Bad service from signs 365

[d fleming]

Just a heads up. I'm a little hot right now so I'll make it short. If signs 365 makes a mistake that costs you time and money, get over it. That's their attitude. Only been using them a short time, everything was great until today. Biggest job I've sent them so far, they screwed the pooch and will only offer a discount to reprint. Just blame me period. 'We do thousands of customers a day" guess they can afford to let a couple go here and there. Next.

 

[eahicks]

That's a shame...letting one bad experience terminate your relationship. Hope all your customers don't do that. You didn't go in to detail, so I assume they're "screwing the pooch" was entirely their fault? I've had nothing but good luck with them, they have accommodated us every time. Even calling to double check some info on one job where we would pay cheaper shipping by splitting the order, as well as another job they saved us huge shipping costs by folding large banners, eliminating freight charges. If we ever have that one job that blows up, we'll see, but I doubt I'll end the relationship entirely.

 

[bannertime]

Ah man, let me tell you. My favorite quotes so far: "they're going up high, they won't see the marks anyway" and "that's just the nature of the material." First one was a 2in x .5in white scratch in a set of player banners when we first started using them and the latter was recent regarding some serious drop out on their window perf material.

eahicks I had a large rant here about 365, but I'll leave it out for now.

I loved 365 when we first started using them. I loved their story. I loved their speed. I think their customer service and quality control is garbage. I'll continue to have them as a bench-warmer, and I really wanted to use them with a new client, but I can't bring my self to drop ship from them. My current line up is 4over, B2, Signworld, and IndyImaging. You want something done right, Indy is the place. Signworld does a great job with CNC and Laser Cut Acrylic. B2 for just about all my fabric stuff, and 4over for just about everything else (helps that they are across the street from me.)

 

[d fleming]

, so I assume they're "screwing the pooch" was entirely their fault?
Yep. Entirely. I have been in business over 35 years, I have corrected every mistake I have ever been given the chance to and quite a few that weren't mine just to keep good customer relations.

 

[d fleming]

Ah man, let me tell you. My favorite quotes so far: "they're going up high, they won't see the marks anyway" and "that's just the nature of the material." First one was a 2in x .5in white scratch in a set of player banners when we first started using them and the latter was recent regarding some serious drop out on their window perf material.

eahicks I had a large rant here about 365, but I'll leave it out for now.

I loved 365 when we first started using them. I loved their story. I loved their speed. I think their customer service and quality control is garbage. I'll continue to have them as a bench-warmer, and I really wanted to use them with a new client, but I can't bring my self to drop ship from them. My current line up is 4over, B2, Signworld, and IndyImaging. You want something done right, Indy is the place. Signworld does a great job with CNC and Laser Cut Acrylic. B2 for just about all my fabric stuff, and 4over for just about everything else (helps that they are across the street from me.)

Indy Imaging, thanks!

 

[d fleming]

For the record, I will probably use them again once I get over the level of po'd these dipsticks put me at today, but not on anything large. At the moment I wouldn't be very nice in person. Phone warriors make me sick. I just paid two installers to clean my warehouse today instead of install prints that have to be trimmed and rigged then installed with black vinyl stripes on edges to cover. Now we get to play catch up.

 

[BALLPARK]

Sorry to hear your issues with them...

I like to use Signs2Trade as my first up solution to a project as needed. Then B2Sign...

Nobody is perfect... but if you are looking for options to replace them, then give Signs2Trade a shot. I don't pinch the penny when I see that I get the customer service that is needed to ensure my projects are completed properly and on time. I've sent quite a bit of business to both companies listed above and found that Signs2Trade has the best customer service that I've found for a wholesaler among the top options from years of searching.

Good luck... hope that your current project's errors does not mean you lose the client.

 

[d fleming]

Sorry to hear your issues with them...

I like to use Signs2Trade as my first up solution to a project as needed. Then B2Sign...

Nobody is perfect... but if you are looking for options to replace them, then give Signs2Trade a shot. I don't pinch the penny when I see that I get the customer service that is needed to ensure my projects are completed properly and on time. I've sent quite a bit of business to both companies listed above and found that Signs2Trade has the best customer service that I've found for a wholesaler among the top options from years of searching.

Good luck... hope that your current project's errors does not mean you lose the client.

Thank you. Client is the largest liquor distributor in the US. Been a client over 20 years. It made me look bad today and cost me some cash but I am confident I will keep the client. S365 not so much. Sad thing is this is the front of a large liquor store, I still have over 26 large double windows to do after this. Won't be sending it to s365. But as their rep said, they have over a thousand customers a day so they'll never miss it.

 

[jman]

I've been using 365 for over 5 years and they have always took care of me whenever there was a issue.

I know a few people you will get on the phone there are pretty much useless but I talk to my man Ernie. He works day shift. Call and ask for him, He's a rockstar on taking care of things!

 

[d fleming]

I've been using 365 for over 5 years and they have always took care of me whenever there was a issue.

I know a few people you will get on the phone there are pretty much useless but I talk to my man Ernie. He works day shift. Call and ask for him, He's a rockstar on taking care of things!

Took it form their rep that answered phone to a manager, only made it worse. Already working on replacing them in our plan while I am running a batch of rum in the distillery. Multi-tasking! Shame really. Up until today they were knocking it out of the park every time, but when you basically tell me over and over that I don't know what I'm doing, you're perfect and I'm wrong, you get fired.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

That sucks that you had to shift things around like that and delay a project. I've have good experiences with them fixing the rare problem that occurs.

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I will say this, I do NOT put myself in a position that I am relying on a print/product down to the exact day. I always give an extra day or two of buffer time just in case FedEx messes up, or S365 messes up or just whatever happens.

I had a customer tell me Saturday he needed some signs for an auction on Tuesday at 9:30am and although I could of ordered them and they be at FedEx at 9am Tuesday... it required EVERYTHING to work without fail and that, I couldn't guarantee. 95% of the time everything is on-time and smooth, but maybe that day the plane gets delayed and FedEx misses a connection or they get damaged in shipping. I told the guy, sorry... that's putting to much faith in the system. (I actually referred him to FedEx office to print the signs because they could do them on a SUNDAY...lol)

It's hard to say no, even to a good customer... but I don't think I've lost any of my customers because I couldn't meet an unreasonable deadline.

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

That's the thing with signs365. when they are good, they are great. when they screw up, they do it in a royal fashion...

But to say your done with them is a little short sighted...unless you have a replacement vendor that your comfortable using, be it with a slightly higher price, and slightly longer delivery times...

 

[ddarlak]

I've been in your shoes, they can do great work but they can really crush your nuts when your time frame is tight.

 

[neato]

I will say this, I do NOT put myself in a position that I am relying on a print/product down to the exact day. I always give an extra day or two of buffer time just in case FedEx messes up, or S365 messes up or just whatever happens.
It's hard to say no, even to a good customer... but I don't think I've lost any of my customers because I couldn't meet an unreasonable deadline.

This is great advice. Tight time frames are usually the result of a customer waiting until the last minute to order or having a false sense of urgency, or the sign company over-promising on the deadline.

All of that can be controlled by the sign company at the moment of the sale.

 

[joshGN]

so what exactly was the mess up on S365 part?

 

[Johnny Best]

so what exactly was the mess up on S365 part?

Would like to know this also. I use them for large projects over the years and have never had a problem with anything (knock on wood). As far as artwork that just comes down to taking my file and pushing a button. It must have been a finishing mistake like bad grommets or hems or shipping late, packaging wrong, something of that nature. As far as colors or sizes, materials, that is just copying files and information you downloaded.

 

[d fleming]

Replaced them with new vendor. Problem solved. Not like they're the only game around. These are a series of window graphics with large background pic. Problem was (1) damaged prints and (2) a white outline around all images making the graphic smaller than the glass. There is no white outline in my art. Period. I have sent them many files in the same fashion and never had this occur. The fix is to lay fat black stripes to seal edges and hide the white and the damage that has to be trimmed away. Not perfect but will suffice. Deadline was my own. But did tell customer what day we would be out. Now I look like I'm just a poor planner. Had prints in plenty of time and could have been fixed. I would have met them halfway if they had just treated me proper. But to tell me I don't know what I'm doing and it's not their problem? Wrong answer. I have been in this industry my entire life, have taught Commercial Arts at secondary and post secondary level. Well, I guess they were right. It is no longer their problem. Shame, this was just the start of a large project that they just lost. Yesterday was one of those days that make me glad I have made the decision to transition to another business out of this one over the next year or two. I've just had it with what the sign business has turned into in the last decade or so. That and I have turned into a cranky old fart in my senior years, according to the wife. Could I have handled it better at my end? I am sure I could have. But there is something satisfying about telling someone you are paying to do a job that is screwing it up seven ways to Sunday and arguing with you while being a total PITA that they are fired. What capped it was them saying "we'll just have to agree to disagree". No we won't. You're wrong and your fired.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Now I look like I'm just a poor planner. Had prints in plenty of time and could have been fixed.

I'm confused... If you had the prints with plenty of time to be fixed then why wasn't it? They didn't take responsibility for the white outline or the damage? If it wasn't in your artwork AND it was damaged I'm shocked they didn't fix it, and honestly a little skeptical of the story because they have always caught their mistakes and fixed them in my experience. They will however, not take responsibility when I make a mistake or have something wrong with the artwork.

I know the importance of doing what you say when you say you'll do it. I live by that code. But at the same time, people are understanding and forgiving in situations when you've proven yourself over and over. If I have to delay a project because of whatever, (weather, material being late, a fuck up on my part) I just ask them, "Hey, I had a quality issue with your product and I want to redo it and make sure I'm giving you 100%, would you mind if we delayed this a day or two so I can give you the best I can?" I'd feel better about doing the job the right way and being a little late VS putting up some patch work type job to make it work.

 

[ddarlak]

All of that can be controlled by the sign company at the moment of the sale.

not in all cases

I do event signage, sometimes sponsors are sold with days/hours notice, my job is to get it done no matter what.

365 offers VERY short time delivery options, they become a relied on source. when they send out a product that should never have been sent out - they become unreliable, which leads to a Signs101 post...

yes, you can tell the customer what is expected, but when you try and be the end all to their means you have to make unreasonable things happen. 365 cannot be a partner in this process because they cannot be trusted.

if i have a few extra days, sure i use them.

 

[d fleming]

I'm confused... If you had the prints with plenty of time to be fixed then why wasn't it? They didn't take responsibility for the white outline or the damage? If it wasn't in your artwork AND it was damaged I'm shocked they didn't fix it, and honestly a little skeptical of the story because they have always caught their mistakes and fixed them in my experience. They will however, not take responsibility when I make a mistake or have something wrong with the artwork.

I know the importance of doing what you say when you say you'll do it. I live by that code. But at the same time, people are understanding and forgiving in situations when you've proven yourself over and over. If I have to delay a project because of whatever, (weather, material being late, a **** up on my part) I just ask them, "Hey, I had a quality issue with your product and I want to redo it and make sure I'm giving you 100%, would you mind if we delayed this a day or two so I can give you the best I can?" I'd feel better about doing the job the right way and being a little late VS putting up some patch work type job to make it work.

It wasn't fixed because they refused to fix it. Offered only a discount to reprint. Not acceptable. I screw up, I pay for it, always have. You screw up, you pay for it, not me. Be skeptical all you want. My rep in this industry is impeccable and I a have 35 years+ experience as a shop owner and instructor. Your turn in the barrel will come up with them sooner or later, I look forward to your post when it does.