Just a rant and a question . . .

[dabob]

Lately I have been amazed at the laziness of some of my customers, for example we have a large firm (over 100 employees) that orders business cards just by saying we need another 500 of Mike Wilsons business cards - you have the information. now we have done over 30 runs of cards for them all with multiple names and the first one had 89 names . . . would it be so hard to just scan or fax us a copy of his card?

Or I have a contract in 8 pt type that covers the back of an 8.5 x 11 and they send me an email telling me to remove the 2% discount statement. So I have to go and examine the document looking for discount (I know use the find command) . . .

Maybe I am just old school but what ever happened to marking up a proof and sending it back.

Ok rant done for today . ..

Comments????????????

 

[gordo]

Lately I have been amazed at the laziness of some of my customers, for example we have a large firm (over 100 employees) that orders business cards just by saying we need another 500 of Mike Wilsons business cards - you have the information. now we have done over 30 runs of cards for them all with multiple names and the first one had 89 names . . . would it be so hard to just scan or fax us a copy of his card?

Or I have a contract in 8 pt type that covers the back of an 8.5 x 11 and they send me an email telling me to remove the 2% discount statement. So I have to go and examine the document looking for discount (I know use the find command) . . .

Maybe I am just old school but what ever happened to marking up a proof and sending it back.

Ok rant done for today . ..

Comments????????????

If you reward them by doing what they ask for - they will continue to do it.
Puppy training 101.
You should not be complaining about a situation that you created and reward.

 

[gig0]

We see that all the time.

As another example, we do a publication for this customer once a month for years. Every month the PDF file comes in with the outside covers as single pages and the rest as facing page spreads. Every month I have to de-impose the file and send the PDF proof as single pages. You'd think they would figure out to uncheck the 'Spreads' option in the PDF dialog box out after the 2nd or 3rd time of proofing, but no. Sigh.

/fist bump

 

[arossetti]

Our file naming scheme and MIS system makes it easy for us to retrieve the files. We can either pull up the old ticket in the MIS or do a quick search in the customer folder. We just search under the customer in the MIS or in the file folders which "Mike Wilson". But that doesn't solve your situation I know; just explaining how we handle similar requests.

 

[arossetti]

We see that all the time.

As another example, we do a publication for this customer once a month for years. Every month the PDF file comes in with the outside covers as single pages and the rest as facing page spreads. Every month I have to de-impose the file and send the PDF proof as single pages. You'd think they would figure out to uncheck the 'Spreads' option in the PDF dialog box out after the 2nd or 3rd time of proofing, but no. Sigh.

/fist bump

Charge them accordingly?

 

[gig0]

If you reward them by doing what they ask for - they will continue to do it.
Puppy training 101.
You should not be complaining about a situation that you created and reward.

Thats right, but some places consider this part of a 'hassle-free prepress' service and are expected to do so.

 

[dabob]

If you reward them by doing what they ask for - they will continue to do it.
Puppy training 101.
You should not be complaining about a situation that you created and reward.

Gordo . . . personally I would take a newspaper after them . .. (if not a 2x4) but the "boss" (you have met Tom) keeps letting them get away with almost anything so there is little I can do about it - and then some customers just are not trainable . . . and in todays PC world we just can't put them down yanked . . .

I was hoping that this tread would generate a large number of responses so I could use it as ammunition the next time I go head to head about this problem . .. I know that you can't be a doormat unless you lay down.

 

[dabob]

Our file naming scheme and MIS system makes it easy for us to retrieve the files. We can either pull up the old ticket in the MIS or do a quick search in the customer folder. We just search under the customer in the MIS or in the file folders which "Mike Wilson". But that doesn't solve your situation I know; just explaining how we handle similar requests.

How do you fit 90 full names into your MIS system . . . or do you treat each order as a single card order and then gang them?

 

[gig0]

Charge them accordingly?

It's under our prepress service time frame. We have x amount of prepress minutes billed into jobs but fixing their files falls just below it. It's more annoying than anything.

 

[slush11]

I would say that reading through a long doc like that to find one thing super sucks., But they are in business too and must understand that your time is worth something. I would draw up a "New contract" stating that its $X for any editing/art time. Make it a standard for all customers. And don't just send it to them and say "screw you, this is how it is". Approach it in a business like manner and tell them gently that they will have to comply just like everyone else. If they're extra picky about it, I'd go so far as to say that if they don't, then you're paying your people to do work for free for them and thus, if you keep it up, you'll be out of business this way. Then who will print his cards??

PS, Do people still use fax? I personally think itd be way easier to get the phone call saying "500 for Mike wilson" (so long as your file naming structure is set up like that). Not to mention, its easier for them to make the call as well, rather than scan it in, then fax or email it. Not that that takes a whole lot of time, just more time than a simple phone call.
One more thing, just the same way that humans learn better in different ways (some by book, some practically, and some by audio, etc...), humans also work differently. Your business card guy might not be technically savvy. He might also be the kind of guy who likes to hear your voice. That might be all the confirmation his mind needs. Just a thought.

 

[arossetti]

How do you fit 90 full names into your MIS system . . . or do you treat each order as a single card order and then gang them?

In our scenario the company usually will only order several names at a time; so the order is "Business Cards: Mike, John, Ben, Sam".

 

[dabob]

In our scenario the company usually will only order several names at a time; so the order is "Business Cards: Mike, John, Ben, Sam".

yeah . .. its usually by email and the company has three mikes, two johns and not one ben . . . lol

 

[BumpFlash]

Business cards are worth an occasional rant for one reason or another.

Some days I assume that I'm dealing with a harried administrative assistant who's doing her best to pass on the information she has.
Some days I assume that they're all idiots out there.

 

[jimas67]

Try this!! How about the laziness of in house designers that don't understand the aspect of a gripper margin on a press, or a border edge on a copier!! I feel as though I'm hitting my head against the wall EVERY time I have to explain this!!!

 

[slush11]

That's why printhouses have printing guidelines. Most of them will have them right on their websites. We send our guidelines to the client as soon as we know they'll be providing art. We have an Acrobat preflight and if supplied art doesn't pass the preflight, we reject it and send it back with a list of what needs to be fixed or an offer to fix it ourselves at a cost.

 

[MailGuru]

Or I have a contract in 8 pt type that covers the back of an 8.5 x 11 and they send me an email telling me to remove the 2% discount statement. So I have to go and examine the document looking for discount (I know use the find command) . . .

Maybe I am just old school but what ever happened to marking up a proof and sending it back.

Ok rant done for today . ..

Comments????????????

This opens up the company to a contingent liabilty, unneccessarily. In order to protect ourselves, AND, our clients, we request a mockup that shows EXACTLY what they need changed.

What if you printed those contracts, with the change indicated in the email, and they come back six months later and say "NO! Not that 2% discount line. I meant the one at the bottom of the page. How many of these have you printed incorrectly in the last 6 months?"

Best

-MailGuru

 

[dabob]

This opens up the company to a contingent liabilty, unneccassarily. In order to protect ourselves, AND, our clients, we request a mockup that shows EXACTLY what they need changed.

What if you printed those contracts, with the change indicated in the email, and they come back six months later and say "NO! Not that 2% discount line. I meant the one at the bottom of the page. How many of these have you printed incorrectly in the last 6 months?"

Best

-MailGuru

OH NO . . . we would never print without another proof on that is 100% approved by the customer before it goes into production . . . I am just hating on lazy A$$HOLES that don't want to do their job right

but at this moment I am waiting on a call back from a customer who sent an email that said "the phone # is wrong it should be xxx-xxxx" problem is there are 3 phone #s on the Business Card . . . lol

 

[maas]

The key to a successful business relationship is to deliver quality collateral on time and within budget whilst have the client do as little as possible.
I welcome the liaise affair/lazy attitude of these kids who are busy on social media and entrust us to deliver on expectation with minimal instruction and effort on their part, yes it’s a pain for us but the upside is that the client migrating to another company would mean they have to put in a lot of work and they rather not so we retain this business.

 

[dabob]

The key to a successful business relationship is to deliver quality collateral on time and within budget whilst have the client do as little as possible.
I welcome the liaise affair/lazy attitude of these kids who are busy on social media and entrust us to deliver on expectation with minimal instruction and effort on their part, yes it’s a pain for us but the upside is that the client migrating to another company would mean they have to put in a lot of work and they rather not so we retain this business.

I know what you mean . . . but, doesn't "relationship' imply both sides trying to make the other sides life easier? . . . . otherwise one is the mosquito and the other is the windshield . . .

 

[maas]

Offcourse you are correct dabob, and I lament days of old where this was true in every sense of the word however nowadays the word relationship to me implies the client makes my life easier by paying their bills on time and in full