Okay, I think I have a winner here..................................................................................

[Gino]

There are threads and conversations going on all the time at some moment here on s101 about customers and their horrible artwork, timeframes and cost issues. I think this one takes the cake. It hits all of them.

Lady e-mailed yesterday late morning about needing a sign by early tomorrow (which is now today). I answered back after about 7 minutes what I could do for her at the sizes she requested. 2 hours later, she replied, too much money. We need to get it lower. I wrote back and told her all of her options, but at that size most of them will be flimsy and probably fall off the easel. About 1.5 hours later she responded again and I told her, she's running outta time. Got an e-mail last night at 7:30 with more questions. Didn't answer those. E-mailed her this morning with her options again.... and said, besides it's already getting past your deadline. She said, we have til tomorrow afternoon. So, she sent a new file and I didn't have about 9 of the fonts and they got substituted. Then she said, the artwork is set 25.5 x 33, close to 2.5' with a .125 crop. So, I calmly told her that her sizes are all messed up, that in her original request she was asking for a job 36" x 59". I still don't have the correct artwork.

There should be a Sign Guild Firing Squad for hire.

 

[gnubler]

There should be a Sign Guild Firing Squad for hire.

I'll sign up.

I dealt with one recently who first asked for a price quote in mid-September, so over a month ago. Told her normal turnaround time was about one week.
Fast forward to last Friday, I was on my way out the door and saw an email from her pop up. Ignored it until Monday morning. She had sent artwork for the sign and asked if it could be done by Thursday for an event this weekend. I said sorry, no can do. She had a minor hissyfit, saying "I thought you said one week?" So now three days = one week? LOL I didn't even know there was a deadline involved.

If she knew about it a month ago, why not just order it then? Eff 'em.

 

[damonCA21]

One of my favourites was a 'customer' who wanted some race bike numbers doing in a rush for a race. They were leaving the next day so asked me ( at 5pm ) if I could get them done so they could get them the next day. Not a problem as I was working late anyway, so sent them the price and told them they would be ready the next morning.

They then asked if I could post them to arrive that morning as they were leaving at lunchtime. Obviously no. So they asked where I was so they could come and pick them up. Turns out they were about 1.5 hours drive from me. So they said that is too far, would I be able to meet them halfway. Yes of course I can take three hours out of my day, plus the cost of fuel for your order that was worth the grand total of...... £32!!!

 

[ikarasu]

We sold our used Latex printer to a sign shop - The guy shut his doors down during covid, and bought the printer a year and a half ago to get back into it, since all his printers (5 of them..) are solvent, and were put away into storage without proper draining... We still have the printer in our warehouse after a year and a half.... He pays us to run his stuff, and pays a storage fee on the printer because when he went to rent a new shop, he saw they were 4-5K a month now... real estate has gone up. Just a little back story to show how the guy is...

So he tells me this big company wants a bunch of their windows wrapped, and he wants me to print it all for him and go install it with him since he cant install it by himself...so I said fine. That was 2 months ago - he sends me this 1 MB JPG artwork.... And says its for the windows. I open it up and it's like 10" x 20". I didn't reply or anything.... a week goes by, and he calls me when I'm in a restaurant and can barely hear him... Asking if I printed it yet. I was confused...and asked if it was the 10" x 20" file... And asked how big the windows were... he said there was 10 of them and they were roughly 3 FT wide and he doesn't know how tall... so I said I cant print them based on that information...and I needed measurements of every window, as well as the mullions inbetween so I can setup the print and do the artwork. He calls back after going to the site... And says the window is 36" and something and 48" and something tall roughly" So I tell him "roughly" doesn't work.. That its a big image spanning across 10 windows, and I need to know exact size...and mullion...and he says he'll call the customer and get him to measure. Then without getting me new dimensions... he calls yesterday and asks if I printed it yet....

I told him, I needed real measurements... I wasn't going to print a file, drive an hour and hope it works for a multi million dollar company.

I got an E-mail today, with this image - No measurements, nothing - It's not 10 windows, it looks like 2 windows... The kicker is that there's a measuring tape right in the corner. So I text him asking if he got measurements.... And he calls me again and asks me what measurements I need and why i cant just print it based on this photo....


This is a sign guy thats been in the industry for 20+ years. I don't know how he ran his company, I don't know how he has these big clients, and why they haven't just dropped him... He's polish, and has a very thick accent and is hard to understand, so I try to only communicate through text and E-mail... But he follows it up with a call everytime, even when I say I'm out, please just text or E-mail me the dimensions so I have record of it since I dont have a pen... He'll just call back and give me these random dimensions that make no sense.


I can see why some customers are idiots, or dont understand things... so I just wanted to post a sign maker being one!

 

[ikarasu]

Another one from yesterday. We should have a sticky thread where we can post these.... Would be good for a Friday laugh.


Sister screenshots a Facebook post, texts it to me and asks if she should give them my name.

I replied "no... I already told you to stop giving my information to Facebook mom's groups! They want shit done same day, for 1/10 of our normal price.... And that's after 100 back and fourth phone calls or emails.... I put up with it last time because I thought it was your friend, then I found out it was a random person you found on Facebook (middle finger emoji)"

I love the needs a lift, be done asap.... Then a reply from someone saying good luck, service providers aren't usually available asap"

I bet this person wants it done tonight for $50.

 

[JBurton]

Had a guy order a little 2'x3' sign, welded and painted on a frame, and how quick could we get it out. Well we're in the middle of 3 monster cabinets (each being 4 cabinets combined), but there is down time, so we squeeze it in and had it all ready last Friday. It's still here...

 

[gnubler]

I got burned last week too on a small order for a walk in, just two vehicle decals for a race car so I told him I'd squeeze it in with a bigger job and he could just pay when he picks them up. He calls the next day and asks if it's not too late to make them bigger, almost twice as large. I said sure, and the issue of cost didn't even cross my mind. I figured it was self explanatory, but I was wrong. When I called to tell him the decals were ready and gave him the total, he went off on me, saying they were too expensive and that he didn't want them. I ended up hanging up on him, what a wanker. That's what I get for letting my prepaid policy slide.

Would ya go order a small pizza and then call back and say make it a medium, and expect it to cost the same?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

There should be a Sign Guild Firing Squad for hire.

There is, it's called S101

 

[Creative Sign Guy(s)]

We sold our used Latex printer to a sign shop - The guy shut his doors down during covid, and bought the printer a year and a half ago to get back into it, since all his printers (5 of them..) are solvent, and were put away into storage without proper draining... We still have the printer in our warehouse after a year and a half.... He pays us to run his stuff, and pays a storage fee on the printer because when he went to rent a new shop, he saw they were 4-5K a month now... real estate has gone up. Just a little back story to show how the guy is...

So he tells me this big company wants a bunch of their windows wrapped, and he wants me to print it all for him and go install it with him since he cant install it by himself...so I said fine. That was 2 months ago - he sends me this 1 MB JPG artwork.... And says its for the windows. I open it up and it's like 10" x 20". I didn't reply or anything.... a week goes by, and he calls me when I'm in a restaurant and can barely hear him... Asking if I printed it yet. I was confused...and asked if it was the 10" x 20" file... And asked how big the windows were... he said there was 10 of them and they were roughly 3 FT wide and he doesn't know how tall... so I said I cant print them based on that information...and I needed measurements of every window, as well as the mullions inbetween so I can setup the print and do the artwork. He calls back after going to the site... And says the window is 36" and something and 48" and something tall roughly" So I tell him "roughly" doesn't work.. That its a big image spanning across 10 windows, and I need to know exact size...and mullion...and he says he'll call the customer and get him to measure. Then without getting me new dimensions... he calls yesterday and asks if I printed it yet....

I told him, I needed real measurements... I wasn't going to print a file, drive an hour and hope it works for a multi million dollar company.

I got an E-mail today, with this image - No measurements, nothing - It's not 10 windows, it looks like 2 windows... The kicker is that there's a measuring tape right in the corner. So I text him asking if he got measurements.... And he calls me again and asks me what measurements I need and why i cant just print it based on this photo....


This is a sign guy thats been in the industry for 20+ years. I don't know how he ran his company, I don't know how he has these big clients, and why they haven't just dropped him... He's polish, and has a very thick accent and is hard to understand, so I try to only communicate through text and E-mail... But he follows it up with a call everytime, even when I say I'm out, please just text or E-mail me the dimensions so I have record of it since I dont have a pen... He'll just call back and give me these random dimensions that make no sense.


I can see why some customers are idiots, or dont understand things... so I just wanted to post a sign maker being one!

View attachment 167581

Mullions! I had been wondering what the word for those things was. Thank you!

I am shocked you trust anyone else's measurements, especially someone as dimwitted as that guy.
I won't print anything anymore until I measure it myself. So much waste in the past from poor measurements made by sales/CSR/clients.

 

[Goatshaver]

I always get customers asking me to make stuff for small jars and such. (I do a lot of short run vinyl labels for cannabis businesses). I'll ask them what size they need it in and either I get a picture of a jar or they just say "small concentrate jars". Very few know the size or take a minute to put a tape measure on the thing to give me a size. Now I've got a collection of a hundred or so different containers from having customer send me one or buying them and lots of screenshots to use for artwork. Also I find a lot of people send me PNG files...which drives me crazy because these are made for the web.

 

[Creative Sign Guy(s)]

Had a guy order a little 2'x3' sign, welded and painted on a frame, and how quick could we get it out. Well we're in the middle of 3 monster cabinets (each being 4 cabinets combined), but there is down time, so we squeeze it in and had it all ready last Friday. It's still here...

I cannot tell you how many times I stressed myself out and busted ass to get a RUSH job out to a client who said they had to have it by X date only to walk up front 2 weeks later and see it still sitting there.
One time a year or two ago I did a bunch of 9.5 ft tall BigFoot/Sasquach 0.5" falcon board cut outs for a local casino. They said they HAD to have it by Friday(ordered on Wednesday). I got them all done and put them on the delivery truck.
Fast forward 2 or 3 weeks and I am at said casino to do an unrelated install. As I am walking across the floor with my contact(very nice guy), I asked him how the BigFoots worked out. He said, "Oh, I haven't set those up yet".
It was a struggle to keep my mouth shut, but I did.

 

[gnubler]

I've made signs for customers that never get installed. One was earlier this year for an eatery that wanted to hang a banner up to attract the summer tourists. They never hung it up, and summer is over. Maybe next year? She was another one I wanted to send to the Firing Squad. So much email exchange for a frickin' banner, and I had to ask FOUR times what fucking size she wanted. "Can you go measure the space on the building where you want to hang it?" "I don't have a measuring tape..." She would reply back with more questions and no answers.

 

[Geneva Olson]

Another one from yesterday. We should have a sticky thread where we can post these.... Would be good for a Friday laugh.


Sister screenshots a Facebook post, texts it to me and asks if she should give them my name.

I replied "no... I already told you to stop giving my information to Facebook mom's groups! They want shit done same day, for 1/10 of our normal price.... And that's after 100 back and fourth phone calls or emails.... I put up with it last time because I thought it was your friend, then I found out it was a random person you found on Facebook (middle finger emoji)"

I love the needs a lift, be done asap.... Then a reply from someone saying good luck, service providers aren't usually available asap"

I bet this person wants it done tonight for $50.

Our shop is in the vicinity of about 8-10 small towns. All of those small towns have facebook groups. There's a guy who likes to get people to post in the groups. They will usually post a photo of a car with a wrap and then ask who in the area can do it. Our shop will get tagged by customers. What we have found is that its just a fishing technique for some business to gauge their competition.

 

[GAC05]

There is, it's called S101

We are always cocked and loaded but can never shoot straight.

 

[rydods]

We have only a few printing companies in our area and we're all extremely busy. Over the past couple of years, I've watched a lot of ASAP/arrogant customer types quickly turn into humble clients.
If I can't make you deadline or your artwork needs adjusting and that pi$$es you off but the last guy said the same thing and the other one isn't answering their phone, problems start to fix themselves.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

We are always cocked and loaded but can never shoot straight.

I'd better leave this one alone

 

[Stacey K]

We have only a few printing companies in our area and we're all extremely busy. Over the past couple of years, I've watched a lot of ASAP/arrogant customer types quickly turn into humble clients.
If I can't make you deadline or your artwork needs adjusting and that pi$$es you off but the last guy said the same thing and the other one isn't answering their phone, problems start to fix themselves.

I noticed that yesterday. Two sign companies closed up by me so that leaves me. I got 3 new companies just yesterday for a total of 6 vehicles...but none of them were in a big hurry - whenever I can fit them in my schedule...I haven't heard that since before Covid.

 

[Stacey K]

At Gino's age I would think he would have seen everything but every couple month's he shows up with some crazy customer who is crazier than the last!

Ikarasu...how on earth does that guy stay in business??? That takes the cake...

 

[ikarasu]

At Gino's age I would think he would have seen everything but every couple month's he shows up with some crazy customer who is crazier than the last!

Ikarasu...how on earth does that guy stay in business??? That takes the cake...

Don't worry... He came through with dimensions!

I shit you not, this is what he sent for dimensions. I just stopped replying to him.... So 4 hours later he showed up.... To tell me the windows 66" wide....and he told them we'd install it on Monday.

If you forget what it looks like... Refer to the first photo of the 20 ft wide window that's somehow 66".

I told him im sorry, we don't do artwork anymore, just print stuff. So if he can get the artwork setup and send it over we can print it for him...

 

[Creative Sign Guy(s)]

Don't worry... He came through with dimensions!

I shit you.not, this is what he sent for dimensions. I just stopped replying to him.... So 4 hours later he showed up.... To tell me the windows 66" wide....and he told them we'd install it on Monday.

If you forget what it looks like... Refer to the first photo of the 20 ft wide window that's somehow 66".

I told him in sorry, we don't do artwork anymore, just print stuff. So if he can get the artwork setup and send it over we can print it for him...

Yup. Saw that coming. You cannot trust anyone with measurements in my experience. Sure, some people know how to use a tape measure, but the vast majority do not(or so it seems).
I was emailed on Wednesday morning that I would be receiving a 2-3 day rush job due Monday(23rd) and I would have the art by 10am. Fast forward to today. Never got the art. It is CSA, and they cannot get ahold of their designer...
I told them that it is now a same day rush and the fee will be 3x as much. They did not like that...
Some people are insufferable.

Also today, I was 45 minutes from my 8 hours. I got a call asking if I can do a gatorboard sign today. I said, "I need the art within 20 minutes". CSR said, you will have it in just a few minutes. 35 minutes later I go talk to design and they say, just 5 more minutes. It came out 15 minutes later. I got it done, in OT, but good grief. Why is the print/sign industry so hectic?!