It happens all the time when you go to buy something online, over the phone or from something you see on TV. You know, when “you can get all this for $99.99.” Well then tack on taxes, surcharges, shipping and handling (S&H) and next thing you know it is almost double. Then there are those “deals” that require credit checks. I probably don’t have to tell you but if your report doesn’t come back sparkling you won’t be getting that car for a “low monthly payment of $199.”  [Read more...]

What I am about to talk about isn’t unique to the menu board industry; it is done time after time when making purchasing decisions.  Assumptions are made based on things you have read, seen or heard, but the personal experiences aren’t known until the process is complete.  Unlike buying a loaf of bread or a new pair of shoes, buying a menu board, drive-thru, communications, or digital signage system is either a first-time occurrence or something done rather infrequently.  [Read more...]

The title that you read above may be a little too aggressive. To be clear, I am not suggesting that menu board examples serve NO purpose. In fact they can be helpful when trying to get the creative juices going and for you to envision how something would look in your location. After all, how else would you be able to see if something will work for you other than by ordering a system sight-unseen? The instances that I am referring to are those where the consumer has seen examples but want more; usually by going to see something in person or through additional layouts that are specific to their niche (i.e. Pizza, Ice Cream, etc).  [Read more...]

There tends to be a decent chuck of time that passes from when you begin to think about a new menu board system until the time it is ready to ship. You have to identify the company, the product, get the design done, revised and then ultimately approved.  They it hits the production queue and waits until it is ready to get manufactured and assembled.  In most cases, you’re looking at 4-6 weeks depending on product type and scope of product.  [Read more...]