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Foamex Signs – Complaint Justified
Hi All
Had a complaint from a client, which I don’t think is justified and I feel they are being highly picky, but would like to know opinions of more experienced sign companies,
The job was 5 identical digital prints mounted to 5mm foamex at 1500mm x 500m. Nothing complicated.
The boards are being mounted on wooden posts by the client in different locations, so not placed together, they are only needed for a month. (Christmas).We trimmed the board by hand, to trim marks on the artwork, we didn’t go for cut to size boards.
What they have commented on is that when all stacked together the dimensions of each board vary slight, we are talking 3-4mm here, because of this our client felt he needed to point this out to his client, who said they weren’t happy etc and so they offered them a discount and would like me to do the same.
So are they being ultra picky on this one, yes I will review my technique next time, but I think they looked for a problem when their wasn’t one, based on what the end sign was being used for.
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9 Replies
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3 little words.
FIT
FOR
PURPOSEFoamex on wood posts externally is a temporary sign by anybody’s standard. Job function not impaired by minor size differences.
Ask if all the wood posts were the same size!
Dave
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If your client offers a discount – that’s not your problem. Temporary signs are by nature inferior so I would stick to my guns and refuse to compromise and insist on the price that was agreed
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I agree, but very difficult to tell the client they are over reacting and it was a non issue.
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offer to take them back and have a new set ready in 4 weeks!
Seriously.. I do a lot of prints mounted onto foamex for small exhibitions, they’re all on A2 size boards but are often trimmed to fit the photo’s that have no room to be cropped, the customer understands this and the exhibition visitors simply think "ooh, what nice pictures".
As dave says, they’re fit for purpose. Your customer should not have offered a discount to the end user without speaking to your first, so that it their problem, not yours.
for what it’s also worth, I have four 1200 x 1200 composite panels here that were cut to size by the supplier… I’ll give you three guesses as to whether they’re all mm perfect or not!
Hugh
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I would bet your clients ahem I swore somewhere and had to give a discount on something so are now trying to get that back via yourself.
I only use latex and I thought it was pretty standard to be +or- 2mm per meter print.
I would bet the end client knows nothing about it. I certainly admit to using the same method and im sure a lot of others do the same.
Cya
Kev
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We produce boards using the same method, 1-2mm is fairly normal, anymore and it’s hard to justify to a customer.
We have trouble sometimes cutting correx if the print’s not square to the flute, but not had a complaint yet.
As has been said, they’re fit for purpose! Stick ’em up and get on with it!
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Or you can take them back and cut all as precise as possible. But this could cause another issue: they will say all boards are smaller with 3-4mm.
I would ask them to see a proof of discount they have applied though.
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Therein lies a lesson – get paid up front when dealing with eejits.
I need talk though – did a refurb job on Monday. Tray with backlit 10mm PVC letters – make new pink letters & use existing LEDS…refit.
Turned it round in 5 hours as he was opening up in a hurry and it was an easy job.
Job up but nobody around so call next day.Customer refused to pay.
A: "You quoted me £150 to £200 and you’ve charged me £190"
…it’s still under £200.B: "X said they would do it for £140 but he didn’t have any ladders or scaffolding so I came to you".
…I’m the one that’s here, that’s the price we agreed to.
C: "You did a very poor job, I can see some holes in the material. You should have coated it in something"
OK…for £40 extra I’ll coat it as it’s your used material…your holes.He lost the plot at that point…told me he didn’t want it…and said just take it down I have other people to do the work & hung up on me.
Went round within 3mins (round corner from us)…ladders up…snips in hand to pop off letters & cut cables as I had no intention of bringing the tray down for somebody else to get a head start on it "woah. woah…I’ll pay you £140 and my partner will pay you the extra"
..Cool…money in hand and smile on my face and bonus…probably never have to deal with him again.Left it fairly amicably, I got my pennies and he learned a valuable lesson that I’ll call almost every customer bluff I can afford as they need their sign a LOT more than I need the hassle of chasing them for months on end whilst they enjoy the fruits on my labour. 🙂
Dave
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Pro-Forma is the future! Don’t just reserve it for Eejits!
Nothing gets booked in until we’ve some £££’s off the customer. No wasted time or resources. 90% of our design/production time is on confirmed jobs, that we’ve either been paid for, or will get paid for.
Credit account holders get penciled in, materials ordered, but we give them the deadline we need artwork etc to meet their deadlines.
Just withdrawn credit accounts from a number of customers as they’re rubbish payers. Annoying when we turn jobs around on time, to their deadlines, yet they can pay a small invoice in 30days!
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