You want me to steal a competitors design??

[Texas_Signmaker]

Longtime customer of mine is asking me to copy a local sign company's design.

I've done tens of thousands of dollars with this customer and I think he is working with someone on a project that is used to using one of my friendly competitors. He wanted to show him that "his sign guy" was better and he gave me an opportunity to bid on it and wanted to know if I could copy the design. Now, he has been a good customer..not one that tries to beat up on price a lot and really is a good guy to work with.. I think the general public just REALLY doesn't know that we invest TIME & MONEY into designs. Then again, I kind of don't like that this other sign company routinely creates artwork for free to everyone BEFORE they get an order...

Anyway, here is what I e-mailed back to my customer...

I'm very sorry but I can't.

The reason I don't produce a design before receiving payment is because there is a risk that the customer can take it and go to another sign company that will produce it cheaper. Over the years I had a few of my mock-ups copied and would drive by and see them and that's not a good feeling.

******* and I deal with each-other often, as I do with other sign companies around town and I wouldn't want to jeopardize my reputation with them by reproducing their artwork... That and they have a disclosure on the artwork that says it can't be copied.

I appreciate you thinking of me when it came to this sign and don't want to discourage the business at all, I would just have to design something different. I understand that sometimes a mock-up is needed before moving forward with the entire order, and in those cases I charge $125 upfront, which can be credited back towards the sign once you're ready to move forward with production.

 

[Johnny Best]

Well you certainly are a good and honest businessperson. I think you handled your problem in a really good way.

 

[ikarasu]

I had someone ask me to wrap their vehicle. They sent me a pdf with all the artwork on it... Password protected and asked how much. I told them I didn't design it, so I wouldn't produce or install the decals.

They asked why since it was all their logos and just text. So I explained I didn't design the layout, and the other company did, whether it was their trademarked logo or not... I wouldn't copy their design. I could redo it, but that would cost more.

He explained the company does all his flyers and business cards, and last time he got them to wrap they just outsourced it and the outsourcing Company did a bad job.

I told him to get them to contact me and they could outsource it to me. He ended up paying them $300 for the design... And they started to outsource all their wraps to me, actually bringing me quite a bit of business.

A lot of people don't seem to realize designing takes time, and just because it's their corporate images, it doesn't entitle them to the design for free.

 

[Johnny Best]

I had a customer email me a layout from another sign company. I looked at it and completely redesigned it, took ten minutes or so, and sent it back to him with a price for fabrication and installation. Saw the sign installed with my layout a week later. contacted the customer on what I had discovered and told him he owed me $200 for the redesign. He wrote back and said he would send me the money and thanked me because he had just sold the property.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I also don't like doing free, upfront designs because I tend to want to rush them because I don't have any $$ yet on the order, and may never. Or if they do proceed with an order, then they just accepted a rushed design.

I tend to push the "free up front" designs to the back of the to-do list, so then on-top of that it takes me a while to get them done and makes me look bad.

If they pay the design fee upfront or go ahead with the order, I'm more thoughtful and willing to spend time on the design and they end up getting a better product.



This customer's design was not overly complicated, but STILL would of taken me an hour to draw up. The other sign company that provided the artwork didn't do a very good job at designing it... I thought of just doing it so I can show them that my design would be better, but then I realized the $$ on this project is peanuts and I don't have the time or patients right now... thankfully I've been busy with some good work coming in.

 

[ddarlak]

Happened to me a long time ago, designed a mural for a client that ended up taking the project to another company. I didn't worry about upfront money because I had an arrangement with a whale client who was selling ad space and this was just supposed to be a formality. After talking to the guy he said he went with the cheaper guy, he was cheaper by $350. I explained in a not too professional way that of course he was cheaper he didn't have to make the artwork! they printed my jpg proof, it was a 5' x 20' mini billboard. I invoiced him for $350 and hounded him for months, got paid, no it wasn't worth my time, but it was somewhat satisfying...

 

[Gino]

Yes, you can copy the design, but for quoting purposes, only. So many times, this same scenario has happened, but to say, if I design it and lost the bid, because of someone else underbidding me, that wouldn't look right either. Ahh, here Mr customer is my re-design and cost. Of course you're probably gonna lose it. No matter who it is, they are always looking for the best price.
Easiest thing to do, is to quote the design they gave you and THEN , if they like your bid, tell them at that point you don't use other people's artwork. THEN, explain how the deal works. Sign, date and gimme 50% of the quote and I'll give you some prilimanry sketches/mockups. At that point, you can decide if your customer was being honest with you.

 

[kcollinsdesign]

You all are making this too complicated. Quote the production and installation cost, with a caveat that permission to use the design must be obtained in writing. If the customer doesn't get that, then just contact the rights holder yourself. If you don't want to go through the hassle of quoting the sign before you know if you have reproduction rights, tell your customer that that has to be cleared before you will furnish a quote.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

You all are making this too complicated. Quote the production and installation cost, with a caveat that permission to use the design must be obtained in writing. If the customer doesn't get that, then just contact the rights holder yourself. If you don't want to go through the hassle of quoting the sign before you know if you have reproduction rights, tell your customer that that has to be cleared before you will furnish a quote.

Huh? I already quoted it... he was asking if I would copy the design.

He wanted me to come up with a drawing so he could get the property owner's blessing before ordering the sign. I said I need payment on the order or a $125 design fee before starting the design process. Another company has been doing it on spec so far. He asked if I would just copy the mockup they created and bid it. I told him in the email that I cant copy it and would have to come up with something different....but need the design fee before I do that.

It's not a super simple design.