not much point in getting written approvals all the time

[gabagoo]

I say this as it is fine for the walk in business or customers you dont do to much work for. When it comes to a good repeat customer, it really becomes difficult to say "hey man, you signed off and you screwed up and you will have to eat the cost of reproducing these again" That can generally mean that you may never hear from them again and have to weigh the cost to keep the business.

This happened to me today and as angry as I am about it, it seems I will have to reprint and eat the cost and make it up later on other work. I understand the gentlemen who screwed up has a problem, but the way they try to deflect blame is just comical...
I went through my e-mails and I can find where he approved a pdf file I sent. Problem is I dont want to lose future business over $500.00. So for all my efforts to make sure things were correct before I sent these out for screen printing was in vain. He was to busy and screwed up by approving something which had the wrong part number.

I can chuckle now the way the conversation went, because he claimed I never sent him a proof, and I said then how did I proceed? I would never proceed without approval for any thing much less out sourced work.

Damned if I do and damned if I don't

my blood pressure is up.....again!!!!

 

[J Hill Designs]

forward his approval email back to him...?

 

[Kemble]

That's a tough cookie to swallow. What I have done in the past is, in a professional manner, point out that it was indeed their mistake but then tell them you'd be willing to work with them by splitting the mistake with them 50/50.

Of course each situation is different as with each customer relationship.

 

[jc1cell]

If you feel you must eat it just keep the client then that's fine. But be sure to email him back showing him his approval of the wrong part number. If it happens again he will know you're not BS'ing and you can then at least go 50/50 on it if you decide to suggest it.

jc

 

[gabagoo]

The guy called and admitted he screwed up and we will make it up on the next large order, then we got into a discussion about cigars and scotch...all is good.

I know there are those here who say screw them or forward his email, but dont you think your chewing off your own tail? he knew he screwed up and does not need me to keep pointing it out unless I have some wish to lose the account. As he told me "WE" will make it back on a future order, so I just have to be patient and not forget.

 

[TheSnowman]

I've had that issue MANY times with two realtor/auction company's that we do work for several times a week, but it's only about $50/sign not $500. They get in a hurry and send the wrong stuff, or don't have all the info, and I have to re-print the sign. They usually do enough volume that I don't mind going back and making changes because we have a LONG history with both of them, and they are a decent part of our income, but if it is something significant, I usually just figure out a way to work it into another project that isn't "the norm" and try to work it back out.

 

[jc1cell]

....he knew he screwed up and does not need me to keep pointing it out unless I have some wish to lose the account.....

This is key. If he were acting high and mighty not worrying about the working relationship that has been developed, then yes, send it over and let it fall where it may. If the relationship is a good one and when the issue was pointed out he initially said "your fault" without too much chest thumping, then just eat it and keep the good relationship. I guess to me it all depends on the clients attituted as well as the amount of work they bring.

I just like things to be as clear as possible and show that I'm not lying about the situation. Not to stick it in their faces.

jc

 

[iSign]

...he claimed I never sent him a proof...

Damned if I do and damned if I don't

so, after this post, you got 3 suggestions to show him the proof... good suggestions in my opinion...

...there are those here who say screw them or forward his email, but dont you think your chewing off your own tail? he knew he screwed up and does not need me to keep pointing it out...

so, you now announce a new phone call & sound like the good advice you got was bad advice... but you changed the story.. so what do you expect.. the advice was good if someone denies signing a proof... and it doesn't have to be combative to go back over the steps that led to a problem. Especially if you are outsourcing, I would not at all feel it unreasonable to meet halfway for a good client.

I might say "I will reprint this for free... it will only take X amount of hours & this relationship is worth donating that time for". "You will only need to cover the hard costs, and I will redo the job for free"

I reprinted two 20 foot banners the other day. The guy said they were wrong, brought them back & out in the parking lot we rolled out a 20' x 12' mesh banner we had cut down to 20x8 for him to remove old logos, and rolled out one of my 3x20 banners I had printed to hang above it with his new logos.

I don't have enough room in my shop to even look at whole banners like this, but now seeing them both in total... mine was entirely correct, with 4 new logos perfectly centered above 4 sets of existing information... even the grommets lined up perfectly...

...anyway, I went over what he told me, what I showed him, & I said it doesn't look like there was any way I could have ever known what you are now wishing you had & you got exactly what you asked for. I said that I would be willing to reprint for half price, to help him out & that he would certainly be able to use the 40 feet of logos to promote his event. He agreed & I at least got $4 / sq. ft. for another 125 sq. ft. of banners.

 

[Gino]

We have several large customers and they sign off on almost everything. Anything under $500 and we'll just settle for their PO and run with it.

Just had a conversation yesterday with one of them about a $28,600 project. Seems we charged them an extra $62.50 for a sign that was canceled and I forgot to make note of it to the billing department after the initial quote was made. They called me on it. However I do vice versa. If they add something, we have a check add-to list for that very reason.

It keeps everyone happy and honest. Sure, if I want to be a nice guy and let something slide here or there I can, but I call a foul almost everytime and then decide whether or not to make it stick. At this point, we're still way ahead of the game and I intend to keep it that way.

 

[blueben]

I have this happen at least 2-3 times a month, mostly on smaller signs not a $500 dollar order. My favorite is when I don't do the graphics or design and then there are errors. Of course it is my fault that it is wrong. The best example I had of this was for a Triathlon that we did 250 coroplast directional and sponsor signs. The hospital that was doing the race did all the design work for us, misspelled the persons last name for who this race was to benefit. We were blamed and they wanted us to replace them at no cost. Not happening. We do a lot of work for the hospital and they said they would pull future work from us. Once we showed them the proof of the mistake that their guy did, they backed off from that stance and we still do a lot of their work.

All in all it turned out ok.
I was always told by my grandfather that "the customer is always right unless you have the proof that they are not. If you have the proof and don't share it with the customer, you have been fooled and fools don't succeed."

Not to mean that you shove it in their face, but if you do it professionally and respectfully, you will be better off in the long run. Most people will respond well to this. If they don't, you are probably better off not dealing with them.

 

[ddarlak]

I once had a client email me at the end of the day telling me i needed to take down some signage TOMORROW in a town that was about hour and 1/2 away. This is for an event that we do signage for every year (roughly $30K), I was very busy and was pissed that I wasn't given the normal 2 day notice, but oh well, i sent two guys there to remove the signage. They get there and the signs had been taken down by event staff. Pretty much half a day wasted when i was real busy. I sent them a bill for $600, which was less than what i usually charged for the take down.

I got a call from them telling me they weren't going to pay it, that their staff had taken it down. When I informed them that they had ordered my services 12 hours earlier and that I still had to pay the men i sent out there, they responded "we are not payin it". Seeing how I do much more with them than just that event, i had to eat it, but i sent out an email venting that it wasn't right, but i'd eat it.

this year rolls around, and the event came and went, when i called to find out what happened, they simply said "we decided to go in a different direction".....

customer is always right, even if you have it in writing....