Anyone else want to kick me this week?

[Iain George]

I was asked to quote for fitting a pan tray with stand off letters between first floor windows. Now I admit I outsource the manufacturer of this type of sign and all I add on top is my time for the design work and installation costs. I didn’t get the job as someone has priced it for less than I can buy the pan tray for!

[Hugh Potter]

quote Jean Oakley:

Doing lovely artwork that they are so happy and excited about only for them to contact me saying another company has quoted £150.00 less for the job and would i like to lower my price? They want to keep things local. grr

: :bangshead:

I get this from time to time, I politely tell the customer that we base our prices on the level of service we offer, then politely remind them that they are free to use whoever they wish for the work, adding subtly, who shall we send the £200 artwork design / copyright release invoice to..!

[Cheryl Smith]

Who is questioning an invoice for £45 for showroom work?…i bet its not Jaguar, or BMW or Lexus…
Its not all bad, but I understand your frustrations…Change your customers is my advice.
Cheryl

[Chris Wilson]

We’ve had a lot of people drag there heels with payment recently. Mainly big local companies/authorities up here. Left the cash flow hanging at times. It’s very frustrating. Especially charties that "don’t pay VAT". Get the 3rd degree over the phone from there assistant accountant then a few days later get the top brass on the phone and it’s paid, or being paid next week.

Customers all seem very happy this week. However I seem to be having nothing but glitches with all the machines. All of which have fixed themselves might I add. But still knocked me back an hour/half a day at times, and deadlines are tight at the moment so it put the pressure on big style. The mouse took a trip across the room the other day. Suppose I just can’t have it both ways.

[KevinGaffney]

quote Jean Oakley:

Just going to have to let off a bit of steam. Every customer im dealing with at the monment are doing my head in.

Doing lovely artwork that they are so happy and excited about only for them to contact me saying another company has quoted £150.00 less for the job and would i like to lower my price? They want to keep things local. grr

Questioning an invoice for £45.00 as rather expensive fot alterations on two showroom cars and fitting some supplied graphics to another. They had attempted to fit pne of the 6 panels and made a complete dogs dinner of it. We had to take it all back to our unit, repair the damage to one of the panels and then put application tape on it all to help with fitting. apx 3mts then a return trip to the showroom to fit said decals. grr

Blimely i could on everything ive touched this week has bitten me on the bum. I truely feel like throwing the towel in :bangshead: :bangshead:

You really seem to be almost spoiling you clients. Doing artwork for jobs you have got? Bring a vehicle back for alterations for 45 quid. Get rid of those clients immediately. There are better out there that deserve your talents

[David Hammond]

I’ve recently been through similar. Ours was rushing jobs, and customers demanding deadlines, delivering artwork late, but insisting the same deadline.

Decide the order to deal with new jobs, and stick to it.

Enquiry -> Quote -> Deposit/Purchase order -> Design -> Proof -> Approval -> Production

Is usually how we work. All lead times are from customer approval, so the ball is in their hands.

Cuatomer knows what you’ve quoted, how much, and any variation will be additional, and cost more, again to quote, even if its just an hourly rate.

[Martin Pearson]

Who’s artwork is it, yours or theirs ? If it’s yours then are the other company quoting using that artwork or something they have produced themselves ? If it’s yours then as Hugh has said they should be paying a copyright fee & for your design time.
Are the other Company quoting like for like ? I use to reduce my price when customers told me someone else was cheaper found out eventually that a lot of the time the quotes weren’t like for like.
Don’t entertain it anymore at all, if someone else is cheaper then customer is quite welcome to go there 😆 😆 😆

[Brian Little]

i dont do garages anymore .They want everything free .Because they will be removing point of sale adds in a matter of weeks they dont want to spend the money and yet you’ve used ..and in some cases more material than you’d use on a small van which you will charge a fair price for

[Phill Fenton]

You lot think you’ve got it tough?…I’ve just been called up for Jury Service for the 3rd time now.. :rollseyes:

[David Hammond]

You must have an impeccable character Phil, and be a valued member of the community, take it as a compliment 😆 😆

[Phill Fenton]

I can’t get the old joke out of my head – the one about defendant who says "I’m being judged by 12 people too dumb to get out of jury duty!" :awkward:

[Jean Oakley]

thanks all feel better now just mini melt down so early in the week didnt bode well. Garage have apologised for not being aware in what was involved with the job. other company still on going

[Cheryl Smith]

Glad you are feeling better Jean…Its can a tough job dealing with customers…you did the right thing in telling them what was involved…. The good outweighs the bad for me thankfully nowadays, tho the grass does look greener on the other side sometimes…(but I know its green cos its a smelly old swamp) so Im kidding myself.
stay happy
Cx