Biggest decision in life? Certainly not, biggest decision today...definitely.
OK so our profile is done and I am shopping around to get it printed somewhere. It is essentially 2, 11x17 pages printed front and back on nice paper ( like a glossy card stock) so I go to the first and obvious place like Kin.ko's. They print it, it's beautiful! Perfect and everything we want. Problem is they want ( are you sitting down for this?) $10.07 PER PROFILE! Times 30-40 profiles that's over 300 dollars for papers that will essentially be looked at, probably tossed around and eventually lost or thrown out.
So today I decided to look at a few places. I go to the first place and talk to the guy. He gives me a sample print and its looks good. A little more like a copy but good and a whole lot less. Around $180 total. HUGE DIFFERENCE! But he kind of just pissed me off. Did he mean to? No, not really but he did. First he wouldn't shut up to let me ask questions about quality, he kept telling me " Well print quality is relevant." Um OK I don't know what you mean but shush and let me ask the question and maybe then you would have a real answer. Second thing he did that annoyed me was, well you know people see our profile and ask what its for. So I told him that we were adopting. His response was weird, rather shocked almost, like adoption was something only for crazy people. So he continued to say " Why adopt? Because its popular right?" Um no sir I thought to myself, actually it's not popular, its expensive and plus we can't really make a baby. So I just said " Well it's just something we always wanted to do." " Isn't it expensive?" he said. " Yeah definitely." I answered, and then he had the nerve to say " So you just want to throw away that extra money? I'll take it if you just have money to throw away on an adoption like that" ( said with a giggle as if he was being funny or cute.) I was done, over this guy and his print quality was average anyway so knowing I wouldn't be coming back I said " Every heard of helping someone ? Helping a child in need who wouldn't have a positive loving home otherwise? Every heard of not thinking about your own selfishness in not wanting children ( he previously mentioned how he had a 10 month old and how much it sucked) and want to reach out and help somebody while fulfilling your own family desires?" I was getting angrier by the second as his smirk stayed on his face and he wouldn't stop talking. I grabbed my sample copy and left... A$$hole.
So the third and final place was great! They quoted me $150 for everything. 40 copies, stapled and folded. They were a small business ran by a family and a wonderful family at that. When I told the man it was for adoption he proceeded to whip out his family photo album and told me all about his son and daughter in law who did " that in vitro thing" twice and it didn't work out so they adopted and so on and so on. Such an awesome story! They eventually adopted 2 children who are biologically full brother and sister. All around their office was family pictures and bible verses. I was sold. So I asked to see a sample before handing over my credit card...Um yeah, print quality was less than stellar. Our faces look over white, like when the flash is to bright and fades out someones face. Yet our clothes on the front cover were awesome and bright the inside pictures were kinda dull. They told me I shouldn't compare it to the other's because if I just saw that one I would think it was great... Kind of true, kind of not. So I got a written quote from him because Kin.ko's told me they would match it ( we'll see) if I had a written quote from a different company.
Ki.nko's was by far the best quality print, so if they will match the $150 I will obviously do it there, BUT I feel kinda bad, like I am cheating on the nice people who are Christians and have adopted grandchildren. But honestly their print quality was just good. I want our profiles to be great. So I'm kinda stuck. Or feel that way at least.
Tonight I am bringing the 2 profiles ( not bringing the jerk guys cuz I wouldn't go back there no matter what) to class with me and going to ask the girls in class what they think. I'll show them the lesser one first just to see if they say anything, then show them the comparison. Then I know this whole time I Have been over critical of anything we have done. So I wonder if I am just doing that again? I wish you girls lived close I know you would have a great honest opinion...
If anyone wants to fly out my way tonight to help lemme know :) I'll pick you up at the airport !
OK so our profile is done and I am shopping around to get it printed somewhere. It is essentially 2, 11x17 pages printed front and back on nice paper ( like a glossy card stock) so I go to the first and obvious place like Kin.ko's. They print it, it's beautiful! Perfect and everything we want. Problem is they want ( are you sitting down for this?) $10.07 PER PROFILE! Times 30-40 profiles that's over 300 dollars for papers that will essentially be looked at, probably tossed around and eventually lost or thrown out.
So today I decided to look at a few places. I go to the first place and talk to the guy. He gives me a sample print and its looks good. A little more like a copy but good and a whole lot less. Around $180 total. HUGE DIFFERENCE! But he kind of just pissed me off. Did he mean to? No, not really but he did. First he wouldn't shut up to let me ask questions about quality, he kept telling me " Well print quality is relevant." Um OK I don't know what you mean but shush and let me ask the question and maybe then you would have a real answer. Second thing he did that annoyed me was, well you know people see our profile and ask what its for. So I told him that we were adopting. His response was weird, rather shocked almost, like adoption was something only for crazy people. So he continued to say " Why adopt? Because its popular right?" Um no sir I thought to myself, actually it's not popular, its expensive and plus we can't really make a baby. So I just said " Well it's just something we always wanted to do." " Isn't it expensive?" he said. " Yeah definitely." I answered, and then he had the nerve to say " So you just want to throw away that extra money? I'll take it if you just have money to throw away on an adoption like that" ( said with a giggle as if he was being funny or cute.) I was done, over this guy and his print quality was average anyway so knowing I wouldn't be coming back I said " Every heard of helping someone ? Helping a child in need who wouldn't have a positive loving home otherwise? Every heard of not thinking about your own selfishness in not wanting children ( he previously mentioned how he had a 10 month old and how much it sucked) and want to reach out and help somebody while fulfilling your own family desires?" I was getting angrier by the second as his smirk stayed on his face and he wouldn't stop talking. I grabbed my sample copy and left... A$$hole.
So the third and final place was great! They quoted me $150 for everything. 40 copies, stapled and folded. They were a small business ran by a family and a wonderful family at that. When I told the man it was for adoption he proceeded to whip out his family photo album and told me all about his son and daughter in law who did " that in vitro thing" twice and it didn't work out so they adopted and so on and so on. Such an awesome story! They eventually adopted 2 children who are biologically full brother and sister. All around their office was family pictures and bible verses. I was sold. So I asked to see a sample before handing over my credit card...Um yeah, print quality was less than stellar. Our faces look over white, like when the flash is to bright and fades out someones face. Yet our clothes on the front cover were awesome and bright the inside pictures were kinda dull. They told me I shouldn't compare it to the other's because if I just saw that one I would think it was great... Kind of true, kind of not. So I got a written quote from him because Kin.ko's told me they would match it ( we'll see) if I had a written quote from a different company.
Ki.nko's was by far the best quality print, so if they will match the $150 I will obviously do it there, BUT I feel kinda bad, like I am cheating on the nice people who are Christians and have adopted grandchildren. But honestly their print quality was just good. I want our profiles to be great. So I'm kinda stuck. Or feel that way at least.
Tonight I am bringing the 2 profiles ( not bringing the jerk guys cuz I wouldn't go back there no matter what) to class with me and going to ask the girls in class what they think. I'll show them the lesser one first just to see if they say anything, then show them the comparison. Then I know this whole time I Have been over critical of anything we have done. So I wonder if I am just doing that again? I wish you girls lived close I know you would have a great honest opinion...
If anyone wants to fly out my way tonight to help lemme know :) I'll pick you up at the airport !
14 comments:
you're so funny. Wish we could see the different copies... I am so sorry about the jerk guy you had to deal with. Way to stand up to him though! He needed to be tought a lesson! Don't you think you could have punched him in the face too?!! Man... I may have. Or at least told him that I was really concidering it if he did not shut up! How about you tell me his name and I will come and go do that for ya! :)
Good luck finding a place! Would be sweet if you could get the $150 deal with KinKos... That is what I would try to do.
take care!
If Kinkos will match it, do it. If not, I'd go with the lower quality ... but geeez ... tough one.
OMG!! I'm mad at that guy, too!! What a jerk!! So glad you told him off and set him straight!
To be honest, I would go with the higher quality, and hope that they will give you the price match. You want your profile to stand out, and if you're not 100% happy with the third place's work then I would either keep looking or head back to Kin.kos. I always like to help the "little guy" out, but when it comes to something this important you gotta go with what looks best.
YAY for getting the profile done! We got ours printed at Kin.kos for $180 and they turned out great. Really great quality. We didn't do the high end stock paper but kinda above medium stock.
If I was still flying ( I am flight attendant) I would fly out to LAX and meet you at the airport. But Shelby makes non reving a little tough!
Go back to Kin.kos and we all will pray that they match the price!
I hate asshats like that. Shut up! You don't get paid to run diarrhea out of your mouth. Just reading your run-in makes me foam at the mouth.
Popular, indeed! Hrmph!
Anyway...
I'm about a half-step behind you. Doing a final proof tonight, then it's getting flipped to PDF and onto a thumb drive. I need to shop around to get the printing done. I'd really like to do it at the mom & pop printers next to my favorite Starbucks but we'll see.
I agre with Flakymn - see if K's will match. They're probably too big to care, though. :(
Allie
WHAT IN THE WORLD???????!!!!! That guy made ME so angry!!!! Why do people say stuff like that??? RUDE.
Good luck picking which one to go with! I'm sure they both look great!
Wow I cant believe someone would say such crummy things to you about adoption! People are sooo selfish. I hope you get it worked out and have great profiles to use. I would just go with kinkos if they will price match, dont feel bad. Good luck!
Some people are so ignorant. Good for you for keeping your cool :)
As far as your profile goes, you definitely want the best quality if Kinkos will match the price, if not then I'd say the friendly grandparents are the way to go. Good luck!
Ok first of all, Thank you very much mr. I'm in everyones business and I don't even know what I'm talking about!!!
How rude! That would have pissed me off too. You did a WAY! better job than I would have holding any unkind words back. Good job on your part. I can only imagine what I would have said to him.
Second, I'm glad the Kinkos looked so much better. It helps though that the guy was so nice and understanding and even though that didn't necesarily make your sale it sure as heck couldn't have hurt it.
I'm glad your getting it all finalized. So exciting!
and by the way, Adoption is a beautiful gift and your child is more than lucky and blessed to have you as there parent. They are your child 100% yours. They will call you mom and dad and love you unconditionally and that is your child! So screw that guy who said "because its so popular" RUDE!
The 2nd guy reminds me of when I went to print our birthmother letter off and he says "Oh can you not have kids or are you one of those people that want to save the world." OMG! I thought I was going to slap him right there infront of everyone! That was 7 years ago and I remember it as if it was yesterday. I have learned now that our daughter is 6 that the questions NEVER stop!
Wow! That guy was a jerk! Good for you for saying something.
Okay first of all, WOW - what a jerk! I've had a similar comment about trying to be Angelina, but that guy wouldn't stop, huh? I'm sorry people are so stupid.
Good luck with getting your profile printed! My husband always says, "You know what the worst enemy of good is?" And the answer is "better". :) I know it's hard not to obsess...this is kind of a big deal! :)
Go with the higher quality, even if it is higher priced. Out of everything you had to do for a homestudy, this is the ONLY thing that directly connects you with a birthmom. It is worth the expense to go higher quality. If you don't, every time your profile is not picked by a birthmom, or the longer you have to wait, you will obsess and kick yourself for not putting forth the extra effort and $$$
You need to totally, TOTALLY write a letter to the manager, owner, or company that runs that copy store you went to with the rude sales person. That was COMPLETELY inappropriate and uncalled for. I am not the sort of person who can think of a quick answer that is whitty in situations like that. But I AM the sort of person who will write a letter to corporate if I get a rude a**hole like that in sales! Your copies are your own personal business. Would he make comments if a person went there to make copies of legal documents? I should hope not. Makes me wonder about their confidentiality? Completely rude and unappropriate and you deserve so much better service from ANYONE else.
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