Office Depot has a large format printer? Good riddance.

[Jo Hill]

I had this apartment complex call the other day asking about yard signs. They told me they usually get their Yard signs printed from Office Depot but they were having some trouble with the artwork and therefore they were unable to print the job. I asked questions about the competition as I always do in regards to pricing but was surprised when told they could have it printed in one day. I called the office depot and they confirmed this and that they have an HP latex large format printer in house. I was completely unaware that they have this kind of machinery and it made me a little anxious.

lo and behold though, just today a representative of Office Depot called us asking if we could hang a 4’ x 20’ banner reading “CLOSING SOON” on the storefront... so the one is my area is closing after all and only days after finding out they were printing yard signs in house using a large format HP Printer. So long for now Office Depot!

on a side note.. what should I charge for hanging a 4x20 closing banner? They told me a lift would probably be required given how high they want it to be installed so I was thinking the cost of renting a lift + the hourly rate for two guys on site, I was thinking at around $50 an hour per head on site?

 

[Pauly]

Im not even in America and i know this. Office Depot is similar to our Office Works. Alost every officeworks has 1 or 2 large format printers. some of ours outsource to larger printonly companies. quality is generally crap. but some people just need something printed and dont know where to go.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

Thankfully we've converted many people over to us once they see what a calibrated printer produces compared to the 'big' guys.
Certainly doesn't bother me having one 5 minutes up the road.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

$50/hr? Are you trying to make money or friends?

 

[Pauly]

Thankfully we've converted many people over to us once they see what a calibrated printer produces compared to the 'big' guys.
Certainly doesn't bother me having one 5 minutes up the road.

ha, yeah. each printer at officeworks prints completely different.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

We win people over with neutral greys/blacks. Everyone else only seems to be able to print shades of green around here.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

They will only pay $300-$400.. unless you have your own lift its hard to get those 4x20 banner installs. One person can do it. $50 is nothing... bucket labor is $175 hr. with a good installer or $225 if he has a grunt.

 

[visual800]

I would do the banner install with ladders 2 guys $450.00 if they dont like it walk away

 

[Jo Hill]

My partner quoted them $1,200 with a bucket truck. According to my partner, the client responded with something along the lines of, “now I’ve been in this business for a long time, but I’ve never been quoted that high of a price for an installation before”. Well... happy we were the first to do so I guess. Called on Wednesday needing it done Saturday? At least I’ll be able to enjoy my weekend now. Assuming they are able to find someone else, which I’m sure they will. Yeah.. I’ve gotten away with those kinds of bids before. Until next time Office Depot.

 

[Jo Hill]

$50/hr? Are you trying to make money or friends?

We quoted them a smooth $1,200 just to let me know we were not interested in making friends sir. I reckon they are shopping around trying to find some new friends.

 

[ChaseO]

You went from 50 an hour to $1200? I think I would have told them I was unable to help them at this time rather than make yourself look bad with an astronomical quote. I know you said you had to rent a lift, but when you say "hang a banner" out loud, does 1200 not sound a little high?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

We quoted them a smooth $1,200 just to let me know we were not interested in making friends sir. I reckon they are shopping around trying to find some new friends.

You also let them know that you aren't interested in making money either.

 

[CanuckSigns]

You went from 50 an hour to $1200? I think I would have told them I was unable to help them at this time rather than make yourself look bad with an astronomical quote. I know you said you had to rent a lift, but when you say "hang a banner" out loud, does 1200 not sound a little high?

$1200 is not unreasonable at all if you had to rent a lift, around here for a 1 day scissor lift rental with delivery & pickup you are at almost $500, you have to pad that number a bit, say you charge the client $700 for the rental, $500 in labour isn't hard to get to, you need to pack your tools in the truck, drive to site, wait for the lift to be delivered (why can't they ever be delivered on time?!?) put the banner up, pack up and drive back to the shop & unload.

at $1200 there just might be enough profit left over to treat your wife to a nice meal, if you're lucky.

I understand $1200 seems like a lot of money to hang a cheap disposable banner, but you have to understand, it's not the banner, it's safely getting up that high in the air that costs so much, the cost would be the same if they asked you to clean a window 35' in the air, or change a light bulb, or pick your nose.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

$1200 is not unreasonable at all if you had to rent a lift, around here for a 1 day scissor lift rental with delivery & pickup you are at almost $500, you have to pad that number a bit, say you charge the client $700 for the rental, $500 in labour isn't hard to get to, you need to pack your tools in the truck, drive to site, wait for the lift to be delivered (why can't they ever be delivered on time?!?) put the banner up, pack up and drive back to the shop & unload.

at $1200 there just might be enough profit left over to treat your wife to a nice meal, if you're lucky.

I understand $1200 seems like a lot of money to hang a cheap disposable banner, but you have to understand, it's not the banner, it's safely getting up that high in the air that costs so much, the cost would be the same if they asked you to clean a window 35' in the air, or change a light bulb, or pick your nose.

$1200 is high no matter how you look at it. Just because you have to rent the equipment doesn't make that price acceptable. They will just call someone that doesn't need to rent and get a better deal. I couldn't install those banners when I was still renting because I would need to charge $900 and it wasn't worth the time to go get the lift and return it. Now that I have a lift, I charge $500-$600 and get the job. There is just some work that doesn't make sense for you or the client when you don't have the equipment for it.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I have to agree with Tex here. The professional thing to do would be to tell them upfront that the lift is going to cost more than the job. Tell them what you are able to do with what you have and then give them a referral of somebody, like Tex, that has the equipment to do what they want at a normal price. 9 times out of 10 they will just go with whatever you are able to do on this sort of job and you don't come off as a money grubber. You never know where this guy will end up after the store closes.

 

[CanuckSigns]

$1200 is high no matter how you look at it. Just because you have to rent the equipment doesn't make that price acceptable. They will just call someone that doesn't need to rent and get a better deal. I couldn't install those banners when I was still renting because I would need to charge $900 and it wasn't worth the time to go get the lift and return it. Now that I have a lift, I charge $500-$600 and get the job. There is just some work that doesn't make sense for you or the client when you don't have the equipment for it.

Who determines what an acceptable price is? If I need to charge $1200 to do a job, that's what I quote, the client is free to call 20 different shops and get 20 different quotes. Do you tell everyone who calls looking for a quote that they can get it done cheaper by someone else?

I agree that someone with their own truck is going to be able to do the job more efficiently, but usually those guys are either too busy to take on a small potatoes job like this, or they will be more money because their guys are highly skilled workers (electricians etc) who earn too much money to send out to hang a single banner.

I think we can all agree on one thing though, always get paid up front for any going out of business banner!

 

[Baz]

If you need to rent out a lift to do one banner installation. That job is not for you.
You will end up being to expensive compared to a shop that has one and can just swing over and screw it on the building "lickity split".
It's ok to just say no.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Who determines what an acceptable price is? If I need to charge $1200 to do a job, that's what I quote, the client is free to call 20 different shops and get 20 different quotes. Do you tell everyone who calls looking for a quote that they can get it done cheaper by someone else?

I agree that someone with their own truck is going to be able to do the job more efficiently, but usually those guys are either too busy to take on a small potatoes job like this, or they will be more money because their guys are highly skilled workers (electricians etc) who earn too much money to send out to hang a single banner.

I think we can all agree on one thing though, always get paid up front for any going out of business banner!

Nobody said to turn away work that other people are cheaper at, it's about what you are equipped to do. My friend is an electrician and anytime someone calls to do something like parking lot lights he tells them to call another company who has a bucket truck. For one, he doesn't want the hassle of calling for a lift, emailing the contracts back and forth, meeting the driver, calling it off rent and hoping someone doesnt jack the thing before they come pick it up.... for a 1-2 hour job and two he doesn't want to waste his time figuring out a quote knowing full well that they are gonna fall over.
As far as guys that make too much money to hang a banner, doesn't the whole charge what you need to charge apply to them as well? If they get $200/hr for a bucket truck, what difference does it make what they're doing with it if they are charging that rate?

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Who determines what an acceptable price is? If I need to charge $1200 to do a job, that's what I quote, the client is free to call 20 different shops and get 20 different quotes. Do you tell everyone who calls looking for a quote that they can get it done cheaper by someone else?

I agree that someone with their own truck is going to be able to do the job more efficiently, but usually those guys are either too busy to take on a small potatoes job like this, or they will be more money because their guys are highly skilled workers (electricians etc) who earn too much money to send out to hang a single banner.

I think we can all agree on one thing though, always get paid up front for any going out of business banner!

Not trying to argue with you, just trying to help you so you see how you sound to the customer. What I used to say was "We aren't really setup for that kind of work and need to rent a lift.. if you can't get any of the other guys to do it, I'd love to install it for you but I'm sorry I have to charge $1200"

If you just tell them $1200 and they call three other people and they are $400-$500, you look like you're trying to rip them off... even though for it to make sense to you, it's $1200. Then again, if everyone was like me I would have a harder time doing so well with my business so I need folks like you to make me look good.

 

[CanuckSigns]

He is laughing and happy that he didn't get the job for $1200.. I am laughing and happy that I installed a banner


Not trying to argue with you, just trying to help you so you see how you sound to the customer. What I used to say was "We aren't really setup for that kind of work and need to rent a lift.. if you can't get any of the other guys to do it, I'd love to install it for you but I'm sorry I have to charge $1200"

If you just tell them $1200 and they call three other people and they are $400-$500, you look like you're trying to rip them off... even though for it to make sense to you, it's $1200. Then again, if everyone was like me I would have a harder time doing so well with my business so I need folks like you to make me look good.

I'm just happy I could make you look good