At Otto’s Parking Marking, we get a lot of questions about signs. Questions like, “Do you make custom signs?”, “How long does it take to produce a sign?”, and “Can you install signs or do you just deliver them?” With all these questions, we thought it would be worthwhile to explain exactly how our sign process works.
Otto’s sign process can be broken down into three parts: ordering, production, and installation. In this blog post, we are going to focus on ordering. Below are some fictitious, yet very realistic, conversations between a customer and one of our Sales Representatives.
Conversation #1
Sales Rep: “Thanks for calling Otto’s Parking Marking. This is Mike. How can I help you?”
Customer: “Hi Mike. This is Norm with Norm’s Meat Palace. I need to get some information about signs. I’ve got an area in my parking lot with a lot of pedestrian traffic. Vehicles tend to go way too fast in this area and I’m worried that one of my customers is going to get hurt.”
Mike: “I understand. Are you looking to get stop signs, pedestrian signs, or some sort of custom signage?
Norm: “I’m not sure what the best solution is. Would you mind taking a look at the area and telling me what you think?”
Mike: “I’d be happy to. I’ll stop by in the next couple of days to do an assessment and let you know my recommendation. Thanks for calling, Norm. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Conversation #2
Mike: “Hi Norm. It’s Mike at Otto’s. I made it by your property yesterday and looked at the area we discussed. I would definitely recommend a combination of stop signs and pedestrian crossing signs. Would you like me to forward you a site plan showing where I think the signs should be located?”
Norm: “That would be great. Now, will you be able to match the existing signs on my property?”
Mike: “Absolutely. We have an in-house sign shop, so we’re able to produce everything from standard to custom signs and posts.”
Norm: “Oh, ok. What’s the difference between the two?”
Mike: “A standard sign is similar to what you have now. Just a basic sign attached to a green or galvanized u-channel post. A custom sign, on the other hand, allows you to pick and choose style options based on your budget. For example, a smaller budget may allow for a basic sign, attached to a round post with a decorative finial on top. A larger budget may allow for a basic sign, mounted to an oversized backing plate, attached to a fluted post, and topped with a decorative finial. There are other options as well, including powder coating and color choices.”
Norm: “Well, I’ve been looking for a way to dress up the outside of my store, so the custom signs sound great.”
Mike: “Do you only want the new signs to be custom, or would you like to upgrade all the signs in your parking lot, so they match?
Norm: “I think I’d like to get a proposal to upgrade all the signs in the lot?”
Mike: “Ok, great. The first thing I need to know is what kind of budget you have for this project? Are we talking about a $2500, $4000, or $5000 range? This will help me determine which style options I can offer you.”
Norm: “Let’s look at the middle range and see what that looks like.”
Mike: “I’ll have our graphic designer put together a sign proof and I’ll send it over to you in a few days, along with pricing.”
Norm: “Sounds great. I’ll be watching for it.”
Conversation #3
Norm: “Hi Mike. It’s Norm. I got your sign proof and pricing. I love the look of the signs you put together for us. I’d like to go ahead and move forward.”
Mike: “Fantastic. First thing I need you to do is sign the proposal and send it back to me. As soon as I receive it, we can get started with production. That typically takes about two weeks. Once the signs are ready, our scheduler will be in touch to coordinate the installation. If you have any questions between now and then, feel free to give me a call.”
Norm: “Mike, it’s been a pleasure working with you. Thank you for your help and I’ll let you know if I have any questions.”
Mike: “Thanks Norm. Glad I could help.”
Well, that’s how a typical sign order goes around here. Next month we’ll be highlighting the sign production process. Stay tuned!