[acmeprinting]

I need some input guys! I don't advertise that I do custom work. I have gotten jobs through word of mouth since this is a part time gig for me. I don't know if you guys have gone through this but there is always a person who takes an intrest in your screen printing business and want to "help you" get clients. (nothing is for free) I have an acquaintance that has sent a couple of people my way to have shirts printed. Well now the acquaintance needs shirts and has told me that she has ideas for novelty shirts and wants to sell them. She says "that way I can make some money and you can make some money". I interpret that statement into - make these shirts for next to nothing and get paid when she does. FYI forum: I already make my own novelty shirts and have a couple of store owner clients. Anyway, she got ahold of me on Wednsday and wanted these shirts by Sunday. She wants 20 shirts 2 color front (white and blue) and 1 color back (white). I quoted 14.75 per shirt. She freaked and claimed that she can get those shirts for under 10 dollars somewhere else. I told her under 10 dollars was a good deal for only 20 shirts and a 3 screen job and that I suggest she take that deal. I then started second guessing thinking did I quote that too high?? How much would you guys do that job for? Churches come to me and order 2 and 3 hundred shirts with 2 colors and I can make those for a price they are satisfied with because the amount of shirts they order but 20 shirts and 3 colors??? Please give me your opinions and input.

 

[InkedApparel]

I think that is a fair price for the amount of shirts ordered. the people that order shirts really have no idea as to what goes into the process of printing there shirts....I had a lady wanted a quote for 12 shirts , 4 color front 1 color back...I quoted 24.00 ea , she freaked and said she could get them online for 15.00 , I told here to go online and get them then...she did and came back to me because the print quality sucked...haha now she is paying me 24 a shirt after paying the 15 online......lol

Inked

 

[acmeprinting]

LOL..nice! Thanks for the response, Inked.

 

[Flagrant-T]

That's a little bit higher than me but in the same ballpark. Not only is it three colors but the two sides takes the time of 40 shirts. Everyone thinks you should print for free!

 

[TYGERON]

I always say that to a certain point part of our job is to educate the customer...to a certain point. The average customer has no clue as to what screen printing involves (or any other decorating method). They equate "the digital age" with snapping your fingers and it magically appears. I'm actually laughing because a friend has a shop down the street and he called me twice to vent about 2 women who ordered 3 shirts 2 color front and 2 color back. They wanted them in 3 days and bugged him incessantly. Then wanted additional shirts 2-3 at a time. I told him it was his fault for not setting very clear concise parameters and pricing appropriately. Now he's mad, they're mad and I'm mad because they'll bad mouth "the guy on Oxford" and people will think it's me! (It has happened)

Set your price. Stick to it. Explain what you do but DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT YOU CHARGE. Service, quality and relationship development is king.

And don't fall for the "I can get it from XX for XX". When they sheepishly come back, charge a "returning customer" fee.

 

[sben763]

Your pricing is right on. Many printers do jobs too cheap which drives the market down and puts people out of business. Every now and then I'll print for a friend and they want it for nothing. I've have invited a few to try and print in the shop usally only when there is an underbase. They cant even get a print. I'll then explain screen prep coating washout. Setup. I usally get the price I want.

 

[TYGERON]

I actually told a returning lady, "See, that's what you get for not going with me in the first place". I know, kinda cocky (and I had to make SURE I didn't screw up...LOL!)

And I was "this close" to firing a customer who was spending time going all over town getting prices and came back to me to ask if I could match or beat a price. I told her "No, I don't do that". Couple more days I was all set to call her to tell her I'd have to pass on the job because of time constraints and she called and was almost apologetic. I KNOW no one else would've put up with how they handled the ordering and distribution of the shirts. I told her REPEATEDLY to check the count BEFORE separating the order. She didn't. I saw it coming and should've made her do it before leaving. They made some mistakes on their end and needed additional shirts last minute. Of course I reprimanded her...then did the shirts and she was ecstatic.

 

[sben763]

I had a lady bring me a shirt she had printed after saying I was too high. The quality was awful. She was so proud she saved $2.00 a shirt it was a 3 color design that I had the artwork for. After she left I decided to print one that way I could show her the difference. The next day she came back and with her cheap shirt and asked why the ink was cracking and falling off after washing. I told her cause it was CHEAP. I pulled out the shirt I printed, she immediately said should have me printed then asked if I could have order done next day. Yes but there is a rush fee it was a 50 shirt job and I Just added $1 a shirt.

Moral stick to your guns let them go find someone else most the time they come back.

 

[JeridHill]

I think your pricing was in line. If you were planning on working with this person to increase sales, I might have given a different price. I had people wanting to resell for me, so the pricing structure I used was 30% off my printing price and 1/2 my markup on the shirt itself. This gave them good incentive and I was able to keep my pricing on par with my contract pricing. Essentially, I had another salesperson without hiring them.

 

[royster13]

When ever you get a chance to see some work from another shop that is not up to par, "beg, borrow or steal" a shirt as a sample......Then when you get a client that resists your price you can show them a comparison.....

 

[acmeprinting]

This is great!! Thank you to all who answered. @ Jerid, we never discussed an incentive if she brought clients to me...never. This was a person I would see at a bar thats how I knew her and she knew like almost all the people in the bar. She would drunkenly tell everyone in the place that I screenprinted shirts and that I was gonna be the person to make her shirts that she wanted to resale blah..blah..blah. Just one of those types of people. I would tell her look if you want to talk business we can outside of this bar and not when I have been drinking. That meeting never happened. Maybe if it had we would have made some sort of arrangement. So now here we are almost 10 months later and she called last week to get some shirts done but couldn't give me how many she needed. Why is it when someone wants a freakin' quote they can't answer the questions you need answered to give them a quote ie: how many, how many colors..ect? Why is that? It's your damn shirt and you dont know?? Or does that crap just happen to me? LOL. And don't get me started on the 50 times between last week and this week that I told her the format I needed the artwork in and I just get JPEGS over and over. Good Lawd! LOL. Thank you guys for all your experiences. I have no one to vent to. None of my friends or family are in this business.

 

[jmoore557]

When you are just starting out, setting prices is tough because some people will not buy your gear. Test the market on ebay first by selling a few shirts, then work your way up to selling more tees.

 

[JeridHill]

If she didn't sit down with you as a reseller, then I can truly understand! It was more of a thought on how to increase your sales. That being said, even your pricing for 2 sides and a low quantity is more than reasonable.