Discussion what's everyone's hurry????

[Dan360]

A big part of the problem in our area is our competition actually naming their business quick-this or fast-that (they seem to be dwindling though) and then people expect the same from us.

We typically only have these quick turnaround requests from existing customers that actually NEED something done asap or new customers. We accommodate existing customers happily if we can, we've said no before and they got it done somewhere else but we've never lost a customer over that. Though I've become very jaded with the amount of rush jobs I've done for new potential customers that sit for literally weeks before they come pick it up.

 

[visual800]

People dont NEED people just want things NOW. I have noticed nowadays people that asked me for quotes and then the following question is "When can I have it"...this tells me right then I might wanna bail on this job. I dont do TODAY I dont do right now, if you cant wait you need to call someone else. I will nto be apawn that you can pass blame to because someone on the assembly line screwed up and didnt do their job

 

[Gino]

If I might take a stab at it.......

I think what most people here have said... all have a lotta bearing on what's taking place in today's world, in more than just signs.

People would rather text or e-mail something, just to get it outta the way so they can move onto the next thing on their list. They're really not concerned with any time table so-to-speak, just get it done and over-with. They can't be bothered with phone calls, waiting for someone to answer or get back to them or anything, they just want their portion finished.

My wife has this same problem with her dance studio. People are constantly texting her about lessons, dates, time changes and whatnot, but they won't call by phone and have it taken care of in one fell swoop. They'd rather go back & forth two dozen times over the next 2 days. Sign world is no different, nor the electrician, the plumber, the landscaper, whatever, they all text and forget about it. Outta sight..... outta mind.

 

[rydods]

I was just contacting a few customers and it reminded me of this post. I, as I'm sure we are all guilty of utilizing the vast forms of technology to communicate with customers. Some prefer a phone call, some a text and some an email. I'm sure it varies by age group but I've dealt with some older people who would prefer you don't bother them by calling. I feel like a psychologist sometimes just trying to read people properly and provide the service accordingly.

Having all of these options has helped to speed up the communication process as well as proof approving and our customers have all come to expect the process to always go this quick. We've created the beast and are trying to keep it tame.

I usually use "ink dry time" as an excuse or a rush fee when needed. Outsourcing has also helped a lot as well. We'll always get the work done in what we feel is a realistic timeline.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I usually use "ink dry time" as an excuse

Haha, you're not the only one.

Sorry, I just ate Denny's and like me, your signs need to outgas

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

They'd rather go back & forth two dozen times over the next 2 days. .

I hate that
What's more annoying When talking to someone who wants to email and not call is when you ask them multiple questions and they only respond with answering the 1st one.

Me:What color background? Double or single side? How many?

Customer: Red, thank you

 

[equippaint]

I hate that
What's more annoying When talking to someone who wants to email and not call is when you ask them multiple questions and they only respond with answering the 1st one.

Me:What color background? Double or single side? How many?

Customer: Red, thank you

Or yes to multiple choice. Do you want it blue or red? Yes

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Or yes to multiple choice. Do you want it blue or red? Yes

Or them responding twice to an email and then you have 2 different conversations going with the same person at the same time.

 

[John Miller]

noticing a change over the past few years. everyone is in a huge hurry for their jobs. not sure if they are waiting till the last minute to order stuff or just want to be a pain in my ***...haha
I've been in the printing business since 1990 and when i started we had a 3-4 week lead time with expediting offered at an up charge depending on when you needed your job and how busy we were.
now with a lot of customers if you tell them 3-5 days it's too long.
i know with digital items you can do them quicker than traditional printing method form years ago but i don't think a 5 day turn around is unreasonable. we deal with a lot of print brokers and they are constantly coming through with orders and their customer needs the item in a day or two. we do what we have to do and we charge accordingly but there are only so many hours in a day.
fortunately we are very busy and that makes this more of an issue.
just wondering if anyone else is noticing this

Blame Amazon also. I can have most anything in 2 days or less, why not what we sell slso

 

[unclebun]

You have to educate people that you are custom manufacturing something, not just taking it from a shelf and delivering it.

 

[iPrintStuff]

What do you mean you can’t do it right away? You’re just sitting there hitting print then dwindling your thumbs!