Problem Customer (You can almost see it coming!)

Last week we had a customer opening a shop in a hurry.
He came in explaining he had spent a fortune on equipment and the interior but had little left for the signage.

At this point I should have shown him the door as it makes my blood boil that signing a shop is always the last thing on people minds, when in fact it should be a very high priority if you want to entice people into your establishment!

But my business partner helped him out and explained we could fit panels over the existing sign to give the impression of a new fresh sign covering up parts of the damaged/rotten wood trim (see rough layout).

We went out yesterday to fit the sign and for a cover up quickey job looked pretty dam good and matched perfectly the design.

After waiting for what seemed an eternity for the guy to come back (seems 10 minutes away take 1 1/2 hours to travel!) he turned up and was over the moon with how it looked (please note this is the first time I have ever seen him with his wife/partner).
He paid the outstanding balance and we went back to the workshop which was about 20 miles away.

We were just turning into the workshop when my business partner had a call of said customer saying he wasn't happy with the sign!
WHY DIDN'T HE SAY ANYTHING TO ME?

Turns out even though he proofed this off as overlapping he didn't want that as it now looks like a sign stuck on covering an old sign!
That's all it ever would be as he didn't have the funds for a new sign!

He wasn't very happy and reckoned it was unprofessional of us to leave the job this way.
But he was happy with it when I was there and payed me.
I now reckon his wife/partner who probably should have been in the shop when he was making all the decisions and the reasons for them had said something.

So after me ranting and raving and after a cuppa I did the professional thing and rove back to the shop. The customer had now left.
Then I removed the centre panel chopped 2" off top and bottom and refitted it.

It now looks terrible as it is revealing the worst of the damaged wooden trim and the big hole in it to the bottom left.
If he thought it looked like a sign stuck on covering an old sign before it sure does now.
But it is as he wanted it now (or maybe what his wife/partner wanted).

Let us see what time he rings today to either ask when we are coming out to rectify this as he won't have noticed it is already rectified or to complain even more that he or his wife/partner got it wrong!



Why do customers not understand why we get them to proof a job that is them saying " looks good go ahead and do it"?
Also if they want the cheaper option, it will always be and look the cheaper option!

Rant rant rant!!!!

SC

 

I like the idea of meeting face to face but I am not willing to waste yet another 40 miles worth of fuel and time on this dead beat job.
He has asked for some more flyer designs of us so I will wait till he comes back in (I have his only copy of his artwork so he has to come in for it).
I will confront him when he comes in as he also reckoned that our young lad (his words!) has marked the original sign panel with the ladders.
These marks were there when we started as it looks as if the local window cleaner like leaning his steps against it to clean the windows.
We don't have a ladder short enough to lean on that part of the sign!

SC

 

The thing is when this guy came into the shop he was bad mouthing everybody that has been doing work for him (painters, decorators, electricians, IT, etc.)
Guess who will be next?!
I just rang him back and he thinks it looks great!!!!

SC

 

I get about 8 off these numpty customers a year.
I just wish I would learn and show them the door when they walk in our shop.
They seem to come in acting like they are the business that will end all businesses and conquer the world!
I just look on these jobs as a challenge to give the customer the best deal but it always seems to backfire.
Guess I am a hopeless optimist!

SC