 | | The latest humor and wisdom from Robert Liles, founder of the Parking Lot Planet. | |  |
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Using web site, camera phone, or digital camera to communicate with customers |
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Written by Robert
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Tuesday, 18 May 2010 01:34 |
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Take pictures of the things you do - your handicap symbols, arrows, special pavement markings, and other things you do like install wheel stops or signs. Look for things you do that are better or different than the competition, photos that you can use to explain to the customer or prospect why they should choose you. Or photos of "upgrades" or up-sells that you can provide. Then put these pictures on your web site, so if you are talking to a customer on the phone, or sending and email, you can lead them to the page with a picture of whatever you are trying to explain. A picture really is worth a thousand words. A picture can explain things better than I can. Pictures on a web site can make it easier for you to help your customer get what he wants and needs. I also load these pictures on my iPhone. I can whip it out and with a few pokes and swipes, show someone what I am talking about. Any cell phone with a camera can save pictures and pull them up when needed. I carry a digital camera in my truck because the camera in the iPhone isn't that great, but the phone camera has helped me on several occasions. I have been able to take a picture of something and email or attach to a text message and send to a contractor or employee. If you have a camera phone, take the time to learn how to do this before you need to. It can save a lot of time and a thousand words. Oh yes, I have pictures of my grandkids on my phone too, but I try to resist the impulse to show them to my customers (unless they ask). |
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Do I Really Have To Snap Every Line? |
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Written by Robert
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Saturday, 08 May 2010 15:36 |
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New line painters often ask me if there is any way they can do good work without snapping chalklines. After all, they say, snapping chalklines is such a pain in the butt. My first reaction is to say that snapping chalklines is easy and quick! But that's not what they want to hear. Snapping lines really is easy if you know what you are doing, but I will get to that in a moment. First, lets look at the alternatives to snapping lines: |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 08 May 2010 18:31 |
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Written by Robert Liles
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Thursday, 06 May 2010 18:39 |
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For the last 15 years, I have striped mostly newly paved parking lots. There’s several different ways to make the layout marks that guide you to paint straight lines. I have tried string and weights or nails, rotating lasers, and chalklines. I use a Graco Auto Layout machine and have tried painting without lines. I have painted alongside a string, or used upside-down spray cans to “dot” the string and painted to the shadow left by the string. I have measured how long each method takes, and how well (if at all) they work. It takes a little practice to get good and fast at snapping chalkines, but it’s what works best for me. Plus, chalklines give you the chance to look over the layout and spot mistakes and weird angles and such before painting. Nowadays, I rely on my Magnum chalkline and Defi HQ blue chalk for 90% of all the lines I paint. I have determined that it’s the quickest way to get a great layout. |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 06 May 2010 18:53 |
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