How to Handle Mistakes in Your Sign Shop Without Losing the Customer

In this episode of Behind the Signs, Joe and Liz dive into one of the most uncomfortable—but unavoidable—realities of running a sign business: making mistakes.

From botched installs to spelling errors and major fabrication slip-ups, they walk through real-world examples and offer a practical guide to handling mistakes without losing your cool—or your customers. You’ll learn:
• Why staying calm matters more than you think
• How to communicate transparently with your clients
• The power of postmortems to improve your process
• A horror story about a sign that was installed 50% too small 😬
• And how that mistake turned into a long-term partnership

Whether you’re a shop owner, project manager, or installer, this episode is packed with hard-earned lessons, actionable advice, and a reminder that it’s not life or death—you’re just making signs.

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00:00 - Intro
02:11 - Join the Facebook Group & Sign School Explanation
02:39 - Today's Topic: Handling Mistakes in Your Shop
04:05 - First Rule: Don’t Panic
05:12 - Real Talk: Mistakes Can Wipe Out Profit
06:19 - Communicate Without Overpromising
08:04 - Bring a Thoughtful Solution, Not Panic
09:55 - Real Story: Installing a Sign 50% Too Small 😬
12:29 - Managing the Fallout Internally
14:01 - Let the Client Know You’re Making It Right
15:18 - Funny Mistake: “Hong Kong” vs. “HonK Kong”
17:13 - Include the Right People in the Solution
18:15 - Creative Recovery: Turning a Scrap Sign into Lobby Art
20:02 - Even Small Mistakes Cause Bottlenecks
21:04 - Improving QA with Floor Walks & Systems
22:11 - Postmortems: Not Just for Mistakes
23:33 - Building Reliable Checklists & Systems
24:01 - Final Thoughts: Own It, Fix It, Move On
25:24 - A Real Sign Emergency Story
26:04 - The Power of Taking a Breath

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Thanks to our friends at:
Sign Builder Illustrated (signshop.com) Leading Industry Magazine
International Signs Association (signs.org) An absolute MUST membership for all sign shops.