Seeing Red!

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Rozmataz

Rozmataz

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
Posts
2,773
Loc
Fingerlakes Region of NYS
I am just back from being out sick and not up to speed yet. Yesterday a.m. when I arrived - I am met with a customer with a special project. The guy was making me crazy from the get-go as I wasn't feeling well and he is asking for all the input on a project that required "engineering' - which I usually don't mind doing - but he was going over and over and over... and the bottom line:

He needed a photo he had already had output at approx 20 x 32 to go behind an antique window frame that was exactly 20x 32. There was an issue of the gap showing but the frame was all white and the 1/8" gap all around was white - so it didn't really show.

I had to be very precise and drymount on foamcore to install. I did this. It came out perfect.

He came right over and picked it up and loved it.

I get a call a few minutes ago, he got it home and there is a "dent" like a staple in the upper corner "that really shows up" that he didn't notice at my store.

I don't know how to approach the fact that this could have happened by my equipment or my handling - since I am very careful.

If this is one tiny area of a huge photo - how responsible am I on this? How can I even know that I did it and it wasn't on the photo before and I overlooked it or it happened when he transported it home

The project cost was $30; He said he paid $48 for the photo output.

I am so upset by this and this guy's attitude.

What to do?
 
Roz ...one of those no wins. If you want to keep him as a customer you have to pay for a new photo and re mount the job ...

PullHairOut-1.gif


It's extremely difficult to see some small dents or dimples in photos. From now on you know you have to scrutinize what he brings in extremely closely.

Dave Makielski
 
Gees, I hope this isn't like the ad on tv where they wallpaper the cat behind the wall paper!!!

But this is how I am thinking to handle it.

Since bad comments travel alot faster than good comments. I will determine if, in fact, it was my quality error. If it is - I will offer to replace the photo BUT since he got it to just the exact size which made my portion of the job alot more difficult than if it had the proper allowance around it - he has to have it redone a bit larger and I will cover the original portion of the cost if he will cover the additional cost to make it the correct size.

I am "seeing Pink" now.
 
Hopefully he's reasonable to your reasonable offering.

Often little imperfections show up more noticeably after mounting.

Dave Makielski
 
If it's just a little dent from the photo side of the foamcore, is there any chance you could poke a blunt object through from the back (perhaps cut a small hole in the backside surface paper first) and "undent" it? Just a thought. But if it worked it would save you $78 and a customer, all in one swell foop.
 
as printers we are from time to time approached by framers in just the type of situation you describe - to help them make good of it and not loose ooddles of $$$ I generally charge only a nominal fee for reprinting the job (some are cursed and may come back again...). I suggest you check with the printer and see if they will help you out - what goes around comes around...
 
Along Lance's point, in some cases the printer has actualy run more than one print and may even have an extra still in their posetion. At the very least all the prepress work has already been done and the printing shouldn't be hard to get exact since they have already done it once for your client.
 
Richard Darling said:
If it's just a little dent from the photo side of the foamcore, is there any chance you could poke a blunt object through from the back QUOTE]

Maybe you could just poke the customer with a blunt object. Sounds way more satisfying to me.

Seriously, I think you are on the right track to getting htis resolved.
Good Luck.
Click to expand...
 
Such support! Thank you!! The printer will reprint for a reduced amount for me... as I have been doing business with them personally for years. Thank goodness.

But Harry - I like your idea... poke him with a blunt object! He was supposed to be here this a.m. and hasn't shown up YET! Whatever it takes to fix it... I'll keep you posted!
 
Here's the deal. There is a 1/2" dent in the photo - right at the top - if it had been 2" to the left it would have been hidden by the cross grid pieces of his old window/panes - but alas - luck was not with me on this.

The customer is willing to see if we can do minor surgery (what do I have to lose!) to push the dent up from behind. So I will try that but also committed to redoing the print if needed (and I think it will be needed - I'd want it redone) only if he agrees (and he does) to the larger size wth the proper allowance!!

So - I have the surgery scheduled for 2 pm (joking) - and I will see how it goes!

Oh. The worst part of this. You are going to love it - I know I did (not!):

My slip sheet that was used on top over the release paper has a sliver of wood pulp about 1/2" long - just about in the position that the DENT occurred.

So, seeing "RED" is at ME not my customer!! And that it is all my fault. So now on to damage control.

What a day!

(Oh, did I mention I had been out and came back in and my husband was standing with a horrified look on his face; I thought the customer had come in in my brief absence and they had "words"... but that was not the case. His front tooth CRACKED off in his hand and then the customer walks in.)

Again, what a day!!

PS Poke ME with a blunt object - I deserve it!
 
Oh, Roz! What a day you and your husband have had!

You need lots of XXXOXOOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope tomorrow is ever so much better for you!
 
Holy Dooly Roz.......I'm air expressing a big fat margarita for you and hubby! hang in there girl!
 
Look at the bright side, You found out what was causing the dent before ruining other art. What did you mount the photo on? I use speedmount and with little effort you can remove the photo from the FC and then remount it to another board. I would also show your customer what caused the problem so he doesn't think it is from poor work practaces. This is something that 99.9% of us would have missed.
 
It is all taken care of and put to rest - thank goodness. And, yes, I am sure glad I found the culprit in my slip sheet!! But I would never show that to the customer... that would really make them wonder!!

Funny thing - the newer version with proper margin allowance looked great. The picture was of Ocean City MD and we all know when we take pictures - we don't consider how we will crop it for printing, do we?!??! I knew with the larger version that the first thing out of his mouth would be "It sorta cuts the top of the ferris wheel off" - and it was the first thing out of his mouth!! But it was 1/4" from the top edge to begin with!! Gees - gotta work with their poor planning and make it perfect!! Seeing pink!!

And then... he asks "do I get the other print?" NO! I am not sure he expected that answer. He replies "what are you going to do with it?". Don't know. I should have said it can be yours, as is, for $25!!

Done.
 
Nuisance Fee

In our shop we have what we refer to as a nuisance fee.

Lets face it, 9 times out 10 you can smell em (Difficult customers) as soon as they walk in the door.

Either the first thing they ask is how much before they even tell you what they want done, or they act like they know more about framing then you.

When the red flag starts to flap the fitting and dry mounting fees or specials start adjusting up. Is this wrong? NO think about how much extra time p.in.the.a. customers take and the probability that no matter how nice the finished project is they still find something wrong and you have to change something or they want a discount. I am not saying gouge them just keep a little insurance on the table.

Lets face it you did the right thing and the joker still wanted his old print he thinks he deserves something for nothing.
 
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