SSK is the first to carry the Big Squeegee

[signsbydale]

SSK or signsupplystore.com (http://www.signsupplystore.com) is the first supplier to carry the Big Squeegee. They carry the sizes that fit the equipment they sell. The staff at SSK have been working with the Big Squeegee in their operations so they can now offer support for the new tool. You will find the Big Squeegee listed with the little squeegees.

Signs by Dale, Inc. is the producer of the Big Squeegee and is also a merchant member here on signs101. Dale is proud to have SSK on board and hopes that listing it with a supplier and the lower prices set on their web site will encourage many new buyers of this fine tool.

[GraphixCALC]

Congrats Dale! I've only gotten to use mine a couple of times. My wife used it to lay some prints on 2'x4' coroplast and said that she loved it.

[cdsgraphic]

Hi Dale,

I'm sure your also aware, but my local supplier, SAGR Products Intl. committed to selling your product in there line-up of sign tools. They sent out flyers and emails last week about its availability. They were quite impressed when I demo'd it to them.

[Fred Weiss]

Way to go Dale. I see a big house and lots of fine things in your future.

[Cadmn]

way to go dale!!!!!!

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

Now that IS a marketing achievement!

Congrats!

[JMDigital]

COOL DEAL!! Congrats dale!

[ovrcafnatd]

Good for you Dale - Way to go!

[Bigdawg]

Congrats Dale!! Hitting the big time now...

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

Dale,

Considering that you may soon be "rollin in it" - do forum members get an even BIGGER discount?

Kidding....................:)

George

[signsbydale]

Dale,

Considering that you may soon be "rollin in it" - do forum members get an even BIGGER discount?

Kidding....................:)

George All kidding aside, SSK prices are almost 21% lower. By producing them by the masses I make out better because I'm not spending half my day processing orders. It just works out better all around to let suppliers do what they do best.

Thank you everyone for the continued support that has made the introduction of the Big Squeegee a success.

Dale

[2NinerNiner2]

Way to go, Dale! Here's to continued success!!! :)

[signsbydale]

I had this private message sent to me today. I would like to bring it to the attention of the forum so that others don't feel like they are over charged. This is the first time I have been confronted about this arrangement.

Why is it that SSK sell your squeegees for LESS than YOU DO!????????

I always thought that going directly to the manufacture was the most cost effective way to do business.......I guess not in YOUR business......Thats the last on I'll order from you.....I'll get the rest from SSK!

As you can tell I'm very upset at this.....No its not about the money, Its about you offering a DEAL to members that isn't worth ****.....just to pad your pockets...

p.s. Im not going to mention this on the boards......I don't feel that a pissing contest is worth my time.........I've said my PEACE!
I'm sorry that you are upset about the perceived deception. I did post on signs 101 that SSK had a better deal. (see post 11 of this thread)

Most customers from signs 101 wish to help me out by ordering direct from me. I assure you that I am far from lining my pockets. It would be nice if I could draw a few pennies from it.

I would much rather you bought from SSK so that they would order more from me. I give them a dealer discount so they order a lot at a time. By taking orders from individuals and having to answer to customers direct, time is being taken away from manufacturing. SSK has the trained staff to answer any question you have about the Big Squeegee.

Charging more than distributors is good business relations. If I sold them for less than SSK, they would not carry them. I will discontinue the sales from my site as soon as I get enough distributors to keep the bills paid and a little much needed salery started.

Dale

[iSign]

I did post on signs 101 that SSK had a better deal. (see post 11 of this thread)

Most customers from signs 101 wish to help me out by ordering direct from me. I assure you that I am far from lining my pockets. It would be nice if I could draw a few pennies from it.

I would much rather you bought from SSK....

...I will discontinue the sales from my site as soon as I get enough distributors...

Dale,
in your defense, not only did you spell out the lower price in post 11... but also in post #1

...but, that said, do you really think signs101 folks want to "help you out" extra... by paying extra? Or could it be that, like the author of yout private message.. people assume you will have the best price.

I think you should refund the difference, & arrange with SSK to allow you to offer matching (not undercutting) prices to signs101... OR, anyone from signs101 should be told that you "would much rather [they] bought from SSK...."

Obviously the reputation you have here must be worth more then the difference in SSK's price, so before another disgruntled fellow 101 member finds that they have experienced the same discrepancy, that is my suggestion.

[gerald]

I was national sales mgr. for a start up electronics co. in the early days of satellite tv. When we took on our first dist. we sent them our orders as well. We gave them 3 months of this. When we got another dist we gave it to them. People got excited and by the end of two years we had 22 distributors. Our incentive gave them more reason to take on the line.

[Vinny's Sign Shack]

Dale I have not yet bought one of your squeegees but I plan on it, I fo rone dis agree with Doug, of all places or forums this is one place we should not have to explain volume discounts and the big picture, I VERY often do business with someone I like or that is personable, as I have seen you are in most of your posts and also someone that is interested in feedback in their product, as I have seen you ask about issues with the big squeegee, I do not deal with SSK no reason, just have not ever dealt with them although I probably should about all the good I read about them, But I doubt if they take time to actively go out and search for feedback on all their products, whic would be tough for them to do. I feel you told Signs101 that they could buy it cheaper thru SSK if they wished, so I would just let it be, I feel that you are not in the wrong.
BUT I am only 1 person and my wife always tells me my opinion does not count for anything, so I would not be upset if someone here feels the same as her, I still love her and I am sure I will still love this place!
Vince

[Fred Weiss]

I can state from long experience in working with distributors, while also maintaining a direct sales capability, that it is a quagmire and the only reasonable thing a manufacturer can do is to try not to undercut his dealers. To attempt to match their discounts is nothing but a path to unhappy distributors.

For example, SSK sells some of my Plotter Art line. They decided to charge $99 for Plotter Art Originals as well as to throw it in to help sell a system. I charge $149 for the same product and regularly put it on sale for $129. If I were to drop my price to $99 I would be putting my whole relationship with SSK at risk along with my relationships with other dealers who may, in fact, follow my normal pricing.

Dale, you may find that you will never see enough return from just resellers to totally step away from direct sales. That will not matter to your resellers. What will matter is if you yank a sale away from them by matching or beating their price.

[Tim N]

(I think you should refund the difference, & arrange with SSK to allow you to offer matching (not undercutting) prices to signs101... OR, anyone from signs101 should be told that you "would much rather [they] bought from SSK...." )


He has designed a great product and the cost is very reasonable as is. I can't possibly see what complaint any one can have over the small amount of money were talking about here. Dale has indicated that his prices have lowered due to higher volume and not having to take orders direct this saves him time. All the talk on this board about valuing your time around here and you are basicaly telling him his time is not valued because he has to charge more for it than SSK.


To refund the difference would be silly he did after all spend his time and hard earned money on reaserch and proto-types i'm sure. And anyone that would request or accept a refund obviously should worry a little more about bringing some more work in the door so they can use that Big Squeegee.

[Pro Image]

I have been pondering if I should post a reply to this.........

We'll since Dale has posted my PM and made this a public discussion, here is my reply............

First off I have apologized to Dale privately for going off about the prices he was charging...I didn't read the thread or see the News post about SSK. I am now aplologizing to Dale in public........Dale I'm sorry about the rant.

I want to clear a few things up too.............This has nothing I REPEAT NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MONEY. It has to do with Dale advertising a 10% discount for Signs 101 members (He made a really big deal when he started that) only to find out that the general sign public can buy it for "21%" less than if we buy it off of Dale...........Thats the only part that pissed me off and thats it, end of stroy.............

I did not and I will not ask Dale for any money back. He is a member of this board and I will continue to support him when I can.

Dale I just think you should change you Signature Line.............

Thank you

[iSign]

...I for one disagree with Doug, of all places or forums this is one place we should not have to explain volume discounts and the big picture...

OK, I can be persuaded to accept your position Vinny, & would have to admit that Fred's comments add quite a bit of weight due to his similar experience & my respect for him as a businessman (not to imply any disrespect for Dale, just that 5 years of accumulated respect for Fred adds up)

...but before I rescind my position, let me clarify the way I see it now.
Dale wrote:

I'm sorry that you are upset about the perceived deception. I did post on signs 101 that SSK had a better deal. (see post 11 of this thread)

I would much rather you bought from SSK so that they would order more from me. I give them a dealer discount so they order a lot at a time. By taking orders from individuals and having to answer to customers direct, time is being taken away from manufacturing.

..So it is my observation that he obviously regrets the "perceived deception", apologizes for it's occurance, posts a reference to the perceived deception, & posts the apology... all in hopes of preventing an unfortunate recurrence.

...further, for Dale to post that he "would much rather you bought from SSK"... & mentioning that "time is being taken away from manufacturing" it seems that the best step to preventing an unfortunate recurrence here in this relatively small group would be to NOT sell them to his signs101 friends... just directing us to SSK would serve his stated preference, AND would serve the cost conscious interests of his neighbors here... WIN/WIN as they say.

Then of course he has the rest of the huge cross-section of the sign making community (who are not "neighbors" here) to sell to direct from his website...

...& as long as the extra 11% or so exceeds the value of the "time taken away from manufacturing", then he can happily get those prices from folks that aren't brought to his site by a misleading "SAVE 10%" signature.

[greeter896]

There is nothing wrong with what Dale has done. In fact it is rare to find a manufacturer who is as upfront with his customers as Dale has been. Lets recap;

1. Dale designs a great product.

2. After some success, Dale begins searching for distributors.

3. Dale announces SSK as a distributor and makes it public that customers
will be able to purchase the same product at a better price through SSK.

Its no secret that larger companies have the ability to buy in volume. This is how Walmart offers such low prices. When they buy in large volume they get volume discounts.

The quickest way to loose your distributors is to sell the same products they buy from you directly to customers for an equal or better price.

Now if Dale feels that Signs101 members buy directly from him because they want to help support him what is wrong with that? After all he is a Merchant Member of Signs101 and as such helps to support this forum.

Just my opinion.


Gary/Sign FX

[GVP]

It seems to me that if anyone wants to buy direct from Dale at the same prices as his distributor, all they have to do is buy in the same type of volume...

[iSign]

Now if Dale feels that Signs101 members buy directly from him because they want to help support him what is wrong with that?

Whatever Dale "feels" is irrelevant to this conversation... Dustin obviously didn't buy direct out of some desire to support Dale, & that is far more relevant today.

It seems to me that if anyone wants to buy direct from Dale at the same prices as his distributor, all they have to do is buy in the same type of volume...

now that is so frikkin brilliant... I wonder why I waste words attempting to spark an intellectual debate on the finer underlying points of an issue... when I could just be a smartass & say nothing of substance whatsoever! :rolleyes:

[signsbydale]

I have gotten a few people that buy directly from me even though I told them SSK had a lower price. I have also told customers to go ahead and buy from SSK if I thought they had it on hand. I want my distributors to have a good experience with the product so they will continue to carry and advertise it. The one advantage of ordering from SSK is that they carry the items as stock and can ship them out often the same day. We make them up as they are ordered so orders may take a few extra days to get filled depending on the workload.

I don't see why I should remove the 10% from my signiture though. There will be others that are visitors to signs 101 that do not buy from SSK. These visitors will most likely order from my list price if the discount is removed. I think too, that if I remove the discount ad in my signiture, fewer visitors will look at it. Seems we are all looking for discounts. I will remove it when I no longer take orders from the web site. It will instead have a list of distributors that you can purchase them from. SSK is already listed. If the orders were doing a little more than dribbling in I could give up the sales from my web site. The web site orders are what is helping pay the bills until things pick up.

The Big Squeegee is a relitively new product that has to be physically demonstrated to change skeptics into believers. Many sign people will not even give it a second glance unless they just happen to see it work. It is my hope the distributors will demonstrate it.

We have had some inquiries from several distributors lately that may make it possible for us to drop the sales from the website entirely in the not too distant future.

I thank you for your understanding on this matter. It is hard to please everyone all the time. The best policy is to serve the majority and work out the problems with the few.

Dale

[greeter896]

...but, that said, do you really think signs101 folks want to "help you out" extra... by paying extra? Or could it be that, like the author of yout private message.. people assume you will have the best price.



Doug,

I was commenting on a remark that you had made in a previous post. Whether or not his feelings are relevant to the conversation is not my point. I was simply offering another point of view relating to your coment.

On another note, I have never personally bought directly from a MFG assuming they would have the "best price". I have purchased directly based on the fact they had what I wanted in stock and could ship it immediately.

Regards,

Gary/Sign FX

[iSign]

GVP, & 896... forgive my rant. I just see inconsistencies & when I make an effort to read & comprehend what is being said... inconsistencies tend to jump out at me & demand explanation. I realize nobody owes me an explanation, but my nature requires that I ask for it to quiet my own agitated mind.

I don't see why I should remove the 10% from my signiture though.

...then don't remove it.
change it to 21% & redirect the link to SSK!

or don't do that & just make all the money you can make. I know I do...

...just don't say you wish everyone would buy from SSK to save you time dealing with orders, and then actively direct them instead to where you claim you DON'T want them to go... while costing them more money in the process.

[andy]

Hindsight is a beautiful thing- before SSK came on board there was no other place to buy these things apart from direct- now there is a choice and a difference in price- but this is now not then.

You can't in retrospect expect a refund or whatever- you buy the product at the price at the time you want it- and that's that.

If I buy a power tool this month and find it's £100 cheaper next month can I ask for the extra £100 I paid back- err no! If I want an Ipod and buy one only to find another shop selling it cheaper can I go spastic at apple demanding money back- no.

Why be so harsh on a guy who like most of us is only trying to get ahead and make a living? I expect we are only talking a few pounds worth of difference between the prices anyway- so what's all the fuss.

The squeege man is in business to make money like everyone else- good luck to him I say. After all he's invented a new product and got it main stream which is a huge achievement in it's own right.

If I want something I ALWAYS shop around and compare prices- this way I can make sure I pay the best price- if I pay too much then it's down to me.

[signsbydale]

Maybe I should paint a little better picture of what is going on.

SSK does not list all the sizes I list on my web site nor do they give out as much detale of the products. I have little control about what they want to advertise.

I do have a web site that distributors can send their customers to for the information about the product. SSK does not link to it at this time.

If I send everyone to SSK in my signiture then they don't see the web site with the product information on it. Then there is the issue of what do I tell future distributors? It would also be against the interest of distributors to put their prices in my web site.

I have removed the 10% discount from my signiture. I hope this will make EVERYONE happy:rolleyes: So much for the signs101 discount.

[Fred Weiss]

This is a totally ridiculous sequence of events.

[deanalois]

"Fred Weiss: This is a totally ridiculous sequence of events."
This is by far the best reply to this post
Thanks Fred

[iSign]

OK, I can be persuaded to accept your position Vinny, & would have to admit that Fred's comments add quite a bit of weight due to his similar experience...

...but before I rescind my position, let me clarify the way I see it.

If it was not already clear... while I did make the offhand suggestion the Dustin be offered the miniscule refund (prior to him identifying himself & stating that he was not looking for any refund)... my further posting on this thread was never again focused on that isolated comment... BUT, since Andy brought it up, I draw attention to the fact that while this SSK announcement topic is 2 months old... the irate PM was posted yesterday.

It may or may not be an issue of "hindsight"... but my original comments were meant as nothing more then an outside opinion aimed at customer satisfaction & damage control of a public situation. I'm a business man... Dale is a business man. I make no claims to be any better then he, or anyone else... but I enjoy this forum where offering outside opinions is both tolerated & encouraged. I gain as much or more from the wisdom I glean from these pages as I could possibly hope to repay.

If it were me... & a customer was upset... & somehow evidence of that dis-satisfaction became public. I would have liked to explain the completely justifiable realities that led up to the unfortunate dissatisfaction... just like Dale did! ...but, from out here on the sidelines, it occured to me that I might also have felt like publically offering to refund the difference. If I was discussing my own policies for keeping my own clientele happy... I honestly think I could fill up an entire thread with support for the value of customer satisfaction & good publicity that could be gained from that course of action.

Instead, we have this "totally ridiculous sequence of events." And I guess I could be blamed for that. But I ask you all to consider the sequence of events that would have transpired if Dale's out-ting of the private message had been followed with an effort to appease his customer (with the $10)along with his explanation of the completely justifiable price structure.

I guess it's not completely irrelevant to mention that on Dale's first thread ever in signs101, you could not get a big squeegee for under $150 (which included a video & a little squeegee) I made the suggestion that he would probably sell 3 times as many for a price of $89 without a video that I figured many people wouldn't want to pay extra for. Now you can get one for $94.50 without a video.

So I'll keep up with the unsolicited advice from the peanut gallery... & you'all can keep on playing armchair referee of my advice.

[Gino]

You know, I really don’t even know what this ‘Big Squeegee’ thing is, but with all of this fuss I’m going to go check it out on your sight. I just want to buy it at the best price possible and that looks like this ‘SSK’ place. Now I think I have all of those facts straight.

That being said, what is wrong with someone charging a price [any price] for his or her wares ?? For crying out loud, half of the posts, comments and arguments are about just that. How much you should charge, why you shouldn’t undercharge this one and don’t over charge the other guy… Not knowing the order these posts come in, gets answering each other all out of whack. Not phrasing someone’s position properly or the way you want to hear it is like being condemned to the witch’s stake. I’m surprised you’re not correcting him for misspellings.

Buyer Beware. If you walk into a Glidden store and get a gallon of Glidden paint, you will pay the most there than any other store in this whole country, including Hawaii and Alaska. Dat’s da rules. The guy at the Glidden store will tell you to go to Sears or your neighborhood hardware store to get a better deal. This Dale has done the same thing a few times. He told you of better deals. Just because you didn’t see it or like the new rules, that doesn’t make your position right. They’re his rules, just like in your shop, they’re your rules and you charge whatever you want. Make suggestions or critic him. That’s all you can do, but to demand money back… well, who is really showing their real colors here ??

All I want to know is, does this product do what it’s supposed to do ?? Then it’s worth it or not.


:thankyou: :unclesam:

[iSign]

"critique"

..and it's free!

..oh yeah, almost forgot my colors: :unclesam:

[Fred Weiss]

Gino -

Yes, it's worth it ... absolutely.

Will you use it for everything and will it cure the common cold ... no.

[Gino]

thanks...

[Fred Weiss]

Doug, picture this hypothetical:

Gonnamakesomemoola Printing located just one mile from beautiful Waikiki Beach works out a deal with you to supply him with banners printed on your Mimaki along with some other assorted items that you're comfortable with wholesaling to him. You will be given ready to print files whenever he orders that you can literally open and send to the printer. It is also understood that his orders will be produced at your convenience.

He's outside of your primary marketing area and will add to your production volume and, it might be said, represents "found business" for you.

His first order for 5 banners goes smoothly and all is right with the world. It is for the Yourgonnawannagothere Island Tours company, an Oahu based outfit that covers all over Hawaii.

This morning, out of the blue, you receive a call inviting you to bid on some banners for Yourgonnawannagothere Island Tours. What are you going to do?

I'm not going to elaborate on the possible choices you or anyone else might make in this situation. That really isn't the point of the hypothetical. The point is that when you choose to wear two hats, manufacturer selling to a dealer and retail manufacturer dealing with end users directly, these situations will come up.

Wearing two hats is not an ideal way to do business. It is often necessary though when dealer representation is slow to develop.

On the original question, I think most manufacturers that wear two hats, would be selling at full suggested list and would be the last place to look for the best price on a product that is also sold through dealers.

[iSign]

Fred, thanks you for your hypothetical account.
I honestly do not think I have ever failed to grasp any concept put forth in this thread, & I am not in disagreement with many, if any, of the concepts put forth.

...Except one!

Offering to throw $10 at this problem would have looked better then airing his clients grievances (including profanities) that were never intended for public scrutiny.

I never said I don't think Dale should have done what he did regarding the "two hat" approach... & in fact I have tried to make it abundantly clear that I see & agree with the fact that his reasoning IS valid & his proactive & preventative measures WERE ample & admirable.

Yes, as a result of the fallout, I did at first suggest that maybe he could offer to match the SSK price for signs101... but I was quick to admit that Vinny & yourself educated me of the problems with that.


On the original question, I think most manufacturers that wear two hats, would be selling at full suggested list and would be the last place to look for the best price on a product that is also sold through dealers.

...now what "original question" was that?

oh yeah, edited to add that, while I don't feel any hypothetical scenario was required to explain the complex wholesale/retail logistics... comparing custom made products to the production of identical widgets is incongruous.

[Pro Image]

The only reason I got upset was this............

I though that WE(Signs101 members) would get a better price on Dale's squeegees because of the community we share here............When I found out that SSK was offering a way better price that what we were being charged I got upset...........I flew off the handle mad............

As for Dale not competing with his distrubitors I don't blame him and completly understand.....

Like I said befor it wasn't about the 5.00 I would have saved, it was over the discount deal..........

[Jackpine]

This is a totally ridiculous sequence of events.

Dale offers a great product at a good price no matter how you look at it. He like many of us is just trying to get a very good product out and make a reasonable profit for all his hard work. The distribution and the price may change many times again. I have bought tools only to see a price reduction or a sale and never thought about trying to get some money back. Dale is an honest person. I have yet to hear a complaint theat the tool doesn't work..........they are worth every penny paid!

[iSign]

Like I said before it wasn't about the $5.00...

...I have bought tools only to see a price reduction or a sale and never thought about trying to get some money back.

Dustin...
I'm sorry I ever entered this discussion.

I never intended to twist peoples impressions of your situation by writing things nobody reads or understands.

At least I realize you never asked for money back...

...but before your name was ever tied to this discussion... I foolishly commented on the value of customer satisfaction IN MY SHOP... & that I believe $5 would have been more then worth the goodwill to be gained by keeping people happy... NO MATTER if some feel they shouldn't have been unhappy.

I'm sorry Dale decided to post your private email, & then tell us he would rather we all bought from SSK...

peace out :peace!:

[SSS_Tech]

I feel that the Big Squeegee is a great product, and as Dale states seeing is believing. When I first saw the first series of demonstration videos I said to myself "We have got to get one these!" We do a lot of printing here at SignSupplyStore.com for promotional and inhouse graphics and lets face it, when you can print big, you print big and when a tool such as Dales comes along that makes the application a snap, why wouldn't any sign shop have one of these fine tools on there work table. Dale has done alot of research and development and has revolutionized the application, taping and laminating part of this business and pushed it to a whole new level. Me and my tech staff use the Big Squeegee and I have to say that the ease of use is well worth the money. I commend Dale for his efforts and consideration in helping to improve the trade. Keep up the good work my friend.

[signsbydale]

If you did not get a DVD at the time of purchase of a Big Squeegee From SSK, please let me know so I can send you one. The DVD is very helpful at getting the best use from the Big Squeegee.

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

I have avoided this thread, aside from when it first initiated. The purpose of our posting was to offer Dale congratulations. I assumed that the following posts were more of the same.

I think I may have been the one that initiated the "pricing" issue, but it was all in jest.

We of all people should understand that the customer that purchases the larger quantities get the bigger discount. This is just a matter of common sense.

I do disagree with Doug about the "helping out" by purchasing directly from Dale. While SSK may offer a better price, some of us (including myself) may actually pay a little more for the opportunity to gain access to Dale, and his expertise. SSK will never be able to emulate Dale himself - another reason why their pricing could be lower.

Eventually, god willing, Dale will be so busy that he will never be able to take a phone call, from anybody other than a large corporate client. For the time being, if it only cost $5, $10, or even $20 more - it would be well worth it for the access.

To everybody, but especially Dale, I apologize for the jest about pricing.

Dustin - I am personally glad that you DID bring up the issue of pricing - for a different reason. This is a common occurance that many DO face, even making signs. We see it everyday when the one or two-time customer comes in and wants the same price are large carte blanche customers get.

[signsbydale]

The congratulations may be a little premature but thanks anyway.

SSK has only ordered one small batch of squeegees in over 3 months. I expected the batch to last less than a week. They must not be doing too well. All their squeegees do not have replaceable felt. That change was made 2 weeks after their order.

By letting me know if you got a DVD from SSK, I can do something to improve the quality of service.

Needless to say, I am not busy and I am available to answer any questions you have.

The sale going on in my web site will be going on until I have some answers to some vender issues.

[skyhigh]

I had this private message sent to me today. I would like to bring it to the attention of the forum so that others don't feel like they are over charged. This is the first time I have been confronted about this arrangement.



Dale

I think Dale was trying to NIP these concerns in the bud..... smart move. I was glad to see that he kept the senders name private.

My spin on this... I equate Dales situation to any other new product out there on the market. Hell I remember buying my first VCR for $800. Once they started to be mass produced, the price dropped drastically. Maybe I should be angry at panasonic, for now I can buy a much better machine, 20 years later for 50 bucks.

Now, I don't proclaim to understand everyhting that is involved in marketing and manufacturing a new product, but I can understand where Dale is at on his ladder to success. As far as business goes, Dales company is still in infantacy. (sp) Lighten up guys.

Good Luck Dale.

[signsbydale]

The SSK experience has not been a good one for me. Most of what they are doing has hurt the reputation of the product. By not sending out DVDs to new customers the new customers don't get out of it what they could. Some just shake there heads and put it in a closet. I just had a customer of SSK tell me that no one knew anything about the DVDs at SSK. I had contacted David Menhouse on 8/22/06 to remind him that the DVDs needed to be sent out with the squeegees. This prompted me to get the word out to see that SSK customers receive a DVD.

I guess a lot of this is my fault, I should package each Squeegee separate with a DVD. I have been sending them out in cases of 5 per box and the DVDs were sent in a stack along with a stack of guide books. I did this because a customer may order several squeegees and need only one DVD. A DVDs costs me $5 each (The Producer holds the copyright.) so I was trying to hold my cost down.

The price issue was in jest.

If anyone needs a DVD, send me a copy of the receipt at signsbydale@hotmail.com and I will get one out to you. I do have some other (part time) vendors so this offer is extended to them as well.

I have vendors that demonstrate the Big Squeegee along with their regular job. One of these is an equipment repairman. It allows him to make a little extra money on the side and he loves the effect it has on the observer. If you know of anyone that is in this kind of position I'd appreciate putting a bug in their ear.

Look for the Big Squeegee in the Fellers catalog in 2007. They love it. I will implement the individual packaging from now on...lol I will most likely discontinue sales from my site in the next few months. I will still be available to answer questions.

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Offering to throw $10 at this problem would have looked better then airing his clients grievances (including profanities) that were never intended for public scrutiny.


I've agreed with so much of what you say around here, but I've got to disagree with you on this one. Sticking to his guns says ALOT about the type of business guy he is, and how he feels on his position here. Yeah, it may have been a temporary fix, but, what happens when the next person sends him a similar message. Another $10.00? And the next. Another $10.00? By coming to a public forum, he chose to tackle the issue immediately before it happened again and to clear the air for the future...even if it meant a few bucks out of his pocket! COMMENDABLE! Dealing with the problem head on is an honest approach, and it shows KAHUNAS!

(By the way. He brought it to a public forum and left Dustin's name out of it and only used the PM to explain the issue. Could've left out the language IMHO. Dustin stood up and let everyone know it was him (another display of Kahunas). Dale tried to keep confidentiality, and use the scenario to stop a problem from repeating)

I can certainly see Dustin's point though. He felt like the 'boardies' were supposed to be getting a deal. But we're not comparing apples to apples here...

As Dale mentioned... SSK doesn't offer all of the sizes that he offers... and the production and shipping are a little slower because they are made to order when getting them through Dale.

Personally, I don't see the problem. EVERYONE raves about this product (I've seen the demo and it looks impressive). Everyone raves about it's affordability... The question here should be... Should I (collectively):

A. Get it from SSK and only get it in whatever size they offer/have in stock for $X or

B. Get it from Dale. Have a certain size made that SSK doesn't offer, and pay a little more for it.

Seems like a completely personal choice here... SSK buys more of them and buys them (completely assuming here) repetatively from him...or will be. Why not give SSK the discount so they could make the repeat money? What would be the incentive for SSK to buy them if they had to buy them for the same price as everyone else?

Anyone ever give a dealership a break on the trunk stickers because they buy alot of them over and over? If one person came and wanted only ONE, you would charge them a little bit more.

Stick to your guns Dale if that's what you feel is right here. You've earned an A+ in my book today. Althought I've never personally dealt with you, I would be happy to someday! (can I get a discount though?) JUST KIDDING! LOL

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And the more Dale posts, the more impressed I become!

[skyhigh]

Dealing with the problem head on is an honest approach, and it shows KAHUNAS!



Well I don't know about it showing Kahunas.... smart decision maybe.

I agree... to offer money back, or for someone to even suggest a refund is rediculous. They need to look at "the big picture".