Do you ever have to "Just Say No" to your customer?

nametags · May 25th, 2012, 08:26 AM

It's happened a lot lately, I've just had to say NO to them,,,for one reason or another, as their wants are totally unreasonable or unprofitable.

We won't do a job anymore with out a minimum profit as wel.. Not saying we did, but, we did do some close to bare minimum to get the business, and it ususally didn't pan out.

And, while I'm at it, these internet companies and other magazine embroidery sales companies and promo item companies, they can "stick it'.

On the good side, I've got some business from people checking our their low priced adds, and then realizing for only a few or 12, or even 24, their prices jump dramatically, along with set up fees. Then they call me. That's the good part.

But, on the bad side, for us, after they get to 60 or 72 items, their basically embroidering for free it seems. I can't do that, and won't any more.

Ok, rant done. Thanks.

Robert Young · May 25th, 2012, 08:38 AM

OMG Nametags... first, glad you are back! and second... what a cynical #$)#@ you have turned into in such a short period of time... LOL.. welcome to our wonderful world!

I just turned down several jacket backs for a client that was definitely good for the money... and it would have been quite a few hundred dollars worth of digitizing... but the designs were Warner Bros / Disney....something we will not reproduce due to licensing issue... they have been a client of ours for over 4 years and really got upset... told me that they were sure they could find many digitizers that would LOVE this work from them.. and when they found one they were not using us anymore. Period.

I tried explaining the issue, they said it did not matter, no one would ever find out..(well until this forum I guess...lol) and I obviously just did not WANT them as a client.

I know it is a rarity... but I would prefer Not to have them as a client than to ever get a letter with options for me to pick as to how much I want to pay Disney....or else. But hey, that is just me.

gnizitigid · May 25th, 2012, 11:39 AM

Welcome back Nametags! Robert how you know if certain design is copyright...(Except Disney)

nametags · May 25th, 2012, 12:58 PM

Thank you Robert and Steve. I love this forum,,,I learn so much from all of you, it's helped me tremendously in my business.

I had to vent somewhere, and you folks here are the best to vent to, as you understand it all.

People are coming up with all their stories and claims from other vendors, and I know they're just "kickin the tires" as you say. Burns my tail!!!

I needed to vent, and this is the best place, as I know, you all understand.

thanks for listening.

Robert Young · May 25th, 2012, 03:40 PM

hey, keep venting, it is fun... and better to vent to us (most of the time) than to your actual client..... like I said, Most of the time...lol

minimalist · June 1st, 2012, 06:16 PM

When you see those products remember that most likely they sourced them direct from overseas. You're at a disadvantage to them because you are having to buy the same item from a wholesaler (read retailer into that).

The real problem with this industry is that the wholesalers above buy in bulk for X and then sell it to you for 5-6X. Then you have to justify why you have to sell the item for double what you paid for it less your cost and expense to embroider the item. So then you decide I wanna get the rest of the pie and off to one of the sourcing sites you go. There you get quotes and pay before you get the goods only to find out they didn't follow your instructions or changed the material among other details left out. In china everything is just about right, not right. I got onto a long time supplier that we get hats from. When I complain about the embroidery on the 3d hats not being straight they tell me to order 5% more.

The other day I was looking at sewing machines from the land of just about right. I can buy a knock off pfaff 335 cylinder arm machine for $300. Just the hook for that same machine here is almost $200 for a Japanese made hook or I can buy the china knockoff for $100 more.

In the end I know one thing we are all headed for is a real object lesson in value. If I want to be in the embroidery business I get to spend 20K on a machine, 5K on software, untold hours learning it, supplies for every application so I can charge $6.00 to put a name on a shirt or spend $20 at lowes for a bucket and squeegee to wash a window for the same price.