Vehicle Graphics: school of motoring

[David-Foster-]

Hi Lee

So a design company did the graphics and layout and you just cut it and applied?

Never let a design company design signs. To be honest, first impressions (it might grow on me) but that font is hard to read and the colours are not right for some of the car colours. I presume they want the same corporate look, well they should have told all the driving instructors to have the same colour cars 😀

The names and telephone numbers are especially hard to read, but suppose if someone is doing a 6 point turn you will have time to read it 😀

[David-Foster-]

Sorry Lee, I don’t want to make your day any worse, but what have the design people done with the L plates? Everyone recognises them in a white square, so what do they do, put it in a circle 🙁

[LeeMorris]

David the wording does stand out better than they look on the photo
the design isn’t great, you should of seen the design they did for the other side it didn’t work at all.
luckily for me they kept it the same.

Lee

[Martin Pearson]

Lee, I am really glad you didn’t design that!!!!
I have no idea what the design company were doing for 3 months if that is the best that they could come up with, it’s like one of those jobs where the customer comes in with a design their kids have done.

I’d like to know what they paid for this, I bet it was a lot more than you charged to apply it. Like David has already said leave vehicle design to signmakers.

If you need some sort of comparison look at the driving school vehicles that Rich posted not so long ago.

[Neil Davey]

Whoever designed this must be the worst ‘Design’ company ever, and 3 months to ‘design’!

What did they actually design!

Lee if I were you I’d print out this page, show your customer the comments and then offer to do a proper design.

If the customer is happy with their own design tho just take the money but don’t put your own advertising sticker on the cars.

[LeeMorris]

The customer is happy with the design work.

How come my heading nightmare day is changed?

Neil can i have that kitten ? is it a Bengal

Lee

[Richard Urquhart]

Lee i feel for you on this one, the design is lacking in a design and there is nothing worse than fitting a job that looks poor, you have done well and the customer is happy but i have to agree its not got the impact it could do with, not sure on white on silver

nice to see you working hard
good stuff mate
the way you have put the photo together looks better than the design

Rich

[LeeMorris]

Cheers Rich
I did suggestt they try a different colour on the cars but they wanted it all to look the same.

Lee

[Peter Normington]

pity the designer didnt take the badges into account on the rear!

I see you had to jiggle them around to make them fit…

As long as the customer is happy and hands over the wedge…

Peter

[Jill Marie Welsh]

My eyes are bleeding!
I feel your pain.
Love….Jill

[LeeMorris]

I did have to move things around to fit on the rear, the design was done on a golf which is the other car i have to do, also i was asked to change the side on the focus and put the mobile number on the rear panel.

Lee

[Karl Williams]

Not my idea of effective advertising, sorry mate.
In the last photo is that the instructor on the mobile phone? 😕

[LeeMorris]

Karl
Thats one of the partners there are 3 of them and so many other instructors just got the last car to do and he’s the one who sorted out the design so he’s a little off at the moment, i think i will send them a bill for the 3 cars for now and let them come back to me with date for the last.

Lee

[Martin Cole]

Lee,
Firstly well done for fitting it mate, nothing worse than given strict time limits on doing these things.

Design wise as has been said already, extremely poor what the hell is going on round those wheel arches, I never ceased to be amazed 😕

Martin

[LeeMorris]

Just out of interest how long would it take you experts to fit a job like this?

Lee

[Jeff_Brown]

Think the design is in keeping….. With their website!! 😛 😛

[Andy Gorman]

About an hour per car.

Anyways, you’ve done what they wanted. Not all jobs are works of fine art. I have no problem reproducing some of the rubbish my customers ask for, I do this for a living not a hobby. Well done matey.

Incidently, where are the L plates? The one they have incorporated into their design isn’t legitimate, or are they not needed for instructors’ cars?

[LeeMorris]

Andy
They do instructor training and lessons and have a magnetic sign for the roof.

Lee

[Martin Pearson]

Lee, I know you said that there may be some more of these so I can understand why you don’t want to upset them but I would still get an invoice out to them as soon as possible for the work you have done. You are running a business and have laid out your own money for materials already, the longer you leave it the longer it will take them to pay.

As for fitting like Andy has said about an hour per car, the first one may take a little longer but once that is done you then have all the sizes you need so the other two should be a lot quicker.

[LeeMorris]

Well this is going from bad to worse, i billed the company for the 3 cars while i wait for a date for the others.
Just had a call from one of the partners the one that sorted out the design and he said he’s not paying because he’s not happy with the job. he’s not happy because its not like the design he had made, which i told him already i only had one side of the car from the design company and i send proofs of work to be done, also the L plate was slanted on the design and i did them straight, which i told him i spoke to his partner before applying them and he agreed they looked better straight.
So i have done all that was asked and agreed, and the problems have come about from lack of communication between them.
Not sure now if i will got any money from them and i feel sick that its gone so wrong this was my biggest job yet and could of led t a long standing customer.
Anyway rant over, i will let you know how i get on.

Lee

[Jeff_Brown]

Ohh sorry to hear that Lee…. BUT DO NOT let em get away with it !!

[Gavin MacMillan]

Really sorry it’s worked out so badly Lee.

My opinion:

Explain that you have done all that was asked of you. But (an many may disagree) offer to get them all looking as they want them for a reasonable price. I would make this price enough to make it worth doing for you, but low enough for them to think they are getting it sorted at cost or very near to it. Your better putting a bit more work in and getting all your money than losing everything on the job.

Hope it all works out for you.

Gavin

[LeeMorris]

The guy is going to speak to his partner so will so what you comes back with.

Is it just me or is the latest topic part of home page not up dating ?

Lee

[Jayne Marsh]

If it was me I would put the vehicles right for them at the same time explaining that you didnt have a pic of both sides. Also I would suggest to them that they let you handle the design next time as that way you will know exactly how the finished job should look. It looks better if you are willing to help out and correct the job, in the long run you will have a happy customer who will use you again and recommend you to others. Use this experience as a learning curve.

[Martin Pearson]

Lee, sorry to hear that you have a problem with what is your biggest job so far. I’m sure at one point it must have seemed quite straightforward.

I think Gavin has got it about right, don’t speak to them on the phone but ask them to come and see you. Explain the situation again because you have done nothing wrong so far, you got a design from the designers that was only half a job, you produced visuals for them from the design and they were happy with it.
It’s obviously a break down in communications all round and not your fault at all so you should be paid in full for what you have done. That will leave you with some unhappy customers who won’t come back and won’t tell others the truth, they will just blame you for the mistakes and not themselves. Offer to put everything right for a reasonable cost so they get what they want and you get paid for what you have done. I might even suggest to them that the designer helps foot the extra as a lot of it was their fault.
You may think things are really bad but they might work out really well for you if you show willing to help sort things out for the best, after all if they go elsewhere they are going to have to pay someone else to change things which might work out a lot more expensive for them.

[Karl Williams]

Lee,
If they are not happy they can not refuse to pay. They have to by law give you a second chance to put things right. Take their crap on the chin, smile, put it right and take their money. This time around don’t budge on the job till you get ALL the details. I get the feeling sometimes many out their think signmakers are idiots who will roll over and jump when they say. Make it clear if this is refused you’ll take things further. Speak firmly and don’t let the basta*d walk away without giving you the chance and paying the bill. (:)

[Richard Urquhart]

Lee I truly hope you get this sorted out. Can I ask when you were given the design did you then size up for each model of vehicle ??
Also if the design was different for each side and you were only given one side how can this be your fault, after getting the design from their
designers did you then place on each car and send them an image to see how it would look on each car ??

Also whats the black car in the background it looks more like the one on the web site who did this ??????
Rich 😀

[LeeMorris]

The black car in the picture is the last one that needs doing and the graphics on it are the old design. I did send 3 proofs one for each car to be done on that day. And have the email reply that they’re ok.
I would change them if they wanted but i think if i ask them for more money i may p!ss them off and they’ll not pay me for work done so far.
I will wait a few days and see if they call or send payment and then maybe offer to change things.

Lee

[Richard Urquhart]

i thought the black one looked better bit more flow !!!
Lee i think your right mate sit tight for a day or so

I feel for ya mate you started this post off in a happy way big job for ya and that
if i were near ya i would help ya for the day F.O.C
what area are you in mate ??

[LeeMorris]

Rich i’m in the midlands

There isn’t really much between new and old design, i would love to know how much they paid for designing it.

Lee

[Martin Pearson]

Lee, give it a little time if you think that is what is best for you but don’t leave it to long. My fear is that if you leave it to long before contacting them you will be told that someone else has put YOUR mistakes right and they are not going to pay you for doing it incorrectly in the first place.

I know its not your fault and so do you but believe me they will blame you before they blame themselves. If that happens you still have rights but it won’t be an easy job getting paid anything for the job and you will have to fork out more money to get paid.

[Richard Urquhart]

OK mate bit far out for me so i hope you get it sorted if they dont pay ya tell them to f off and go take the vinyls off with a blunt blade !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rich

happy days

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Lee did you get a deposit?
Did they sign off on the proofs?
(via email or in person)
I would take ’em to small claims court, the dirty rats.
They deserve that design.
But YOU deserve to be paid!!!!
Love….Jill

[Karl Williams]

Lee,
where in the midlands are you mate?

[James Martin]

Rich is right

Give them three options

Ask if you can help them put there mistakes right.

Tell them you want paid.

Offer to remove what you have done for them already. And if they try and brush you off go to back to shabbily removed vinyl school.

[John Harding]

quote :

About an hour per car

nice Andy, whats your hourly rate I’m going to sub everything out to you 😀

Lee – I’m so sorry to hear your woes, number one learn from this in any ways you feel fit but for certain don’t let em get away with it, decide to tack em to small claims if you can, secondly go and pick some letters off each car after all the goods are your property untill paid for!!!

good luck matey

John

[LeeMorris]

Hi

Just thought i would let you know i received payment today so thats good news, also have offered to come to some arrangement with customer about changing graphics still waiting for a reply.

Thanks for all the comments and advice.

Cheers
Lee

[Andy Gorman]

Good news. A customer that still pays his bills even when there is a slight dispute going on can’t be all bad.

[Martin Pearson]

Lee, glad to hear that you have at least had some good news about this job. Like Andy has said the customer can’t be all bad if he has paid you and there is still a bit of a dispute. In years to come you will probably have a good laugh about all this but that doesn’t help much at the time.
Good luck with sorting them out and hopefully getting a lot more work from them.

[Hugh Potter]

quote Andy Gorman:

Good news. A customer that still pays his bills even when there is a slight dispute going on can’t be all bad.

wise words from Andy, and if his customers don’t pay they know what they’ll get, hey Andy ?!!

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Attachments:

[Andy Gorman]

Too bloody right mate. A right good punch up the eyeball, that’s what they need. I hate customers, mostly.

[Peter Mindham]

quote Andy Gorman:

Too bloody right mate. A right good punch up the eyeball, that’s what they need. I hate customers, mostly.

😀 😀 😀

Peter

[Glen Mathers]

Lee, like Jill asked earlier did you get the proofs signed? whenever you do anymore get them signed first and then you always have something to fall back on, make sure you keep a copy for your records and give one to them for theirs.
Glad you got paid and lets hope you get more repeat work from them.

Glen