T14 Digitizers do you visit your clients?

Robert Young · May 17th, 2017, 01:27 PM

Do you stop by and visit your clients if you happen to find yourself in their town?

Do you have relationships with local embroiderers to keep yourself "in the loop"?

Do you visit other digitizers other than on forums?

Robert Young · May 18th, 2017, 01:19 PM

I always thought it could be a fun roadtrip (s) to convert a van into a traveling digitizing station with a singlehead and travel to as many clients as would want to spend one on one time.

We could work on problems they are having either with us or our website or machine issues, etc. Just helping to answer any questions they might have.

This would also form a more personal relationship that could help us weather the times we do make mistakes or have a problem design that takes a few back and forths.

Robert Young · May 18th, 2017, 01:54 PM

I used to visit quite a few local embroidery shops on a regular basis, but they were not too keen on this thinking I was their competition... even though the only things we sew are large format items... altar cloths, specialty fabrics, etc. I do not even own a cap attachment. Still they were very wary. We never have marketed in Texas for even digitizing services!

I just let them know that if they ever needed large format let me know. OR if they had an issue with digitizing from their sources I could be a fresh set of eyes to help... not to digitize for them but to advise.

digidana · May 18th, 2017, 05:41 PM

in 20 years, i've only met a few customers. one from chicago that came and visited for a few days about 10 years ago. one in KY that's been a customer for 20 years stopped by, one from VA, went to wilcom class with a customer from louisiana that i've known since 2000, and another one from chicago came to our oktoberfest party a few years ago. only met 4-5 that i work for locally even. one from texas promised for years that she'd stop by when they were in the area for the honda hoot but never made it (we used to ride). dang, most i've never even talked to on the phone. i did try to stop by one shop when we were on our way back from pittsburgh in KY, but it was sunday and they were closed.

it would be so fun tho. its so funny, you work with somebody for so long, you kind of get an idea of what they look like in your mind. then when you see a pic of them, its totally different.

digidana · May 18th, 2017, 05:45 PM

oh SNAP! almost 21 years. i'll have to change my signature. i know, cause i went to software training with my son in one of those baby carrier car seat things....and he turns 21 on 6/4. dang, time FLIES!

SunEmbroidery · May 24th, 2017, 10:04 PM

In the past 15 years I've only met a few local customers. I've never met a long distance customer. I did meet a few T-Shirt Forum people one year at ISS AC and I did stop by an embroidery shop in another state that was owned by someone on another forum. I just happened to see the shop while traveling through the area. They were off that day but called me the following day. I've only met a couple other embroiderers in my local area. Local jobs are very competitive here so it can be hard to talk to some people and I don't network locally any more.

AlisonB · May 25th, 2017, 03:34 AM

I sold my previous machine to an embroiderer in a town about 30Km away. I still do digitizing for her, and usually visit once a week.
I have introduced myself to other commercial embroiderers in the area, and have once or twice been contacted in return, but they mostly do their own digitizing so there is no real reason to keep visiting.
I have done some digitizing for a friend's sister in Cape Town, and always visit when we get a chance to travel there.
The other embroiderers for whom I digitize are local ladies with domestic single-needle machines. If they get someone wanting a few shirts done with a specific logo then our local Bernina dealer refers them to me. The majority of them I have met during the Bernina Club days.

Robert Young · May 25th, 2017, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlisonB

I have done some digitizing for a friend's sister in Cape Town, and always visit when we get a chance to travel there.
.

Having been to Cape Town I personally would continue to visit there every chance I could! lol Yeah, they move on, they have other sources but I like the idea of talking to them about problems... embroidery and digitizing... not to earn their business but more to learn how to avoid those issues and help other clients.