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this is so typical of the sign biz

gabagoo

gabagoo

New Member
Get a call from an existing customer..... Needs to talk to me right away.

OK.... Whats up?

I need you to letter up a new boom truck for us as it is leaving for the maritimes Saturday. I sent you an email with pics of what he wants


OK.... So you need me to set all this up for you and come and install it by days end tomorrow?


Yea, but I need a price asap



OK...... I have questions about these pics. I can't see clearly whats going on here, is the old truck there?


No, it's in New Brunswick, we have the new truck, but he wants it to look like the pics. Here's his number call him.


OK..... Call the guy and ask a few questions. The layout is not hard but he has a drop shadow and I see what looks like white between the red and the black and wondered if it had shrunk away or what. He says it is a thin stroke of silver. Hmmmmm OK

He asks how much and I told him, I have not even measured the truck and I have no idea of vinyl requirements for the double boom on it. He tells me the last guy charged $400.00

I sputter and cough and said...listen man... I have to run out to see the truck first and that will take about 90 minutes with getting there and back and then I need to order 3M vinyl if you want it to last more than 2 years.


I asked him how much the truck cost... $ 450,000. So I said, is the cost of the lettering really going to make a difference, besides, did you just decide this morning to buy it....Of course not, it was left to the last minute and now you have me scrambling and basically changing everything I had planned to do on Friday.


Well here I sit and I cant even get out there as I have a doctors appointment at 2:30. That means with any luck the doctor will see me by 3 and I get out by 3:30 then race through traffic and get some measurements. Cant order vinyl till tomorrow as they will be shut before I know what I need. That means I will be lucky if I have everthing weeded and masked by 1 or 2.

Gotta love the sign biz eh?
 
Circleville Signs

Circleville Signs

New Member
I would have told him $2k, period.

Once he picked his jaw up, I'd have given him the real price. These bozos want you to jump through hoops that are on fire, and do it for nothing.

No thanks.
 
SignManiac

SignManiac

New Member
Yep rush charge, take it or leave it. And good luck finding anyone else willing or able to do it in that time frame. Procrastination comes with a steep price.

Last week the hospital called and needed a 12" x 18" print for a doctors party who was leaving that afternoon. I said come and get it but the price is $75.00. They were grateful that we could do it at any price.
 
gabagoo

gabagoo

New Member
well I made it and I am back. Looks OK, just rush... but it will take time plus they want this huge logo "Elliot" removed from the boom. I would love to overcharge on this but this guy buys a heck of a lot of decals off of me for all the booms so best I just complain in here lol
 
radiohead223

radiohead223

New Member
must be something with people and boom lifts and cranes. i have a client that does the same thing to us..... they will ring mid monday and say they need this one done for thrusday. so for starters monday is already out but then when i ask more they mean that they need to have the crane working on site for thrusday. but then also the crane has to leave the day before to get transported to the job site and these guys do those thing first thing of a morning so no install that day. as usally even thought they ring and say we don't need it for a few days it's always just over 24hour turn around
 
UFB Fabrication

UFB Fabrication

New Member
What happened to the 400.00 guy ? Did he set the price so low he wont do it again, do crappy work or is out of business ?

Rush charge min 25% plus any rush shipping charges.
 
1

1leonchen

New Member
Sticky Signs said:
I.S.T.
Idiot Sales Tax
Click to expand...

:ROFLMAO:

Idiot Sales Tax by 300% and ask for 90% deposit.every body remember their sign at the last moment and always says " the guy up the road charge me half of your price" reply are u serious let me give him a call he is actually a good friends. i have the same price as him. are u sure . well by the time u reach there and back it will be too late for that sign so here is my price.
 
Billct2

Billct2

Active Member
wait a minute....you don't know the guys lettering style and the last guy did it for $400 and then you say the guy buys a lot of decals for his booms from you?
 
gabagoo

gabagoo

New Member
Billct2 said:
wait a minute....you don't know the guys lettering style and the last guy did it for $400 and then you say the guy buys a lot of decals for his booms from you?
Click to expand...


no, I do the work for the dealer here in Toronto. This baby is leaving Saturday morning for St Johns New Brunswick.
All I saw were photos of his old boom truck that he forwared to the dealer.
He wants me to do it as his guy has no indoor facilities, and probably would not turn it in 24 hours.
I stayed late tonight and everything is cut and weeded, so tomorrow I can get over there by 10 and hopefully be back at my shop by 2:30
 
heyskull

heyskull

New Member
I get one of those customers every other Friday!
Please make this customer realise that you are working in your off time!!!
Tell him the price before you do it or even cut it.
I have had customers who aren't in so much of a rush when they find out the price!
I won't do jobs using other peoples photos.
That's my little bit of advice...lol

SC
 
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