Rant What's the point? - Pointless phone calls.

[bannertime]

Why do people bother price shopping when they've already got "the best deal around?" Why not start off with "that" guy will do it for $$. That way I can hang up faster instead of wasting time trying to quote it. Is "that" guy just telling people to call around so he can show how cheap he is? Also, which one of you is wrapping stuff for $4 sqft?

 

[HDvinyl]

Maybe ask them first if they're price shopping, then if they say no, you can put the smack down when they say "that" guy can do it for $XXX after you give them a quote.

 

[TimToad]

The worst are the ones seeking a quote for a full wrap sight unseen.

 

[Gino]

I understand your frustration, but given what you said, if someone was calling for a quote over the phone for a wrap, I'd be telling them, you'll need to come in. There's a lot goes into your decision and we need to discuss your possibilities.

If this was for 2 No Parking signs, that's a different story.

 

[Marlene]

Ask them for an e-mail address that you can send a written quote to. The real people will give you one, the tire kickers usually just want a phone quote.

 

[Bigdawg]

We always tell them we'll be happy to email a quote - that we don't do verbal quoting. If they don't want to supply the email address, we generally decline to quote.

 

[TimToad]

Gee, thanks for the good advice.

After ONLY 40 years of dealing with customers of all stripes, from highly organized and friendly to disorganized and adversarial, I've developed plenty of tools to deal with folks starting with asking for an email with photos, artwork and overall dimensions if its too inconvenient to swing by the shop. We've also owned other types of businesses and those customer service skills have quite a bit of crossover to our craft.

Getting non-loaded advice from someone who has insulted, questioned and challenged my experience, professionalism, success, etc... during my entire membership here will take some getting used to.

As mentioned in another thread, we actually like face to face contact with both potential and existing customers. Cuts down on lots of questions and misunderstandings, thereby saving them money and making us better prepared to provide accurate quotes. There must be somebody out there rattling off numbers to people over the phone, otherwise people wouldn't keep calling seeking "ballpark" estimates.

I usually have some fun with them too to break the ice. Is it a only mildly curvy vehicle or is it a super flat boxy looking thing?

 

[Marlene]

Gee, thanks for the good advice.

After ONLY 40 years of dealing with customers of all stripes, from highly organized and friendly to disorganized and adversarial, I've developed plenty of tools to deal with folks starting with asking for an email with photos, artwork and overall dimensions if its too inconvenient to swing by the shop. We've also owned other types of businesses and those customer service skills have quite a bit of crossover to our craft.

Getting non-loaded advice from someone who has insulted, questioned and challenged my experience, professionalism, success, etc... during my entire membership here will take some getting used to.

As mentioned in another thread, we actually like face to face contact with both potential and existing customers. Cuts down on lots of questions and misunderstandings, thereby saving them money and making us better prepared to provide accurate quotes. There must be somebody out there rattling off numbers to people over the phone, otherwise people wouldn't keep calling seeking "ballpark" estimates.

I usually have some fun with them too to break the ice. Is it a only mildly curvy vehicle or is it a super flat boxy looking thing?

WTF? Who gave you any advice and how did become about you? We all hate these kinds of calls and it's interesting to see we pretty much all do the same things. Why spoil a thread that so far, has been civil.

 

[Gino]

Gee, thanks for the good advice.

After ONLY 40 years of dealing with customers of all stripes, from highly organized and friendly to disorganized and adversarial, I've developed plenty of tools to deal with folks starting with asking for an email with photos, artwork and overall dimensions if its too inconvenient to swing by the shop. We've also owned other types of businesses and those customer service skills have quite a bit of crossover to our craft.

Getting non-loaded advice from someone who has insulted, questioned and challenged my experience, professionalism, success, etc... during my entire membership here will take some getting used to.

As mentioned in another thread, we actually like face to face contact with both potential and existing customers. Cuts down on lots of questions and misunderstandings, thereby saving them money and making us better prepared to provide accurate quotes. There must be somebody out there rattling off numbers to people over the phone, otherwise people wouldn't keep calling seeking "ballpark" estimates.

I usually have some fun with them too to break the ice. Is it a only mildly curvy vehicle or is it a super flat boxy looking thing?

If you are referring to me, don't get your self all bent outta shape there, time zone. Our posts were less than a minute apart. I was referring to the OP's statement, not you.

 

[bannertime]

Maybe ask them first if they're price shopping, then if they say no, you can put the smack down when they say "that" guy can do it for $XXX after you give them a quote.

Typically those conversations start with certain phrases that make it apparent they are shopping. This one caught me off guard. Was only the first or second call of the day.

I understand your frustration, but given what you said, if someone was calling for a quote over the phone for a wrap, I'd be telling them, you'll need to come in. There's a lot goes into your decision and we need to discuss your possibilities

For vehicle lettering and such, we do what we can to have them bring the vehicle in. Or we can give a general idea of what our customers have paid in the past for something similar. This conversation started out just one color vinyl lettering since he said he wanted words on it and it was freshly painted metal. So I made it clear that the price was an estimate based on size alone and that'd it change based on the actual art and install would be quoted after seeing the tank in person.

As mentioned in another thread, we actually like face to face contact with both potential and existing customers. Cuts down on lots of questions and misunderstandings, thereby saving them money and making us better prepared to provide accurate quotes. There must be somebody out there rattling off numbers to people over the phone, otherwise people wouldn't keep calling seeking "ballpark" estimates.

I usually have some fun with them too to break the ice. Is it a only mildly curvy vehicle or is it a super flat boxy looking thing?

I personally hate face to face. Even when I sold cars for awhile, I much preferred doing the bulk of the conversation on email. As is common for most, some of our best customers have never been to our storefront and we only see them on the job site. Some we never see and only meet with their store managers or whoever can sign off. So I do offer a lot of quotes over the phone and email, but typically only after on-site measurements and setting up the art.

I did ask this customer some questions about the tank, but he was being somewhat short with me. After a question or two he said "I have a printer and have put stickers on it before and they stick just fine." Ah, great. Do it yourself then, pal. I try not to patronize customers when asking questions about the jobs but some times they think the information they gave me was enough to provide an accurate quote.

For the post about asking for emails. I almost always do. Typically I give a general price and then ask that they email me the full details of the job so I can set it up and send an accurate price. I do this because I've wasted more time by setting up an accurate quote and come to find out they had a budget of like $30 instead of $300. Some times I remember to ask if they have a budget before doing anything.

 

[TimToad]

WTF? Who gave you any advice and how did become about you? We all hate these kinds of calls and it's interesting to see we pretty much all do the same things. Why spoil a thread that so far, has been civil.

The grand exalted one of the Kingdom of Reading did.

I've been plenty civil and if there is any other discussion to this particular thread, I will continue to be. Just caught off guard, that's all.

 

[TimToad]

Typically those conversations start with certain phrases that make it apparent they are shopping. This one caught me off guard. Was only the first or second call of the day.



For vehicle lettering and such, we do what we can to have them bring the vehicle in. Or we can give a general idea of what our customers have paid in the past for something similar. This conversation started out just one color vinyl lettering since he said he wanted words on it and it was freshly painted metal. So I made it clear that the price was an estimate based on size alone and that'd it change based on the actual art and install would be quoted after seeing the tank in person.



I personally hate face to face. Even when I sold cars for awhile, I much preferred doing the bulk of the conversation on email. As is common for most, some of our best customers have never been to our storefront and we only see them on the job site. Some we never see and only meet with their store managers or whoever can sign off. So I do offer a lot of quotes over the phone and email, but typically only after on-site measurements and setting up the art.

I did ask this customer some questions about the tank, but he was being somewhat short with me. After a question or two he said "I have a printer and have put stickers on it before and they stick just fine." Ah, great. Do it yourself then, pal. I try not to patronize customers when asking questions about the jobs but some times they think the information they gave me was enough to provide an accurate quote.

For the post about asking for emails. I almost always do. Typically I give a general price and then ask that they email me the full details of the job so I can set it up and send an accurate price. I do this because I've wasted more time by setting up an accurate quote and come to find out they had a budget of like $30 instead of $300. Some times I remember to ask if they have a budget before doing anything.

Boom! That just about sums it up perfectly.

 

[Marlene]

The grand exalted one of the Kingdom of Reading did.

I've been plenty civil and if there is any other discussion to this particular thread, I will continue to be. Just caught off guard, that's all.

Not too sure what caught you off guard as even if the comment made was directed at you, it was just chit chat about what he'd do. Since this thread is about that, not too sure why that would upset anyone as it was a highly civil comment.

 

[StarSign]

Once again, this problem can be solved by simply telling them to go to Lowes

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Once again, this problem can be solved by simply telling them to go to Lowes

But they want to shop local, help you out and give you the $10. Unless you're $0.50 higher, then they'll go to Lowes.