Discussion Why is this so common in most threads concerning costs........................??

[Gino]

Some good points, Stacey, but that's the opposite of what I was first asking. Again, I have no problem people asking how much is this to do or what do you get for this or that...... that stuff is kinda basic and then based upon demographics, so you need a little thinking involved.

However, my question was based upon all the people who wanna take things outta the equation and still charge for them. For instance, they don't wanna buy the proper shipping tubes or bubble-wrap, but wanna charge what the guy who does do it.... gets. They're against using the vinyl the job calls for and wanna re-invent how to do it and call it progress. They wanna use subpar substrates or inferior known products, not tell the client and charge full price. They wanna know how to cut corners and get away with it on so many levels. All it does is make it harder for those of us doing things the correct way, the way we learned it over the decades and put a whole new spin on it and get away with robbing people. It has nothing at all to do about learning new things, but all about deceiving your clients. Why would anyone wanna go into business to purposely rob customers ?? It eventually catches up and you'll be gone, but 2 more just like it pop up and before you know it, the countryside is littered with hacks who don't give a sh!t about the industry and how they are ruining it.

To me it's like having a lamp on your end table which has the capacity for a 3-way, but some jack@ss sells ya a 60W bulb. Ha..... it works, but it could work so much better and all ya hafta do is explain this stuff to people, not hide it. Most would be surprised of the results, if they were just...... honest.

Like WildWest said, some people don't know any better, but then, they shouldn't be doing it in the first place, if they don't know what they're doing. They should stick to what they know and experiment on themselves, not the public.

 

[billsines]

From a consumer standpoint, I will tell you in my 20s and early 30s, price was most important to me. So I shopped at the big box places, got burned many times, tried to get customer service from 17 year olds that didn't even know where the bathroom was, all that. Now at 41 I don't look at price quite the same. I recently bought a lawnmower and a chainsaw from the John Deere dealership because I can go in there and talk to a real human that knows what's going on. They have my equipment in their records. So when I need to change the oil in my mower, they can hand me the oil I need along with the filter. More expensive? Yes. If it ever breaks is there help? Yes.

Long story short, as I get older, customer service is worth paying for. So I don't know, maybe it's the demographic of customers some of us are dealing with, always trying to haggle down to the lowest price? Maybe it's the after effect of shopping in a big box store for so long?

That said, there are other ways to reduce costs. Shop layout and efficiency is definitely on that list. I am willing to venture there is so much money to be saved in all our movements and conveyance of materials. Tons of ways to save money.

 

[signman315]

I love the one, “well it costs this much less on the internet”...to which I quickly and politely respond “well then go ahead and buy it from the internet” and wonder to myself why they’ve even found themselves at my shop and didn’t just buy it from the random website in the first place. Usually after which they either end up paying for the job twice when the random website doesn’t meet their expectations and they come slithering back through my door OR they just buy the job from me anyway. Often I think it’s just a way for them to try to get a deal, just call the bluff and they usually buy and forget those that don’t haha!

 

[player]

You could join them you already enjoy giving people bad computer advice

With your attitude it is no wonder you don't have a shop or any equipment.

 

[player]

You could join them you already enjoy giving people bad computer advice

Your advice, by the way, on the other thread that you said I had no business commenting on, was to format Windows and reinstall. My advice was to check all the settings and options, which is exactly what worked for me. It did not work, I tried a number of the options and finally got it to run. No Windows reinstall. You also claimed I had no knowledge or experience about Flexi, and that YOU had been running it since way back to V7.6. I then explained to you that I not only have owned 2 full versions since v1.0, but I also ran it for years before that as Casemate, then Inspire, then Flexi v1.0 and up. You are the type of person that knows so little, you are not even aware of how little you know. Good luck with your shopless, equipment free sign career.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Your advice, by the way, on the other tread that you said I had no business commenting on, was to format windows and reinstall. My advice was to check all the settings and options, which is exactly what worked for me. It did not work, I tried a number of the options and finally got it to run. No Windows reinstall. You also claimed I had no knowledge or experience about Flexi, and that YOU had been running it since way back to V7.6. I then explained to you that I not only have owned 2 full versions since v1.0, but I also ran it for years before that as Casemate, then Inspire, then Flexi v1.0 and up. You are the type of person that knows so little, you are not even aware of how little you know. Good luck with your shopless, equipment free sign career.

May want to re-read your own posts if you can't remember what you said a few days ago.

 

[player]

May want to re-read your own posts if you can't remember what you said a few days ago.

I remember you being rude and dismissive.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I remember you being rude and dismissive.

My apologizes, your memory does work.

 

[pinkiss]

im just starting out in this business and its cut throat, your dilemma sounds like ones im experiencing now, as in any business course first training advise you get is do your cost, present it to customer including all your expenses and what you need, until that point dont do any samples drawings etc, if they agree on price take deposit and get to work, otherwise let them go elsewhere.

quality aint the issue if the client wants it on the cheap and you can provide that then its their choice, most people know little about signs so if you use 1$ ink and it works then go with it.

Im still learning ropes and its aint easy going low ball to get customers, but one thing i do i try to be straight forward if i dont do x i tell them that, if vinyl will be hit and miss they will know.

i found its easiest working with customers who either have attitude of do it your way, those who go into price and cutting corners usually will be time wasters.

 

[mark galoob]

If you do good work and solve your customers problems for a reasonable price they usuLly will come back. I’m totally not afraid to send peeps down the road if they don’t like my price. I even will tell them where they can get it cheaper. The customers who have reAl interest in staying in business know the value of that kind of work and will usually be loyal and repeat customers. This takes time to build this cycle of business.

 

[equippaint]

"I'm totally not afraid to send peeps down the road"
People is only 1 extra letter

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

peeps are some of the nastiest holiday treat ever....that and those mini-orange traffic cones they give out at Halloween.

 

[equippaint]

If you do good work and solve your customers problems for a reasonable price they usuLly will come back. I’m totally not afraid to send peeps down the road if they don’t like my price. I even will tell them where they can get it cheaper. The customers who have reAl interest in staying in business know the value of that kind of work and will usually be loyal and repeat customers. This takes time to build this cycle of business.

peeps are some of the nastiest holiday treat ever....that and those mini-orange traffic cones they give out at Halloween.

circus peanuts have them beat. Just send them down the road like a baller. Maybe gino will sell you peeps a sign

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I took my kid to the circus once a few years ago... I will NEVER do that again.

PS, all these posts will be deleted for "Extra Chit-Chat"

 

[ikarasu]

peeps are some of the nastiest holiday treat ever....that and those mini-orange traffic cones they give out at Halloween.

Traffic cones... Candy corn!

It's amazing how many piles of peeps and candy corn and rockets (US calls them smarties) I see on holidays, despite everyone I've ever known hating them.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Traffic cones... Candy corn!

It's amazing how many piles of peeps and candy corn and rockets (US calls them smarties) I see on holidays, despite everyone I've ever known hating them.

I bet 95% of their candy crap ends up in the bin every year. Buy a whole bag of traffic cones, take one taste...heave and give the rest out for free.

 

[signman315]

I bet 95% of their candy crap ends up in the bin every year. Buy a whole bag of traffic cones, take one taste...heave and give the rest out for free.

And yet we all have a great time doing it! Wouldn’t change a thing, can’t wait to choke down some candy corn that tastes like cardboard. We love to hate it haha!

 

[mark galoob]

Lol