When you outsource, do you tell the customer?

[Andy D]

I usually do tell the customer when I plan to outsource a project, because it feels like I'm
not being honest when I don't, just wondering what others do..

 

[DM print_design]

I usually do tell the customer when I plan to outsource a project, because it feels like I'm
not being honest when I don't, just wondering what others do..

Normally yes... We prefer to be honest with the client, in case something goes wrong, delivery delayed, etc.
We say to client that the production is done by a partner, it sounds well to the client.

 

[Boudica]

We don't keep it a secret. Our in-house projects are generally a really quick turn-around, and vended items will take longer - so there is that. We don't tell them who we are outsourcing too, necessarily.

 

[Andy D]

Yeah, I tell them we partner with a vendor who only works with print/sign shops &
can produce signs cheaper than we can make them.

 

[Billct2]

No. Why should I? I don't discuss how will make things, where the materials come from etc. If someone specifically asks if we do a particular product in house I will be truthful, but why answer questions that aren't asked and don't really matter to the client.

 

[Johnny Best]

I hope you never cheat on your girlfriend or wife with another woman or man because you are going to get caught.
So when I buy a new car do I think the salesman is going to tell me he did not make the car?
I am going to be honest with you, did you fall off the back of a turnip truck?

 

[DM print_design]

No. Why should I? I don't discuss how will make things, where the materials come from etc. If someone specifically asks if we do a particular product in house I will be truthful, but why answer questions that aren't asked and don't really matter to the client.

I agree with you... If client asks us about that, we said the true... Otherwise we don't tell him nothing. But it depends of the client and kind of job.

 

[Andy D]

I hope you never cheat on your girlfriend or wife with another woman or man because you are going to get caught.
/QUOTE]


Funny except the underlined part....
The reason I feel dishonest is because some customers specifically come to us because they want to buy locally made
products instead of saving a couple bucks by buying online, & feel it defeats the purpose if I just turn around and buy
from a wholesaler from another state.

 

[Andy D]

It wouldn't let me make my comment above, not part of the quote?!?!

The reason I feel dishonest is because some customers specifically come to us because they want to buy locally made
products instead of saving a couple bucks by buying online, & feel it defeats the purpose if I just turn around and buy
from a wholesaler from another state

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I don't outsource, so I can't approach it from that angle, but if I were to outsource, I would make sure that that is known up front.

I have seen where people have mentioned that they don't outsource on their website, but then I'll notice in the forums that they say that they do. If one is caught in a lie like that, I would be thinking what else are they fibbing about?

If you outsource to someone and that other person fubars, you going to tell the client that it was outsourced or are you going to eat the cost (if that vendor charges for another one) and not pass that on to the customer in order to preserve that perception that "you" don't outsource?

I know some clients want to make sure that the buck stops with the person that they are dealing with for a few reasons. But a lot of issues could be avoided if one is just honest upfront.

It wouldn't let me make my comment above, not part of the quote?!?!

It looks like you forgot the

 [

on the closing quote tag.

 

[Andy D]

If you outsource to someone and that other person fubars, you going to tell the client that it was outsourced or are you going to eat the cost (if that vendor charges for another one) and not pass that on to the customer in order to preserve that perception that "you" don't outsource?

If we outsourced and vendor messed up, we would eat it, regardless if we told the client or not & regardless if the vendor made it right or not.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

If we outsourced and vendor messed up, we would eat it, regardless if we told the client or not & regardless if the vendor made it right or not.

I think this would depend on how much the project was. Even with a decent sized "mistake" nest egg saved up over time, there still are some projects that one cannot just simple "eat it" unless there are huge sacrifices on the other end.

The smaller stuff, sure.

Edit to add: Just like the example from JBurton above.

 

[Billct2]

"If you outsource to someone and that other person fubars, you going to tell the client that it was outsourced or are you going to eat the cost (if that vendor charges for another one) and not pass that on to the customer in order to preserve that perception that "you" don't outsource?"

Of course I am going to eat the cost, or my vendor is...no different than if I screw up something myself.

"the reason I feel dishonest is because some customers specifically come to us because they want to buy locally made
products instead of saving a couple bucks by buying online,"

I don't think I have ever had a client say that they want to "buy locally made products", a few times they have said they'd rather deal with a local business than buy online, but that has little to do with where the product is made and more about knowing you have a place to go to and a person to talk to if there are problems. And they are still supporting a local business and the local economy. And the line between what is local and what is outsourced can get a little blurry. Do you tell someone you are buying the letters for their sign from Gemini, not making them in house? Or for those that outsource some digital printing that the wrap you are putting on their van was made somewhere else? How many small sign shops print yard signs inhouse?

 

[Andy D]

I did a ton of stickers for a pipeline company. I mean the boxes total probably weighed 300lbs of 2"x2" and 2"x10" stickers, all 3m 180. I forget how much, but 10's of thousands of dollars. I couldn't eat that unless I was going to be eating for a couple of months. (That one in particular I managed to get production samples in time to get sign offs from the customer.)

Did the vendor mess up, but the customer approved it? If so, that's on them...

 

[Andy D]

I don't think I have ever had a client say that they want to "buy locally made products"

Maybe it's because they really push "buy local" around here, but I hear it all the time.

Do you tell someone you are buying the letters for their sign from Gemini

No, not Gemini.... but if it makes sense pricewise, I would much rather focus on design and quoting than losing part of the day making a dozen banners, coroplast yard signs,
parking lot signs, ect.

 

[GAC05]

We sell Wet Okole seat covers from the Wet Okole Hawaii company.
They sort of sound like they are made in Hawaii. It ruins the presentation if we tell our customers they are made in Costa Mesa Ca. by Spanish people.

 

[Andy D]

Oh no, not an example of a mistake. We pulled the job off and I felt kinda shady taking home the markup, but a good example of a potentially crippling outsourced cost to eat.

True, but I would think any project that size would be net 30 or credit card, either way, I would tell the vendor to pound sand.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Of course I am going to eat the cost, or my vendor is...no different than if I screw up something myself.

Technically speaking it's the vendor that is one the hook (for the same reason as if it was done in house and you made the mistake) unless you did something in the msg chain that was incorrect. I shouldn't have added that part about eating the cost.

The main thing with having to deal with a 3rd party is that it can often times take more time to straighten things out, is the vendor going to handle it, do you have to handle it, does the customer go somewhere else for the project or the projects thereafter depending on how things are handled.

Giving the impression that there are less cogs at work is fine when everything goes without any issue, but can get quite messy when things don't.

I don't think I have ever had a client say that they want to "buy locally made products", a few times they have said they'd rather deal with a local business than buy online, but that has little to do with where the product is made

I get locally made requests all the time. What I don't get much of is if the inputs of production are locally sourced. Shirt blanks, they may ask if its made in the US, but that's really it and that's rare. Now, I could easily see that feeding into they want someone close by. If it's locally made, that means that there is someone close by that they can talk to and get things rectified without having to wait to hear from a 3rd party that may or may not handle things like they would want.

 

[unclebun]

Oh no, not an example of a mistake. We pulled the job off and I felt kinda shady taking home the markup, but a good example of a potentially crippling outsourced cost to eat.

You should not feel bad taking home the markup. You mark jobs like that up 50% or more because if it does get messed up, you are going to have to buy it again for your customer.

 

[Gino]

It's one thing to be a 'broker' and it's another thing to buy certain things and incorporate them into your work. It's not being dishonest,unless you advertise you make your signs 100% in-house. These days, I don't make the aluminum, PVC, acrylic, ink, vinyl or whatnot. If someone wants to buy locally, they usually mean they want the tax dollars to go right back into yours and their community.

If you don't do anything, but get everything on-line yourself and sell it as yours, that's being dishonest. Why would anyone wanna pay an extra middleman ??

Just do good honest work, competitive prices and have good service and no one should question you..... or your methods.