[amayausers] Need to sub 200 screenprint T's-UPDATE
- From: "Sandra Walker" <aece@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <amayausers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 10:59:52 -0500
> Roland, as usual you have shared really good information. Actually, a
> previous email of yours is the reason I decided to give up bidding.
>
> Thanks for all the input.
> Sandra Walker
> A&E Custom Embroidery
> 936.588.1015 800.291.6953
> We make your life more colorful...and your business more visible!
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Roland R. Irish III" <signman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "Sandra Walker" <aece@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006 9:19 AM
> Subject: Re: [amayausers] Re: Need to sub 200 screenprint T's-UPDATE
>
>
>> Been there, done that, got the headaches.
>> Its happened to all of us...and some people are up front about 'bidding
>> wars', others get really sneaky about it.
>> I get phone calls every week from people that need a price quote 'right
>> now'...and we just tell them (most of the time) that they need to come
>> in with the artwork so we can get them into the computer to do a quote.
>> Most of the time that weeds out the nickle&dimers.
>> I can't believe how many people think that I can give them an 'instant'
>> price quote for 'printed teeshirts' with NO other information than "I
>> need a price on teeshirts" (or sign, banner, hat, whatever!)
>> And there is that rare time where we sense a bidding war and ask them
>> outright if they already have a price quote. Sometimes we get an answer,
>> sometimes they hedge about it. So then I ask if the other price had
>> screen charge, art charge, whatever. Especially when someone says they
>> can get the shirts done for $1-$2 cheaper than my quote! And most of the
>> time...bingo! The 'other guy' has a setup or screen charge from $25 to
>> $75 or more...but the 'customer' doesn't consider that part of the
>> price! After I subtract my screen charges usually I am right there in
>> the same ballpark.
>> And then there is the few that come out with a really lowball price, and
>> it doesn't even include the print charge!
>> I can't remember the last time we actually submitted a 'bid', except for
>> ADA braille signs for the local tech school...and only because I already
>> had the job but had to jump through hoops to get it. Being the only
>> local business that bid on it, I did not have 'travel time' that all the
>> other bidders had to put in. Department head wanted me to do it all
>> along, since I'm the one that spent time with him doing a complete
>> walkthrough to map out every door. (part of the pre-bid requirements)
>> and also submitted sample signs....so he let me know the 'ballpark' area
>> the other bids 'might' be at.
>>
>> Last but not least...is the people (and not just someone needing shirts
>> for a party but businesses!) that come in with a bag full of shirts they
>> bought at : a flea market, graphic business going under, walmart, kmart,
>> whatever....and expect me to print / embroider them cheap! Since " I got
>> these shirts at a great deal, so I wont' have to pay so much to have my
>> logo put on". Yup. I'm that dumb. First off, immediate $75 setup for
>> screen printing...no matter what. Then per shirt per print charge, and
>> not at the quantity break for their order but the next 'higher' price
>> scale. THEN I tell them to take them home and wash them with minimal
>> detergent, and dry them with NO dryer sheet...THEN I also tell them that
>> I will not guarantee the ink won't wash off or the shirts won't
>> shrink....and, they will pay for every shirt printed, even the
>> misprints!
>> Then they do the math and realize they could have saved money letting me
>> do it all!
>> If they don't like it, I have no problem sending them to my competition
>> and letting HIM tie up his shop for a day doing a no profit order!
>> I even had a car dealer bring in a case of license plates from the
>> previous dealership he took over-wanted me to print over or print on the
>> BACK of them...because he didn't want to order new ones! Just my 'per
>> piece' print charge was as much as selling him brand new plates from one
>> of my suppliers. That was the last time I saw him and I don't regret it!
>> My TIME is my product...and one way or another I am going to make it
>> profitable....
>> so any orders I don't get because I got underbid doesn't bother
>> me...because it wasn't a job I already had! That way I don't see it as a
>> 'lost' sale...
>> must be working- I'm cranking out something every day!
>> Sorry you worked so hard to try and get the order...but you did the
>> right thing in keeping your suppliers to yourself.
>> Also, this should be on your invoices..."all artwork, digital files,
>> electronic files, etc. are the property of XYZ Graphics and are
>> proprietary for our use only. Unless otherwise stated, these files and
>> all copies remain the property of XYZ Graphics. "
>> This way you are NOT obligated to give the customer 'his logo' in any
>> format. If a customer calls and says "I need my logo"...it means "I'm
>> going somewhere else because that guy says he can do the work without
>> artcharge if I give him your files'.
>> No way....the ONLY thing you are obligated to return is the customer's
>> ORIGINAL file if they brought one in. If you made up the logo, whatever,
>> the copyright belongs to YOU....not them! And you CAN charge for giving
>> it out!
>> I found a local sign shop that charges $15 just to FAX a logo to a
>> client or someone else!
>> So if a customer says 'I can get this sign done cheaper down the road
>> because he says he doesn't have to charge for artwork'...I tell them of
>> course he won't have to charge you, because I am going to charge you
>> $150 to get it from ME!
>> And I've taken 2 companies to court just for that...using MY proof
>> printouts to get a sign and a banner done somewhere else!
>> Judge agreed...they had to pay! And the first one had to pay for the
>> custom banners I had ordered and didn't use because she went to another
>> shop.
>> Ended up costing HER $300 when the entire banner would have been $150!!!
>> enough rambing...time to get some work done!
>>
>> Roland
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sep 29, 2006, at 9:38 AM, Sandra Walker wrote:
>>
>>> Found out late yesterday that this group that I've been working so hard
>>> to
>>> accommodate has been going back & forth between myself and a local golf
>>> pro
>>> shop, playing our quotes against each other-big surprise! Yes, the
>>> same
>>> group that I've been jumping through hoops for, including pulling
>>> together a
>>> last-minuet
>>> screen-print price that several of you helped me with. The same group
>>> who
>>> has changed their mind about "finalized" artwork and had me re-do my
>>> price
>>> quote three times, again at the very last minute b/4 a "final decision
>>> meeting."
>>>
>>> Several months ago I decided not to do bids anymore b/c I don't do
>>> cheap,
>>> cra*py work, so I don't give cut-rate prices. My prices are very
>>> reasonable, based on my own research and feedback from many of my
>>> customers.
>>> Against my better judgment, I made an exception in this case b/c one of
>>> the
>>> group members is a friend.
>>>
>>> Anyway, the group has decided to go with the golf pro guy b/c he said
>>> he'll
>>> embroider THREE large logos (LC, and each sleeve) for a total of $7.00
>>> per
>>> shirt.
>>> Only catch is, he can't provide the color shirts they need. One of the
>>> group members had the nerve to ask me to give them my supplier's name
>>> so the
>>> other guy could contact them for shirts!!! I very sweetly declined, but
>>> offered to gladly sell them the shirts-at a nice profit for myself- to
>>> take
>>> to their $7.00 embroidery guy.
>>>
>>> Bottom line is, I ignored my intuition in the first place & this is
>>> where it
>>> got me. Live and learn...again.
>>> Maybe this will help some of you avoid what I've been through.
>>>
>>> Happy Friday everybody,
>>> Sandra Walker
>>> A&E Custom Embroidery
>>> 936.588.1015 800.291.6953
>>> We make your life more colorful...and your business more visible!
>>>
>>> ===========================================================
>>>
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>>> Website: http://www.amayausers.com
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>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>> Sunrise Graphics
>> 116 Main St
>> Claremont, NH 03743
>> 603-543-1324
>> fax 603-543-9902
>> (fax machine is NOT turned on, you must CALL to have it on)
>> www.sunrisegraphics.org
>> signman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>>
>
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