How to turn down unprofitable jobs?

[nawor]

I'm hoping someone can offer advice on how to politely turn down jobs by email.

I frequently get asked for quotes which are more trouble than they are worth. For example, a common one I will get is someone after a small motorcycle decal under 20cm.
They send me a photo of an old beat up decal and want it replicated and made. It's the type of thing you could buy from a shop for $5 if it existed.
Customers are usually willing to pay $30-$40 at most for them but this usually isn't viable.

When I consider my costs it might be like this:
- 30 minutes spent on artwork
- 20 minutes manufacturing and packaging
- 10-20 minutes corresponding with customer
- 10% tax
- $10 freight

A reasonable price for me might be $80-$120 or possibly more considering my initial time quoting these jobs without getting them.

With small complicated jobs I usually doubt a customer will be willing to pay a reasonable amount for them. They want to pay a few dollars while I would need to spend an hour or more to complete the job.
I struggle to find a polite way to tell the customer I don't want their job. Sometimes I just ignore emails but this is not ideal and can result in the customer calling up grumpy or sending multiple emails.

What do you do?

 

[Desert_Signs]

Send them a quote for what it would cost.

You don't have to justify it to them. If you need to charge $120 to be profitable, tell them.

 

[Jburns]

I've done MX decals and street bike decals before. What I would do is take 4 minutes to see if a clean image is available somewhere to work with. If no image is available, then charge X for 25 minutes of art plus normal costs. Especially for old bikes- they don't manufacture the graphics / decals anymore.

 

[SuncitySigns]

I simply quote the job as per you have stated.

What they think will cost $5 - $10 bucks usually will be $100 plus and its due to the scanning, copying, turning into vector art etc etc
Once they get the quote they soon realise its not that easy and they make there own decision from there.
Like others have said you don't have to justify your cost but if its broken down like you have it on quote the customer see' what you are doing anyway.

 

[OldPaint]

heres your problem........YOU QUOTE IT AS.......UNPROFITABLE....
and anytime i have run into these lowballers.......i EVEN RAISE MY PRICE.........if that dont run em off..........then i make the MONEY I NEED)))))

 

[AieaCopyDavid]

You might also have a minimum charge you can reply quickly to qualify the customer before you spend time on a quote.

 

[neil_se]

We've got a $100 minimum on retail jobs that we enforce with jobs like this. If it truly is something simple then we may do it for less, otherwise we tell the customer up front about the minimum order value and if they're put off we explain that we deal mainly in larger B2B jobs, but we're happy to give them the address of the shop in the next suburb that specialises in small jobs

 

[rjssigns]

We've got a $100 minimum on retail jobs that we enforce with jobs like this. If it truly is something simple then we may do it for less, otherwise we tell the customer up front about the minimum order value and if they're put off we explain that we deal mainly in larger B2B jobs, but we're happy to give them the address of the shop in the next suburb that specialises in small jobs

QFT.


Minimums kill tire kickers faster than Raid on roaches.

 

[OldPaint]

$100 minimum??? must be nice...
i would love to see you get that for a pair of BOAT REGISTRATION NUMBERS....SET OF MAGNETICS........SET OF DOT NUMBERS....for the customers YOU ALREADY DO WORK FOR))))))) and sometimes these little jobs........that you deem as unprofitable........can later bring you big jobs........cause YOU TOOK THE TIME TO BE HELPFUL)))))))

 

[Davidford7]

$10.00 Freight? Don't ship overnight. Put it in a envelope and mail it for $.49.
20 minutes to make and package, fire the production dept and get someone faster.

 

[player]

$5,000 minimum.

 

[Billct2]

Quote your price and then add they can get as many more as they want for $5 each

 

[Desert_Signs]

$100 minimum??? must be nice...
i would love to see you get that for a pair of BOAT REGISTRATION NUMBERS....SET OF MAGNETICS........SET OF DOT NUMBERS....for the customers YOU ALREADY DO WORK FOR))))))) and sometimes these little jobs........that you deem as unprofitable........can later bring you big jobs........cause YOU TOOK THE TIME TO BE HELPFUL)))))))

See that part in bold?

It has no bearing on the conversation. A customer that's spent $20k with me this month? Yeah, I'll make them a $10 boat number.

Joe Blow off the street that's on the way to the lake and wants it in 15 minutes and wants to pay $5? Keep walking.

 

[neil_se]

Yes, obviously we're not charging $100 minimum for businesses, it's just a policy we can chose to enforce with these types of retail customers.

Many people are too scared because they believe "small fish become big fish", which is a load of crap because 99% of these customers will never want anything more than stupid little stickers, and they're always happy to tell all their friends to come down to see you for the same time wasting jobs.

 

[OldPaint]

right ....i have a customer......that i have had SINCE 1998....who came into my shop for THE 1ST TIME........for a set of DOT NUMBERS...$10........i have lettered ever truck he has bought since...........and he is a tree service.....)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

 

[Baz]

One thing i learned since working for myself.

It doesn't pay to be nice. It pays to be honest.

Tell them what material should be used
Tell them what it will cost
Tell them how long it will take to produce

No sugar coating ... Just straight up honesty.

 

[synergy_jim]

no such thing as an unprofitable job for people who know what they are doing.

 

[eahicks]

What is the deal.......with the partial sentences.....separated by a long......series of ellipsis.......are you taking a reallll!!! .......long breath there?

 

[Stanton]

$5,000 minimum.

I love you.



$3.ºº per minute.
Shoot 'em a price and move on.

 

[Z SIGNS]

The answer is simple here

Forgive me if I sound snarky. It's not meant to be.

It's like asking how do I not shoot myself in the foot.

 

[Desert_Signs]

right ....i have a customer......that i have had SINCE 1998....who came into my shop for THE 1ST TIME........for a set of DOT NUMBERS...$10........i have lettered ever truck he has bought since...........and he is a tree service.....)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Again. Apples to oranges.

You were dealing with a business. I treat business customers differently. When a guy walks in who needs something for his business, I will use that as an opportunity to earn ALL his business.

When a kid comes in who wants Calving "leaking" on something? He's getting hit with a $100 minimum.