No Shaw Thing
Although the Stanley Cup Final is in the rearview mirror (and the 2014 season is almost here!), it felt like the right time to present the first in a Hat Trick of print stories from our self-proclaimed Matt-of-All-Trades, Matt Cushing.
It also keeps us from having to listen to him complain about the White Sox.
While he’ll never be a spokesperson for Gillette, Matt has a knack for connecting with interesting clients.
Here is the latest from Matt’s message bag.
With the Western Conference finals underway and Chicagoland in a frenzy rooting for their Blackhawks, Cushing received a printing inquiry from the NHL (Northbrook Harbor Lovers).
I’m kidding: it was the National Hockey League.
Moments later, production was calling and emailing me – the NHL needed Stanley Cup Final wayfinding signage (from the press area to NHL staff down by the locker rooms) and Cushing was going to be the first printing services company to provide their first pricing quote.
While we stayed calm, cool and collected, you can imagine our relief when our point of contact (based in New York) did not request a Facetime or Skype call – not with half our staff adorned in Blackhawks gear.
The puck, I mean, project was up for grabs. How often does a company have the chance to work with such a high profile organization? I began pricing and spec’ing out material.
Quote generated, I drafted an email, sipped my coffee and hit ‘send’.
The waiting began. Did I mention Cushing was competing with numerous other local Chicago printing companies for this signage project?
Also, if the Blackhawks didn’t advance, the opportunity was on thin ice – couldn’t resist dropping that in.
Chicago’s team grabbed Game Seven and the next morning I knew we were a phone call away. The email came in with the specifications and I felt like a center that just scored the winning goal.
Cushing had the pleasure of designing, set-up and installing signs at the United Center. Our NHL representative told us we had, “shot a slapshot top shelf glove side and scored!”
Actually, he said Cushing’s pricing was the best, customer service stood above and we completed an amazing job.
I prefer to remember it the other way.
