and to banners and such, and he would order, and id make the art then he would change his mind and not do the order...really started pissing me off. last time he came in and wanted a complete revision and as he was walking out he said he be by in the next few weeks to order it...(1000 post cards) i said nope, they need to be paid for now...well he paid and i printed and there was some mistakes he missed on the proof and he wrote me an email and said my competitor will do it for so and so price...funny thing is i totally know the costs of everything and my competiter is gonna get his lunch eaten with this guy...lol you wait and see...any way long story short is i told the customer good luck with his business hope all goes well with the competitor... good riddence

mark galoob
Click to expand...

Can't deal with petty customers like that. Let someone else have the headache.
 
A

andy

New Member
Craig Sjoquist said:
My latest was just the other day. Did 2-22x28" for a stand up sign, they wanted something that can be seen at night and they had a plywood panel for it to be painted on.

We agreed on white background & price, I came back next day installed it were they wanted, later getting a call saying can not see it. and did not like it.

I painted it alot better looking, used fluorescent for background like we agreed, installed again ..He claimed it was only worth half paid me $20 I said do not call me again.

Here's the picture. What would you charge about ?
Click to expand...

Halal= people who like to haggle.

In some parts of the world peeps love to haggle the livin $hit out of everything.... shops in these places display hugely inflated prices which the shop keepers then waste half an hour haggling down to the real price.

Dealing with people who always haggle means beating them at their own game.... stick your showcards in at $120 and then waste 15 minutes working back down to the real price. If you're feeling at bit pi$$y play hardball with them and you just might come out with more than you could get from any of your regular customers.

Haggling has got to be one of THE barmiest pricing systems going seeing as everyone starts from a deliberately inflated price
 
B

btropical.com

New Member
Craig Sjoquist said:
My latest was just the other day. Did 2-22x28" for a stand up sign, they wanted something that can be seen at night and they had a plywood panel for it to be painted on.

We agreed on white background & price, I came back next day installed it were they wanted, later getting a call saying can not see it. and did not like it.

I painted it alot better looking, used fluorescent for background like we agreed, installed again ..He claimed it was only worth half paid me $20 I said do not call me again.

Here's the picture. What would you charge about ?
Click to expand...
Drop a dime on them
http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/hr/inspections.html
 
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