We understand that signage is not a branding activity you embark on every day. Getting new or upgrading your existing signage is no small investment. Therefore we believe it’s important that you know what you’re getting and that you have confidence in the people you have chosen to do the work no matter whom that might be.
You’ll want the job to be at least to your expectations with no surprises and you’ll want to feel confident that you’re dealing with a company with integrity of transaction and quality of product.
Therefore it’s important when you’re comparing quotes that you check at least the following factors to ensure you’re comparing apples with apples:
First and foremost check that the other quotes are quoting on the same size signs as we are. It doesn’t take much to have a small error in measurement that can translate to a huge difference in square meterage.
This is probably the biggest oversight many customers make. The quality and type of signage materials used in the manufacturing process can make an enormous difference to cost as well as the lifespan of your signage so always ask about material durability before comparing cost.
If the type and grade of materials to be used aren’t disclosed, beware. This is normally an indication of the use of inferior (and cheaper) materials not designed to withstand our harsh Australian climatic conditions.
To this point take a look at the following comparison.
Below are two local businesses situated next to each other. They had their signs created a month apart. We were awarded the job on the right (signage installed on pink building fascia) while the other job to the left (signs installed on blue building fascia a month later) was awarded to a supplier who came in with a cheaper quote.
Initially both completed signage works looked great. Unfortunately within less than two years the cheaper signage (signs produced by others), began to rapidly deteriorate whilst our signage continued to stand out like it did the day it was installed, providing far greater value for money.
So be sure to check that others offering you signage solutions are using the same quality materials.
What, if any, guarantees do the other quotes offer? Is there a Satisfaction Guarantee to help alleviate stress from the process? Is there a Best Value for Money Guarantee that they’ll provide the best value product? Is there a Use Us With Confidence Guarantee reinstating how quality is paramount to us.
What about an Uncompromising Standards Guarantee ensuring that you won’t need premature sign replacements – we’re one of the only sign writers to provide you with a written guarantee against fading from UV radiation for up to 7 years.
Are they giving you a Materials Guarantee providing you with the BEST VALUE FOR MONEY – we offer practical advice on the best material selections for durability and longevity.
Are others offering a Complete Peace of Mind Guarantee – if you’re not 100% happy with the end result we will continue to work on the project until you are happy.
We offer 6 Guarantees because we are proud of and stand behind every job we do. Do any other quotes offer any of these?
We’re often not the cheapest but we are always the BEST VALUE… This means that if another signage company can supply a comparable written quote listing details which show that they are using the same quality materials, techniques, material amounts, warranties, guarantees and so on and their price is less than ours we will match that price AND give you a $500 cash rebate.
As a good rule of thumb, if a sign is cheap it probably is. So be discerning about this point when doing your comparisons.
Check to see if warranties are listed in their quotes. Essentially, there are three different types of media, Monomeric, Polymeric and Cast.
Whilst we cannot measure the exact amount of UV exposure and climatic battering your signage will receive we can and do provide standard warranties against the unlikely event of premature fading, cracking or peeling for up to 7 years; dependent on the media we recommend and use for your job.
All of our electrical components come with a 12 month replacement warranty.
We also warranty all our concrete footing work (if your signage requires it) as well as all our sign installation, under normal conditions for a minimum period of 5 years.
So be sure to investigate if a competitor has product warranties and if so how long and under what circumstances and if they warranty their installations. A good way to confirm these things is simply to see if they mention them in their quotes. If not, then ask them why not?
Don’t assume anything. Working with a company that holds current Public Liability Insurance is crucial. Sadly however, due to the cost of this insurance some sign writers don’t have cover. As a result, should something go wrong now or even later on down the track and someone gets hurt, you could potentially be liable. Before engaging a sign writer ask to see their insurance Certificate of Currency. If they can’t provide this they should be avoided at all costs. We operate with $20,000,000 Public Indemnity Insurance giving you peace of mind.
We use 32mpa strength concrete as standard, unless additional requirements are necessary for any sign footings associated with freestanding signage. These are signs installed on posts, monolith, billboard and pylon signs that are self supporting and concreted into the ground. We use mechanical vibrators to ensure that the concrete we pour is void of bubbles which create an internally “cheesy” concrete which can dramatically effect strength and facilitate rust of reinforcing rods.
Find out if they specialise in the exact type of signage that you require and ask to see what they have produced before that is similar. You’ll find that there are a number of sign companies who list droves of different signage
options as part of their “diverse capabilities” but in actual fact rarely produce any of them. There can be a lot to know about manufacturing a specific type of sign and unless they’re doing it on a regular basis then the chances of getting an inferior product is pretty good. Check their signage portfolio on their website to get a good idea of how diverse their skills are and if you can’t find what you are looking for then ask them for photos of jobs that they have done. If they can’t show you at least a couple of examples of recent jobs that are similar to your requirements, beware.
We’ll give you an idea of the potential for variations, if any, so be sure to ask that question of the other companies. This is unfortunately a common area whereby a so-called ‘cheap’ quote can end up costing you a lot more.
Getting what you’re expecting is of course important to you and to us. Sign companies should provide some means of clarification of work to be carried out, such as signage mock ups which they can then superimpose onto images to give you an accurate portrayal of how your new signage will look on your premises. Ask them if they will and if not, why not.
Check their online Google Reviews and ask for testimonials and/or references. Any sign writer worth their salt should have a 4 or 5 star Google rating. It’s also a good idea to ask to see some examples of previous work. Also see if their other work is in your area. If it’s not then it may raise the question why.
Because we care about how we do we can tell you we have a 98.5% customer satisfaction rating and a 5 Star Google Review Rating. We have absolutely no hesitation in providing testimonials and/or references, you can find some of these on our reviews page.
As you know we use a mechanical cold press UV laminator, we have an in-house, specialised media applicator ensuring bubble free adhesion of media to substrate; the computer controlled cutters, engravers, printers and routers we use ensure the finest precision and highest accuracy, best quality signage finishes. When shopping around be sure to ask how they are going to protect, cut, form, mould shape, apply and finish your signs. If they’re not using the same high–tech equipment then they simply can’t provide the same standard and finish.
Last but not least, in the balance it’s most often a good idea to use a local business. If they’re willing to put themselves out there within the local community then they’re probably doing a good job. If they come from a different area you may very well find it difficult to get them back should something go wrong.
You might wonder why we go to these lengths to guide you to seek out other quotes? Most people would say we’re crazy for inviting customers to ‘shop around’. But it’s quite simple; we’ve been around for a long time (since 1993) and we’re local! We’re often called upon to fix up other people’s poor quality signage jobs and quite frankly it’s frustrating us.
We want our fellow local businesses and neighbors to get the best quality for the best price, in other words, the BEST VALUE…
Remember, if another signage company can supply a comparable written quote listing details which show that they are using the same quality materials, techniques, material amounts, warranties, guarantees and so on and their price is less than ours we will match that price AND give you a $500 cash rebate.