True Tales

Wily Signpainter Fools Cranky Client

A humorous classic tale of satisfaction… and deception.

Published

9 months ago

August 2, 2023

Signs of the Times Staff Signs of the Times August 2023 Issue

The Wily Signpainter

An old story from a company on the East Coast, I believe: the tale of the cranky color-match customer. A salesperson had obtained a special-match color chip, and still, the sign got painted a slightly different shade, which was not acceptable. The painter said, “I can fix that, leave the color chip here and we will fix it.” The painter did a fabulous job, working most of the night to get it painted the right color. The customer came by the next day and loved the job. The sign was installed and the customer raved about it. Later, the company owner asked the painter, “How in the world did you get that sign painted and satisfy the customer overnight?” “I didn’t paint the sign,” the painter replied. “I painted the chip.”

Source: Jasper Burton, Cuerden Sign Co., Conway, AR

Signs of the Times Staff

Signs of the Times has been the world leader in sign information since 1906. Contact Signs of the Times' editors at editor@signsofthetimes.com.

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