Thursday, January 31, 2013

Little Effort. Big Impression.

My husband has been working hard.  Really hard.  So I agreed to attend a career fair this weekend in hopes of recruiting some relief.  In preparation for this career fair, I created a full bleed tri-fold brochure. 

Since my background is corporate, I've never had to worry about getting things printed.  They just were.  So on Friday, I dropped off my first full-bleed brochure to a print company.  I let Michael, the man behind the counter, know I needed 500 copies no later than close of business Friday. 

Michael could get 100 brochures done for $500.
 
His quote was high, but Michael was willing to help.  He admitted what I needed wasn't their speciality.  Their equipment was meant to copy, not trim and fold.

Michael could have said he couldn't help.  He could have told me to take it or leave it.  Instead, he suggested I look into alternatives with other print shops.  He said he would still be glad to help if I couldn't find a better deal.
 
I’m grateful to Michael.  The effort was small on his part, and although he didn't win my work, he was honest.  He was patient.  He impressed me by giving me the opportunity to evaluate other options, knowing full well I would probably do business elsewhere.

I did find a print shop that could print 500 brochures for a reasonable price.  I saved money, but also learned a bit about print and copy shops.  More importantly, I learned to keep Michael in mind the next time I need something his business can help me with. 

Kudos, Michael!  It's nice having someone look out for your best interest.

Let customer service help solidify your client relationships.  Putting customers first always makes a great impression.

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