How should this be handled?

[wes70]

So we just finished replacing polycarb panels with graphics and tracking. The customer (friends) had an another sign company (with bucket truck) take the old frame and panels down and I picked them up and brought them to my shop and did the new replacements and then brought them back to the location for the other sign company to re-install.

The the company is showing pics on social media that they did the installation of the signs. Nothing wrong with that..the issue is that this was a fairly high profile job for as popular restaurant / bar and it "implies" that this company did "all" of the work. I am going to add a comment on their posting, but I want to keep it professional. I was thinking of thanking the company for the installation of the signs that we made...just to let people know. Any other suggestions?

 

[Billct2]

Nope, I wouldn't...but that's me. Since the customer is a friend maybe they could post a note thanking them for the nice job installing the signs and thank the company that made the panels in the same post

 

[Boudica]

Hmmm, that is a tricky one....

 

[Greg Kelm]

I don't see a problem with that, keep it tasteful and keep them in check. Did you post any progress pictures of it in your shop? If not, you should, and claim credit where credit is due.

 

[2B]

Who selected / paid the company for the labor? you or end customer?

Billct2 has the better option,
Let the end customer thank the appropriate parties and for what each company did.
The end customer can also tag you in their post for easy re-directs

that is about all you can do, comment on the post thanking them for their work in removal / installation.
on your own social media page, you need to post before and after images giving verification that you did the design / fabrication.

 

[wes70]

I don't see a problem with that, keep it tasteful and keep them in check. Did you post any progress pictures of it in your shop? If not, you should, and claim credit where credit is due.

I did take some progress pics and will be posting our social media sites along with the finished pics? Also I am good friends with the owners and they are going to promote us on the social media sites.

 

[James Burke]

Why didn't your "friend" give you the entire job to do in the first place?


JB

 

[wes70]

Who selected / paid the company for the labor? you or end customer?

Billct has the better option,
Let the end customer thank the appropriate parties and for what each company did.
The end company can also tag you in their post for easy re-directs

that is about all you can do, comment on the post thanking them for their work in removal / installation.
on your own social media page, you need to post before and after images giving verification that you did the design / fabrication.

I agree! Thank you for the advice!

 

[wes70]

Why didn't your "friend" give you the entire job to do in the first place?


JB

It's a pylon sign and I don't have a bucket truck

 

[Z SIGNS]

If it was a masterpiece of beautiful creative work done by you I would be annoyed.
If it's just a piece of plastic with a sticker on it I would not care

 

[Andy D]

Personally I wouldn't care, take it as a compliment and move on.

 

[eahicks]

I noticed on another sign company's FB page they posted pics of a car wrap I DID years before. They added one element to the car and claimed they did the whole car. Damn straight I called them out, in a message. He was nice and agreed to change the wording, or he took the pics down, one of the 2. Gotta keep some people in check!

 

[LED Signs & Designs Texas]

This is your issue: if you lay claim to the complete job and you have another client come in wanting the same, you still don’t have a bucket truck or probably the lack of experience to handle such job.
Don’t burn a bridge with the other company, sound like you might need them in the future. Be honest and professional, it will take you to the right places! Good luck!

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I might be inclined to ask the opposing company to make certain if they are going to show off your sign on their installation work, the very least they can do is say "Hey, look at the great job we did installing panels fabbed by some of the awesome guys at 'no-bucket-truck co! Looks great! Team work!"
Otherwise, please do not post shots of my stuff. Thanks
If they're cool, they won't mind. If they are jerks, just comment on their post about how you did it...

I like this opinion the best

 

[greysquirrel]

You have no bucket truck...go have a chat and work out an arrangement that they do all of your installs in the future then you can offer that as a service, mark it up and keep the whole job in house next time. If they do not print, Im sure he will give you a plug on their post. Maybe you have services you can offer him. make an ally not an enemy...the industry is too small and you will come up against them at some point again. jmo

 

[Jeremiah]

This thread reminds me of the outsource question.i must trust a company before I would give them part of a job to complete. If this were my job , it would be the Last time this "friend" would ever get involved with any job of mine ! Some people would be diplomatic and maybe some would think he does not know what he is doing when he posted that picture. But maybe he has some oceanfront property in oklahoma at a good price.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Installers do this all the time. I do it and others I sub out to do it too. I only ONCE had someone ask permission.

The difference is when I do it, it's a national company I installed for.. And my subs are installing on behalf of my national company so I don't care. BUT I wouldn't do it if a LOCAL company subbed me out, that's would rub me the wrong way.

 

[Jeremiah]

If I outsource with another company to make a sign for a customer of mine. I then only install it. How can I claim that it is my work ? Or if I make a sign and for whatever reason I can not install it. I outsource to another company to hang it for me. How can that company claim it is their work? I prefer black or white statements and do not use creative statements to claim credit for work. But that's just the way we do business. It is not the way some companies run their business.

 

[Signature Graphix]

So we just finished replacing polycarb panels with graphics and tracking. The customer (friends) had an another sign company (with bucket truck) take the old frame and panels down and I picked them up and brought them to my shop and did the new replacements and then brought them back to the location for the other sign company to re-install.

The the company is showing pics on social media that they did the installation of the signs. Nothing wrong with that..the issue is that this was a fairly high profile job for as popular restaurant / bar and it "implies" that this company did "all" of the work. I am going to add a comment on their posting, but I want to keep it professional. I was thinking of thanking the company for the installation of the signs that we made...just to let people know. Any other suggestions?

If you contracted them to do work, then they were employed by you. I have had to do this in the past, but call the owner of the other company and simply tell him that you need that facebook post removed, as it was your project, not theirs. It comes with the territory.

 

[MikePro]

the "nice" thing would have been for the company to give you kudos in the post.... but ultimately, they're boosting ability to complete a project.

I'd be careful about snubbing them, as they could spend their dollars elsewhere in the future, but they are being truthful in their post about "sign installation" so if anything else you could always just make a truthful post with manufacturing pictures and a shoutout to the installers.... or snub the installers by just giving a shoutout to the client, but there's no reason to blast the installing sign company for forgetting to mention you.