A rant, leads to ethical question..

[snapperbait]

First things first..<br />I have a small screenprinting co.. I'm currently working on all the uniforms for a couple local little leagues.. Printing, numbers, hats, the whole deal. <br /><br />Ok, here's the situation..<br /><br />One league in particular, notorious for not having their "stuff" together.. I did'nt hear from them, and I figured they went to someone else for uniforms, which is fine because i'm knee deep in uniforms for two other leagues, plus other customers... <br /><br />Well, The league, notorious for not having their "stuff" togethers' head honcho calls me yesterday (thursday 2/10) and tells me "we're opening on saturday 2/19, and we forgot to get in there and order the uniforms".. I tell em' "somebody better get their butts in here cause it's at least two days to get the stuff in from the distributors, and thats IF (a big IF) the distributors have everything in stock at the closest warehouse".. That was yesterday...<br /><br />Today, and it's getting late in the day.. I call em'.. Say "Well.. Ya'l comming in so I can get the ball rolling?"... Answer, "Uh-no, we don't have everything together yet, sizes and such, we'll be in monday"... MONDAY?.. It takes TWO DAYS FOR SHIPPING.. I won't be able to start work on their stuff until WEDNESDAY afternoon after UPS runs.. And they want 200+ uniforms by friday PM/Saturday AM... <br /><br />Folks, screenprinting is'nt rocket science, but all the processes are quite time consuming... It's nowhere near like running off 200 copies on a copy machine...<br /><br />In 15+ years of business i've never charged extra for rush orders, late nights, and early mornings except for freight cost for expidited shipping which i'm up front about, and then only the actual shipping cost..<br /><br />Enter my ethical question..<br />I would'nt on this order, but would it be un-ethical for me to charge extra for expidited service in a case like this?.. I realize league uniforms are for the kids and all that, but two days to do what normaly takes a full, and I mean a FULL, week.. Damn!<br /><br />Stupidity. I dunno.. Maybe if it hit em' in the wallet, then they'd get the message?..

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

I think you have to bit the bullet on this one but would concsider telling the whole league that from now on you need x number of days to do these and anyone late will be charged extra for rush service. IMO

 

[snapperbait]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

SBN. Every year I tell em' the same thing.. "Next year I need at least two weeks.". <br /><br />Problem is, every year they have new people "in charge"... The old "revolving door".. in-out..

 

[carrotsnapper]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

I guess if you want to keep them as customers, you can't extra bill them this time. But, it seems like you are really letting them off easy. I'm not as nice as you, I'd tell them to take a hike. Without a doubt, put it in your bid that rush orders are billed extra.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

I would, at the start of the year, send off or find out about any new ones and let them all know again.<br /><br />I know first hand about your work and you should not back up any when it comes to this.<br />Time for the ol foot put down.<br /><br />Well, I'm off now, have a good weekend.

 

[roscoe]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

Charging a rush fee will cause static but is certainly justifiable.<br /><br />But here are the two choices I would be debating.<br />1 - refuse the order.<br />2 - tell them they will be done a 5 working days from when the order is placed and paid for, AND the day you get the shirts and such from the wholesaler. That should give you till the end of the month. <br /><br />You have told them the rules before.<br />Now its time for them to pay up, wait a week, or go elsewhere.<br /><br />So what kind of a league is this anyway?<br />A snowball league? <br />Still got 2 months till ice out around here.

 

[beezee28]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

I would let the person in charge know that to get all the printing done in such a short would be pushing it and the quality might not be there. Only recourse is to take your time to do a quality job but would take the normal 5 or 6 days.<br /><br />Years back when my daughter was in the swim team and the person in charge put in the order late and the order was done badly. The company bite the bullet and re=done the whole order again. Ends up they didn't make any money on that order and the next year they took their time to do the job. Took about a week, most parent griped about it but the final product was good. The person in charge got an ear full about not putting the order in early from most of the parent.

 

[Tinkerer]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

snapperbait<br /><br />The fact you're asking the question and the way you've put it shows you're really not likely to charge extra and that you'll probably still put yourself out to try to get the order done in time although it's someone else who caused the problem. Otherwise you wouldn't have rung them when they're the ones who should be ringing you.<br /><br />Ran my business the same way for too many years, and made less money than most of my competitors. Had lots of loyal clients. Hardly surprising as I bent over backwards for them. Also did a lot of underpaid work for unappreciative jerks. Won't make the same mistake again.<br /><br />If you're at risk of losing other customers in the leagues by being too tough with the problem customer then you've got to tread carefully. <br /><br />If there's no risk, just process it like a normal order and let the kids play the first game in whatever they've got. <br /><br />The heat will be on the managers who will try to blame you, but if you send them an email or express letter now confirming that you can't do it in time and referring to their delays then it won't happen again. Or you'll lose them as customers, which wouldn't be a tragedy, would it?<br /><br />There's a good chance you'll be dealing with new team managers afterwards, who might stick with you when they see the email or letter you've sent.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

hello<br /> in my line of work I do a lot of late night early mornings and weekend rush jobs. I do charge extra for it just like anyone else that works over time. how many people here will hit the old time clock and work past 40 hours for straight time? I wont. ya call me to the dock at zero dark thirty cause your baby dont start and see if the bill is straight time.<br /> funniest one was a guys wife calls from the oregon inlet fishing center saying the boat wont start. thats about all she knew about it. it was 4:30 AM. they had towed the boat from PA and just arrived and it wont start. she could not even tell me what drive it had. so I loads up the truck grab my spare battery and head out. its about 40 miles each way but on a sunday morning its a pretty drive. I get there and everyone is frazzeled and biting each other. I hop on boad this very nice searay and flip the stop switch on the commander 3000 sidemount from stop to run and fired that hummer up.<br /> gave them a bill for 100 and all were happy. the husband did start to blubber but the wife hushed him up and popped a franklin

 

[crab bait]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

what's your worry..?? why are you caring one way or the other..??<br /><br />if they give you enuff time great.. if not O'well,, they can wear pinstripe pajammas' for the first few games

 

[DJ]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

You would be hard pressed to charge extra unless your policy for doing so was already firmly in place. It doesn't soun like that policy is.<br /><br />Loyalty is fickle, especially when a good job is done. It's non-existant if one loud mouth decides to speak up.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

From a used car salesman "Inpatient people will pay more to get it now"<br /><br />Snapperbait, if ya are late making resevations at a hotel/motel you don't get a room .<br /><br />If your late for your flight, you don't fly<br /><br />If your late for supper, there might not be any food left<br /><br />You don't get your order for uniforms in, you don't wear uniforms<br /><br />My point is that your other customers should not be put aside due to one customers neglect to follow the time line it takes to make the uniforms.<br /><br />If you really need their business, then do what you have to do. If not, let them find another shop. They will soon find out the other shop will have the same problems of getting the material in like you do.<br /><br />An option would be to print some basic shirts for them to play their first game. (with your shops ad on them and a fee of course)

 

[jsfinn]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

That's a tough one...Maybe have two invoices for them when they come to pick it up. Show them the one with your rush/overtime fee and then let them know "because this is for the kids...blah blah blah I'm only charging you..blah blah blah" and give him the normal priced invoice.<br /><br />Good luck!

 

[mattttt25]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

i see two simple situations...<br /><br />1. can you get the order done in time, and it not cost you more? what i mean is, maybe you can work a little faster and harder, and still fill the order. if so, make it happen and be the good guy. people will see what you did, and i'm sure it will pay off down the road.<br /><br />2. if filling the order in time will cost you more (overtime for employees, rush shipments, etc), then bill extra to cover those costs. be fair and explain exactly why the costs are higher and what it is covering. i can't see it being much more, unless you need to work 48 hrs straight to fill the order.<br /><br />this happens all the time in construction (my line of work). the good contractors do what i explained above. the not so good contractors either say no way, or charge an exuberent amount more to raise their profit margin.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

I would tell them if they want it for thier first game, they have to pay extra cause your employees will have to work overtime. They should understand.<br /><br />Otherwise they can pay normal price and they get em in the normal time.<br /><br />Why do such disorganized people always be put in charge of something?<br /><br />Ken

 

[Tinkerer]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

Originally posted by KenImpZoom:<br /> Why do such disorganized people always be put in charge of something?<br /><br />Ken

Because they weren't good enough for government jobs.

 

[KRS]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

I would have told him, "Shirts, but no numbers or player names, just the team name". Then he can explain to the parents why not.

 

[Barlow]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

Hi Snapp- a lot of good views/opinions and advice above. Comming from the construction industry as well as Matt does I relate to his advise and agree fully but, will add, when something gets overlooked its good to know the people you have hired can over come an obsticle.<br /><br />On the other hand..<br /><br />When Management seems to have a habit of doing this (which you've mentioned they do) and disregaurd your advise and professionalism, its time to get the point across no matter who it is.<br /><br />The phrase: " Poor planning on your part doesn't constitute an emergency on mine! " has bled from my lips a few times and is a wake-up call to those involved. If they respect you AND your business and job you do, then that will show in future dealings with the Rec. department or league (what ever). They need to know and REALISE that its putting you in a pinch like they have before and you need to change that.. you need to "train" them as a customer not do thier job for them by continually fixing their 'problems'. <br /><br />Yes, by all means, charge for it! Yet, be fair and explain. Remember, its their ethics that are in question here.. not yours. Do the job and do it well.<br /><br />I recomend using that quote above.. it works. Good Luck Snapp

 

[roscoe]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

Some things can't be rushed, especially with multi color, multi screenings, 2 sided, drying times, artwork conversion, design and screen making, screen cleanings, etc. You only have so many frames and so many presses. It takes x number of hours to do it, period.<br /><br />Don't sweat it. They probably won't show up till Thursday anyway.<br /><br />Sounds like you want to help them out, but also sounds like you are fed up with their irresponsible behavior. And now you will have to bust your back, so they can look good in front of the other parents.<br /><br />Being a bit of a hard azz once in a while can ease a lot of stress in ones life. <br /><br />Good Luck

 

[DJ]

Re: A rant, leads to ethical question..

Snapper,<br /><br />For the future.<br /><br />Have you thought about getting on the board of the league? You might be the only "stable" member, year after year.<br /><br />Some might think it would be a conflict of interest, yet you could be a voice for reason in establishing dates that many items need to be completed by.