help dealing with distant jobs

[Peter Normington]

Soyeb,
have you got the job, or are you just preparing a quote?
Peter

[Soyeb Ravat]

Hi Peter

The jobs a definate but havnt prepared the quote. I say definate as he is a business friend of a relative of mine.

[Justin Williams]

Hi Soyeb, looking at what you have listed, you’ve got it pretty much covered mate, we do 50% of our signage installations all over the county, and all ways take the installer with us, just in case he See’s something that i don’t when i go out.

Only bit of advice of sorts, is check and double check before leaving.

Jus

[Martin Pearson]

Couple of things I would also do which I tend to do with all my site visits, make sure you take a camera with you and photograph or video everything, silly mistakes can be avoided like this. Like the overhang you didn’t notice that prevents the sign tray being fixed at the top, or the lightbox you can’t fit the panels into because you have made the box to fit the panels from the left side and the customer next door on that side has a protruding sign you hadn’t noticed.
Make lots of written notes or take a Dictaphone and use that, make sure you fully understand what the customer wants, and access problems at all or anything that will cause problems with installing. Check you don’t need a permit to work on the pavement installing signs, with some councils you do and nothing worse that turning up and then getting moved on.
Make sure your installer measures everything twice and before you leave make sure he is 100% sure of what is required for the install so he can ask any questions he has before you leave.
Will the install be a one man job or will your fitter require an extra pair of hands for the install, something that needs to be included in any quote.

[Soyeb Ravat]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I,ve just been thinking (dont know if this is one of those bright ideas 😳 ) intsead of taking an installer with ladders and a tape measure, measuring all the shops, would it not be easier to get a square foot of paper or vinyl and stick it on the corner of the window then take a pic of the whole shop. How accurate would it be if i then duplicate the square foot to work out the measurements of the whole shop on my computer on something like photoshop?. I would assume this would be much easier and hassel free?? It would mean saving on time and money for me if this would work 🙄

[Neil Speirs]

quote Soyeb Ravat:

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I,ve just been thinking (dont know if this is one of those bright ideas 😳 ) intsead of taking an installer with ladders and a tape measure, measuring all the shops, would it not be easier to get a square foot of paper or vinyl and stick it on the corner of the window then take a pic of the whole shop. How accurate would it be if i then duplicate the square foot to work out the measurements of the whole shop on my computer on something like photoshop?. I would assume this would be much easier and hassel free?? It would mean saving on time and money for me if this would work 🙄

Here’s what your after then http://www.jagsignsupplies.com/aqshop/c … php?id=975

[Martin Pearson]

Personally I wouldn’t take that sort of chance, your never going to get 100% accurate measurement that way and you may need to be pretty accurate with the fascia. Plus it would be better if the fitter had a look at the job for himself as he will have a much better idea than you of any problems that may exist.

[Soyeb Ravat]

Neil thats bloody fantastic!!!!!!! exactley the thing i have been looking for!! next time your in walsall biscuits and tea on me mate cheers a million!! saved me pounds and time there! 😀 😀 😀

[Soyeb Ravat]

I do agree with you martin i guess installers do have to have a sneak peak but photos and may be a video cam might suffice?? I think as its easier to measure could be more accurate to measure this way as my experience of measuring fascias in the past have never been accurate as the wind always pull’s the tape down which i never tend to notice. that could just be me though as i’m more a computer person then a hands on guy. 😀

[Michael Potter]

hi we have had a sticky meter for a few years now, they work quite well. I would still take the installer with me and Measure anything that is critical.
You can always use it to confirm that the sticky meter is giving you the right result.
cheers Mike

[Soyeb Ravat]

Thanks Michael!

Nice to know its worked for you! 😀

I cant express how much of a headache can be removed with something like this.

great stuff!! 😀

[Neil Speirs]

quote Soyeb Ravat:

Neil thats bloody fantastic!!!!!!! exactley the thing i have been looking for!! next time your in walsall biscuits and tea on me mate cheers a million!! saved me pounds and time there! 😀 😀 😀

Any chance of Jaffa cakes & a coffee instead 😉

[Soyeb Ravat]

lol. definately!! 😀 😀 😀

[Simon Strom]

You can get a rough idea of the size by using something like that as a calibrator. We have to do it all of the time when a customer wants to see and exterior sign on a photo, or when we are sizing up dimensional letter for a building. The problem with this is that you won’t be able to get a definitive edge because of the pixels and thus when you scale you will most certainly be off. This is even more evident when you are scaling large architectural scales. For instance if you were off by 1/32"(.79mm) on your original measurement using a bitmap image and then multiplied that by a large percentage it will give you a way off measurement. Example: A scale of 1/8" = 1′-0" (.125 x 12 = 9600% enlargement) x 1/32"(.03125") would give you a full 3"(76.2mm) off of the correct measurement!

[Colin Bland]

Seems to me Soyeb that you are perhaps a little bit out of your depth and maybe taking chances with arguably the most crucial thing the dimensions.

Why not find a good local company who will carry out the survey and install and maybe even some of the manufacture leaving you to produce the design etc.

Will allow you to get on with earning money at what you are good at and could end up more profitable in the long run 😀

Colin