How would you answer this?

[Fatboy]

Hi Niel



This is Brad old Ann & Clint’s friend, I have left Foodak and I have opened a small packaging business in Hillcrest with 2 partners. I am desperately needing to ask you a big favour, we have a company logo – see attached, is there any possibility to help us out with printing a logo on vinyl so we can put it up in our retail outlet – as big as possible. We need 3 and only of the cherry and stalk on the bottom right of the logo.



We would really like to pass business onto you so is it at all possible to be able to do this as a no charge and we in turn can put your print side as part of one of our services



Please let me know what you can do for us.

 

[Bigdawg]

Dear Brad,
While I appreciate your offer of letting me put your logo onto my vinyl for free, I can't accept. Since my business makes its' money from printing, it would be unfair to me and to you for me to offer products for free. When you run a business as we are both doing now, you have to be able to know the true costs of operating that business. Begging for logo prints does not represent the true cost of signage that you will encounter in the real world - or that your future customers will encounter either.

So in order to help you out in your new endeavor, I am willing to print our your logo at full price in order to assist you in understanding the costs of running your business. I am sure your clients will appreciate the fact that you are willing to invest in your business just as you expect them to invest in theirs by using your services.

Best wishes,
Fatboy

 

[Marlene]

Dear Brad,
While I appreciate your offer of letting me put your logo onto my vinyl for free, I can't accept. Since my business makes its' money from printing, it would be unfair to me and to you for me to offer products for free. When you run a business as we are both doing now, you have to be able to know the true costs of operating that business. Begging for logo prints does not represent the true cost of signage that you will encounter in the real world - or that your future customers will encounter either.

So in order to help you out in your new endeavor, I am willing to print our your logo at full price in order to assist you in understanding the costs of running your business. I am sure your clients will appreciate the fact that you are willing to invest in your business just as you expect them to invest in theirs by using your services.

Best wishes,
Fatboy

I would add to that: your attempt to take advantage of me due to the fact that we share mutal friends is a very unhanded attempt to get something for free. you are not running a non-profit but a for profit business as am I. to ask for free service is an insult.

 

[signage]

Dear Brad,
While I appreciate your offer of letting me put your logo onto my vinyl for free, I can't accept-this offer due to trying to make a living just like you. Since my business is not a non-profit and makes its' money from printing, signs and designs. It would be unfair to me and all my existing clients for me to offer products for free.

So if you stop in we can discuss your budget and I may be able to produce a sign that will work for you.

 

[Custom_Grafx]

"sure, have u got a sister? Or wife?"

Then, depending on your mail client, right click, mark as spam/move to junk.

 

[MikePro]

Not a problem! I can get on it right away as long as you do me a favor, and cut me a check for 50% down of the total $x.xx cost it will take to produce and install this for you.

 

[d fleming]

No. Merry Christmas.

 

[Sign-Man Signs]

I'd have to say yes but with conditions. I will do this and give your credit terms for 90 days.At that time my bill will be due. I want a post dated check for the amount and date due. If this will help you, please contact me to work out the detail. Good Luck.

 

[Deaton Design]

No doubt the guy has the money to pay you for your work. He is just trying to get it done for nothing. Ive had people like this, and I turn them down with a brief explanation of why. I always give them a for instance, like, If I call the people I make my truck payment to, and tell them I would appreciate it if they could please donate this truck to me and I will tell everyone I know what a great company they are, and they will get more business out of it. Same difference.

 

[Gino]

This is no friend of a friend or they wouldn't expect YOU to do it for free. This is a joke.

Your return letter could go much like Stacy's and be nice to him...... or hit them right back between the eyes with their same mentality of asking by telling them you are not a non-profit organization open to do work for free. If you would give all of your clients the same kind of service, you would be out of business with a few months and they would then have to find someone they are willing to pay to do their next portion of business, since you won't be around anymore.
It would be better for all parties to pay their fair share and do business in the normal mode of conducting business and pay up, buster.

 

[Circleville Signs]

I think that everyone is potentially missing something here....

What kind of packaging are they creating? Is it retail? shipping, POP, etc.? Is there an opportunity for a partnership? Do they have clients in place already?

Back in the day (when I was running sales at another sign company), I had a client who gave a similar referral. When I got the original email i was pissed and started to respond as such. I stopped for a minute. Instead, i sent the guy an email asking for an appointment so that we could discuss ways to do business to our mutual benefit.

Turns out they produced retail packaging and had a few clients on board already. I walked away that day with a 24 month contract to produce all graphics needed for their packaging. This turned into about $40k worth of business in the following 6 months. All for about $500 (cost) of my materials and labor.

 

[john1]

"Are you F'n serious Brad?" LOL

 

[Billct2]

Gary has a good point, but if you don't want to go that route, a polite
turn down, "Thanks but I really can't do that, but thanks for thinking of me" is all that is needed.

 

[Colin]

Doing business with friends or family is almost always a recipe for disaster.

I'd be insulted by this request you got.

 

[Aklaim]

Dear Brad,
While I appreciate your offer of letting me put your logo onto my vinyl for free, I can't accept-this offer due to trying to make a living just like you. Since my business is not a non-profit and makes its' money from printing, signs and designs. It would be unfair to me and all my existing clients for me to offer products for free.

So if you stop in we can discuss your budget and I may be able to produce a sign that will work for you.

This.

 

[john1]

scratch being nice, that was a insulting email if you ask me. Like the guy asking for a "deal" the other day...No Thanks is all he got.

Sounds like a typical smuck wanting something for nothing with the promise of giving you future work. How about i see this increase in work from you then maybe you can get a discounted job. 10/10 times it's just a bunch of BS.These types of customers aren't ones that you need.

 

[HulkSmash]

scratch being nice, that was a insulting email if you ask me. Like the guy asking for a "deal" the other day...No Thanks is all he got.

Sounds like a typical smuck wanting something for nothing with the promise of giving you future work. How about i see this increase in work from you then maybe you can get a discounted job. 10/10 times it's just a bunch of BS.These types of customers aren't ones that you need.

I don't know john..

I got a NASTY email with a customer telling me this, after i sent him a quote.

Here's how it went, this is a direct copy and paste:

"Adam, Your first image was your company logo. The 2nd was empty. The so called quote was distorted words that made no sense. I am not looking for images or an attachment just a figure such as $xxxx. However at this point your delay and non professional images and blank screen leave me empty. I have gone with another company
xxxxxx.biz whom you might want to check out how a real company operates. Dennis

I reply:

Dennis,
I’m unsure why my quote did not go through properly, and sorry for that. I just opened my sent mail that I sent to you and it opened just fine. Mistakes do happen, and things aren’t always translated correctly. That does not make a company unprofessional, or one company better then another. You asked for a quote, I gave it within 12 hrs. I’m sorry this was not fast enough for you. Our price was $xxxxx for this job. Good luck with your job, hope all goes well, and have a good Christmas.

Regards,

He then emailed back saying this:

"Adam, I apologize for my hasty conclusions. A few hours later the quote did come through. You are correct about mistakes can happen.....If you choose to call me I will apologize in person...Dennis"

he came in this morning gave me the job, and said he was very impressed at how professional we were, even though he was nasty with us. It took every single morsel in my body to not blast this guy. So me not being nasty got me a $3,000 job. I wouldn't be so quick to jump at being rude to customer.. no matter how wrong they are. Choose your battles wisely..

 

[Colin]

Fatboy: Walk into Brad's place of business, grab a bunch of stuff amounting to the value of what your services to him would have cost, and say: "Can I have this for free? I'll tell people where I got it!"

 

[dejoh]

Try to barter with Brad. If he can offer services you can use, so be it.
If not, say no thanks. Keep it friendly.

 

[sar bossier]

I tend to agree with Adam, and would utilize Stacy's polite approach to the refusal. Never burn a bridge if it can be avoided, but I agree with most everyone, don't do the friend of a friend a favor, either - you don't owe him anything, and "Business is business, and friendship isn't (business)." I vote go with the professional refusal.

My $.02

 

[Bly]

Gary has a good point, but if you don't want to go that route, a polite
turn down, "Thanks but I really can't do that, but thanks for thinking of me" is all that is needed.

This approach.

Business is business.
Best not to feel requests like this are a personal insult.

Some people feel there is no harm in asking for something for nothing.
Let them know you are there to service them at a fair price when they are ready to spend the right money.

Maybe they will still prefer doing business with somebody they kinda know.

 

[HulkSmash]

just got a box truck out of it too.