Join our Premium Membership now and save with Xpres, Listawood, Ink Experts, Ink Express and more! Just £10 per year.....Click the Membership link above.....

User Tag List

Similar Threads

  1. argh! Anyone within the staffs area have any 90mmor 100mm coasters
    By carolm1a in forum General Dye-Sub Chit Chat
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 24-11-2017, 11:21 PM
  2. How did you get your first customers?
    By subbase in forum General Dye-Sub Chit Chat
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 14-04-2017, 08:25 AM
  3. Customers....Shoot them!
    By JMugs in forum Take a Break
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 22-08-2015, 03:26 AM
  4. decisions epson 9600 for canvasses or sunangel for garments argh
    By soulclaimed in forum General Dye-Sub Chit Chat
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 28-02-2015, 09:26 PM
  5. Customers...you have to smile!
    By JMugs in forum Take a Break
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 25-02-2014, 07:57 PM
Results 1 to 7 of 7
  1. #1
    Administrator Justin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Derbyshire
    Posts
    10,253
    Downloads
    7
    Uploads
    1
    Mentioned
    39 Post(s)
    Tagged
    7 Thread(s)

    Customers?? ARGH!!!!!

    I think I'm at the end of my tether with customers right now, I really do.

    We have a large catalogue of designs, some created by us, others by well respected artists, some licensed well known paintings and so on.

    First I get a complaint about a well known painting I printed onto a product. Customer states that whilst it's only a small issues it detracts from the design, they'd like to return for a replacement. No problem at all. I receive the product back and can see the issue. A small brown mark, measuring less than 1mm in diameter. I check our designs and the spot has always been there. We've sold 1000's of this over the years but I guess you can't please everyone! I edit the micro-spot and reprint, job done.

    Now, a customer complains about one of our designers images. Looks like it has a pen mark on it? I check the customers image and there is indeed a black line, 3 maybe 4mm long. I check with the designer and as expected, it's part of the design. Customer shows to everyone around her and they all agree it shouldn't be there. I explain my designer did it intentionally, offer a full replace or refund. I edit the line out and send example. She says she's not paying the return postage of just under £1. The emails go back and forth.

    Funnily enough I noticed this line when printing but thought little of it, again, we've certainly sold 100's of this particular design in recent years and never had any complaints.

    You can only do your best I guess but sometimes it just doesn't feel enough. Between this and the apparent constant flow of customers taking up more and more time just to go on and order a very small amount I just wonder if it's all worth it any more :-(

    Rant over ;-)
    Membership scheme now available - Just £10 per year - Regular Supplier Discounts and Special Offers!

  2. #2
    Senior Member webtrekker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Northumberland
    Posts
    2,413
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Mentioned
    14 Post(s)
    Tagged
    3 Thread(s)
    Customers! Whether you love them or hate them, the sad fact of the matter is that you NEED them!

    My daughter sells stacks on ebay and is finding that there are more and more of the 'let's see if we can get something for nothing' brigade. She's getting p****d off now with all the extra work entailed in bouncing emails back and forth.

    However, come Christmas, people buy all kinds of useless tat, much of it badly made and printed, yet hardly ever complain!

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    dorchester
    Posts
    1,193
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Mentioned
    3 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    My biggest customer bugbear at the moment is time bandits who spend five mins looking for an image they downloaded to their smartphone (getting several a day at the moment). It is generally something they have pinched from google, often unprintable, but in their mind they have provided me with 'artwork' so don't want to pay for any design time.

    The second biggest bugbear is Photoshop 'enthusiasts' - it is getting to be a case of 'a little knowledge is dangerous'. Every club or organisation I print for has a member who is an 'expert' in PS and who makes themselves responsible for all the clubs designs. They never have any knowledge of the print process, or what is possible onto the substrate they want in the quantities they want to order. It takes longer to make their artwork printable than it would take if I started from scratch.

    I need a sign saying 'Just 'cos you can Photoshop/ Google it doesn't mean I can print it'

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to pw66 For This Useful Post:

    Justin (18-07-2018)

  5. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Germany-NRW
    Posts
    1,281
    Downloads
    2
    Uploads
    0
    Mentioned
    5 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    My biggest grrrr is when I get artwork from a customer who has had their artwork done by a Graphic Designer. Its often done on the latest version of Photoshop or Illustrator. The fonts are never converted to curves or objects and the resulting mess that opens is with the wrong fonts and is overlayed with some strange distressed artwork.
    But they have paid a fortune to have this done and expect me to magically print it for them.

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to Earl Smith For This Useful Post:

    Justin (18-07-2018)

  7. #5
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    PONTYPRIDD
    Posts
    190
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Mentioned
    3 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    You may know this but, just in case, if you have Illustrator you can use the "File - Place" command and then "Object - Flatten Transparency" making sure that the box is checked for converting text to outlines.

    That will overcome the missing fonts problem..

  8. #6
    Premium Member UK Printed Mugs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Poole, Dorset
    Posts
    2,110
    Downloads
    0
    Uploads
    0
    Mentioned
    4 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    As webtrekker says it is really all about Christmas on eBay. We spend the year building up good reviews by going OTT with customer correspondence and earning a hell of a lot less. By October our profile is so high we get flooded with orders and prices go up gradually. Until we make something! This approach serves us well. Although only a very small part of our business.

  9. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Germany-NRW
    Posts
    1,281
    Downloads
    2
    Uploads
    0
    Mentioned
    5 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by StellaD View Post
    You may know this but, just in case, if you have Illustrator you can use the "File - Place" command and then "Object - Flatten Transparency" making sure that the box is checked for converting text to outlines.

    That will overcome the missing fonts problem..
    Thanks, but I have X8 Corel Draw. The one that came with my Wilcom Embroidery program.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •