the WORST printshop ever!

[defjoe]

Ok... here is a story of the worst printshop in the world. A printshop to defies all logic in this industry and is pretty much untouchable.

Let me give you the dynamics first.

I work for a University. When I started this was par for course. I would get a project and then get quotes for said project. Usually 3 unless asked for more. I would get 2 from printers I liked and then 1 from the on campus printshop. Always qouted them. However they are limited in what they can print. they can only do 2 color jobs (so anything 4 they wouldn't get qouted on). Well last July the powers that be in marketing decided that ALL university jobs had to go to the printshop and then they would qoute them out by 'approved' printers (which has it own set of problems i won't discuss here).

so basically I don't do the qouting for my jobs anymore. I call the printshop and THEY get qoutes. Be it they do it in house or send it off campus. Now the problem with this is I don't know who gets my job NOR do I have any contact with the shop actually printing my job. so if a problem or change arises the off campus indy printer (as we will call them) has to contact the University printshop and then they call me. and it goes the other way around for a question I have. so a designer has no direct link to the printer. Also when I proof it goes to the University PS and they send it to me. I proof it and send it back to them and they send it to the actual printer. AND I have no idea who is printing what. they won't tell you.

Well you can see the problems in all this. Well this last week or so has been horrible. they mess up EVERYTHING. People are getting pissed off. the thing is we have no recourse. they miss deadlines ALL the time. they screw up jobs all the time. If you need a qoute you have to wait at least 3 weeks! FOR A QOUTE! A job printed takes at least a month...if your lucky.

here is an example. I just got done this job...a 2 color brochure that they have done before. Simple changes. I asked for a qoute and never got one (doesn't matter cause we are forced to take the low bidder anyway). Well i gave them the job and they lost it. Had to give it to them again. Get the proof back 2 weeks later and had some pre-press font issues. took 2 more weeks to get another proof (which was wrong again). At this point my client is screaming for this job. I signed off on the proof (with a minor change... but I was still leary... but this needed to get out) and they said they would get it to them Monday (they had 2 weeks to print). Monday comes..no brochure. Yesterday they promised to drop it off... nothing! so they call me today and say they just got it in. I told them to deliver it NOW cause my client is pissed! where do they deliver it? TO ME! so I had to drive it over!

it's amazing! this is just one of many examples. As I dropped off the package to my client she is telling me that one time they ordered 5000 of something and the printshop calls them up and tells them that they are only going to deliver 700 and the rest will come later! WHAT??????????? so now they make up the quantities as well? It's amazing.

Then one more example.. I did this easy invite... 2 color with a gold we use ALL the time. University colors. It had 4 grayscale pics of people on the cover. Simple right? We get the job printed back... the pics are HORRIBLE. they ran a 35LPI pn them! WHY??????????????? Terrible. so this client said screw it and called a printer herself and went over them. Casue she as well has had a lot of problems with them.

so we have a printshop that can dec ide how much you will pay, what your deadline will be and print whatever and whenever it wants and you can't do a thing about it.

You will NEVER hear anything like this in your career...trust me.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'

Post Edited (defjoe) : 8/4/2004 2:51:27 PM GMT

[Magnus]

Why don't you submit a report to the powers that be and tell them the current system doesn't work, and needs to back to how it was?

"...you should show only one design because that is what your paied to do....your not paied to let the client himself pick out which designs he likes best..."

- Zartan the Wise

[defjoe]

that is what we are trying to do.... right now the powers that be don't really care. but the main one behind all this is leaving. also I don't really have any power, i'm a lowly designer. Has to be the department heads.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'

[D-Frag]

man, that sucks, i do believe that is by far the worst printshop story to date.

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeer goooooooooooooood!!

[D-Zine]

That IS sh!tty Joe! WTF??

Boobie Island or Bust!

[defjoe]

the printshop that does what it wants...and has no consequences.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'

[Magnus]

Gee, just like most people in society! What a coinky-dink!

"...you should show only one design because that is what your paied to do....your not paied to let the client himself pick out which designs he likes best..."

- Zartan the Wise

Dam Defjoe just read your story. WTF? Talk about incompetent and mediocre. I would be pissed, how can they have someone else communicating with he printer WTF are they creating a make believe career. Joe those people are morans who decided this, what a moran sorry man this guy/girl is really into themselves to no even consider this tyep of work flow. You are the pro why let someone else do the job that is part of your responsibility. WTF is wrong with people?

[defjoe]

It's a chick...from what I know. but she has since resigned (well her last day is in Oct). We heard through the grapevine that it was a 'we don't want you here, I don't want to be here' deal. so we'll see what happens after she is gone. Cause the campus printshop is just incompetent. The guy who runs it... WAY over his head. We found out he was a worker at a Kinkos before he laned this job (like a year ago).

I can tell you so many stories. Like this one time I was doing this project and my client kept changing their mind... like they do. so they wanted more qoutes. Wanted to see how much the job would be in 2C, 4C, 5c and an array of paper stock ,etc. so I call him and he says to me 'does this happen often?' I told him...'Uhmmm ya john cause this is PRINTING and that's what it's all about' He says 'Well I can't keep calling these outside printers getting new qoiutes all the time.

WHY NOT?????????? that's what they do!!!!!!!!!!!

it's so frustrating.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'

LMAO! Totally unqualified. Thanks God new Management will be in place.

[defjoe]

that doesn't mean things will change

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'

[Madora]

I know exactly what you're talking about Joe! That deal sucks big ones. I dealt with it for 2 and a half years -- Then I quit the job.

Hopefully the 'powers that be' there will handle it much better than my former boss did! Good luck to you.

"Who am I? Where did I come from? Who are these demons, and why do they relentlessly cross my path?"

[defjoe]

It's more frustrating then anything Mad. It's really on their heads...not mine. the good thing is my clients know it's not me. so I'm free and clear.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'

[dakels]

joe, this type of situation will come up again. IMO it's best to nip these things in the bud. You say your just a lowly designer with no power to change it but you are still getting burned here. No matter what, you have an obligation to speak up and try to change a bad situation. At the very least document what you feel is wrong with the current situation AND also state what things could be done to remedy it. Present a professional report on the current situation and issues, then propose ways to improve upon it. Do not play the blame game and say so and so's fault that you could not deliver a good job. Stay detached in your report.

One difficult thing about management is that you need to take responsibility for things that are out of your direct control. If you want to be a managerial art director or creative director someday, then you will need to learn how to address issues like this. I am not saying you did anything wrong here. I am saying you have a opportunity in front of you to try to change a bad production process.

whatever happens, good luck.

Boobie Island and Busty!

[dakels]

btw joe I do this type of thing alot. Present case studies to justify solutions. I was an art director with a company for 4 years but after trying to deal with too many bad practices and tech issues by myself, I moved over into an analyst role in a large company. I help smooth out problems and find better solutions for the design departments. If you want help writing some case studies and reports, let me know and I'll send you some samples. I guarantee a good report/proposal will make upper management look at you in a new light and help realize your work potential.

Boobie Island and Busty!

dakels Great Idea that's what I constantly tell the Marketing team here. Don't say it put in on paper do research and show a case study pointing out solutions and plans.

Not that it would work for you Joe but yea, you can try you never know. ;)

[defjoe]

In a perfect world.. that might work. But we are talking state University here. Madora knows what I mean. I do what I can. but i have no real power cause i'm not a department head (you need an MDA for that). I have been an Art Director before and really, I am now. But what I can do and have offered to do is back the people, who can have some say, up on their points. I have spoken to the head of the printshop and he does this blame game also. the circle goes round and round and it's all political in nature.

like i said.. .it's more of a frustratoin then anything,,,, it doesn't reflect on my work at all. I have been praised with going above and beyond what is done.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'

[D-Zine]

Joe - you wamme to take care of these people for you?? If I had to deal with those people I would be goin fkn nuts..literally! I would wanna practically stand behind them when they output the job because they're friggin idiots apparently. I mean hell- them LOSING the job is bad enough....WTF?? Then taking an umpteen amount of weeks to actually get it right. It just sounds like they really just don't pay attention to accuracy which we ALL know is really sh!tty in this buisness!

I wish there was a way you didn't have to use their services. They are the lowest bidder bc they suck I guess :o(




Boobie Island or Bust!

[defjoe]

Well I just ran into the head of the printshop on my way to the bank here on campus (yes I have a bank here). He apoligized for that whole ordeal and said he might give it to my client for free. Seems the job had been sitting there for a few days on the table right in the PS office! I told him he really needs to get his act together cause people are really getting pissed. He told me he knows and he is working on it. I do feel for the guy cause he seems like he's a good guy and over his head. I guess theu niversity promised him more staff within 3 months of this new policy that took effect last July but here we are over a year later and nothing has changed at all. I told him if he needs me for back up against the 'higher-ups' to call on me.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'

DAM! That really sucks and I also feel for the guy. He must be getting his but kicked by the presses.

[D-Zine]

Yeah..man..atleast you could talk to him and he recognizes there is a serious problem, so that's good!!

Boobie Island or Bust!

[uncle carbunkle]

and aren't things so much better if you can be seen as a facilitator and problem solver rather than a complainy whinge-bag? if you get this dude to complain WITH you, you might stand to achieve more, faster....or at least be 'right' on paper, once the crap hits the fan...!

>> rudie can't fail <<

[panzer]

that is so unreal

that printshop must be next to the restuarant at the end of the universe

the powers that be pffft the idiots that be

[PrintDriver]

Wow, this thread is so old it has had a birthday and a half!

[defjoe]

wow... I totally forgot about this myself.

oh and and update...stuff like this still happens. nothing has changed. same policies still in place.

i did get a call from this guy today, I had done a simple job for a client. she picked up the disk and dropped it off at the PS. Well he calls me today to tel lme she got the proof back the next day and signed off on it and then called later on in the day asking where it was (the whole job). she didn't understand why she didn't have it yet.

i love people.

[PersonasBinar]

Rise Lord Vadar....

[D-Zine]

LMAO @ "Rise Lord Vader" You know its bad when you can hear that voice in your head when you read the words! LOL

[LeftBrain Artist]

Did someone make a yummy sound?

[panzer]

defjoe how big was the job like :)

waiting a what was it a month for a proof

(falls off chair laughing)

[defjoe]

doesn't matter how big a job is. it could be a simple 2 color job or a complex 6 color deal. It's hit or miss with them. sometimes they will surprise you and get a proof back right away and sometimes weeks go by and nothing.

I just had another issue with them. I had a reprint on these high end folders for a client. Client loved the first batch and wanted some more. they had me changed out some pictures but the colors stayed the same (was a 5 color job). Folder has 2 shades of tan with pics framed by a gold (the 5th color). Well we get the first batch back and the colors are HEAVY in magenta and there is banning. so we send it back and they are dicking around with numbers and shit and i'm like "why is this such and issue... it basically a reprint, we just switched out pics, why is the tans so different?" no answer. I asked him if the same company was printing it that printed the last ones, he said he DIDN'T KNOW!!!

that's the problem, no consistancy. so whoever actually printed your job last time might not do it again, it ridiculous.

[cynthia_b]

Sounds like you need to find a new Printer!

[PrintDriver]

Sounds like a broker without a clue.

[SurfPark]

I have a fun idea. Make a list of all the money spent on mistakes, along with a list of the costs of common print jobs. Create a chart that shows how much money is wasted by using this university system.

THEN... get the university to print one copy of the chart, and get a good printer to make copies. They'll not only see the numbers, but see the damn mess of ink on the paper that their system creates.