I came to New Orleans, from Atlanta about 4 months ago, carrying my line of T-shirts, seeking a new LOCAL printing company. I read several reviews good and bad, but still decided to give this company a chance. I visited the westbank location a few times and on my third visit I eventually found a dark cluttered space and a young lady sitting behind the counter looking quite dismantled and confused. Her name was Kristen. On this visit I mentioned to her that I was looking for a printer for bulk printing and wanted to try the printing services here. Her response was, "Well the person that would take your order isn't' here and were actually supposed to be closed but I didn't get a chance to lock the door. But I can still take your order and pass it along to the printers." Me:?????! Kristen listened to my order and I explained that I'm only looking to get three shirts right now I have my own design in Adobe illustrator and I have my own shirts I just want to know the quality of printing. I asked what would that cost and she told me $15 each shirt. I was OK with that price because it was a small amount to pay to find a printing company locally that I can build a relationship with. She gave me her email address and I told her that I would send the designs in Adobe illustrator that night. Well I sent the design that night, and called the next day. I called four times to get the voicemail on the toll free number and I then called the local number in which no one answered.
So I waited... I waited about three days and called back this time the toll free number gave me someone and I had to ask this person what was his name three times in the sound of his voice made me believe that he wasn't telling me his real name. Red flag! So when I mentioned the young lady's name to him and that I had sent an email with my designs he had absolutely no idea of who I was talking about. So at this point I decided to visit the store where I met this young lady on the chance of seeing her there again around the same time or earlier. I went to this store five times and no one was there and of course it was earlier than I went previously, but along with the poor access, lethargic, and almost bewildered underlings, calling this company to "get a human person" is like traveling through a maze! Their hours or 10 to 6:00 PM and I got there at about 5 maybe 5:15pm. At this point I had given up on that process so I waited another day or so and went back on a Thursday. When I got there on that Thursday, I met David. I explained the previous episode with David in short detail and withheld the previous price that Kristen gave me. and what do you know after I explained my go to David his price for me to transfer my design to my T shirt was $10 per shirt. I did not have my shirts with me at that moment so I ended up having to take the chance and come back to this location. when I got to this location that following Tuesday David was there and Myles was there who is the manager or owner of this business.
Myles and I began to chat about business ventures and he mentioned some things that he was getting into and asked me about my business. He also asked if my business was "Christian-based" as a backdrop for the gospel music playing in the background of our conversation. I said, "No" we are community-based and all of my ventures give more focus to community." And he got a look on his face of "disapproval", telling me that he is going to pray that my business prosper. (...those "Christian" folk....I tell ya!)
David began to explain to miles that he had earlier told me I could have my design transferred to my own T-shirts for the price of $10 per shirt and miles agreed that that would be a fair price. As David searched for the initial email I sent to Kristen, he could not find it and later resolved that Kristen gave me her personal email and not the business email address.
So at this moment, I'm beginning to see the "Gray" of doing business with this company. But I was still willing to give them a chance. I continued to listen to what he was telling me however in his delivery there was one thing that really stood out to me when we were taking, He said. "I insulate myself from my customers. Let them call my team for problems!" ...something an astute businessman WOULD NOT say to a perspective client. It was a bit disheartening to hear that because my thought process was... I would really like to patronize a black owned business in New Orleans however, this is what you get when you patronize our black owned businesses in New Orleans. read more