You just answered your own question Lol
Just say we can't do your work and throw in a few sorries and I apologize for inconvenience
Give them a cookie pad them on head and tell them to be off on there way
It works for my niece Lol and I bet if give customer chocolate chip cookie than they should be happy to
I do it at least 4 times per day. sometimes more. Only a percentage of potential jobs are actually money makers for me. Add to the fact that I do mostly screen printing in larger quantities, that leaves the doors closed to a lot of folks.
When possible I try to give them a recommendation. Sometimes I may even call while they are in the shop or call ahead after they leave to give the other shop a heads up. It creates good will all around.
funny you should ask that, I am turning down a job tomorrow. client brought there own, crewneck sweatshirts in and wants me to put the vinyl on back and names on front, bowling team.
The job will be so small, and on there fleece. if something does not turn out right like pick up a small piece of vinyl and accidently press it on, i am screwed, i have to go find that kind of sweatshirt, pay retail, and most of th profit will get sucked up in that.
so i am turning the job down.
I will just state that I cannot get them done in the time slot they are asking for.
But thank you so much, and think of us next time,
If there is a next time, i will then tell them, My Garments, My Price.
Establish minimums and other order guidelines so that you do not have to 'turn down' too many jobs. If someone does not meet minimums or your order guidelines, then technically they have turned themselves down.
If you do turn someone down, provide a referral, such as to a shop that provides DTG, that way you remain in the good graces of the customer. You don't want to lose potential referrals either...
I am not sure the details of why you are turning them down. In most cases it is best to take the high road and provide a referral. Too many turned down jobs may turn into a bad rep...
The only job that we have ever actually turned down (outside of the things I stated above) were a group of Nazis from the UK who could not find anyone else to print for them either!!! Oh yeah, there was another dude from the UK with some serious copyright infringement who we also turned down...
I myself turn jobs down all the time. Sometimes there is not enough time, plus a lot of people seem to need a lot of hand holding (which is fine) but when a customer emails and calls me 10 times a day, that is unacceptable and not worth it.
Yes, and he did call me 10 times yesterday, and emailed 5 times. All for 25 shirts...WTH?!?!??!
My business is brand spanking new and I've only had 2 real customers. So I started advertising, well passive advertising (phone book, yellowpages.com) and I got 2 calls. Wouldn't you know it, one was for a quote on 1000 pencils that I had to turn down because I don't do pad printing, and the other was for printing a cookbook! Had to turn that one down too. In November I have an ad going into a local paper that comes out once a month to every home in the largest city in the county. Ad was cheap enough, so we'll see. There are a lot of businesses closing their doors around here, so this really isn't a good time to try to start a new business.
__________________ - Loretta - "In all thy ways acknowledge the Lord and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6 www.DistinctiveImprinting.com
Although its hard to refuse business when you're starting if you accept unprofitable jobs then customers will take advantage of you. I believe in being straight with customers and saying that their order doesn't meet my minimum or I can't meet their deadline or I don't provide the process they need. I know a sign maker who gives an exceptionally high price if he doesn't want the job. Usually the customer doesn't go for it but occasionally they do. In that case the profit is so great that the signmaker doesn't mind doing the job.
I often do like Jennifer's sign making friend... if the customer seems like he's going to be a pain in the butt and the print job will be a pain as well, then I quote a really high amount. It will either turn them away and I won't have to deal with it, or I will make so much money that it's worth it.
A lot of the time when I'm turning something down, it's because I don't know if I could do it, like if it's some weird printing request, and I have an idea how I could possibly do it, but I'm not sure if it would turn out well. In those cases I explain honestly to the inquirer that I don't want to take on a job if I'm not sure my results would be great. They understand and appreciate the honesty.
Well like many others have said you can either charge more, set minimums or send them to someone that can do the job. I prefer the latter because if you treat them nice and with repect they may send a job your way that will be profitable I have had that happen.
Even if I can't help them they may be able to help me so I would take the time and point them in the right direction and I used to get a lot of profitable business just by the way I treated the person I had to turn away.
You never know,that person may be a school teacher, coach, business owner or an exec. Or someone who has the authority to bring business to you.
When people have a really bizarre request that I just can't do I tell them to go to the t-shirtforums and that there must be someone on there that can handle it.
A guy was asking me last week if I could print felt for billiard tables for him, whole pieces large enough for up to 9' tables. I get some weird requests.
Turning down work 
