kimscustom.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just wait while you engrave my order?
But it's just 4 letters why can't you just fling it on there right now?
Do you make exceptions to the above rule?
How much will it cost? Can you give me a ballpark price?
What will my item look like when completed?
Do you take/buy back my old trophies?
Do I get a receipt that you have my item or how will I be able to get it back?
Does your company provide a delivery service?
Do you cut keys?
What is your minimum order?
How much do you charge for engraving?
Do you have a fax line?
What if I don't have email?

"Can I just wait while you engrave my order?"
To this we would usually reply depending on the circumstances, "You can, but when the police come at night when the alarm goes off you'll have to explain to them why you're still here." All kidding aside regular turnaround takes between 2-5 days for in stock items and for custom items turnaround will depend on the actual item and will be discussed at the time you request a quotation or when you place your order. Turnaround times may also vary depending on peak seasons and quantity of items you require. Some smaller orders will be placed in between larger orders anyhow when time doesn't permit us to complete a larger order before business close on that particular day.

"But it's just 4 letters why can't you just fling it on there right now?"
First of all nothing we do is just flung onto the engraver. We take pride in every job we do from a plate saying "Thunder Bay" to a custom award designed especially for you. We also work with specialized engraving equipment that takes years of training to operate properly. In order to accurately engrave all our orders we take pride in a system of several checks before your item is even engraved. Accuracy takes time. As a well-established engraving business we always have a list and it's always been first come first serve. We challenge you to think of a fairer way. If you do think of one we'd be happy to hear about it. We've built up our reputation for doing great work and that's why we're always busy. For quicker turnaround you can go to one of those booths in a larger mall but some advice from us would be to ask the engraver on site how long they've been engraving for before placing your order and whether or not they work full/part time. Kim has been engraving since February 1991 full time from 6-7 days per week.

"Do you make exceptions to the above rule?"
Actually the major exception to this rule was one started in the year 2000 when Kim lost her father. We have since then made exceptions for all funeral engraving. This is due to the fact that you can't plan to know when exactly that's going to happen as a courtesy to the grieving families who are already experiencing enough. The other exception would be if you were genuinely nice! In a fast paced challenging world you'd be surprised by how many people come in and tell us the whole spiel about how someone else was supposed to take care of this three weeks ago and didn't. They no sooner tell us the story then they start yelling at us to get it done for them now, or else! Listen people yelling at me or my staff doesn't make it any easier for us to do your work, in fact it makes it harder for us to concentrate and to accurately complete your order or anyone else's for that matter. Please try to be nice even if it's short notice and we'll see what we can do to accommodate your needs.

"How much will it cost? Can you give me a ballpark price?"
This is a frequently asked and definitely valid question. In order to provide you with a proper quotation we need the time to be able to provide it. As everything we do is custom there is no such thing as a ballpark price. It will usually take 2-3 days to get back to you with pricing and longer for some custom items.

"What will my item look like when completed?"
For all custom items such as lapel pins & medallions you will receive a black & white proof that will be in need of your approval before casting of the item begins. For engraving (with the exception of manual engraved items such as watches) you may request a proof in-store or by email. There is a charge for proofs and each additional proof will incur an extra charge. Turnaround time may also be affected with the amount of changes you request.

"Do you take/buy back my old trophies?"
We will graciously accept all donations of unwanted trophies even if they're broken in pieces. We will not however pay for them. Most old trophies need work before we could allow the public to have them anyhow and this incurs cost for us. We try to donate them back to those organizations that are requesting donations from us and this in turn saves them from going to the landfill site and being wasted.

"Do I get a receipt that you have my item or how will I be able to get it back?"
Yes, the receipt will be given to you when you place and pay for your order. No orders will be engraved without payment in advance unless a previous relationship with Kim's has already been established. Due to the volume of orders we do this is the safest most secure method. Also when the store is closed we have an alarm system that is on and inspected regularly. No customer products are ever placed in common areas where another person unless employed by Kim's may come into contact with them.

"Does your company provide a delivery service?"
We have a few options for this actually. For most in-town orders shipment can be arranged by courier service. For out of town orders we can ship on your account or we will take a valid Visa or MasterCard and ship by Purolator. The charge for shipping will be applied to your credit card by Purolator directly. We can also ship by post however we only ship by express post/priority post as this is the only way we can trace the fact that the item you ordered actually was delivered. The charge will be added to your invoice.

"Do you cut keys?"
Although we do get asked this question frequently we're sorry but cutting keys is not one of our many talents. Besides we've found with the volume of regular orders we do it wouldn't be an asset to our business as we'd have to tell you to come back in two-three days to get your keys and most people wouldn't like that.
"What is your minimum order?"
Well that's a loaded question in itself. For engraving our minimum order is one. We tried zero for awhile but it just wasn't a profitable business for us. For custom orders it really depends on the item you're ordering as the different manufacturers have different guidelines on minimums.

"How much do you charge for engraving?"
The best way we can describe that is it really depends on the job. The work we do is custom. For most orders we will need to see the material/item being engraved, what lettering/logos are to be engraved on it and the quantity of item you require before determining your price. We've had people call and tell us they want 44 letters on a brass plate laser engraved so we gave them a quote on one plate. When we didn't get the order and followed up with them we found out that they actually wanted 100 plates not just one and they never got them laser engraved or used brass plates at all. The price on 1 plate and 100 plates is definitely different so make sure if you want us to provide you with a proper quote you give us all the correct information in order for us to accurately provide you with that quote. Also when shopping around for quotes please remember to compare products exactly (you know apple to apple not apple to grapefruit). We at Kim's will also take a second look at your quote if you've found another local supplier offering the exact product for a better price just provide us with a written estimate from that company and we'll see what we can do to match their pricing.

"Do you have a fax line?"
No. Due to changing technology and email becoming more common we have found that this is no longer a service we need to offer.

"What if I don't have email?"
Please contact us at 807-622-1171.