what action should i take?

[rushworks graphics]

hey, got a question....... acouple weeks ago we got asked to quote for a job that was for some window graphics, just cut white vinyl and 2 banners. now i spoke to the woman at the store and then the husband came in, right from the off i didn't like him, he had a bit of an attitude and something just didn't sit right with him...but i was curtous and polite etc and i left telling them i would email a quote etc.
i actually over quoted the job as i didn't really want to deal with the customer, just had a bad feeling about him ya know! anyways, me over quoting the job and he says yes go ahead with it!! ok...
so my wife was over in the area today, dropped off the graphics...we'd had a 20% deposit already and then we were going to collect the rest on delivery of the items. his wife didn't say much at the store and my wife was on the way out of the door as they said they would give us a check when all of a sudden the husband arrives and says he didn't like the banners. they looked cheap as they weren't sewn etc and he said they just looked cheap and he wasn't happy etc etc! their printed on 13oz premium, and all they wanted was red wording.......not alot to it really!! so, now it looks like were not going to be getting paid the amount due.
so...as my wife had said they can deposit the check they owe into our account(the bank is directly across the street) i figured i'd leave it untill saturday before i go over.
the guy was a right idiot, not threating at all but very in your face kinda thing, and as my wife was their alone she felt uneasy in that situation. so, do i wait untill saturday which is enough time for them to pay, and if we don't get paid then what? for starters i know my wife shouldn't have left the graphics their without payment......but i didn't want to say anything to my wife as she was already alittle rattled at the whole thing!!

 

[jmb474]

I would have personally went over to visit and get it taken care of promptly. If there is an issue, its only going to get worse by waiting more time. Did you have him sign off on the artwork? we always get a signed proof on the work we do. It prevents the customer from saying that isnt what i expected.

 

[James Burke]

Don't wait.

Contact the "man" in charge, and ask him what can be done to remedy the situation. If you can still make a little money...or break even, and save face, then do what it takes.

If his demands go beyond what you originally quoted in the first place, then politely explain the miscommunication and pick up your stuff and let the next guy deal with him.

 

[rushworks graphics]

to be honest i would have gone over right away after my wife phoned but the place is 40 mins away in normal traffic and at that time it was going to be at least an hour drive due to people coming back from work and by that time they would have been closed! ...although my wife didn't want me to go over as she's always scared something will happen in that situation!! i had thought about phoning him up but again, because the guy is just a total idiot i don't want to get into a swearing match over the phone! i'm trying to be as professional as possable and they said..or the wife said they would pay the money into the bank...that was before the idiot husband came back! so, this is why i figured i'd wait untill saturday, see if they do pay the money(doubtfull) and if not, what can i do??

 

[rushworks graphics]

yeah, i'd thought about just going over their and picking up the stuff...the've paid the 20% deposit which has been cashed so i figured thats covered the material costs etc. just will end up with 2 banners which are made specifically for that store so can't be used again....bummer really!

 

[rushworks graphics]

oh in answer to the signed off question...its not the art work hes not happy with, he says the banners look cheap and "chintzy" as he put it! we used 13oz premium banner material with banner tape and reenforced the edges as they are being placed on the outside wall....grommets etc etc..... he says they look cheap and he started going on about how they aren't sewn etc and then was complaining about something else...basicaly being a pr@ck.......

 

[Gino]

What part in your business does your wife's role play ??

Reason being, if you knew this guy was a jack-ass, why did you send your wife in to do your job of collecting from a nut case ??

When you said you jacked the price up to get rid of him.... that right there told me YOU didn't want to ever face him again.

I'm not making fun of you, but you ought to look at your collection system and maybe change rolls with your wife.

If I had a problem customer, I'd be on top of as much as I could to make sure nothing goes wrong. We will show people the difference between taped hems and sewn hems and give them a choice... no surprises here. They get proofs to sign off on and last... get a real deposit... 50%. What good is 20% ??

 

[rushworks graphics]

yeah....i'm kinda kicking myself as i even told my wife before she went out to the town they are in that were going to have problems with them....and i wish i had trusted my gut feeling right from the bat about not doing the job, hell, i even over quoted him so i didn't get the job!! now, heres a question, since they have given a deposit, can i legally keep that? i figured it would cover the material costs since i will have to throw away the banners since i won't be able to use them.

 

[rushworks graphics]

hey gino, my wife runs the business side of the business and she will go in and speak to customers etc. the only reason she was dropping off the graphics to the store today was because she was going to our bank which is directly opposite the store. the guy was in no way abusive to me when i went over and disscussed the job with them, he was just alittle off, not nuts or crazy, just gave off a bit of a vibe. you know when you meet someone for the first time and some times people just give off a bad vibe etc, he was one of them. i wouldn't put my wife in any kind of situation where i thought something would happen. and again, he wasn't abusive to my wife when she was their, he was just going on about the quality and all that and just made her feel uneasy and embarresed, his wife was very embarressed....he was just being an idiot is all.

 

[rushworks graphics]

oh gino, i jacked the price up because i din;t like the guy from the start, so figured i'd quote him, won't get the job and thats it.......nothing to do with not wanting to face him again..ike i said he wasn't abusive or perticulary rude to me, just one of those people ....

 

[Mike Paul]

oh in answer to the signed off question...its not the art work hes not happy with, he says the banners look cheap and "chintzy" as he put it! we used 13oz premium banner material with banner tape and reenforced the edges as they are being placed on the outside wall....grommets etc etc..... he says they look cheap and he started going on about how they aren't sewn etc and then was complaining about something else...basicaly being a pr@ck.......

What size are the banners? Should they have been sewn? Is he an older guy?

 

[rushworks graphics]

the banners were only 34" x 36" so not huge by any means......i know i can right it off as a lesson learned.....however......

 

[Gino]

Didn't they give you a chance to right your wrong ??

 

[rushworks graphics]

i was going to phone him right after my wife had called to tell me what had happened but she said to leave it as it'll probably end up in swearing match or something.....i'd rather see him face to face to be honest, but by the time i would have got their the store would have been closed. his wife indicated they would deposit the money into our account....so, i don;t want to do anything right now, i'm just waiting to see if the money turns up or not. i don't think it will hence the origanal question. this was before he turned up at the store so, this is why i don;t think his wife will deposit the money...he seems to be a little dominating ya know.

 

[thmooch]

ok, here is the deal...banners no matter where you get them from are a Temporary Means of getting you message out. That being said, banner tape will be fine unless you sold them Huge banners, then you need webbing reinforced corners, etc... This guy is just Jakin' you around to see if you will budge. 13oz is an Industry Standard. Period. As far as the "Cheap Looking" goes, banner tape hems "look" far Superior/Clean to a Sew hem every day of the week.

I wish you the best of luck collecting, as these guys are everywhere.

 

[rushworks graphics]

the banners looked absolutly fine! i know hes jerking my chain....hes trying to tell my wife that he ordered other stuff from us which they didn;t get.....the good thing is is we have the order form from the wife which states exactly what they ordered and no more!! so.....yeah, hes jerkng my chain!

 

[JR's]

[They get proofs to sign off on and last... get a real deposit... 50%. What good is 20% ??
/QUOTE]

JR

 

[Mike Paul]

A 3'x3' banner with a taped hem and reinforced corners should be fine attached to a wall.
If he's an older guy the banner tape may have shocked him a bit if he's accustomed to sewn banners.

If he stiffs ya... you could always put on a pair of Clark Kent glasses and give the old curmudgeon an upper decker...

50% deposit is always the minimum when writing up a work order... :signs101:

 

[rushworks graphics]

yeah, maybe in future get a 50% deposit first...thanks for the good advice..... but i'm still woundering what i should do. if i don't get the rest of the money owed should i just right it off as a bad experience and learn from it? should i persue it via legal action? or just offer the guy to take the stuff back and be done with it. hes given us a 20% deposit and i'm not sure if i can legally keep that....which would be good since it would then cover the material costs from the job.

 

[RebeckaR]

Why will there be swearing if you talk to him on the phone?

Call him or go talk to him, whatever, and sell him his banners. Explain the edge tape. Explain that it will be perfectly fine for the banners he has.

If he truly isn't happy, thank him for his time, pick up the banners and go home.

I guess I don't understand why this is something that would involve a screaming match. I've been in this business for 25 years and have never raised my voice to a customer.
Had someone yell at ME once and I was so shocked all I could do was stand there and stare at him... which embarrassed him so much that he wrote the check and left.

 

[Mike Paul]

should i persue it via legal action?

For two 3 ft banners? no...