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Tired of incompetence...................................................................

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Twice this week, had jobs come in provided by the customer and one was the graphics department. One was wrong punctuation and the other one left 2 words out, but in both cases, they were quoted on finished artwork. I was told to move forward. Luckily, I saw the punctuation problem and was able to fix it for them, before we started printing. The other one is practically the Gettysburg address and they forgot 2 words. That one was finished and they wanna know why I'm gonna charge them more ?? Where do these people come from ??
 

Humble PM

If I'm lucky, one day I'll be a Eudyptula minor
Twice this week, had jobs come in provided by the customer and one was the graphics department. One was wrong punctuation and the other one left 2 words out, but in both cases, they were quoted on finished artwork. I was told to move forward. Luckily, I saw the punctuation problem and was able to fix it for them, before we started printing. The other one is practically the Gettysburg address and they forgot 2 words. That one was finished and they wanna know why I'm gonna charge them more ?? Where do these people come from ??
They're awaiting approval at marketing101, or god help us, PR101
 

Boudica

Back to "educational purposes"
Copy sent to me yesterday for a sign, from a new Marketing Director:

1682623101099.png
 

brdesign

New Member
I've been getting a lot of files lately from "Designers" who don't know about the pantone matching system. They can't understand why a cmyk print doesn't match the RGB colors they speced on their monitors. One of them couldn't understand why we don't print in "RGB ink" instead of CMYK ink.
 

Stacey K

I like making signs
People get on my nerves more each day.

Many people cannot make a decision and rely on me to make the decisions for them. Fine with me. I hate it when people just come in and have zero idea what they want. They don't know their email or website, half of them don't seem to know what services they offer!
 

gnubler

Active Member
^^ I had one of those yesterday, an elder who wandered in off the street wanting a sign for his house with his last name. After a few questions I still had no idea what type of sign he wanted and told him to email me some examples.

Years ago when I worked for a newspaper we got an ad file designed by the customer. Hideous Word art, gradients, etc. It said "OPEN TO THE PUBIC" in a big starburst. We were so tempted to just let it run, but decided to kick it back for decency sake.
 

ikarasu

Active Member
I work with a Graphics artist who does car shows and stuff - He usually buys his posters and stuff from me, and I give him a good deal because I work with him.

So he had 150 posters... he gave me art on thursday and needed them on Friday. So I get home after work to print them... I was up until 3 AM Printing and cutting all these posters, bring them to work the next day and give them to him.

He texts me on Sunday...saying he sold 60 of them so far, but someone pointed out a typo in the poster - He didnt realize because he used a fancy script font that he misplaced 2 letters... And it took 60 people buying it before someone pointed it out. Says he needs them reprinted... I told him I'm giving them to him at almost cost, so while I'll reprint them I cant give him a deal on the re-prints.

He was confused and asked why I wouldnt reprint them for free since there was a typo... In the artwork he made, and gave to me less than 12 hours before needing the sign :roflmao:


IMO, if the customer supplies the artwork, its on them to make sure its right. If they dont like it, they can go somewhere else!
 

Notarealsignguy

Arial - it's almost helvetica
When you go to the doctor and tell them your stomach hurts, you expect the doctor to be thorough and find out if you have an ulcer or stomach cancer or nothing. As a sign professional, customers expect you to catch typos and other art issues. You're the doctor.
Doctors charge like attorneys too.
 
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WildWestDesigns

Active Member
When you go to the doctor and tell them your stomach hurts, you expect the doctor to be thorough and find out if you have an ulcer or stomach cancer or nothing.
Not quite the same. In the doctor's case, it's expected that there is trouble shooting to be going on. Especially if one is going there due to an issue at the same time. By the time it gets to some form of production (unless we are talking about the earlier stages, conceptual, early prototyping stages etc), especially if one hasn't been there thru the other stages, a certain level of finality would be more expected. Especially if it's labeled in some for as "good to go".


As a sign professional, customers expect you to catch typos and other art issues. You're the doctor.
If it's labeled as "print ready" or "good to go" or whatever, I would say that there is room to scratch and burp as to who is responsible. Having said that, if I happen to spot something that's iffy, regardless of what it is and regardless of it's status as "good to go" or not, I would bring it to their attention, but I wouldn't do anything on my own. That's just asking for there to be trouble in other forms later on. Case in point, with Gino fixing the errors and being questioned on why charging for them.

I have seen it though, when I have gotten "finished" artwork (even if it's flawless vector, a dream file to use) that has production "concerns", the customers also tend to have been told by their "designers" that not to listen to the other people, it should be done as is (even though the "designers" have no experience in that specific form of production, some I doubt have any experience with physical production). Those customers aren't expecting a "doctor" to look over things, but to handle it handle it. Now, I will still tell them (in which case they think I'm flimflaming them) the issues, do that want it "as is" or change. It's about 50/50 on which way they go. And it's easier for me to make changes compared to what some of y'all may have to go through with your production workflows.
 

GAC05

Quit buggin' me
When you go to the doctor and tell them your stomach hurts, you expect the doctor to be thorough and find out if you have an ulcer or stomach cancer or nothing. As a sign professional, customers expect you to catch typos and other art issues. You're the doctor.
Doctors charge like attorneys too.
Considering that no one can read what most doctors write. Illegible copy, typos & misspellings would seem to meet the standard, what's the problem?
 

Notarealsignguy

Arial - it's almost helvetica
Not quite the same. In the doctor's case, it's expected that there is trouble shooting to be going on. Especially if one is going there due to an issue at the same time. By the time it gets to some form of production (unless we are talking about the earlier stages, conceptual, early prototyping stages etc), especially if one hasn't been there thru the other stages, a certain level of finality would be more expected. Especially if it's labeled in some for as "good to go".



If it's labeled as "print ready" or "good to go" or whatever, I would say that there is room to scratch and burp as to who is responsible. Having said that, if I happen to spot something that's iffy, regardless of what it is and regardless of it's status as "good to go" or not, I would bring it to their attention, but I wouldn't do anything on my own. That's just asking for there to be trouble in other forms later on. Case in point, with Gino fixing the errors and being questioned on why charging for them.

I have seen it though, when I have gotten "finished" artwork (even if it's flawless vector, a dream file to use) that has production "concerns", the customers also tend to have been told by their "designers" that not to listen to the other people, it should be done as is (even though the "designers" have no experience in that specific form of production, some I doubt have any experience with physical production). Those customers aren't expecting a "doctor" to look over things, but to handle it handle it. Now, I will still tell them (in which case they think I'm flimflaming them) the issues, do that want it "as is" or change. It's about 50/50 on which way they go. And it's easier for me to make changes compared to what some of y'all may have to go through with your production workflows.
I don't have an issue with changes. I make mistakes on orders to vendors and expect them to catch them just the same. If I've been buying cases of 1.5" tape for years and one day just say tape, I expect a case of 1.5", not 2", not fine line. I also expect them to question me, you said this but you always buy that. You took the DR thing too literally.
 
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