Sign Lady

No, this group is out of Georgia ..... but I really appreciate your response! That's why I love SS - we all look out for each other!

Anybody done any work for these folks? Know anything about them? Thanks! Angie

They sell these unrealistic schedules to these customers just to get the account, then they want those of us that actually do the work to work for nothing so they can sit behind a desk and make the bulk of the money! We have a couple of those. We used to try to make their schedules, but we stopped doing that. We work on OUR SCHEDULE, and if that ain't good enough for them then they have to find someone else. Twenty four hour response time is just not reasonable anymore unless it is an absolute emergency (and a long time customer that I know is going to pay me as soon as I send them the invoice) - Then they want to wait 45, 60, 90 days to pay - sometimes even longer (and you have to beg for it then) when you know they are getting paid well before that. The few that we have know we do quality work, so they wait on us - Some don't wait and end up calling us in the end because the person that worked for nothing that they sent out screwed it up so it ends up costing them double what it would have had they just waited a day or two for us to go the first time!

Our thoughts and prayers to all of you there, Sean. If there is anything any of us can do for you, please give us a shout. We lived through Hugo and others here and know all too well what you are going through. Clean up will take a long time, and they are right, nothing is ever really the same again. But I know you guys will do just fine. Take care and be safe!

My husband and I have said the same thing for the past 2 years - why do we even try?? It seems the harder we work, the less it pays off. And don't get me even started on the ungratefulness.

It's not just you! I think we are all having the same troubles. They want top wages, but don't want to work, or at least as hard as the sign industry requires. It's like pushing wet noodles up a hill most days! Drives me nuts. Most of them don't have any initiative what so ever. You have to hold their hands and tell them every single thing to do. Then don't dare ask one of them to do something that "isn't in their job description"! Holy hell breaks loose. Sometimes I wonder who the hell works for whom? Had one tell me last Friday, I'm going home - I've got to run an errand. Not, can I go home? I looked at my husband and just shook my head. Who works for whom? Then throw family in the mix! Not a good mixture

I just feel so bad for him. He was the ONLY one that knew a dang thing when you called there!! I don't know what they are going to do now because not a one of them know HALF as much as he did about anything!

What in the world?? He has been there forever. Yeah, I would like to call him and see how he is. He became a friend ...... We have worked with him forever.

Hey guys and gals, Anybody from this area know why Vic left Dixie Neon or where he went???

A damn shame they won't just let us make a living!!! Instead of helping, looks like ISA is trying to do the opposite. I thought they were supposed to fight for us, not against us. Enough regulations now to choke a mule. Takes one employee almost full time to keep up with the ones we already have. When is enough going to be enough??

No, I never used that - Somebody, I don't remember who, said the Carnuba would eat through the vinyl ..... So we have only tried to really low key stuff that we tested and found that it didn't hurt the vinyl, but it certainly didn't bring it back to the red they show on their website. I will give that a try though since it worked for you. The advice I got on that was on another site - Should have known to ask the folks that would know on the SS!! LOL ...... You folks are the only ones I trust anymore.

Would be interesting to see what they use to bring red vinyl back to red - We've tried it all

I heard someone else talking about this on another site one time. The advice they were given was to change the logo just enough that they can't say it is their work, and they would be fine. For instance, if you change the colors, or change the shape just slightly, it is no longer the exact likeness they designed. Not sure how that would hold up, and never really heard anything else about it, so it must have worked??

Thanks a bunch Erik!

Thanks Gary!! Really appreciate the thought! Didn't take the day off, but it was a great birthday!

Don't know why that posted 2 times guys ..... Only sent it one time. Sorry about that. Hope you all have a great day!

Thanks, Sean! Had not thought of that. This was just one of those that the little voice was talking to me telling me to walk away - after talking to you guys I am sooooo glad I did. Thanks!

Thanks, Sean! Had not thought of that. This was just one of those that the little voice was talking to me telling me to walk away - Glad after talking to you guys I did. Thanks!

Thanks guys!! That is what I was afraid of. In the agreement they want you to sign there are far more reasons in the list of why not to pay than there are to pay. Just wanted to run it by my SS pals - the greatest group on the net by far - to see if my gut instinct was right.

Hey guys, Anybody know anything about these folks?? I got a request to remove some Blockbuster signage for them and they sent a Master Service Agreement in here that has a longer list of reasons they can get out of paying you than reasons they can. Anybody had any problems with them?? I can't find a website for them at all. They are on Manta as a "new small business". Any info would be greatly appreciated before I get in too far with this. THANKS!

We have raised the rates on our trucks - may have to again if this madness continues. We did fuel surcharges last time all of this started, and we didn't collect many of them. Everybody, especially these National Companies, refuse to pay fuel surcharges. It always mystifies me how people can REFUSE to pay what you bill them, but in order to prevent losing money, we just raised our rates (first time in YEARS we have even raised our rates - should have long ago). I can't continue to put $150 in fuel in a crane truck and not get it back. I see it only getting worse as summer draws near - if we all get on the same page, it will make it easier for all of us. That's why I like discussions like this on SS - any other suggestions are welcome. What are you guys charging for a 42' bucket truck with 2 men? 120' crane truck with 2 men?

People complain about the measly $115 an hour we charge for the bucket truck & $150 an hour for the crane around here. We have charged $105 an hour for eons, and JUST went up to $115 a couple of weeks ago when the fuel prices started going up and up again. People tell you they won't pay fuel surcharges, so we had to get it back by raising the cost per hour of the trucks. National sign companies freak out when you tell them that the rate for your 42' bucket with 2 men is $115 an hour and they really wig when you tell them $150 per for a 121' crane (everybody else I have talked to charges at least $175 per for their crane - guy in Myrtle Beach charges $225/hour for his)! I had a lady with one of the Nationals tell me the other day that the most she could pay was $75 an hour for the bucket truck. You can barely drive a truck out of the yard for that rate these days! Especially given the cost of fuel, insurance and other crap - They agreed to $75 per hour to get a chain's business away from somebody else, and now they are stuck begging those of us that actually do the work to work for the ridiculous rate they under promised. Then they want to pay you 120 days later so you really don't make anything on the job.

The last two things we did for them they paid really good (45 days I think). The time before, not so much. Could have been a communication problem on that one because the last 2 were paid on time without even having to call to collect. I don't know about doing anything for Goody's though since they have gone out of business. We removed a "Store Closing" banner for them at the location here and the Manager of the store paid it on site! May want to get your money up front on that one. If it were any other business, I would say trust them whole heartedly.