FAO Minuteman

SparkCreative

SparkCreative

Member
So, I was recently asked to quote on a job for the NHS. Basically, taking a document they've done and making it all look good, reformatting text, tables etc, and outputting it as a pdf.

The document is 38 pages long. I figured even if I'm going really fast that's at least a day's work.

Anyway, the Financial Director for the department I'm pitching to says they've got to ask Minuteman for a quote too. And they came in at - get this - £75! Apparently it's only a 3 1/2 hour job. Really? Wonderful. So I didn't even bother to quote.

Minuteman - care to comment? Or was it a different Minuteman?
 
Can't help but butt in here! But where are you based? Minuteman is a franchise so each centre is individually owned and the level and quality of service will vary hugely. Our Minuteman has his head screwed on. *fingers crossed*

And they're only charging £20 per hour!
 
Ah right, it was the Coventry one I think.

It wasn't their hourly rate I was quibbling with (although it's a bit cheap), it was the total price for the job. It's WAY under. I can only assume they're doing it as a loss leader.
 
Quite likely if they are getting into the NHS. They may not have much experience of doing that sort of thing either. I agree it sounds as though they are underestimating way too little time!
 
It's why wages are so low in our industry - everyone is giving stuff away - design and print! Keep losing quotes to people who can do it for almost nothing! Damn annoying.
 
Glad to hear it's not you Peter.

It's annoyed the crap out of me. Like I said, it was their FD that insisted my contact go to Minuteman. No quality criteria at all, just who can do it cheapest. They may as well post everything on people per hour and get an albanian student to do it for £30. Bloody public services!
 
As Kate says, it's this kind of practise that belittles our industry. 38 pages for £75??? I mean jaysus, that's not even £2 a page and even if you allowed half an hour a page that makes them less than £4 an hour HELLOOOOOOOOOOO.

But it most likely is a loss leader to get their future business. Rest assured they will tender out again when said Minuteman franchise puts their prices back up to something realistic.

Unfortunately it's happening all too often. I was sent a grumpy email today from a prospective who felt that £50 was "extortionate" for an A4 folded leaflet design (and I went in cheap as he is a new start charity).

Sometimes you just have to say "no thanks". I refuse to be held to ransom over cost.
 
Corrosive said:
Despite the fact that he pre-warms his tea mug
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Corrosive I know where you live!!! :icon_lol: Can't believe you lot got me to put my hand up to tea mug warming :icon_lol:

Pricing - as we've all said before - go with prices that are fair. Prices as described sound like a lack of understanding of the work involved at qualification stage and / or a lack of experience in costing design.

When the response is negative from the client so be it. As long as the price calculated is fair and where you need to be at to grow your business, etc. Working for ridiculous £ per hour is a mugs (pre warmed of course) game.
 
It is indeed. That's why I didn't bother to even submit a quote in the end.

I wonder how long Minuteman Coventry will survive if they carry on that way? Like I said, the only thing I can think of is that they've employed a very junior designer on minimum wage and they're working them like a slave. doesn't do anyone any favours in the long run.
 
I deduce that Minuteman Coventry are offering to do the design job for peanuts in order to bring in the print work: if it's something public-facing for roll-out nationally across the NHS, I imagine the size of the run will be considerable.
 
It's not for the print though - that was my immediate thought. It was only ever to be sent out as a pdf. Unless they're getting a shedload of other print that I don't know about and are therefore able to offer stupid rates on jobs like this. Anyway, it was only a little job to begin with. Bigger fish to fry. Onwards and upwards.
 
SparkCreative said:
It's not for the print though - that was my immediate thought. It was only ever to be sent out as a pdf. Unless they're getting a shedload of other print that I don't know about and are therefore able to offer stupid rates on jobs like this. Anyway, it was only a little job to begin with. Bigger fish to fry. Onwards and upwards.
Click to expand...

Ah. In that case, I have no idea what they're up to.
 
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