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Sign Lady

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Posts posted by Sign Lady

    National Service Companies

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    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!

    Where are all the Sandy sign photos?

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    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!

    • Like 1

    Disparity of qualified journeymen installers?

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    Even if you find qualified help it seems they can't be satisfied. I don't know about everyone else, but the last 3 or 4 years have been pretty lean. We started 2008 like a house afire and at the end of August we were way ahead of our previous best year. But by mid September it all started to go to hell, by years end we were off 25% in sales. 2009 found us down another 10%. In 2010 we rebounded to abour where we were in 2007 and things were looking good, I thought we had turned the corner. Boy was I wrong, 2011 was the worst year I've ever had, and sales were down to about 2004 levels dollar wise. I lost 40 grand last year and now I've got employees grumbling that they are not satisfied with their pay, need more paid time off, etc. During all of this I did not lay any one off and made sure they all got at least 40 hours per week. I had a stretch where me and my wife could have done it all by ourselves and wouldn't have been busy, we went 3 weeks without rolling our bucket truck and over 2 months without rolling the crane. Because at the first of last year it looked like things were improving I booked an all expenses paid 7 day cruise for my staff and their significant others, I also gave them a vacation bonus, and they get a Christmas bonus of $100 for every year they been with me. This bonus is net, I pay the taxes so they get the full amount. I also pay half of their medical insurance and they have a paid retirement plan. My employees also get incentive bonuses every quarter if we meet our sales targets. Even though we lost money last year, we had a really good 4th quarter, so in January they got their bonus. Although things are much better this year so far, I still haven't made it into the black yet this year, and I have to make 40 grand in profit just to get back to where I was January 1 of 2011. I tried to explaining this to them, but it doesn't seem to register. My top paid guy takes home $150 less every two weeks than I do, but he only works 40 hours for his, I never work less than 70 hours a week. Sometimes I just want to say !#$% it all, shut the doors and go home. Don't get me wrong all of my employees are not this way. But I really get tired of the ungratefulness. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you deal with it.

    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.

    Disparity of qualified journeymen installers?

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    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

    DIXIE NEON

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    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!

    Global Sign Restoration

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    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.

    Who owns our rebranded company logo?

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    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??

    Gateway Facility Solutions

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    If they really want the sign down tell them to pre pay and you will dispose of it.

    I agree with alltex. They are already bankrupt and closed. Go straight to the realty company that owns the property and get the removal job from them. The company already gave you the adress' for the locations. It's in the landlords best intrest to get rid of the old signs and you may get the fab and install of the new tennents out of it.

    Hell, contact the landlord and tell them you will remove and dispose of it for free when you put up the new tennents sign. That angle may be more pleasing for the landlord and a start of a new relationship as well.

    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. :wootsmiley:

    Thanks!

    Gateway Facility Solutions

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    If they really want the sign down tell them to pre pay and you will dispose of it.

    I agree with alltex. They are already bankrupt and closed. Go straight to the realty company that owns the property and get the removal job from them. The company already gave you the adress' for the locations. It's in the landlords best intrest to get rid of the old signs and you may get the fab and install of the new tennents out of it.

    Hell, contact the landlord and tell them you will remove and dispose of it for free when you put up the new tennents sign. That angle may be more pleasing for the landlord and a start of a new relationship as well.

    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!

    Gateway Facility Solutions

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    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.

    Gateway Facility Solutions

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    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!

    Diesel Fuel going up up up!

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    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?

    OSHA passed crane operator cert. rule!

    in Cranes, Buckets, & Trucks

    Posted

    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.

    Adart

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    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.

    "only 5 people post" - a challenge

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    I love this site! If you want the TRUTH about something, this is the place to get it. If you need advice, this is the place to get it. It is my number one go to place when I want to get the scoop on something and not have to question the truthfulness of it. The collective knowledge of the sign business that is on this site is the best you will find anywhere. If you don't know the answer to something, post a question on here, and I can assure you somebody here has either done it or had it done to them, and can give you the answer.

    New Printer

    in General Message Board

    Posted

    What brand did you get? We have a Mimaki it does not print white or metallic but we love it

    Roland - It prints the most beautiful metallic colors (521 profiles already made & you can make your own profiles) so the possibilities are endless. The white ink makes photos and things just pop. It is an awesome machine. We had the HP prior to this one, and this one is miles better! If you need something printed with shiny metallic, give me a buzz.

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