When you outsource, do you tell the customer?

[Texas_Signmaker]

I have chosen to grow my sign business in a direction most don't... I outsource 80-90%. My time is more valuable not running a printer, making banners, bending channel letters and all the rest, and I don't want the ongoing costs and sales obligations of having it in house. I don't tell unless they specifically ask, and even then I say it's at my "printing company" or "my fabricators". Most people don't ask and don't care. Most of what I do personally is installation.

 

[Jeremiah]

Every customer that comes to us is saying " solve my problem " . There are Very few times I have outsourced. Even if I do outsource, I have solved their problem. I usually get paid for my work.

 

[ams]

I generally don't until they get upset with how long it's taking, then I do.

 

[binki]

It depends on the product and the customer. We have had a few Piece-of-Work customers that tried to see in the back of the shop to see our equipment. We have also had customers ask us if we had a particular brand of equipment. Really it is NOTB. The more they insist on knowing the more they are not a customer of ours.

 

[FireSprint.com]

We have found that many of our largest and most profitable customers are truthful about outsourcing. They add a ton of value by aggregating several vetted suppliers, provide high quality design, installation, and know their customers' industries well. Everyone outsources, ever bought pre-cut blanks? What about boxes? You could cut these out by hand... You outsource your equipment or vehicle service some of time don't you?

It's just a matter of where you draw the line. The difference between an outsourced vendor and a plain old 'vendor' is gray area in my opinion. You don't have to post your supplier's phone numbers on your front door, but being truthful pays dividends in the end I believe.

https://www.firesprint.com

 

[WildWestDesigns]

It's just a matter of where you draw the line. The difference between an outsourced vendor and a plain old 'vendor' is gray area in my opinion.

To me, it would be is it a finished good that you are getting from someone or is it something that you still have to add value to it. Still have to finish the process.

 

[Stacey K]

I usually do not tell them with the exception of embroidery. If it comes up in conversation I'm always honest. If there is a tight deadline, I usually tell them that the job will be outsourced and the expected ETA is - - - so it's imperative we get the artwork approved on time, etc. to account for any transportation delays.

I figure I'm doing the estimate, taking time with the customer, creating the artwork, ordering, receiving and quality checking - that's often more time spent than creating the actual job.However, because I do my own apparel in-house, it has gotten me many more jobs than my competition down the road. Customers tell me all the time they would rather come to me because I do them in-house vs the other gal because she orders everything out. I guess each company has their own in-house advantages with certain items.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I usually do not tell them with the exception of embroidery.

This is very true in this industry specifically. Doing everything in house is very much a selling point. Especially being able to create production worthy designs (I'm talking about the source designs, not just the digitized designs, while that is important as well, more can do that in house then create their own designs from scratch), not all designs are (even if they are great designs otherwise).

 

[fresh]

i will say "there are many ways to produce this sign. Most of the time, I fabricate in house, but there are times when I can get a better product, for a better price, by sending it out to someone who specializes in that particular item."

 

[Gino]

i will say "there are many ways to produce this sign. Most of the time, I fabricate in house, but there are times when I can get a better product, for a better price, by sending it out to someone who specializes in that particular item."

In that case, why wouldn't you just say..... here is the name and number of someone who actually can do a better job and for a better price than I can. No sense getting me in the middle.

I mean, if y'all are talking about being honest, than be honest all the way, not just halfway.

​

 

[Andy D]

In that case, why wouldn't you just say..... here is the name and number of someone who actually can do a better job and for a better price than I can. No sense getting me in the middle.

I mean, if y'all are talking about being honest, than be honest all the way, not just halfway.​

If someone wants twenty banners, I tell them that if they need them right away, I can do them in house for $XXX, but if they can give me time, I have
a vendor who wholesales to sign shops, and I can sell it to them for $XX
​

 

[Gino]

That is a different scenario. fresh was talking about a single sign. That's what that was referring to. In your case of not being able to produce them, thus needing help, you are being up front and giving them a choice. You are educating your customer to a certain degree. The other one isn't.

I don't tell people I make Gemini brass plaques, 12' x 40' flex faces or 10,000 political signs, but I try to let them know what's involved when it's over my head. I don't really want to be a middleman, if you are just making a little bit, in case something goes wrong. I want as much control over the end product as possible and that cannot be done by playing 'middleman' sign broker.​

 

[Z SIGNS]

I only give my customers the bare minimum they need to know.What the sign looks like with a brief description and how much it cost with the payment terms.

 

[fresh]

In that case, why wouldn't you just say..... here is the name and number of someone who actually can do a better job and for a better price than I can. No sense getting me in the middle.

I mean, if y'all are talking about being honest, than be honest all the way, not just halfway.

​

because the places I order from are trade only and typically specialize in whatever they are fabricating. But I know Gino, you're the MOST AMAZING SIGN MAKER WHO DOES IT ALL ® so you have never been in the position where outsourcing from a trade-only wholesaler is a better deal for you and your customer.

 

[fresh]

That is a different scenario. fresh was talking about a single sign. That's what that was referring to. In your case of not being able to produce them, thus needing help, you are being up front and giving them a choice. You are educating your customer to a certain degree. The other one isn't.

what made you think i was talking about a single sign? i mean, what even is a single sign?
I used to do carved / gold leaf signs in house. But they take up a lot of time on our work tables and i realized that I could make more money by just sending it out to a place that WHOLESALES carved signs. They can do it faster, and honestly better, than I can because they are making them ALL DAY LONG. And if someone wants 100 one color coroplast signs, sure, I can print them, or even use cut vinyl, but sending them to Firesprint is WAY more economical for everyone. When people ask me for a quote on something bigger or out of the ordinary, I say "there is more than one way to accomplish this and I'll always recommend the best option, whether its doing it in-house or otherwise." Nobody cares. Most people are surprised we make anything in house, if you're really wanting to split hairs.

 

[Johnny Best]

I wonder if Fire Sprint or Gemini outsources.

 

[Andy D]

I don't really want to be a middleman, if you are just making a little bit, in case something goes wrong.

I'm the opposite, for now it's just me & I'm too old and too fat to stand hunched over a table for hours, FTS!
I would rather set it up, never touch them & spend my time selling, quoting, and designing.

 

[Gino]

because the places I order from are trade only and typically specialize in whatever they are fabricating. But I know Gino, you're the MOST AMAZING SIGN MAKER WHO DOES IT ALL ® so you have never been in the position where outsourcing from a trade-only wholesaler is a better deal for you and your customer.

No, I didn't say that, but evidently..... you think you are.

No where did you make that scenario known, but you want us to think you are 100% up front with your customers telling them this mumbo jumbo sh!t and you can't even write it here for others in your industry to read. We're supposed to be mind readers, but your customers get the whole story...... sur-r-r-r-e........................ !!!

 

[Gino]

what made you think i was talking about a single sign? i mean, what even is a single sign?
I used to do carved / gold leaf signs in house. But they take up a lot of time on our work tables and i realized that I could make more money by just sending it out to a place that WHOLESALES carved signs. They can do it faster, and honestly better, than I can because they are making them ALL DAY LONG. And if someone wants 100 one color coroplast signs, sure, I can print them, or even use cut vinyl, but sending them to Firesprint is WAY more economical for everyone. When people ask me for a quote on something bigger or out of the ordinary, I say "there is more than one way to accomplish this and I'll always recommend the best option, whether its doing it in-house or otherwise." Nobody cares. Most people are surprised we make anything in house, if you're really wanting to split hairs.

i will say "there are many ways to produce this sign. Most of the time, I fabricate in house, but there are times when I can get a better product, for a better price, by sending it out to someone who specializes in that particular item."

Ahhh.... everything here refers to one single sign, not 2 or 3 or 300. Just one sign and you want us to think you are 100% transparent with your customers. You can't even remember what you wrote less than 2 hours ago. No wonder you farm so much out.... you can't keep tabs on what you're doing.

Your needs and wants are most likely different from most others on this site. You always seem to have a totally different outlook and view things differently than most business people. Nothing wrong with that, but you let it spill over to your accusations of others vs. your own shortcomings. We still do carved and sandblasted redwood, cedar, mahogany and other woods in-house. I can no longer sand the boards personally, as I've become allergic to the tannins in the redwood and cedar, so someone else, either in the shop or a part-timer has to do that. However, it is still done in shop. I have a close friend friend who can do the sandblasting as at the size we do, generally, it can't be contained. He does monuments and other stuff all day long. However, it doesn't effect my bottom line, so there's no need to tell people I no longer blast in-house. I could, but for medical reasons it makes more sense to go off-site.

 

[fresh]

Ahhh.... everything here refers to one single sign, not 2 or 3 or 300.

dude. The term "SIGN" is all encompassing. It can mean one coroplast 6x24" real estate rider, or it can mean a 10ft by 30ft double sided, illuminated monument that is composed of light boxes and foam and plastic and vinyl and paint metal and concrete. Why do you always have to be so abrasive?