Where do I get these? Retirement Home Door Signs

[TheSnowman]

Had a customer bring these in to me. He said that they need like 10 of them. It's a big place with probably a couple hundred rooms in it. They have braille on them and the name mounts on a little sliding piece that comes out from the side. He said some of them are double stacked, and you can put two names in them.

No idea where to start on this, I googled it, but didn't come up w/ much cause I don't know exactly what it's even called. It's got no engraving on it. The numbers are raised, then it's got like a sheet of plexiglass over it or something, and the color is under that.

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

anyone who does ada signs will be able to duplicate these for you...i've made thousands of them in the past for retirement homes ( so that they can cheaply change out the names when 'residents' ... 'move on') it is just non-glare acrylic that is backpainted (usually with lacryl) that is adhered to a backer (usually 1/8" black acrylic) leaving a gap for the "slider"

 

[Robert M]

Those signs

That is an Interface sign, they are out of Atlanta. A company called Kroy Signs out of Phoenix does similar work

 

[TheSnowman]

So would I basically just ask them for an approx price, and then if they approve, mail this to them for color matching, etc?

 

[TheSnowman]

Just talked to these guys the other day. Real easy to get replacements...however, they are RETAIL only, and won't do CRAP to help me out on even 5% off or something. So when I gave them my price, w/ a tad bit of markup for my time that would be involved, they kinda flipped (because they are expensive) and said they were going to call and try and get a lower price. Well duh, of course I'm gonna lose the job.

I hate it when they won't work w/ you on stuff like that.

 

[Locals Find!]

Just talked to these guys the other day. Real easy to get replacements...however, they are RETAIL only, and won't do CRAP to help me out on even 5% off or something. So when I gave them my price, w/ a tad bit of markup for my time that would be involved, they kinda flipped (because they are expensive) and said they were going to call and try and get a lower price. Well duh, of course I'm gonna lose the job.

I hate it when they won't work w/ you on stuff like that.

Can I give you some advice here to avoid the situation you just got yourself into.

In a situation like this what I do is just refer the client to where they can get them themselves. Be up front tell them that they can get a better price by going to X company, but tell them you would really like it if they can let you bid on some of the other work they have.

Like printing, other signage etc.. and ask for referrals to others that might be able to use you.

They will remember that you were the stand-up guy that was honest with them, rather than the guy that they see as trying to screw them by marking up a retail product.

It won't work 100% of the time but my experience is it works 80% of the time and helps you build a very solid reputation.

 

[HulkSmash]

We have done those inhouse using acrylic, and aluminum. Of course we talked them out of raised lettering, once they found out how much cheaper it was they went for it.

 

[gnemmas]

As you have a sample in hand, it is pretty easy to duplicate, a great chance to snap that account.

Get the two layers of acrylic, find a local engraving shop that also do braille, send the top matt-clear piece for them to do the raised number and braille, shouldn't cost more that $35 on that part.

We will charge $75 for that so you can start servicing that account and pick all other signage.

 

[Rick]

We have done those inhouse using acrylic, and aluminum. Of course we talked them out of raised lettering, once they found out how much cheaper it was they went for it.

Since this is a code sign with required raised elements, this may not be the best advice. In a few states, these signs are part of the actual building code so a sign shop would want to avoid giving the client the option of taking off the raised lettering and braille.

 

[StarSign]

Any sign shop that can do braile should be able to duplicate no problem

 

[TheSnowman]

This is already a long time customer of mine. I just informed them that the cost was astronomical, and that I was only ordering 7, and that I have no history w/ the company I was ordering from. I told them that since they have 100's in this building, that they may have their previous order saved and give them better pricing (which they will). I just told them it depended if they wanted to pay me for my time to do it, and I'll take the responsibility, or if they wanted to do it.

They will still be back in the future...it just burns me up when a company that does giant hospitals and jobs like that, won't work with any type of a wholesale setting at all.

 

[Rick]

As you have a sample in hand, it is pretty easy to duplicate, a great chance to snap that account.

Get the two layers of acrylic, find a local engraving shop that also do braille, send the top matt-clear piece for them to do the raised number and braille, shouldn't cost more that $35 on that part.

We will charge $75 for that so you can start servicing that account and pick all other signage.

This is very good advice... even if you decide to walk away from this job, and depending on your fabrication capabilities, I would look for a qualified local vendor who knows ADA to make portions of the sign you are not able to do, and then you fab the rest. (for the next time)

If there are hundreds of these signs, then there is going to be some discounting, but 10? Not really. By the time color is matched, everything layed out, screens set up for printing the borders, it gets to be pricey.

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

Grimco sells them signs too, maybe check on there prices.