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Help – Communicating Customer Deadlines
I’ve primarily produced vehicle signage, and have got the way I manage those down to a T.
However, I’m doing more internal office, and signage work where the goal posts are typically set by the customer. IE: “The new brand goes live on XYZ” or “we’re opening on ABC”
Recently had it where I’d advised the customer of turnaround times to produce elements, but as usual there were delays with artwork from designers, and the roll out date can’t move.
Got the project completed, but it involved a lot of stress and zero scope of errors.
Interested to know if anyone has come up with a clear and obvious way to get the message across, rather than text in an email nobody seems to read!
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3 Replies
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Don’t knock yourself, we all get this occasionally, regardless of who says they don’t! 😏
The trick is to try and minimise it as much as possible, without losing potential customers in the process.
“Easier said than done, right?” 🤔I do not like to outsource work, never have. But since covid, I have changed a lot of what I do and the way I do it. The worst part about outsourcing is losing control over the job. That is where the most pressure comes from, for me anyway!
* The first part of the pressure is making sure every aspect of your request is spot-on before sending it to your trade supplier. i.e. “Did I ask for this? Did I do that? Have I forgotten anything?!” 🙄
* The second part of the pressure is waiting for it! Will they meet your deadline?! 😬
* The last part of the pressure, have they done a good job, and is it all there? fu*k!” 😖I think we all think this way because we are in manufacturing, and it doesn’t help with the mental pressure!
There are so many design houses out there that are painfully slow. They are either overwhelmed by work, crap at what they do or milking their hourly rate fee to the max! That’s fine for them, but for you and me, we’re keen to get our printers running, make the signs and more. It is just added pressure! Why? Well, it’s another aspect of the job that is “out of your hands!” 🤯
Consider using one of the many email software extensions for sequential follow-up emails.
You create a short standard email template and save it. When you send your quote or whatever, this polite, gentle “nudge” email will auto send reminders daily, hourly, weekly, whatever… to your client that…- You do not have their artwork yet!?
- Additional express service charges may be incurred,
- Time is ticking, your deadline is approaching, and we require 2 weeks manufacturing time, minimum”
- Times almost up, your incurring extra charges, move your arse! 🤬
I know I bang this same drum every time, but “standardising our business practices” is the best way forward.
- The customer states a deadline. If you fail to deliver, it will be on your head, so to speak.
- So your commitment to their deadline must include your own terms and conditions, or you are leaving yourself wide open.
Obviously, you will state whatever with your quote, but an attached document and hyperlink text in your email to a hosted web page is a belt & braces move.
i.e. Your email will outline your proposal, but the terms and conditions for the nitty-grittty details.-
Deposits: Artwork and production will not begin until a deposit is received.
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Turnaround: The two-week turnaround time begins upon confirmation of artwork, not the date of the quote.
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Express Service: Faster turnaround is available for an additional 20% express delivery fee.
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Ownership of Goods: All goods remain the property of [your Sign Company] until full payment is received.
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Cancellations: Orders cancelled after work has begun will be billed for all work completed up to the point of cancellation, including design and materials.
Create a Word document and just start typing up the basics and adding to it every time you experience a situation with a customer. You will end up with a nice collection of terms and condition PDF’s covering many different aspects, from vehicle graphics, to subcontractors, outsourced fabrication and more..
Will this fix every problem? Nope, but it is a start in the right direction!The next part is not something I push on our day-to-day customer, but in instances like you have just experienced. The customer has stipulated a deadline, other parties involved, etc. It is good to get them to digitally “sign their acceptance” of the terms of your quote, turnaround time and all else. So it doesn’t matter if they read it or not; they physically have to act on it if they want the job to even start.
As you can imagine, a structured quote, Clear terms and conditions in place, e-signature of acceptance. It comes across more professional and covers your back!We have used Signable for a while. There is another we have used, but I have forgotten the name.
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I use clarity and usually put lead times on all items I quote. Generally though nobody reads the quote and just look.at the price.
Good shout on getting a signature, Google now offers this service too in their Workspace subscription so no extra costs there for me.
I was thinking of something like this for the larger, more time critical projects. It won’t prevent late artwork, but the more I can go back to the customer with ‘I told you’ the better.
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Yes, the signature thing is very handy!
I started using signatures “first” for subcontracting vinyl installations.
Simple stuff like they agree to a checklist of things from…* Post-heating
* a series of up-close photos around the vehicle.
* Photo showing laser thermometer on site and more.
* A signed customer satisfaction sheet that we email them.
etc. etc. etc.This may sound OTT, but freelancers aren’t cheap, and if they do the job correctly in a professional manner, they will not care about ticking some boxes to keep you happy and encourage more business from you. a good freelancer will understand that their freelance installation is representing “your company”, not theirs! They get paid on completion, and if it goes wrong, it’s our phone that rings, not theirs!
Anyway, having a nifty app that takes signatures in several ways is a great addition to have.
The signable one even offers a pay-as-you-use version, so no subscription, etc.If you are already using Google, just create a folder called “Company Processes“
Stick a blank Google Doc. in it, and the only thing to do is “title it” Customer Deadlines and save it, even if it is blank.
That’s how I do it, every time I think of a new process that’s needed, I just create the blank document in the folder, before it’s forgotten!
It creates a starting point for content. adding and expanding it as and when needed.
Before you know it, you will have dozens of documents covering lots of different company processes.Fast forward to a new member of staff joining. One of their first tasks is to familiarise themselves with all your company processes as part of their employment terms and conditions. It will actually help them as part of their training and familiarise them with how they handle certain things within the company.
Anyway, I’m ambling again. 🙄😂
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