kev Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 As most of you are aware, the Charles Birch Engraving Service has moved from its location in Barnsley, back to the Charles Birch Leeds warehouse to merge with the Cast Sign Department. After a hectic few months, the two seperate services have nicely merged together and is now running very well. I would appreciate your comments though, on what you guys expect from our service, as I am continually looking at ways to improve all aspects. Be it pricing, delivery times, quality, range of signs, anything you want to tell me will help improve the engraving service available to you. All comments, positive or negative would be a great help, getting a vote in the member of the year awards tells me i'm doing something right, its time to take things to the next level. If you prefer to email your comments direct, instead of posting, please email signs@charlesbirch.com thanks, in advance, for any replies Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Start engraving in 3mm brass and dump the 1mm/1.5mm, more expensive but what a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 Good to hear the moves gone OK, I do a range of ceramic signs ( I can send you thier price list) which I run an A board along side yours I get typically 1 to 2 orders a week. Most customers go for these based on price alone Also The one criticism I have other than that it the fact that your Fax number & address is in the price list. if a customer faxed you direct would you supply them? this alone has put me of pushing your signs over the ceramic ones. Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theone Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 yes i agree with you lee would prefer it if the were no contact details on leaflets only our own becuase we dont get any feed back wether the customer is ordering or going else were Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobblers Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 first of all, i echo the snetiments regarding the contact details being on the leaflets we've given out well over a hundred of your leaflets to our customers this past year kev. i don't think we've had 5 back for orders except for the instant cast brass signs that we supply from yourselves (excellent value!!!!) most of those who do come back to return them ( we try to encouyrage recycling)think the other signs in the catalogue are a little too expensive. there are a number of places around here offering house signs at much lower prices and i'm afraid yours can't really compete. i don't know how long these other firms take as we don't use them so i can't really let you know about lead times. your marblite blanks are excellent value though, we order these from you and engrave them ourselves so we can supply them at a lower price and with a faster turnaround. i don't know why but your brass blank prices (such as the oval) took a huge jump a couple of years back i realise that you probably had good reason to warrant such an increase though. there are some vinyl letters advertised in the current catalogue but i don't know if i understand the prices right as they seem a lot dearer to what we currently get them at from classic sign and design in leeds. i can say though that from the signs we have ordered from you that the quality is second to none i also personally think that the engraving department has come on leaps and bounds in the past few years when it comes to customer service. a new, more current blanks and parts catalogue wouldn't go amiss (after all, i didn't know you supplied those cracking enamelled flag pet tags until i had to ask, i'd rather it be there in front of me so i know immediately) i bet there's a good 25-30% of your goods and stock that i'm not even aware of. i'm very glad that you (and one or two others such as keith and peter), as a representative of your company and not the chairman or owner are willing to come on here as you do, in your own time and try to help us all out. i think this is highly commendable and you are a credit to your company. rick. ps, what's the chances of me coming working at your engraving department in my next holiday periodfor a couple of days to enhance and further my engraving skills and knowledge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hibsjo(SCO) Posted May 11, 2006 Report Share Posted May 11, 2006 watch this space for the price of all commodities going through the roof not just brass signs. Our chinese friends are buying everything just now and the prices are getting scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev Posted May 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 many thanks for all your comments, I can reply to a few of them straight away. Our leaflets are available printed without detail, and have been since issue 3 of the leaflet came out. Apologies for not offering a choice when you originally got yours. On the subject of people contacting us direct, this has only happened half a dozen times in the past year. Each time, the person who has ordered has been contacted and asked to deal with the shop where the leaflet has come from. 90% of these people have done so, the others decided not to progress with the order. i am not interested in dealing my signs to the public Never have been, and never will. With regards to prices, you'll be happy to hear that i'm currently doing a total overhaul of all the prices, for blanks and for engraved stuff. There will be an inevitable increase for some items, but also a significant decrease in price for others. Please keep posting all your comments, they really are helping. Being in contact with you guys via this forum is very very important to me. Once again, thanks Lee, for taking the time and effort creating this site. I think you've created a monster, that can only do good things for our trade kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted May 12, 2006 Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 And FARE play to you Kev, the results of this question show that your products are good, just a few niggles showing up. Potentially you could have been a lamb to the slaughter, very brave! Not many companies would be prepared to put them selves up for public criticism A good proactive stance, and one I commend you for. Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev Posted May 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2006 Thanks Lee, A possible slaughtered lamb, true, but if I am to improve the service aimed at this trade then I have to know the negative vibes coming back to me. Basically everyone on this forum is a potential customer, and I see this as a bit of market research. No point in trying to provide a service nobody wants. Nothing's gonna get taken personally and I don't expect anyone to hold back. kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hocumgday Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 Hi I,m a newbie to this forum and have just browsed this forum and found this post. I would like to add a few comments on the engraving side of Charles Birche's business. I work as an engraver/shoe repairer at Elise Services in Weymouth Dorset with a team of four staff (not including the owner who is hands on and a great guy to work for). We have used your sign service 5-6 times in the last couple of months and i must say the quality of workmanship is absoloutely 1st Class. The orders we have placed have been made, packaged and posted in lightning fast time and our customers have been delighted with the finished product. I am responsible for all the engraving work at our shop and i have an excellent knowledge of computer related software and engraving skills which i have gathered over the last 12 years and have a great pride in all the engraving jobs i have been asked to do, some, quite odd ones too i might add, the same must be said for the staff at your workshop Kev, keep up the excellent workmanship ..............p.s. where's my cast brass sign i ordered last week? (only joking i know it's a 28 day wait) good luck and speak to you on our next order.... Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh-Candoit (ENG) Posted July 7, 2006 Report Share Posted July 7, 2006 Now that's the difference between a good recommendation and an advert, and from a first time postie too, well put together to boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 And thats the kind of post every one on the forum appreciates! nice to have you on board hocumgday Lee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hocumgday Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 Thank you, I,m pleased to be on board and grateful for your replies. Excellent informative site for the trade by the way Lee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev Posted July 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 Grant, Thanks for your kind words. Glad our efforts are appreciated. Still always trying to improve though, don't wanna become lazy just because people are happy. It doesn't take long to upset people Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobblers Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 we've just received the new house sign leaflets and price lists for consumables, materials and blanks. man!!!!!!!!!! what a disappointment for some parts of it i know it's the current market trend and especially the massive increases in raw materials which have spurned the increases we've incurred but it probably means the odd sign order we used to get won't be got no more!!! nice to see that the laminates etc are still a good price and i'm really glad that they've dropped the price of the key tags to be more in line with other suppliers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobblers Posted September 6, 2006 Report Share Posted September 6, 2006 as an afterthought: was it an oversight that there's no price list for new drive belts, cutters, fillers and the like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted September 7, 2006 Report Share Posted September 7, 2006 We make all our own signs inshop. But after reading all the positive feedback Kevs recieved, I'd be more than happy to use his services if the need arises. Well done Kev, keep up the good work. your only as good as your last job in this trade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kobblers Posted September 7, 2006 Report Share Posted September 7, 2006 i agree uk, and i know the price increases are out of everyone's hands, it just sucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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