What do you say to a customer that complains about every little imperfection in a commercial van wrap?

[Texas_Signmaker]

Haha, do you know how many times the owners or a customer have asked me about bubbles or defects, and I say it'll goa awy in the sun, knowing damn well it won't.... I think of the hundreds of times only 1 customer came back and said it didn't go away.

Glad I'm not the only one who uses the sun method.

We all use the sun on bubble excuse

 

[Stacey K]

Haha, do you know how many times the owners or a customer have asked me about bubbles or defects, and I say it'll goa awy in the sun, knowing damn well it won't.... I think of the hundreds of times only 1 customer came back and said it didn't go away.

Glad I'm not the only one who uses the sun method.

I use it all the time! Only had one person come back after and it was true...a few bubbles didn't disappear so I popped them and all good!

 

[ikarasu]

About 3 weeks ago we rented a huge genie with a 60 ft extension arm to do some window perf high up at a police station, some recruitment graphics that were staying up for 6 months and then being removed.

We had to go down a small sidewalk, as well as a busy street... So we had to get traffic control and close off the road and everything.

We finish up ... And the guy comes out, loves it .... We start driving it back down this street and sidewalk with pavers that crack on each side, so have to go slow and be careful, took about 30 mins.... Then he calls us over and points out a small bubble.

We did 15 windows.... And this was in the bottom corner, couldn't notice it unless you zoom in with a camera phone. But it's a good customer, and we had time... So we got the traffic control guys to stay kongerx shut the road down... Made our way back, popped the bubble ... Did a quick look at everything, called him out.... He gave the thumbs up, so we spent 30 mins removing the boom....

Then he calls us over pointing to another "bubble" on his phone. I told him that's just glare from the Overlam sticking to the window and after a few days it'll go away.

It was really hard to see any bubbles on window perf due to the sun glare that day... And I'm not joking when I say you had to zoom in 50x on a phone to see it.

I haven't heard back from them and it's been a few weeks.


We never send anything out bad, but I'm not wasting an hour of my time and shutting down a highway to pop a bubble on a window that will be up for 6 months .. at least not twice in a row!

 

[JBurton]

a huge genie with a 60 ft extension arm

I'd wonder what this cost vs a crane rental in your area.
For us, a lift delivered is about 1,500 or 2,000. A crane with a basket is about 250/hr. Since I've had one to many god awful experiences with rented equipment, I'll always opt for the crane, which reduces my time learning a new machine, and the operator can put us right where we ask without any care of mine as far as 'is this dingy labeled lever that gets stuck the boom down or right?'

 

[ikarasu]

I'd wonder what this cost vs a crane rental in your area.
For us, a lift delivered is about 1,500 or 2,000. A crane with a basket is about 250/hr. Since I've had one to many god awful experiences with rented equipment, I'll always opt for the crane, which reduces my time learning a new machine, and the operator can put us right where we ask without any care of mine as far as 'is this dingy labeled lever that gets stuck the boom down or right?'

Down here you're supposed to be certified... We were up 20 feet in the air without any harness or anything.. most of the length was because we had to go from the sidewalks we didn't squish their pavers. It was $650 for the day, Canadian, I think that's like 450 freedom units. It's $200 to drop off, $200 to pick up, and then a regular Genie is only like $30 a day but this boom Lyft was about 250 a day.

Hiring a flagging crew cost us a pretty penny though... I think it was over 2,000 for the day due to the road and sidewalk we were blocking.

I've given lots of genies lots of boom lifts, I used to drive an order picker around 20-30 ft in the air so I'm used to Heights and equipment... The first 5 minutes on any new machine is a pain in the ass though, all the different brands have different rules and different buttons.... Took me 5 minutes just to figure out how to get this one to go because when one tire was slightly tilted you had to hold down a button in order to make it move.

I would have much preferred a crane! The install took us 7 hours, I would say three to four of those hours was adjusting and getting the genie into the right spot... Trying to make the arm extension go between flag poles, get us up close to the window without us breaking or hitting the window was a pain...

I don't normally go on installs anymore, but whenever a Genie or Boom lift is involved nobody else is willing to drive it

 

[JBurton]

Hiring a flagging crew cost us a pretty penny though... I think it was over 2,000 for the day due to the road and sidewalk we were blocking.

But it was for the police?! Just tell them to roll out there, flip on the lights, and swing by the tim hortons for some donuts and a bag of milk, your treat!
Those prices are seemingly lower than ours, I'll have to pull an invoice on a self driving lift, we've only gotten the ridiculous ones with extending wheels and no outriggers, or is that what you had?
Also, certified to use a lift or a crane? When we rent a crane, they send an operator, they don't much like us pulling the levers, and if it lifts over 2,500lb you need a cert.

 

[10sacer]

We just wrapped a Ford Transit van for a long-standing customer, a commercial & residential painting company. This is their first vehicle wrap so they're new to this game. It turned out great! I wasn't present when they picked it up but had spoken to them on the phone to let them know it was done. They were so excited & I was excited for them. Today, I get a call that they aren't happy with how it turned out. I told them to bring it by & I'll be sure to be in the office to look at it with my wrap crew. When the customer got here with his entourage (3 other people, are you kidding me?!), they pointed out every minor (barely there) wrinkle & imperfection. Granted, there are a few small wrinkles in those areas on a van that are more challenging to wrap, but definitely not an excessive number, well within what I would call acceptable parameters for a commercial vehicle. After some discussion, we came to a compromise; we're going to replace the "worst" area of the wrap. Of course, I'm not thrilled about it but it could be worse. My team isn't thrilled about it either. Who's to say they won't complain about the replacement? So my question is... How do address a customer's unrealistic high expectations of perfection?

Wait til he realizes the white point from van paint and wrap vinyl don't match

 

[96XP]

Rarely do I ever get a complaint, about the installation, though here is a one in a million, in context.

Customer orders one of my designs for a Jr. dragster.
I request straight-on side view image so that I can arrange for the dimensions.
What I receive is a skewed image of the dragster hanging from the ceiling tucked inside a hot trailer.
Too lazy to send a proper image as required, then sends in some dimensions, yet I can't get the lines to connect with what he provided.
Upon my request for a revised set of 'dims', I then receive a reply - two weeks later.

Those updated dims still didn't jive.
Requested that he remove the dragster from the trailer, and take proper dimensions.
He said it was backed up against a building and wouldn't do it.

3rd set of dims were received - a week later.
Now he's pissed at me because it's taking too long.
?

I received the following complaint:
"Finally got around to unboxing and going to install the wrap and the quality is definitely not what I was expecting, the top clear film doesn’t look likes it’s bonded very well and can see drips and squeegee marks through out. There are 5-6 spots that are rippled bad. Also it came in two separate pieces, on the website the illustration shows it as being one solid piece, two halves are obviously going to be much tougher to line up and have look correct. Overall pretty disappointing considering the wait and cost."

My reply:
Sorry to hear that, xxx.
I have been doing this for several years, not just dragsters, though many power sports and sign applications with the same product and never an issue.
Even our own vehicles are done with the same product, without such complications.
Your package is no different - processed with premium 3M media, 'CV3' wrap, dry installation.

One reason the overlaminate could distort in that one area would be that the package, or panels, were left in an excessively hot environment before install or near chemicals.
Drips and squeegee marks are not the fault or result of the product, though of the installer.

As for ripples, the CV3 product can be stretched 30% over its natural size, and returns to 100% natural state when heat is applied.
However, what I am seeing was from poor handling at the receiving end as I personally roll all prints myself, without flaw.
Two separate pieces is the way it has always been processed and installed. Not to mention, it cannot be processed as a one piece, as that would exceed the printers' capabilities.

Have dealt with hundreds of customers over the many years, and never had a complaint of this nature.
If you were to have had an experienced professional do the install, they would have know what to do.

I'm a stand-up guy, and if I'm in error, I own it.
And I expect the same courtesy and honesty in return.


Never heard back after that.

THE END

 

[MP Custom]

I set expectations up front. I tell them this is artwork applied by hand and it's going to have small, unnoticeable imperfections when viewed in its entirety.

Just do what you can to address their issues with it and it will be fine. It's easy to take it personally but spend a little extra time and be very gentle with them. It's not a factory finished paint job, it's sticky vinyl applied by hand from someone doing their best.

That is the way