It always amazes me when a sign company calls the landlord and client, sets up everything for a certain day, and then when the install team arrives, the landlord calls off the installers due to noise or other nuisances.
It’s as though the landlord thought your installers had magic fairy dust to float up to where the sign was going to go and that no noise would be created when attaching letters to the wall. The best part is, the client most of time will not allow up charges due to this set back. The sign company has to dig into their profit margins to cover the additional costs.
Communication Is Key
How do we combat this scenario so our projects do not take unnecessary cost over runs? Communication is the one word answer. Inside of V Sign Software we have a calendar that shows each user when a project will be installed. The project manager (or sales rep) should be talking to the landlord/client about when we are going to be on site and for how long.
A great rule to follow is to call them the week before installation and confirm the site is ready for the installation. Then call the Monday of the given week and give them a day that you will be installing the sign. Then call the day before. This will give the landlord and client plenty of time to make arrangements. Sadly if you only do one of these three calls, there is a good chance that they will forget and fail to warn the appropriate people in time, which can cause you to miss the install date.
An Install Date Checklist
What checklist should you cover when you inform them of the install date? Make sure to ask if any special events being held on or around the building on that day. Things out of the ordinary sometimes slip the minds of people. You should also ask who the neighboring tenants are. If it is a law firm, you can assume they want perfect silence as they work throughout the day. You should also ask if the building engineer on site has full access and paint colors on hand.
These simple questions along with the three-phone call policy will ensure that your install team will not have to fight the landlord on install day. With any luck, you might even gain another client as well as the landlord will love how professional your company is.
