Customer satisfaction 101

Contracts for sign jobs are a necessity of the business. They give a hard copy of what is expected of you as a service provider but also protect you from unnecessary conflict. Any time a customer contacts me for a sign job or a vinyl graphic, I document the conversation as to what they want and need. It makes things go alot smoother in the long run and avoids disappointment. Over time I've learned to ask the right questions to get the full spectrum of what the customer wants so I can get started on the job without having to call them back other than to give them progress reports. 

Questions:

• Which direction does the sign face - This is actually a very important question because it may change the materials that you recommend based on sun exposure. 
• Distance from road and foot traffic as well as the location of the sign height  - This will determine the amount of contrast the letters need on the background and determine the correct height of the graphics to be legible.
• Is the sign being backlit - Determining the substrate being used to create the sign as well as overall design.
• Dimensions of the sign - This is the most basic of questions because you need to find out your overall square footage of the sign to calculate material costs.
• Is the customer installing the sign - If yes problem solved. If no then arrangements will need to be made to either install the sign yourself or have a sign installation company do it for you.
• What is the sign being put on - Is it going onto a light box, a post, over top of another sign? If there is no sign present and it is a brand new install, you will need to have the customer arrange to have the utility companies come out and mark where the utilities may be running under ground. The last thing you need is to be driving a spike through a gas line or electrical connection.
• Life of the sign - What is the expected life of the sign the customer requires. This is important as it can save you frustration and grief in the long term. If a customer wants a wood carved sign to last them 25 years, maintenance free. I try to steer them away from wood and suggest High Density Urethane as a viable alternative. Wood will need to be touched up and repaired every 5 years or so to fix blemishes, pealing, cracking, and warping. If a customer wants a vinyl sign then it is merely suggesting higher grade vinyls that will survive longer. Know your product specifications.

There are so many questions that need to be answered to make your customers happy and content but if you want referral work then you need to make them happy. People in general will have lengthy conversations about how unhappy they are with poor service and product but rarely give any thought to saying in a conversation how happy they are with what you have provided for them because it is what is expected from you as a service provider.

Stay creative my friends