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Advice on lead times & planning…
I’ve been away for a few days, but last week was a typical example of our ‘kind’ of customer.
They run events, and we typically get a weeks notice of an event, and what they require. This works OK as we can ensure we have enough material in stock, but the artwork is usually changed at the last minute, or there’s last minute reprints due to changes, occasionally we sub out bits that we can’t produce, James printed a backdrop for the customer that was another rush job.
We don’t mind these things, and we make half decent money for 1-2 long chaotic days, and it’s quite good fun, in weird way.
What is becoming a problem is the e-mail like we received today, wanting a handful of posters for 2pm, and they send the e-mail at 1pm. I’m working from home, and my dad’s out on an installation, so it cannot be done.
Or the influx of ‘urgent’ jobs keep pushing the not so urgent (and sometimes better/larger) work to the back of the que.
Just interested in how everyone manages their time, to try and keep most people happy.
Starting to get a little annoyed with some jobs taking to long to complete because of the smaller ‘urgent’ jobs taking priority.
I think 4 days in France I’ve realised there’s more to life than full throttle, stressing day in day out. :tongue:
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10 Replies
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One of the biggest things I have worked out in the last 3 years is not to let someone elses problem due to poor planning and prep become your problem
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I think that some people can confuse your willingness to provide great customer service with being a "soft touch". Who in their right mind can expect to send in a new job for a bespoke printing service and expect the item finished and delivered back within an hour??
In the "hour" scenario someone is a k***b, and I dont think its you.
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Money talks.
Jack the price up to a point where you are happy to drop everything for their job, and make sure they know this.
Here is a short email correspondence I recently had with the Auckland – based branding agent of such a customer, a large multi national with branches all over the country.
It refers to a vehicle wrap.
I have removed the company names.*****
Hi Simon,
XXXX have requested I touch base with you and discuss the recent job you are doing for them.
In particular they are questioning the cost of this job. It is considerably higher than what we have been charged by other companies for exactly the same job around the country.
Are you able to provide me with more information or give me a call on the below mobile number please?
Cheers,
Louise*****
Hi Louise.
🙂
This whole job has been a bit of a nightmare for us too.Here is why…
I was contacted on late Thursday by Merve, with a
"SCREAMING BLUE URGENT request that we abandon all other jobs and do this instead.
"We MUST have a wrap done by next Tuesday! Printed from scratch.“This will incur extra costs Merve” I said.
"Do you require a quote?"No! “ said Merve.
"We have heard of you guys and how good you are.
Just get it done."The artwork arrives. It is GIGANTIC and CUMBERSOME, and extracting it from the internet is a mission in itself.
Breaking it down into usable files is another mission.
We work all weekend, and all of Monday, to get this ready for Tuesday.I call Merve on Monday afternoon to report we have the material ready, and jobs have been cleared.
I cant reach him.Tuesday comes.
The car doesnt turn up.I call Merve. I get through this time.
“Oh, sorry” he says.
"the guy cant make it. Can we reschedule for next week?”We are blown off TWO times more in the next two weeks.
Finally I told Merve that I cannot do the job any more as I am going overseas.
(I had warned him of this from the start.)
I sent in my bill, and later agree to split it into material, and application.I did, however, organise another signwriter to fill in for me, so you wouldnt be stuck.
I am back from overseas and we STILL have not been given the car.Unsurprisingly, the bill is high.
You have kindly paid for the material and our time so far.
I also heard that Merve no longer works for you.
So now we have this material, beautifully printed in the highest quality 3M IJ180CV3 vinyl.
You have paid for it in full, and you are welcome to collect it from here.
I am back from overseas now, so we can install it if you wish.Installation is now another job entirely.
It is an unusual wrap, so it is hard to quote exactly from here.
I believe we reckoned about 12 hours to apply.These are a few facts about us.
1. We have never been late on a job.
2. We have never let a customer down.
3. We take responsibility for our jobs, and they are first class.
4. We rectify our mistakes and admit to them. Quickly.
5. We charge for a better service, and better quality.
6. Our regular customers are happy with our prices.
7. We charge for wasted time, extra work, and overtime.I hope I have explained the situation properly for you.
Kind regards
Simon.
*****
Hi Simon,
Thank you for that information. I really appreciate hearing your side of the story.
Let me discuss this with XXXX and go from there.
Cheers,
Louise*****
Not completely sure, but I think Merve lost his job over the mishandling of this. :shake:
Simon.
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Sound’s like a similar letter I sent to a CEO & branch director. 😆
Do you work ‘backwards’?
IE: if a customer wanted the wrap doing for Friday, you first check that you can install Friday, then that you can design, print & laminate the media in that time frame & in between the other work you have on, giving the customer the deadlines for approval etc?
I’m trying to find a way to plan & display it, so we both know what we should be doing, and what we can & cannot take on.
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I always try to get an estimated / expected date of completion from the customer, this gives me a deadline to work to and it means that it will get done within that time, customers who insist that there’s no rush – with all the best will in the world, will be continually bumped until I get a firm date or time to spend ‘speculating’ on what their van should look like. When there are a number of bigger or time consuming jobs in the pipeline that have no deadline, we have to think of cashflow.. No good me having a £5k job in two weeks, a £2k job two weeks after that and a handful of smaller ‘never ending’ jobs if I can’t pay my wages and bills for this week – I will take work as it comes through the door if it’s cashflow!
I have the situation now where I’m heading to Aus for a month on the 24th, and trying to instill a sense of urgency into my customers is proving near impossible!! There will be customers who simply won’t get their jobs done because they’re too busy to spend ten mins discussing what they want or half an hour on the pc with me.. all the while decisive customers come through the door and know what they want, I’ll be concentrating on making sure the cashflow is there to support a 4week shutdown.
When I am very busy (I mean really really 14hr day busy) I will add a 25% premium to anyone that ‘needs it now’ and explain that I have to interrupt the workflow and printing and installation schedules to fit them in… that sorts the really urgent jobs from the chancers who just forgot to get it done but there’s no loss of life over it, it also ensures it covers my messing about or working a little later to get it done.
I’m waffling, but I think i got my point accross!!! :sleep:
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Not waffle at all Hugh!
I think we all get those who say there’s no rush, but then ring up 2 days later chasing their proof. Or those £50 jobs that they need tomorrow, and seem to bump the £2000 jobs to the back of the que.
I think we’ll start stipulating lead times etc when they can’t give us one.
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I think the main problem is people forget that once the artwork has been approved – the sign still has to be made. They seem to think that it suddenly exists once they have signed it off.
I could go on – but don’t want to go into Rant mode, so I will take a deep breath and go lie down :awkward:
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You’re right Phil.
We’re installing a job tomorrow, where we only cut the vinyl today, artwork received yesterday when I was out of the office. That’s not too bad as we had the colour in stock. But have to go back next week to install the fascia sign, as we’re awaiting the letters to be delivered… they’re paying for two lots of installation too.
I think in short I need to ‘man the feck up’ and tell people no!
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I feel that sometimes signs are the last on the list. I have a shop fit tomorrow that opened on Monday!, I got the feeling they were waiting to see how much £ they had left.
The customer called me on Tuesday and signed the designs off late yesterday. And the same as David I’m waiting for acrylics to arrive for the external stuff.
It is frustrating but personally I get more work done under pressure. -
I quite like a bit of pressure, but I get a bit frustrated when the smaller jobs (a single poster) are rushed through, and the larger, more profitable work keep’s getting moved back.
I know there are those customers & jobs where everything is last minute, but it’s worth persevering with them over the year.
We typically don’t work weekends, unless pre-arranged and billed for, got an e-mail today asking for an appointment tomorrow between 11am & 3pm to print a single A1 poster, I politely declined the offer. 😆
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