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I’m a thief apparently :(
Got a very irate call from a client today telling me that I was ripping him off. I was a little taken aback.
This bloke had rung me last week, nearly crying that he was in desperate need of help. Another sign shop had taken 3 months to start a contract to print 6000 stickers, measuring about 300mm x 200mm. He’d had a huge argument with the other guy, which resulted in the contract being cancelled. He needed at least 1000 stickers in 7 days or he was in trouble with his own clients. He asked me to help. The other sign shop had kept the digital artwork, and he had nothing.
He asked me to help. I told him that as it was Friday, I’d work out a quote over the weekend, and get back to him either Monday or Tuesday. He said that he was so desperate, he couldn’t wait for the quote, just ‘do it’. He wanted 1000 stickers by Tuesday. I said that was not possible as I was really busy, and gave him the option of finding someone else.
He said I came highly reccommended, and that he trusted me to do the right thing.
I was not really happy about that, but he was clearly agitated, and I knew the client really well that reccommended me, so said I’d have him 1000 slickers by Friday morning.
I delivered the stickers as promised, and posted him a bill for $1.80 ea for the stickers. They were one colour on cheap vinyl, but at $1.80 I was not making a huge margin.
He rang me and was speechless. He started ranting on that he only paid 50c each for the last lot. $1.80 was outrageous.
I couldn’t believe it. He admitted he should have got a quote, but thought that I would ‘look after him’. I tried to convince him I was actually giving him a very good price. He just laughed at me.
Finally, I said to him “who did your last lot then, maybe I know him” thinking I would have a better idea if he was telling me the truth.
His answer…… The last time I got them done, I got 50,000 printed in China!.
CHINA!!! 👿 …. give me a break…..
I told him to pay the outstanding account, and try and find someone else to do 1000 units at a 50,000 rate, in 7 days, without artwork.
He still thinks I’m a crook unfortunately. Maybe I am…..
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24 Replies
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its the person Shane… a tyipcal person who is happy when they got the product and don’t care about the money.
You did the right thing but maybe a thousand stickers was a bit too quick.
Silk screen would have been a fraction of the price though, so maybe you was competing against that.
I woudln’t do any more with him but I suggest mentioning it to the person who reconmended you. Perhaps they don’t like that person anyway.
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Screen printing would have been cheaper dave, and I originally suggested that, but no screen printer was interested in the time frame.
It would have taken them a week to do the artwork and make the screen. Then printing and die cutting on top, the client would not have got them for 2 to 3 weeks.
I also suggested foil printing, but the only guys I know that are any good have a 3 week turn around.
I offered the only solution to have these done, including artwork and die cutting in the 7 days.
I am seeing the original client this week on other sign matters, and I’ll definately be filling him in on these events.
Cheers
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Sometimes there’s no pleasing people, its his fault for not asking for a quote. Oh well at least you didnt do all 50,000. Anyway why didnt he get them done in China again? Perhaps he didnt pay their bill last time and cant go back again 😮
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(:) (grab) (bully) :poke: :shoot3:
Get the message?
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I’ve just worked out the exchange rate on your charge.
I wouldn’t have done it for that price. The guy got a bargain.
Peter
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Don’t worry about it Shane. We all get them.
I always reason that the explanation for “the other guy” not starting the job is because they know from experience what a pain this customer is and are pleased to see the back of him.
I have fallen into this trap myself and now refuse to do a job without a quote. I consider it as much for my benefit and protection as the client’s as it will help avoid situations like the one you find yourself in.
Also, I refuse to give “off the top of my head” quotes as I usually find I have guessed too low and the client will always want you to stick to the original estimate and thinks he is being ripped off if I try to charge more. And that’s after they have uttered that other immortal line, “I won’t hold you to it”.
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You were right Shane.. he was wrong!
It’s not a fun place to be in…
It seems that you’ve handled it as well as you could have given the circumstances, You explained and offered other solutions – and he just doesn’t understand the value of your service.
Technically he should be thankful, you gave him the price you did at that level of service.
Try and forget about him and know you did the right thing. -
😕 don’t lose any sleep over that one Shane. You were on a hiding to nothing as soon as he mentioned China!!!
Perhaps he should take a slow boat……….. -
I wonder how much he was charging for profit on the 50,000 lot.
You will probably find it’s a lot more than the price you charge.
Why is he selling stickers when he can’t make them anyway if it’s not to rip people off and of course why did he source from China, if it’s not to make a rip at someone elses expense.Goop.
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Shane i have just come to the conclusion my life would be a whole lot easier with out customers 🙄 🙄 🙄 what a day unfortunatly I wouldn’t be able to live with out them 👿 such is life we get over it and carry on 🙂
Lynn
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Hey, the next Sign job we are going to do is going to be sourced from China FCA!
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I sympathise Shane and I would have done the same as you. You do your best to be helpful only to have someone like that taking liberties (It’s easy to be wise after the event – but I think we all get drawn into these scenarios from time to time).
Nowadays I get a bit suspicious when a new enquiry tells me they have been badly let down by another supplier. Usually this is because they are awkward customers and bring this on themselves.
However – Stick to your guns and insist on full payment. 😀
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Thanks everyone.
It was nice to get it off my chest.
More annoyed with myself really, that I didn’t do the quote first anyway.
Thanks for the hearing ear. I am over it now, my dads still pretty cranky about it, but he is from the old school……
It is unfortunate for the next person who really IS desperate, as they are the ones that will suffer from my lack of trust now…
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Don’t feel bad Shane.
Poor planning on his part does not constitute an emergency on your part.
If he can get it cheaper in China, let him have at it.
But make sure he pays you!
His tone really changed once he saw the bill huh.I had a lady in a rush today for political signs.
I quoted her $3 for each for 50 18×24 coro (subbed-out marked up silkscreened) and $1 each for the step stakes, plus a $25 art fee and $25 delivery.
She about flipped.
I told her if I did them in vinyl they’d have been $25 each.
She’s gonna just use her old warped paper signs from 8 years ago.
I won’t be voting for her!
Love…..Jill -
you did right mate, forget them… 😉
we had one years ago, guy comes in for decals for his race carts. his last supplier did screen printing but wasn’t prepared to set up for a relatively short run. i understood what he meant even though he never. i said i can do one or 100 whatever… even shadows etc. I’m going back a few years here. it was all cut vinyl, shadows, outlines on white background laid up ready for him to fit. he kept calling asking for some at this size and some at that…. cut story short his mate comes in a few days later asking for his decals. i handed over a heavy pile of laid up vinyl graphics. bill was about £300. he nearly had a fit…. called his mate and explained. off he comes from phone and says, he will pay but he wont be back!
ironically, Andrew fitted some huge excavators for the same guy about two weeks ago. 😉 -
jill, silk screening correx is not a favourite material… on a manual machine you have to push the correx hard to get a good even print in the grooves, not so bad if you got a print-arm on your table.
Your quote is about the same as UK… so nothing wrong with it.
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No your not a thief – quite the opposite.
You told him that you were busy – gave him names of others who could help, you did not charge a rush job fee – and a bet your were still at work late at night either solving his problem for him or catching up on the work you would have been doing for your other customers.
In fact it was he who got the best deal out all this. If he didn’t get his order out using your labels it sounds like he could have lost a lot more, maybe even his customer pernanelty .Forget it!
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Thanks everyone, appreciate your support.
Cheers
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Shane,
If you are a thief, you are in the right place
……………..apparently 😀 😀 😀 😀 -
Don’t lose sleep over clowns like that Shane
We all get these jokers from time to time -
Bank the cheque and forget about it. If the guy needed 50,000 last time why didn’t he see the demand in advance and re order sooner? What did the fella who let your customer quote? Can’t have been on the same 50,000 scale can he?
Some mothers do av em! :lol1:
Mark. 😀
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Haven’t got his cheque yet mate 🙁 Not confident I will either, but owing me $1000, I may get my solicitor to drop him a line I think.
Cheers everyone.
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That’s a shame you’ve handed the goods over
Hope you can recover the money Shane
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As John said Shane ….. I hope you recover the money …. very annoying especially as you did him a favour and sorted him out in short time 👿 You always get peeps like him though huh!!!
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