Will it ever fade? (c)

[reQ]

Just had a phone call.

- Good morning, i need your advice about some signage
- Sure, what can i help you with?
- I need a 24x24 sign printed in full color. My question is, what method is used to make a sign? Will it ever fade?
- We use inkjet printer to print on vinyl, then its laminated and installed on the sign blank. Will it ever fade? Nothing will last forever and yes, eventually it will start to fade.

After that all i heard was "Ohh..." and then "CLICK" conversation is over.

Its not the first time people want something printed in full color and expect it to last forever but it always makes me wonder, when they buy a car, do they expect it to last forever also?

 

[Gino]

Just start telling them it will last for 8 to 10 years.

After they give you a deposit and whatnot, while you're handing it to them, say..... Enjoy !!

​If they ask again about it, tell them sure, as long as you keep it in your house or garage. Make sure you got paid before you tell them that little tidbit. ​

 

[TXFB.INS]

or better yet, offer a lifetime warranty. Do the sign our of Stainless Steel or cast Bronze.

When they baulk at the price offer a "budget" friendly version that has a multi-year life span

 

[Billct2]

"If you want to pay enough it will last a lifetime"
but seriously, even Fossil Graphics who make subsurface signs that are expensive as hell only give a 10 year warranty,
buy a new $500k house and they give you a year.

 

[Rick]

That conversation (if you even wanted the job) could have gone differently.

You ask...
What's it for?
How long do you want/need it to last?
Where is it going?

Then give them the options, along with the costs and turn-around time and how
long they are guaranteed.

You may use an inkjet, but there are a lot of options you can sub out... there is
the embedded graphics that last 10 years, then there is full color porcelain enamel.
But a single 24" x 24" porcelain enamel sign is going to cost a small fortune and
typically takes weeks to turn-around.

 

[reQ]

That conversation (if you even wanted the job) could have gone differently.

You ask...
What's it for?
How long do you want/need it to last?
Where is it going?

Then give them the options, along with the costs and turn-around time and how
long they are guaranteed.

You may use an inkjet, but there are a lot of options you can sub out... there is
the embedded graphics that last 10 years, then there is full color porcelain enamel.
But a single 24" x 24" porcelain enamel sign is going to cost a small fortune and
typically takes weeks to turn-around.

Its downsized version of conversation That person wanted it to be directional sign in the middle of nowhere + he did not want aluminum and wanted coroplast in the first place. Explained him that coroplast is a bad idea for that purpose. Then he told me that he wants in printed with a picture etc, not vinyl cut. Anyways, i might be wrong but i did not want to "fight" to get that job anyways.

 

[Rick]

Its downsized version of conversation That person wanted it to be directional sign in the middle of nowhere + he did not want aluminum and wanted coroplast in the first place. Explained him that coroplast is a bad idea for that purpose. Then he told me that he wants in printed with a picture etc, not vinyl cut. Anyways, i might be wrong but i did not want to "fight" to get that job anyways.

That makes for a better story, I'd be more upset that I wasn't the one who hung up on him first...

 

[SignManiac]

Last week I sent a customer like that to my competition. Gave him directions to make it easy for him.

 

[TimToad]

When the completely inane questions like that come in and the person appears to be innocently unaware, I usually try humor and reply with "Will I ever be an underwear model?" "How long before the Cubs win the World Series?" "Will cockroaches eventually take over the earth?"

It seems to disarm the folks who honestly don't know a bit and the ones who know better rightly take it as an insult and move on.

The truth is that some folks have no idea how any of this stuff should last or what it costs.

We try to limit our condescension to the ones who appear to know better. LOL

 

[MikePro]

paint fades, ink fades, heck even the flags placed on the moon are pure-white by now...
I have no problem telling a client that with our inksets and UV-inhibiting laminates, they'll most likely never notice it a decade+ from now. ...we also are in the Midwest, and the sun is not brutal as some other places

 

[TimToad]

This is true, yet hard to keep in mind sometimes. But then there are people that are innocently ignorant but also just idiots.

Had a guy sitting in my shop last week try to tell me how much he wanted to pay for a coroplast sign.

"Well, you guys just put it on a disk and print it right? It can't cost that much. I was thinking more like 50 bucks. It's not that hard"

All I managed to say while biting my tongue and thinking of all the swear-filled answers I'd like to yell at him was, "your 50 dollar sign gets printed on a hundred thousand dollar printer. We don't turn it on for 50 dollar signs". And at NO point, is a "disc" ever involved in the process."

Then he shut up and left.

We just had one of these tell us that he "pays his highly skilled shop workers" $30 per hour and the installation of his sign only took an hour, so he should have only been charged $30.00. Forgetting the fact that the installer has a bucket truck, insurance on said truck, proper and expensive licensing and liability insurance, tools, etc. etc. etc. Or that it took time to get to and from the job site, etc.

The cheapskates among us have a million rationales for the way they justify being the way they are. The question is how many of the million will we all hear before we retire.

 

[GAC05]

For long term signage I upsell to papyrus based coro.
Recommended by 11 out of 12 apostles (Judas never a team player).
Dead Sea scroll longevity proven.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[player]

Years ago when signs where mostly painted, customers used to tell me how their sign is perfect after 15 years. I would later see the sign and it would be all rotten, chipped, and faded. You could still read it though...

 

[2B]

For long term signage I upsell to papyrus based coro.
Recommended by 11 out of 12 apostles (Judas never a team player).
Dead Sea scroll longevity proven.

wayne k
guam usa

AMEN!!

 

[CanuckSigns]

We just had one of these tell us that he "pays his highly skilled shop workers" $30 per hour and the installation of his sign only took an hour, so he should have only been charged $30.00. Forgetting the fact that the installer has a bucket truck, insurance on said truck, proper and expensive licensing and liability insurance, tools, etc. etc. etc. Or that it took time to get to and from the job site, etc.

The cheapskates among us have a million rationales for the way they justify being the way they are. The question is how many of the million will we all hear before we retire.

Ask him if he bills out his $30/hr employee at $30/hr, Does he think the local mechanic shop that charges $85/hr pay the mechanic that much?!? This guy is a business owner?!?

 

[reQ]

Ask him if he bills out his $30/hr employee at $30/hr, Does he think the local mechanic shop that charges $85/hr pay the mechanic that much?!? This guy is a business owner?!?

I think this guy is a typical crook who thinks hes smarter than every1 else lol

 

[Pat Whatley]

That conversation (if you even wanted the job) could have gone differently.

You ask...
What's it for?
How long do you want/need it to last?
Where is it going?

Then give them the options, along with the costs and turn-around time and how
long they are guaranteed.

You may use an inkjet, but there are a lot of options you can sub out... there is
the embedded graphics that last 10 years, then there is full color porcelain enamel.
But a single 24" x 24" porcelain enamel sign is going to cost a small fortune and
typically takes weeks to turn-around.

Half an hour later the customer tells you "Oh, well I can get it over at SignGuys for $16. Thanks anyway."

 

[Rick]

Half an hour later the customer tells you "Oh, well I can get it over at SignGuys for $16. Thanks anyway."

The second he says coroplast and 'how long will it last" you hang up the phone...

 

[Gino]

Ahhhh........... you guys are too connected. Customers are always going to do the unexpected and request the unthinkable. Learn to have fun with these people. For the most part, I run interference by doing most of the phone work, walk-in discussions and just plain dealing with customers. Everyone else gets work done around the shop. One of my many duties is to make sure they produce and make money for the company. if they had to deal with the sh!t you guys are always talking about, they'd never get out the stuff we're already doing. Ta-da........ that's where I have my fun. Heck, that's why and how I'm here.

If you guys either had your wife, girlfriend or someone at the front lines, you wouldn't hafta deal with these idiotic people. Like mentioned, there are certain red flags that go up in any conversation within the first 2 minutes. Learn what they are, how to thwart their stoopid thoughts and get back to your real work In no time at all. Getting rid of the stress will be so helpful for you.

​

 

[TimToad]

Ahhhh........... you guys are too connected. Customers are always going to do the unexpected and request the unthinkable. Learn to have fun with these people. For the most part, I run interference by doing most of the phone work, walk-in discussions and just plain dealing with customers. Everyone else gets work done around the shop. One of my many duties is to make sure they produce and make money for the company. if they had to deal with the sh!t you guys are always talking about, they'd never get out the stuff we're already doing. Ta-da........ that's where I have my fun. Heck, that's why and how I'm here.

If you guys either had your wife, girlfriend or someone at the front lines, you wouldn't hafta deal with these idiotic people. Like mentioned, there are certain red flags that go up in any conversation within the first 2 minutes. Learn what they are, how to thwart their stoopid thoughts and get back to your real work In no time at all. Getting rid of the stress will be so helpful for you.

​

In all the responses you've seen so far, what made you think that many of us don't use the same strategies you do, or that we are letting this type of customer stress us out or eat up an inordinate amount of our time?

Just asking because I perceived nearly everyone had their own way of dealing with folks like this and nobody appears to be losing much sleep over them either.

Dealing with troublesome customers isn't an experience that is limited to our industry. EVERYBODY has PITAs.

 

[Gino]

In all the responses you've seen so far, what made you think that many of us don't use the same strategies you do, or that we are letting this type of customer stress us out or eat up an inordinate amount of our time?

Just asking because I perceived nearly everyone had their own way of dealing with folks like this and nobody appears to be losing much sleep over them either.

Dealing with troublesome customers isn't an experience that is limited to our industry. EVERYBODY has PITAs.

Well Tim.........

You haven't been here all that long, so while, maybe not necessarily this exact same question, but so many others every bit just like this one, pop up over the years time after time after time. It's like the what's this font question or where do I get the cheapest somethingorother day in and day out. However, this one revolves around a customer, instead of the sign shop owner.

When so many people are saying how they'd handle it and hang up on this person or being rude to someone they don't know..... that spells stress. It's only normal with the way the economy is today. Most shops or homebased people are not doing as well as they were and when these things bother all these people.... something's wrong.

Just as you say..... YOU perceived nearly everyone yada, yada, yada......... I too, can have my observations. I don't question people's methods, just try to open their eyes for maybe another possible possibility. I invite them to try a different approach.

Dealing with troublesome customers is not my idea of someone who point blanks hangs up on ya for not hearing what they wanted to hear. Customers have a right to what they believe, just as you said you perceive things. Most likely, they were led to believe something else by someone else... and reQ's answer wasn't what they wanted to hear and instead of wasting their time, cut their time short and clicked him.

As far as the phone goes..... it's all the telemarketing systems and scams/shams where they call, a recorded message comes on and they call and call and call and call and they don't stop.... ever. Or, when you answer, it goes dead immediately. Now that and 4' flames really burn my a$$. Customers, not so much. I play with them.