I'm sticking to my guns...right?!

[Border]

Whenever someone asks for "the good guy price" after I have already given them a price, I usually say something like "sure, let me add another 25% to that".
Then when they make another smart-ass remark about the price increase joke or complain again, I'll say "oops there's another 10% I gotta add to it!

Usually never fails, they get it REAL quick and shut up. Then I either get the sale at the original price quoted, or let them walk. Either way, it tends to shorten up the uncalled-for lengthy conversations very effectively.
:Big Laugh

 

[JR's]

he wouldn’t be taking this abuse.
​

No abuse you just stated your policy plain and simple. there was no name calling hitting, kicking, or spitting.
　
I am the same way when I get prices for electronics, or software programs I am shocked about the price. It has nothing to do with it being worth it or not. I just had no clue how much it was going to cost.

JR


​

 

[omgsideburns]

If they seem like good people, you can't say no. You never know who they might be.

 

[threeputt]

If they seem like good people, you can't say no. You never know who they might be.

As a business model, this isn't sound.

 

[Red Ball]

The one I like is the customer who says:

You give me a good price and I will give you a lot of work.

So it is a contest of a good price for me with a high profit margin or do you mean a good price for you with no profit and lots more of it? Yay!

 

[RebeckaR]

Last week I got a call from someone wanting to know how much I charge to cut 100 feet of vinyl.

He wanted to bring me the file (probably designed by his nephew) and the roll of vinyl and have me cut it for him.

Nope. Not gonna happen.

 

[Gino]

Good Grief........

Just got another one.

Woman called the other day to make an appointment to come in and see me about some signs. A 4' x 10' 2-sided and a 2-sided 4' x 8'.

Got a call today and Jeremy took it. Seems the strip mall she's moving into has it's own vinyl cutter, so she asked if she could buy the signboard from us and Jeremy told her, we don't sell this stuff to people that don't know how to handle it properly. So, she asked if she could have the name and number of our supplier.

Man-o-Man, I wish I would've taken that call. I could've had so much fun.

Haha.... she wasn't a sign broker, but I can't believe a mall with 4 stores has it's own sign shop and can't get supplies. What IS this world coming to ??

 

[Bly]

Letting customers dictate your pricing is a slippery slope.
I can usually smell a cheapskate within 15 seconds these days and have them on their way within 30.

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

I ask what their budget is and am respectful of people's money so I'm not a total meanie. what I love is when they set the price like that's going to work. "I want a 4' x 10' internally illuminated sign with my logo which is 10 PMS colors and oh, I expect to pay around $300 for it" Ha Ha, good try.

When I talk to people about their sign project, I listen to them for a few minutes, ask them what they are looking for in a sign, and then I ask the question "And what is your budget for this project?" I was speechless a couple of months ago when the lady told me that she didn't want to answer that question. I explained to her that I could do a inexpensive MDO sign with vinyl copy, or I could provide a nice dimensional sign, but the product would be driven by the price... Ended up she told me that she would have her husband give me a call, so its no wonder I have yet to hear from him.

 

[Flame]

Last week I got a call from someone wanting to know how much I charge to cut 100 feet of vinyl.

He wanted to bring me the file (probably designed by his nephew) and the roll of vinyl and have me cut it for him.

Nope. Not gonna happen.

Was he a sign shop or joe blow? I've helped out smaller sign shops before, karma always works out, as one of them gave me my best job of the year in '10. Was more than he wanted to handle and appreciated the help.

No joe blow with vinyl......ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I dunno on that one.

 

[RebeckaR]

Flame,
He is a mechanic who came in to my shop last fall asking for prices for some signs.

I realize times is hard, but come on, people!

I explained that I don't really make much off of the materials. It's my time and skill that you're paying for, so bringing me the vinyl - which may or may not be the correct material - isn't going to be that much of a savings. But he already has the vinyl, so he's already paid that extra expense and I'm sure with all the kitchen table sign shops around here he found someone to cut it for him.