What a way to start off the week *RANT*

[john1]

Had a guy ask for 1 basic 24x18" yard sign for Tuesday. It said something like Holiday Specials i think it was. They contacted me late Saturday afternoon and I said no problem i can have it Tuesday since i don't have any blanks in stock or coro for that matter and i can have it Tuesday since i get next day delivery on any orders.

Well the customer then says "I was hoping to have the sign up by Tuesday and that's my deadline". I'm thinking, what the heck does it matter if it's up Tuesday or Monday really? Christmas is 12 days away! They said cancel the order if you can't have it for Tuesday. So i did so.

Then i had another person need some black lettering done. The lettering was 10' total length by about 12" tall. I said i can have that Wednesday since i don't have enough black to do this job as of right now.

They first said alright, then lets me know that they need the lettering for Thursday (for whatever reason) and wanted to pick up the lettering tomorrow so they have time to put it on themselves. I said, if i give it to you Wednesday afternoon it does not take long to install it for Thursday. Then they said they will just take care of it elsewhere.

Guess it's one of those weeks, Guess waiting 1 business day is worse then not having anything at all done lol

The customers who are so nice and upstanding really make you appreciate them and what you do for a living.

 

[heyskull]

I thought Coro and Black Vinyl is fairly standard stuff to have in stock as a signmaker?!

The 2 weeks before Christmas I have an excess of "want it now customers"
I would get used to it!

SC

 

[Jillbeans]

Yes, it's a pain. But black vinyl and coro are the basic staples to have in your sign pantry.
In this day of instant everything you want fries with that, those requests should have been easily met even by a small shop like mine.
Sometimes when you come through quickly with teensy little orders like that they remember you when they need a big pricey order because of your good service.
Sometimes.
Love.....Jill

 

[Bigdawg]

I have to agree. Coro and black vinyl are basic. Sure - your almost customers could have waited, but they didn't have to. Like Jill said - we have become a "want it now" kind of world. Drag that you lost the customers, but maybe you should take a look at what you keep in stock.

 

[visual800]

sure there are certain items that should be in stock but I gotta agree with John1 on what the hell is the big deal between monday and tuesday? There isnt. I think alot of crap like this is a mind game to see who will win. ive played in this game before and told them to call someone else. They will oblige or they will go away

 

[Locals Find!]

Sounds like lack of planning on your part. It wasn't like your customer came in asking for a custom routed sign here. You should always have a few blanks of coro around and at least a couple of sheets worth at all times.

The black vinyl I can understand because, you hadn't restocked yet and you did have some in stock just not enough. If I read what you were saying correctly.

Now, would be a great time to review your business plan and possibly change your restocking schedule. So next time you don't lose out on two potential customers. Take it as a positive learning experience.

 

[shakey0818]

If i came in and you didnt stock standard stuff for a simple sign i would question why i was at your shop.I know small jobs suck and are not worth it sometimes, but if you can please the customer ya never know how much they will spread the good word about you.

 

[TheSellOut]

woh...woh..woh, regardless on whether or not John should have had the material in stock,turning signs around in a couple of days at standard prices seems completely fair to me. Unless you are paying a next/same day rush charge, then your order will be completed in the order it was received.

If you start completing a new customer's job the next/same day at standard pricing to make them happy and reel them in as a customer, then they are going to expect that every time they order from you.

And Adtechia...I think you would be better off just giving your opinion and not your business advice. For one...it makes you sound like a jerk, and two...based on what I've seen of you...you are no one to be giving business advice.

 

[andy]

What? Spread the good word that you're prepared to work below cost and at 10 minutes notice?

If a job ain't worth doing it ain't worth doing.... sugar coating it with dreams of bigger, better jobs never works.. you just get more of the same unprofitable "I need it now" cr@p.

Chaotic customers ruin carefully worked out job schedules and screw up efficient "just in time" stock ordering. Everyone wants everything yesterday.... the funny thing is if you sit down and work out exactly how many of your suppliers even answer the phone on a Saturday afternoon you'll find that it won't be many.

Sign makers are scared of not getting the jobs in.. which means many sign makers end up working silly, unsociable hours for less than minimum wage. Other industries stick to their procedures and processes because it works.... they make money, they don't get bounced from pillar to post by daft customers who haven't organised their own affairs properly.

Don't let unprepared customers ruin your business... get organised and stay organised.

 

[Gino]

woh...woh..woh, regardless on whether or not John should have had the material in stock,turning signs around in a couple of days at standard prices seems completely fair to me. Unless you are paying a next/same day rush charge, then your order will be completed in the order it was received.

If you start completing a new customer's job the next/same day at standard pricing to make them happy and reel them in as a customer, then they are going to expect that every time they order from you.

And Adtechia...I think you would be better off just giving your opinion and not your business advice. For one...it makes you sound like a jerk, and two...based on what I've seen of you...you are no one to be giving business advice.

:ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: I just can't stop laughing..............:ROFLMAO:



Either you have tools of the trade at your disposal, or you're just waiting for business to happen...... it's up to you how you want the world to perceive you.

• You don't go to the dentist to have your teeth cleaned and he says to come back in four days until he can get some toothpaste.
• Been to the movies and they didn't have any popcorn popped and ready for you ??
• How 'bout dropping in on your grandmother's house and asking for some food and she says.... sorry johnny 1, I have no food because I ate it all and forgot to get more.... come back in a couple a days.

Now I ask you...... what kind of shop doesn't have one piece of Cor-X somewhere in the shop or 12' of black vinyl ?? If this is your house.... look under your bed or behind the dining room cupboard.... you have to have some somewhere.

 

[Marlene]

in this guys defense, unless you are a knock-it-out-in-a-day kind of shop and that kind of turn around isn't what you do, don't worry about it. it's December and inventory time. I know we don't re-stock without a need this time of the year to help keep the inventory low. true, black vinyl is a must have but unless there is a job order requiring it, why buy until you need it? as far as cheap-o coroplast, it's good to have some around but unless that is your main type of sign being made, why would you have any?

 

[schramm]

Well if nothing else this should be a good lesson in either stock more supplies which as a sign shop should be a given OR dont RANT on Signs101!

I do painted signs so I do not keep a lot of normal vinyl at my disposal but sitting in my rack is 300' of 15" black, 150' of 24" black and 3 different colors of corplast. If I do a sign I do it on wood and I use paint mask for my painted lettering so vinyl isnt really something I need but I know that black/white are very basic.

I can say this as a purchaser, nothing pisses me off more then coming into a shop that sells an item and have them tell me they are out. I guess grow from the experience and just food for thought, the time to re-order is when you are 1/2 way down on a 50 yard roll and not when you only have 9' left.

 

[john1]

Thanks to all who understand.

I did a job late Friday afternoon that basically used all the black i had in stock and by the time i finished it up it was too late to order supplies.

I get next day shipping free on ANYTHING i order, yes even 1 squeegee if i needed to so stocking things is never a issue really.

The only coro i had in stock was a 12x18" green blank and that was just because it was left over from a job in the summer. I don't do many coro signs to be honest.

I'm not trying to say everyone but the majority of you guys have the revenue coming in to stock things and simply don't understand why some who are very small can't take a chance on having things sit here if they won't be sold. I know a few blanks don't cost much but everything adds up when your trying to "make it". Some can pretty much bet that XX amount of customers will come in that week or within the next month and buy whatever is stocked. I cannot.

Either way, 1 day turnaround isn't bad at all i didn't think.

 

[royster13]

I tried to order a roll 24" black Oracal 651 yesterday from a merchant member here and they were out of stock for another "week or two".....

 

[john1]

I tried to order a roll 24" black Oracal 651 yesterday from a merchant member here and they were out of stock for another "week or two".....

I'm not telling anyone to wait anything unreasonable, 1 business day, juuuuuuust 1

 

[Gino]

If you would have presented your case in the fashion you did just now instead of after getting ribbed.... you probably would've avoided alot of the trash everyone gave you.

However, I don't think stocking a little better on your end would hurt you. You're also wrong about some being capable of stocking more than others. It's a matter of how much one keeps in inventory vs. someone who is totally out of everything.

Sure, you might've just used the last of your black and don't have any Cor-X in stock, but that's only your fault.

In Cor-X alone... we almost always have 75 to 100 4' x 8' sheets or more extra on hand than the jobs we're working on. 50 or so in 5' x 10' sizes. Same with the black vinyl and for that fact.... almost ALL colors of vinyl. When we see a 50yard roll getting to about 1/2 way... we order. When we see our last roll of digital vinyl, banner or whatever going on the printer.... we order. We always have two cartridges of every color in stock and we have liters of extra flatbed inks. I now stock an extra set of U/V bulbs also.

I've always have been that way. Back when I was handpainting everything... I always had backups of every color and more of certain colors. I had extra brushes and I was always prepared... well, almost always.

We keep basic colors of reflective in stock. We keep about 45 various sizes of pre-made banners in stock. We have spare bulbs for electric signs, ballasts, shovels, digging bars, drills, hammers, sand paper.... you name it..... we probably have one SOMEWHERE in the shop extra.

Getting caught with your pants down is up to you as to how you want to handle it.

Here's my thinking on this.... many of you call this..... No one can expect you to furnish a sign overnight and be at this customer's beckon call. Not me. I can't tell you how many customers have turned into great and loyal customers because of this service. Anyone that considers this small Cor-X or die cut black vinyl job an inconvenience is about as dumb a s a sack of hammers. Anyone that could not produce a single 18" x 24" one or two sided sign overnight is a joke. Sorry, but I would never consider you for anything in the future if you can't even produce the most simplest sign of signs, let alone a 12' strip of black letters.

Not to be a tongue lashing, but since this is in the open forums.... I think it's great that the public knows who they can AND cannot depend on in these hard economic times.

 

[Bigdawg]

Wasn't really trying to bust on you john1. I used to be a lil shop that didn't stock much...

but someone wanting some quick cut vinyl or one coro sign shouldn't hear "I'm out of material" from you... they should hear something more like "Standard turn-around is 2-3 days." I'm more likely to order knowing that, than thinking you don't keep basic stuff in stock.

Unfortunately for items like that - they have almost become a "do you want fries with that" commodity.

Or maybe you didn't tell them you were out of stuff... in which case, my bad.

 

[john1]

I just told them that i can have these done in 2 business days as i always tell customers. I never say i'm out of materials.

Thanks to those who understand how it truly is. To those who do not, maybe your busy as all get out now but if you were in someone else's shoes you would understand. I did have black but only 9' which came up a tad short.

 

[Bigdawg]

I just told them that i can have these done in 2 business days as i always tell customers. I never say i'm out of materials.

Thanks to those who understand how it truly is. To those who do not, maybe your busy as all get out now but if you were in someone else's shoes you would understand. I did have black but only 9' which came up a tad short.

I take back my judgmental comments (to some extent because I'm too hard headed not to say you really should keep a couple sheets of coro on hand and more than 3 yds of black).

But no, 2 day turn-around is not unreasonable. My point was that for many people now-a-days it is...

 

[Locals Find!]

woh...woh..woh, regardless on whether or not John should have had the material in stock,turning signs around in a couple of days at standard prices seems completely fair to me. Unless you are paying a next/same day rush charge, then your order will be completed in the order it was received.

If you start completing a new customer's job the next/same day at standard pricing to make them happy and reel them in as a customer, then they are going to expect that every time they order from you.

And Adtechia...I think you would be better off just giving your opinion and not your business advice. For one...it makes you sound like a jerk, and two...based on what I've seen of you...you are no one to be giving business advice.

1. How does giving some friendly advice come across as me being a jerk?? 2. Who the are you to judge whether or not I know how to run a business? What have you seen that shows I don't know how to run my business? The fact that I am not Lowballing? The fact I have cleared a Healthy Profit this year? The fact that I have expanded into new larger facilities twice this year? or maybe its the fact that I decided against purchasing $30,000+ worth of printing equipment when I could sub contract the work with less hassle and less overhead. (Like many of the shops on here).

Give me a reason besides the fact that I can be an A$$.

 

[Gino]

woh...woh..woh, regardless on whether or not John should have had the material in stock,turning signs around in a couple of days at standard prices seems completely fair to me. Unless you are paying a next/same day rush charge, then your order will be completed in the order it was received.

If you start completing a new customer's job the next/same day at standard pricing to make them happy and reel them in as a customer, then they are going to expect that every time they order from you.

And Adtechia...I think you would be better off just giving your opinion and not your business advice. For one...it makes you sound like a jerk, and two...based on what I've seen of you...you are no one to be giving business advice.

1. How does giving some friendly advice come across as me being a jerk?? 2. Who the are you to judge whether or not I know how to run a business? What have you seen that shows I don't know how to run my business? The fact that I am not Lowballing? The fact I have cleared a Healthy Profit this year? The fact that I have expanded into new larger facilities twice this year? or maybe its the fact that I decided against purchasing $30,000+ worth of printing equipment when I could sub contract the work with less hassle and less overhead. (Like many of the shops on here).

Give me a reason besides the fact that I can be an A$$.

Well, I'm not sure if this counts..... but maybe its because you're a frickin' liar ?? ...... and you were caught lying about 8 times ??

:Oops: you asked...... and the truth hurts, huh ??
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