When my son was younger, he and I used to enjoy looking at business signs as we drove through town and noting those that had sections of lights out, or letters missing, or other defects.
For example, one drugstore had a “One Hour Photo” sign perpetually missing the final O. The local Wal-Mart had bold blue lettering on the side proclaiming, “We ell For Less.” A drive-in that featured the “Big Penny” hamburger instead advertised the “Big ny.” Another sign had letters hanging upside down by a single nail or screw.
Usually a maimed sign would stay that way for a long time. Why, we wondered, would a business allow its most visible, most public identity to remain impaired? The reason is pretty obvious: A business has so many priorities that fixing the sign (and paying for the repair) becomes one of those “I’ll have to get to that soon” things that no one ever does get to.
But what is the consequence? What does it say about, for example, a shop that sells and repairs bicycles if the sign on its storefront has missing letters or is faded, or peeling, or cracking? Perhaps substantial business gets lost because people see the sign and say — consciously or not — “I wonder how well they fix bikes. I think I’ll try that other store across town.”
What you’re selling
What about your sign? You may think it matters less because, after all, nobody comes to your place to buy things. And signs cost money — the ratepayers might not appreciate a big, splashy sign.
Perhaps as a consequence, (and here I’m going strictly on my own experience), clean-water plant signs tend to be unobtrusive. Often they consist of plain lettering painted on a couple of boards nailed between two posts, saying simply, “Anytown Wastewater Treatment Plant.”
They show no colorful logo or catchy slogan. They’re not embellished with flowers or ornamental stone or shrubbery. They tell visitors, “Here you are,” and that’s about it.
But when you think about it, you do sell something, and it’s very important. You sell a service that is vital to every homeowner and business, to the general public health, and to the well being of local waters. So why hide your light?
People from the community do come to your plant: Teachers with classes of students, tour groups, young people seeking employment, service contractors. What they see on your grounds gives them their first impression, and first impressions tend to stick.
In general, the plant signs I have seen are well maintained, because it’s not in the nature of treatment operators to let things deteriorate. But I do wish the signs could be a little bolder and brighter, a little more prideful, a little more welcoming.
What does yours say?
And so, with that, here’s a request. If you have a great sign, or some great-looking landscaping at your gate or along the walkway to your front door, step outside, take a picture of it, and send it in. We’d like to show it to your colleagues in the profession in hopes they might draw inspiration from it.
Here’s something any clean-water plant can do to send a message that says, “What goes on here is important, and we are proud of it.” So take those pictures and send them along. We would love to include several of the best ones in a near-future edition of TPO. Just e-mail your digital photos to me at editor@tpomag.com.
If your sign and landscaping are low-key and unassuming, think about what it might be worth to change that. A new sign and some colorful plantings can be a good start toward kissing the low profile goodbye and standing up for the industry and all the good it does.
