"There is no such thing as a stupid question!"
All in-town calls (GTA as laid out in our coverage area) received before midnight are guaranteed next business day service. If any calls cannot be completed, you or your office will be notified as to when you can expect them to be done.
Voice, Fax or E-mail. Fax or E-mails are preferred in order to obtain hardcopy requests for our records.
No. Metal frames are supplied by the agent or broker. We do however supply the wooden posts.
Yes. We will store all of your signs, riders, frames and hardware in our climate controlled warehouse at no extra cost.
Whether from your office, home or previous installer, we will gladly pick up your signs and return them to our warehouse at no cost to you. We would never charge our clients in order to get their business!
It's easy. The signs are your property, they just store them as part of the service. As long as you are up to date with billing, they have no right to hold them. All that is required of you is a simple request to have your signs left out for pick up. We do have a 'sign release' form pre made that just requires your signature. Simply fax it to them and we will retrieve all of your inventory at no cost or inconvenience to you. The number you now call is ours. We will handle all removals from your current listings, regardless of who installed them. Regardless of who everyone else in your office uses, the choice is really up to you. Personal billing is available.
Drivers work Monday thru Friday, from morning until all calls are completed. There is no "9 to 5" schedule for road work. As the busier seasons approach, drivers will work longer hours in order to complete their routes. Please keep this in mind, as it may mean calls in the outlying areas will be completed in the evening.
Although cheques are preferred, we do offer Visa ™ and Mastercard ™ payment methods for our clients. Please ensure all cheques are payable to "Brooks Brothers Installations"
Our posts are always placed in the most visible area of the yard to get maximum exposure for your sign. Sometimes this may mean raising the post above obstacles such as fences, hedges or any other landscaping. If it can be done minimally (i.e. a foot or two) there is no extra charge. However if the post needs to be raised several feet, a surcharge will be applied. This shows on your invoice as an 'raised post install'. Please let us know in advance of any obstacles that we may encounter so we may come prepared to deal with them.
Corner properties will have the post installed at the corner on a 45 degree angle to be visible to both streets unless two posts are ordered.
If you are a new agent, check with your broker first. Some offices are billed direct, and then in turn expense their agents. Others prefer that the agents are all billed individually. If you are going to be billed individually, you may have your invoices mailed to your office or home address. You also have the option of receiving them via e-mail or fax. All invoices are processed monthly and are payable upon receipt .
Installers are well versed in all the codes and conduct regarding signage and city property. The only time we require you as an agent to look into sign tolerance is at townhouse complexes, condominiums, co-ops and retail plazas. Most often it can be solved with a simple call to the property manager. Please keep in mind however the rules do change often, and just because you may have seen signs there before, does not mean they are allowed there now. We do not wish to charge you for a second trip to relocate or for a missing post. Be well aware that some workers at these properties have a very low tolerance and will throw away our post and your sign without hesitation.
All of our posts are a standard size - a six foot upright with a four foot cross arm. All cross arms have holes in the top to accept riders with pins. The spacing of the holes is 24 inches apart. There are two sets of Eyelets to hang your sign from. By using any combination of hook placement it allows us to hang any variety of signs that are available. All of our posts are equipped with a fifth eyelet on the front of the upright portion of the post. This allows us to secure your sign to prevent it form swinging.
Absolutely! Please do not leave your orders till the last minute. By ordering early, it will ensure that the sign gets installed the day your listing comes out. Post dating a removal request means that your sign is gone before the new owners move in. Closing dates are very important! The vast majority of lost posts and signs occur when the buyers take possession and leave them on the curb for the first garbage day.
Don't worry. We will keep track of your inventory. You will be notified when you are running low on signs, not when you are out. If you need to order new, we will gladly put you in touch with the right people.
Just let us know if you require a confirmation. We will send you an e-mail or a quick phone call to let you know that the call is completed
Knowing that we observe all civic holidays, this can help you anticipate a delay in our service. Although we do close down for an extended period over the Christmas season, your office will be notified well in advance of the exact dates. There is still service during this time, but it is at a minimum. Keep in mind that during all down time, we still monitor all calls that come through our office. This includes weekends.
There is no digging required. The only 'damage' is two small holes in the lawn to facilitate the metal T-bars holding the post - even these will be tamped down to fill in after the post comes out. As for gardens and landscaping, our installers will always tread lightly and carefully.
Although we do consider ourselves 'Superinstallers' we don't have x-ray vision. Plant bulbs that haven't broken ground are at risk of being damaged. Also at risk are sprinkler systems. We always look for sprinkler heads and try our best to stay away from the areas that their underground pipes would travel. Please try and keep us informed if any such systems exist at your listings.
Stay calm. Don't panic. We will fix all leaning posts free of charge due to soft soil or the spring thaw. If the cause is vandalism, having been removed by another party or if the call is out of area, you will be charged for the reinstall. This will show on your invoice as 'reinstall' or 'correction'.
If the call takes two trips to complete, a second charge for that property will appear on your invoice as a 'service call'. This may be due to a vendor refusing the original install; incorrect address given; adding extenders; or is most often the case with removals, having the post or sign locked in the garage.
We can deal with this any number of ways. Typically the sold will remain on the sign, until your next listing, where it will then be left on the porch, in the mailbox, or in between the front doors. We can also co-ordinate with you and just take the post and sign, leaving the sold rider at the property for you to retrieve on your own. Lastly, we can just allow them to accumulate and then band them together and deliver to your home or office. This is a courtesy that you will not be billed for.
Absolutely! We are going to be at the property anyway. Just advise your seller to remove the key (don't forget to give us your code!) We will treat the lock box the same as your sold riders (see above).
None whatsoever. As a service provider, our goal is to keep you as happy as we can. If we ever fail in achieving that goal, you as a client should be free to seek out alternatives any time you see fit.
(Aren't they all?) Your signs and riders are cleaned before and after each listing. Sold stickers are removed by heat gun and our best efforts go intro graffiti removal. We will always choose the nicest sign you have in stock.
All of our posts and steel bars are painted in our warehouse. They are then completely repainted on site year round (weather permitting). Does this sound like we're being too fussy? Maybe, but we wouldn't put up a sign that I wouldn't have on my own front lawn.
E-mail is the best, we often will reply immediately. We do however monitor voicemail and faxes during the weekend and holidays. Leave a direct number and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Major dilemmas shouldn't have to wait until Monday morning.
If we arrive at your listing and another company's sign is still standing, we will gladly remove it and leave to the side of the house for retrieval.
Simply call for a post only to be installed and let us know you will be hanging your own sign. We will leave open hooks for you to secure.
Alternately, you may also leave your sign at the property and we will hang it for you. In both instances, we will remove your sign and leave it for you to pick up when we take down the post.
Please mind the post if you hang your own signs, that paint may still be wet!
(All of our paint is latex and does come out with warm water and soap as long as it does not have the chance to dry)
No problems there. We know how hard the ground can get in the middle of summer or the dead of winter.
Simply leave your sign and frame at the subject property where our driver can easily access them. If you require just the install and plan on removing it yourself, you will only be billed for a service call. However if we have to return and remove it for you, you will be billed for the second trip (service call).
We can solve this problem in a variety of ways, from going directly through the asphalt, to removing Unilock stones, to attaching the post directly on a fence or railing. If there are no other options open, we can use one of our unique 'free standing' post holders. These are weighted bases that will accommodate a post or metal frame and it will sit on top of parking pads and concrete yards. There is an additional fee for use of these holders and will show on your invoice as a 'custom base'.
(all applications are visible in our photo gallery)
We have many sign friendly solvents to aid us in removing graffiti. If the sign is too far gone, we do suggest keeping it for future use on wall installs or backyard fences (The damage is typically done to one side only).
We take extra care with all of our agents signs - be it in our warehouse (we store them all separately in their own racks), during transportation ( bundled tight between carpeted boards) or at the listing (secured by the top and side grommets to prevent wind damage). Those that are overly concerned always have the option of handling the signs themselves and just have us install the posts and hooks.
We encounter lots of obstacles when at properties, shrubs and hedges are just some of them. If the post needs to be raised minimally (i.e. a foot or two) there is no extra charge. However if the post needs to be raised several feet, a surcharge will be applied. This shows on your invoice as an 'raised post install'. Please let us know in advance of any obstacles that we may encounter so we may come prepared to deal with them.
Unfortunately you will be charged for full replacement value of the post. Always try and monitor the closing dates of your listings so that we can take the signs down before the new owners move in. We realize how important it is that the sold sign stays up for as long as possible, but keep in mind that you will also lose your sign and any riders.
We would rather you didn't. The stickers are really meant to cover the 'for sale' portion of your sign. When the sign comes back to our shop, we remove all stickers with a heat gun. This method will not ruin your sign. However, if the stickers are applied to our post, it renders it useless to use at the next listing (what if that next listing is yours?). We suggest buying sold riders. They can be reused over and over again and will pay for themselves in no time. When you do purchase them, be sure to write your name on them in permanent marker to prevent loss or theft.
After 120 days, your term for a normal install has come up. For each additional month the post remains up we charge a rental fee. It will show up on your invoice as an 'extended loan'. This charge also helps as a reminder to call down any expired listings that you may have.
City property is a major no no. We have found that the city generally acts on complaints, but has been known to do clean sweeps across the entire city. In the best case scenario, you will not be warned to remove it or be notified that it has been taken down. The worst case scenario involves fines upwards of $5,000.00 as well as a $100.00 fee to get each sign back . Best alternative we can suggest is to strike a deal with the owner of the corner property where you would like the directional sign placed. If it is on private property the city can do nothing.
Of course it will. Don't be silly!