what do I do with this guy?

[dc303]

so a client I am doing a job for had ordered some things and it went very well. He seams to know some things about vinyl graphics and the process behind it.Anyways he droped of a 3m roll of 24*50 yard reflective vinyl and simply wants me to plot one or two designs with it,but they will be very small. He doesn't want me to weed or place tape on the vinyl. He just wants it to plot be rolled back up and given back to him for his employs to finish in there down time. still unknown about how many items i will plot but what should I charge to just plot vinyl and give it back?

 

[CanuckSigns]

i would charge your shop rate for your time, plus possibly a set-up fee for setting up the plotter for reflective

 

[Red Ball]

What is your hourly rate? I would time the job, plotter action and programming, multiply by that and add a quarter hour for the office.

 

[radiohead223]

just charge your hourly rate plus what you think the machine is worth as an hourly rate as well.

we use to do this sort of thing for a client the did window tinting and would get us to cut frosting at times. easy work and they supply everything. just make sure they don't want to sit through the design part at the computer. also make sure it's not a job they they walk in and wait for.

 

[dc303]

Both sound like great things to do thanks a lot much appreciated.

 

[Mainframe]

I don't plot vinyl for customers.....period, does a restaurant cook eggs you brought in? I am a retail business & if I wanted a partner I would have started with one. If I were you I would not have accepted the roll & would have told him I was offended he brought it in & sorry we can't do any more business.You can't let customers walk all over you like that or you will go out of business!

 

[dc303]

You know your right I never really looked at it that way. I am a new business that has just now moved into a building out after working out our house.Still learning the inns and outs.

 

[inthesignbiz]

We have customers from time to time that bring in their own shirts for us to screen print. I ask them if they take their own bacon and eggs to Denny's.

I agree with mainframe. Unless, he bought the vinyl from you.

 

[Mike Paul]

Ever bring a Steak to a restaurant for them to cook?
Bring you own Whiskey to the bar and ask for a Coke?

 

[Malkin]

I have had people ask for square foot pricing for plotting their own vinyl with provided files. That fact is, if you do it, it has to be based on time invested and machine wear & tear (knives etc.)

 

[Si Allen]

Don't forget to add the cost of a new blade ... reflective will wreck the one you use on it!

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Ever bring a Steak to a restaurant for them to cook?

I wouldn't use that one. I know a few places that will use the meat that you bring in, cut, cook and serve. There is also a place on a state fishery that will cook what you catch, so there are exceptions. Not many, but they are there.

Down in Kingsville (South Texas) there was a woman that worked at a restaurant that made really good hot tamales. She would let you bring your own meat for the filling.

I personally wouldn't do it as that can bring up hassles later on. If they are doing this to save a buck or two, then that exponentially raises the odds that they will cause problems for you if something does go wrong. Even if it isn't on your end of things.

 

[threeputt]

I also don't like the idea.

But here's another wrinkle. What are you going to say if he says the vinyl wasn't cut deep enough? That his employees had trouble weeding it? Or that the masking process messed up some letters? (his crew putting on the application tape)

Too many things outside of your control. Could result in him asking for his money back for the "improper" job you did cutting.

Or worse, he wants you to re-imburse him for vinyl he says was ruined.

Don't know, just sounds like potential for bad feelings. However, if you feel otherwise, go ahead and do it. Might turn out ok.

 

[Mike Paul]

I know a few places that will use the meat that you bring in, cut, cook and serve.

So I could bring in some week old road kill groundhog loin and restaurants in Tenn. will cook them up?

 

[bob]

Ever bring a Steak to a restaurant for them to cook?
Bring you own Whiskey to the bar and ask for a Coke?

Certainly for the whiskey. There's many villages where it's not legal to sell liquor by the drink but in these villages there's 'bars' where you can bring your own bottle and they sell you 'set-ups'. That being glasses, ice, and mixer.

I fail to see any problem, real or philosophical, in cutting someone else's media. Money for running your plotter, and in the case of reflective, selling the client a new blade as well. What's the downside?

 

[MikePro]

chances of you ruining his media are slim to none and so are the chances of it ruining your blade. (i've used the same plotter blade for over a year, cutting through reflectives/laminates/paint mask).

And YES restaurants WILL cook a steak, open a bottle of wine, and serve a birthday cake you brought in... but they still carry a service charge for it as long as you're willing to "be THAT guy". (i worked at a fine-dining restaurant for 2 years... i've seen it all. The chef will bitch about it behind closed doors, but he'll do it)

bill for your time, i see nothing wrong with it. To cut an entire 30yd roll of vinyl takes what... maybe 2hours worth of labor, even with setup. Charge him +1 to whatever it works out to be and be happy because its mindless labor that you can fit into anytime during your day. PLUS, his "guys" most likely will screw something up and he's back in your door to pay you another 1hr+ of labor to recut something a few days later!

 

[James Burke]

+1 Mainframe

I would cut it and then bill him just as you would if you had used your own material, done the weeding, and applied application tape. Let him choose whether or not he wants to do it.

What's next..."do-it-yourself" vasectomy kits? I'll check with my local urologist...perhaps there's a market.

JB

 

[Flame]

Ever bring a Steak to a restaurant for them to cook?
Bring you own Whiskey to the bar and ask for a Coke?

What about a contractor using the lumber a homeowner bought? A plumber using the tub the homeowner supplied? A copy shop using the neon yellow paper you brought in?

It happens. I wouldn't make it a practice...but if you have a customer who just needs some stuff cut once in a blue moon, I'd say do it and charge your shop hourly rate.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

So I could bring in some week old road kill groundhog loin and restaurants in Tenn. will cook them up?

As disgusting as it is there are a couple of rest. out in the sticks that will do it.

There was a few things I had to get used to when I moved up here.

 

[Mike Paul]

Certainly for the whiskey. There's many villages where it's not legal to sell liquor by the drink but in these villages there's 'bars' where you can bring your own bottle and they sell you 'set-ups'. That being glasses, ice, and mixer.

Interesting. In my area there are many restaurants that don't have a liquor license but you can bring wine and beer to the restaurant but not hard liquor.