Rant Rush Jobs

[visual800]

Ill start off by saying when I was younger I did every rush job I could to "please" and to "win over" peoples loyalty. As I got older I realized people loyalty is a facade. People that need it now have a condition where the NOW is a large weight on their shoulders and they are looking for someone to pawn it off on.

I do not do rush jobs, sure I charge more for it but if you are going to screw up any job its gonna be a rush job. 9 times out of 10. I good client called and said he need magnets for a parade for 2 vehicles, I said nope, you need ot call someone else closer to you. he insisted i do them.

I told him to let me see something. So I got onto signs2trade (which i love for banners) and saw where I could order these pay extra to have them to him on time and still make good money. AWESOME! It said they were arrive to him on friday 10. Today is saturday and I got shipping notification he will get them Monday 13.

I knew better and I was not shocked. People DO NOT go by this bullsh@t rush shipping crap on these websites. Im kicking myself in the ass right now because I broke my cardinal rule. I knew better

 

[Albion]

Not understanding why you wouldn't do a rush job for a good client? Is it because you do not have the equipment to do the actual work or just didn't want to do it? Good clients play our bills, why give them an opportunity to go somewhere else? I have been in this business for 30 years and last minute rush jobs have always been part of our industry, even more so since the introduction of digital printing. I may charge more for a rush job, it all depends on the situation and the client.

I know that my business would not be where we are now if we said no to all of the rush jobs that come in. (sometimes on a daily basis). I've always said, "It's only printing...nobody is going to die" and yes it can get frustrating at times especially with some clients that are always in a rush to get their jobs. (which I always charge extra for). Rush jobs play a big part of our industry, and we all must deal with it in our own way.

At the end of the day, it's your business and decision whether or not to take on these jobs. If you can survive in this industry without taking on these projects then you are one lucky guy and I lift my hat to you sir.

-Al

 

[visual800]

well for one thing its was on magnets, we havnt ordered a roll of magnetics in 8 years. We just dont sell that many any longer. if I dont sell it i dont stock it

 

[Billct2]

I have some very loyal clients because we take care of them, regular or rush, whatever, if it's possible we do it. This is for my regular clients not some random shopper.
If it's something I don't have in house I will suggest an alternative, for instance, "I'm out of magnet but I'll print it on some economy vinyl and you can peel it off after the parade".
When I do have to outsource rush jobs I usually confirm the delivery and follow up with a call to customer service so I can be sure it's ordered. With all that things can still co wrong but not for lack of trying.

 

[qmr55]

Use signs365 for rush jobs if you don't want to print them yourself. They've never missed a shipping date with me in 6 years I've been using them.

 

[Johnny Best]

Yes for Signs365, just ordered something on Thursday and got it by FedEx on Friday. Great company.
And I also hate "rush" jobs and it seems like it is always the same customers. If you do it for them all the time they treat you like a "booty call" after awhile.

 

[2B]

Signs2Trade is decent and we continue to use them. HOWEVER, we have been burnt on more than one package being shipped from them.

as the others have said, anything RUSH that is not in-house is sent to Signs365

 

[Gino]

I'd like to see the forum your customer writes to when he says..........

Rush Jobs

I call my sign shop guy who says he can have this fast turn around for me and will charge me accordingly. Great, got that off my busy mind. Saturday comes and goes and still no magnets for the parade I'm in that he promised me he could deliver. Nothing on my 2 vehicles.

Yeah, I know, I waited til the last minute, but HE said he could do it. Little did I know, he hadda send away for them, cause he doesn't even make 'em. Imagine that, a sign shop who can't make simple magnetics ?? You'd think he'd have that simple thing in stock, but noooooo................ so I got hosed by some schmuck sign guy who can't deliver on his word.




Sure, maybe you don't make them routinely, but something that costs like $150 for a few dozen magnetics...... ?? At least you could keep tabs on your own Quality Control and delivery times. That $150 investment can make about $3,500 in sales without much of anything extra added on top. Some liquid lam and you're good to go.

 

[Johnny Best]

Gino, you have a "sign shop guy", very cool.

 

[Oroscoe]

Rush jobs are very frustrating and disruptive to production and sometimes think that is all we ever get. But, the lights have to stay on, your employees and vendors want to get paid. I tell my people, if we don't do it, there are other shops willing to do the work. Personally, I don't see feeding my competition. That is giving them ammo to use against you.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Rush jobs are very frustrating and disruptive to production and sometimes think that is all we ever get. But, the lights have to stay on, your employees and vendors want to get paid. I tell my people, if we don't do it, there are other shops willing to do the work. Personally, I don't see feeding my competition. That is giving them ammo to use against you.

Problem is you consider them all your competition... How about making allies out of them?

 

[Bly]

If we didn't do rush jobs then we'd lose about half our work.

 

[GAC05]

I don't think we have ever gotten a job that was not a rush. What's it like?

wayne k
guam usa