For organizations that have indoor or outdoor signage, there is a constant need to service that signage. The question becomes what is the best way to outsource that work to a national sign service company. Today, we will look at both the logistical and business reasons to select a national sign service company. If you have retail, professional or commercial space that your customers come to, you will inevitably need to service the signage in your facility. These maintenance items, unlike routine service, are more mission-critical and need to be addressed quickly and efficiently. If your signage fails this reflects poorly on your organization and can hinder customers for entering your facility and doing business with your organization. Below we’ve put together some tangible items to look for when it comes to searching for a national sign and service partner. One who will complete the job both on-time, on budget and with a high degree of competency:

1. Can They Complete the Service in a Timely Fashion: The first item to look for in a national sign and service partner is their ability to complete the service request in a timely manner. How many technicians and resources do they have within “x” number of miles from each of your facilities so that they can respond in a timely fashion. Make sure to ask this critical question for any potential signage partners.
2. Capacity to Complete The Work: Does the potential lighting partner have the resources capacity to complete the various types of signage service requests that your organization is likely to have. Do they have the necessary knowledge base, network of technicians and electricians, and resources of bucket trucks with equipment to work on a 60’ pylon sign and a 25’ sign.
3. Reporting and Post Implementation Analysis: Finally, the right lighting partner will have the key performance indicators that are being monitored throughout the process to ensure that the project stays on time and on task. Some common industry KPI’s are below:
   • Scheduled vs. Completed visits per call
   • Check-in and check out compliance
   • First-time completion percentage
   • Average time to complete
   • Number of warranty replacements
   • Number of escalations
   • Customer (store level) satisfaction score
   • Sign lighting component data to make retrofit recommendations – see a sample of you should expect here

Keep this in mind about your signage: Signs serve as a type of silent salesperson for your business. Signs can have a major impact on the aesthetic appeal of a store. Exterior signs draw attention to your place of business and help differentiate it from others on the street. Making the decision to hire a national sign service company is a very big decision for any organization. Ensuring that you do your due diligence on the front end during the buying process is critical. We have seen many companies rush through this process and the end result has been disastrous. Use the blog post above as an overview of things to look for when evaluating the merits of a signage partner. At the end of the day, the goal is to ensure you get the service that you need and to keep your store signage up and running at all times. For more information on signage for your organization contact Action Services Group by calling 610-558-9773, email [email protected], or schedule a call.