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TradeSigns, my first experience :-(
A Bit of a long post, but bear with:
As a company we never really got involved in signs, due to the time commitment with fitting, site visits, production, but as the business has naturally flourished, we’re getting more and more requested.
We quoted on a job for a new customer, some Built up letters, and 3 acrylic signs, with vinyl graphics.
I e-mailed the usual suspects for a quotation, and TradeSigns were prompt at replying, and as it wasn’t something we’d done much of, they offered some great advice.
As usual I asked what their turnaround times were, to be told about 7 working days, our customer needed it installing by the end of the month as they’re planning to be operating from their new offices on Monday. As I had initially enquired on the 13th October, that gave us plenty of time.
Our customer paid their deposit, and we placed the order with TradeSigns, asking for delivery on the 27th, giving us time to lay the vinyl on the Acrylics, and should there be any damage, time to rectify it.
Only once we had paid the invoice, did we get a confirmation stating the completion date as the 4th November. A call to them rectified that, however we would have to have them delivered direct to site on a pre-10:30 delivery, on the 30th November. I’m not one for leaving things to the last minute, but I had little choice.
Speaking with the fitters we use, they asked if they could collect the template earlier, in order for them to get that in place, ready for the lettering arriving.
A call to TradeSigns, and I arrange that we will produce the template ourselves, and could they send the acrylic a few days earlier so we have time to apply the vinyl, the fitters can collect the acrylic and template from us, that’s no problem and get told I will need to pay another delivery charge to have them sent separately, fair enough.
I am expecting the acrylic to arrive on Wednesday 28/10, at lunchtime I call tradesigns as I haven’t received them, to be told that they were going to be dispatched Wednesday, for delivery Thursday.
Wednesday afternoon, at 16:56, I get an e-mail confirming my delivery for the acrylic… going direct to the customer, the other side of Manchester. :shake: I can’t ring their offices as they close at 5, and an e-mail to the sales rep I dealt with is responded to, telling me they will sort it.
Thursday TradeSigns arrange a sameday courier to collect the boards from our customer, to bring them to me, arriving lunchtime.
A bit of a rush to get the vinyl done, and applied ready for the fitters collecting Thursday afternoon, ready to go straight to site Friday.
Friday comes, our fitters are on site with their cherry picker, the templates installed, and 10:30 comes, and passes. I ring TradeSigns, to be told they missed the collection for the courier and are on their own van, on their way to Manchester, and will be there around 13:30-14:00. 4 Hours later they should have been! :shake:
Finally the letters arrive, to discover there are no colour matched screws for fixing the letters to the backs. 😮
In all fairness, when things did go wrong, they did what they could to make it good. (same day courier, using their own van), the trouble is… it really shouldn’t have happened!
Why don’t the sales team have a better idea of lead times… a white board in the office will suffice!
There’s lack of communication, both internally and with customers. They knew the night before they missed the courier an e-mail or phone call to say they were going to be delivered late would have saved our fitters sitting in their van getting dirty looks of the customer.All in all, a very disappointing experience, to what first seemed so promising. I wouldn’t mind they weren’t the ‘cheapest’, and I expected a level of service, which we just didn’t get. Our customer expected a level of service, especially with the money they were paying!
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3 Replies
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I think this is a very fair review in all honesty had it been me I think I would have been a lot more stressed and pissed.
As a trade supplier ourselves I know from time to time things can go wrong and it’s how you deal with them and what lengths you go to in order to get things sorted.
I know in the past Ive personally jumped in the van and drove 300+ miles to deliver print that may have been worth on a few hundred pounds.
I think you should give them a chance to offer out something I’m sure they will. I’ve noticed a few job adverts from trade signs in the last few months perhaps the guys are really busy and employing more staff to cope…could be a handful of reasons why this happened…maybe just put in a call to the main boss and have a chat.
On a more personal note I did use trade signs for a job many moons ago like yourself it was my first job client paid an arm and a leg for the job and there were certain bits that I wasn’t happy with when I called up and complained nothing came of it at all. I never used them again….
I would highly recommend Applec signs…I had the pleasure of having a nice tour around there whole building and seeing how things are done…the guy who showed me round was so honest about everything he said it as it was…mentioned there strengths, weaknesses and even what aspects they sub out what was nice to hear…when I mean sub out these guys sub out specialist bits in scale that it takes up 70% of the contractors production space so I was told
Applecs new facility is fantastic the production hub is great and the level of work and quality control and love that goes into each job was amazing!! Didn’t personally get to meet the owners but was told how the company started and what the directors did to get to where they are!
A really personal type of company…
Hope you get it sorted
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Oh my goodness…the stress you must have gone through David…I agree with James…Applec first class
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Hi Cheryl,
Yes it caused a bit of stress, it didn’t help I was wrapping a van at the time too, and kept getting interrupted trying to sort it out.
It’s Monday afternoon, and I’ve not heard a word from TradeSigns, although I have had a packet of screws delivered this morning.
Our fitters made a dash to halfords, and got a touch up pen to paint the screw heads with, so the sign could at least be fitted, and hopefully won’t need to return.
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