Quality Check

[Signature Sign Guys]

we recently had a client come in and ask us about a job he just had just got done from another shop. He was asking if he had a shotty wrap done or if this was the norm. He would have brought it to the attention of the shop but he didn't take a close up look at it after it was done and it was only when he got home did he take a full close up look. He said there were wrinkles, bubbles, and pieced together spots. he called the shop and they said that this is normal and everything will flatten out over time.

we told him a lot of the bubbles will dissipate and flatten out so that is normal(doesn't look good at the start but they will go away) and depending on the material the small wrinkles might do the same(cant guarantee since we did not know the material).

After seeing this wrap I am wondering what others will let go and what would be called for a reprint?

attached are photos for a reference.

 

[Gino]

The only thing I see is, perhaps better planning where the seem ends up, but not seeing the overall scheme of things, it's hard to tell. Ya never wanna be in the middle of a squabble like that. I'd just tell him, it looks fine and be done with it.

Question for you....... how is it, you consider him a client, but he got his wrap done elsewhere ??​

 

[eahicks]

The seams are ok. The photo with the bubbles (image2)....those shouldn't be there if it's proper air release wrap vinyl. They should press out with a finger. The other wrinkles (image 3) is pretty bad to me, and indicates it might be 3m 180C, as I've had that issue with the stuff. They might flatten some later, but not much.

 

[SightLine]

The wrinkles are a bit of a problem. Easy to miss a bubble here and there when installing but we always make sure to move around a lot at the end to change the lighting angles to catch any. The wrinkles should not happen, that is an installer inexperience issue. Are they bad enough to warrant a re-print? That depends on where they are, how bad, how many and how the client was educated on having realistic expectations. Give a client no information and they will generally expect an award winning show car install if they do not know better and have never seen another typical wrap up close. Can we do a show car quality wrap, sure, but it will cost you a LOT more.

 

[Signature Sign Guys]

The only thing I see is, perhaps better planning where the seem ends up, but not seeing the overall scheme of things, it's hard to tell. Ya never wanna be in the middle of a squabble like that. I'd just tell him, it looks fine and be done with it.

Question for you....... how is it, you consider him a client, but he got his wrap done elsewhere ??​

Thats kinda what we ended up telling the client. We also just call someone who walks into our shop a client. What do you call someone who comes in?

 

[Gino]

Lotsa things. But they ain't a client til the buy something and we make money. Otherwise, they might be a thief, jacks$$, potential, PITA, oh no.... not them again, Time-waster, my neighbor, frickin' democrat...... the list goes on.

 

[netsol]

Gino,
by the sound of it, you should have a buzzer to let people in

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I would never criticize or offer a negative opinion on another shop's work to a customer. When you go down that road, you set the stage for them coming back and being the pickiest customer you have ever had or getting bad mouthed in return. I would tell them that they could have done a better job but its not terrible and none of us are perfect.

 

[CanuckSigns]

I had a similar situation back in April, client got his van wrapped at a shop out of province for some reason, brought it to us to take a look at, I had no prior dealings with this guy or his company, asked me to take a look at the wrap and see if we could "fix" the issues, the issues he saw were fairly minor, a few little corners pealing up, a few small cuts that were poorly done, but overall for a work van it looked pretty good. asked me to quote him on fixing the issues, told him to contact the original company as i'm sure they would help him out, he insisted and I told him i don't want to be in the middle.

Judging by how minor the issues were I could see him wanting a showcar quality wrap on his ford transit connect and never being 100% happy.

 

[Bradley Signs]

If the customer comes to pick it up, and doesn't give it a halfassed good looking over, he is just as much to blame. I make sure everyone looks things over before it actually becomes theirs. But I also don't point out every little this and that. Let them sort it and carry on. Once they pay, it's theirs. This isn't thirty years ago where you busted your back to make everyone happy.
Not a world I'm happy to play in, but it is what it is.
Oh, I've heard of SHODDY, but whats SHOTTY mean? Full of shot gun blast?

 

[Stacey K]

I would tell him it could be a little better but it isn't bad. The bubbles will go away, the wrinkles might mostly go away also. Don't set yourself up for this guy to bring his next truck to you and expect 100% perfection. Yikes.

 

[ikarasu]

Have you guys ever had wrinkles like that go away? If you get a small wrinkle like that... heat usually will push it out and into shape (While leaving a mark). But those look like they were big wrinkles that have already been heated down... so I doubt they will go away at all. If they would... I'd expect the shop to have done it! They wont go away on their own without heat / pressure.

Is the black vinyl a print, or cut letters? It looks like cut letters to me... in which case there shouldnt be nearly as many bubbles...and I get a feeling they cheaped out on the vinyl for that... in which case I doubt it'll go away.

The joins on the back as well...such an odd place to put it...as well as the big white section between the doors, it looks more like the vinyl has already shrunk from over stretching in that area... which is weird!

all in all, I'd say it's not a good wrap job. It's something a "Sign shop" with a printer/laminator would spit out without proper knowledge of how to wrap a vehicle which happens all too often. That... or it was done by an installer in training, or someone having an off day.

 

[Billct2]

I wouldn't say that was a good job. The seam isn't done well and is that white showing through on the panel behind it? And the wrinkles look like they were worse and that's as good as they will get. Whether it's an acceptable job is another question. Some clients prefer price over perfection and some trucks aren't worth being fussy about. But that should be settled up front.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Have you guys ever had wrinkles like that go away?

Yes. I show them the wrinkle, they say it's just a work truck and then they drive away.

 

[Gino]

Sorry....... I was just looking at these pictures on another computer. Now, I see the folds and wrinkles in the white. Yeah, that's not too plenty good.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Cant tell from the pictures what it actually is but it looks like some text and 2 stripes with a pinkish red back? If that's the case, why wrap the assumingly white van in white to get 2 stripes and black text?

 

[ikarasu]

Yes. I show them the wrinkle, they say it's just a work truck and then they drive away.

if we have something like that we usually offer a discount. Of course every customer is different.

Work Truck vs police car vs customers vehicle. If it's a police car or customer vehicle we just fix it.... We'd never send it out like that. But honestly Wed never do that.... Why continue wrapping if you see a big crinkle? Lift it up, heat it back to shape and try again (depending on the print and design it's usually not noticeable).

Shit does happen.. And if the customers OK with it that's one thing.

Telling the customer it'll magically go away is wrong though. What are they going to do in a week when the customer comes back complaining it hasn't?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

if we have something like that we usually offer a discount. Of course every customer is different.

Work Truck vs police car vs customers vehicle. If it's a police car or customer vehicle we just fix it.... We'd never send it out like that. But honestly Wed never do that.... Why continue wrapping if you see a big crinkle? Lift it up, heat it back to shape and try again (depending on the print and design it's usually not noticeable).

**** does happen.. And if the customers OK with it that's one thing.

Telling the customer it'll magically go away is wrong though. What are they going to do in a week when the customer comes back complaining it hasn't?

All bullshittin aside, I won't give a discount for a screw up. It either bothers you or it doesn't. If money makes it better then you are nitpicking.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I'll admit, I've put out worse work. If a client brings a quality issue to my attention I'll give it some TLC until they feel better. Some people just need to complain about something and have you fix it so they feel like they did their job.

I agree with others, that seam is in a illogical place. The wrinkles were probably not there when he picked it up, and over a few days probably showed back up.

I'd tell the client to bring the truck back to the company and show them what he is un happy with. Calling them on the phone is too easy to dismiss.

 

[Gino]

Don't do discounts for our f*ckups, either. Had a run of political signs about a week ago and had 2 very minor headstrikes. She got the 25 4×4's she ordered, plus 2 FREE ones. It was hardly noticeable. Same thing happened to some lawn care guy, who ordered 50 18×24's. This time of year, the cor-x sometimes bows and it always happens to the second side. Hafta figure that out.