A lot of companies proclaim a commitment to customer service, yet their delivery leaves something to be desired. For Kansas City resident
Rob Schamberger, a tragic circumstance left no doubts about AlphaGraphics Kansas City’s commitment to their clients.
“I was going on a long road trip from Kansas City to New Jersey for a tradeshow and was in a serious car accident,” Rob says. “All of the art and supplies I had with me were destroyed.”
Through Rob’s social media posts about the accident, AlphaGraphics Kansas City learned what happened and came through in a big way.
“They reached out to me and were able to reprint everything and overnight it so that I was able to have my prints for that show,” Rob says. “There was a very distinct possibility that I could have gone out of business because of the accident. Instead, AlphaGraphics Kansas City was able to save the day in such a way that not only did I not go out of business, but had a very early and crucial success.”
That success helped lead to a defining career moment for Rob: working as the official artist for WWE. His paintings of professional wrestlers are sold as prints (among other types of merchandise), and thanks to AlphaGraphics Kansas City’s expertise, he’s improved product quality to the benefit of his client and worldwide customers.
“Initially we printed on one kind of stock because it was something that my clients were used to in the industry I work within,” he says. “But then they put together a range of different samples for me to review and we were able to find a stock that was much better and has since become the new industry standard.”
Rob and the AlphaGraphics Kansas City team have worked together on a number of projects throughout the last four years, including Rob’s
business cards and two art books. Again, he credits the company’s expertise, which led to optimal results.
“One of the things I learned while creating my business cards is that I like to have a UV coating on the front of my cards,” Rob says. “That’s not necessarily something that can be done as quickly with my other prints because there’s a drying period. Some of those mechanical factors have been good for me to learn from and to properly plan around.”
When Rob created his first art book, the AlphaGraphics Kansas City team helped him navigate factors like page count, stock and printing methods to find the most cost-effective result without compromising the quality of the finished piece.
“They were able to quickly and accurately give me a quote and also guidance on submitting the files, which turned out to be much easier than I thought,” he says. “For my second art book that was done for my primary client, we were able to create something that met their high standards and deliver a very nice book.”
Sometimes, AlphaGraphics Kansas City’s biggest client achievements happen behind the scenes.
“They created a customized ordering site for me that’s really powerful,” Rob says. “I can just log in, select the type of print, how many I need and when I need them by and they’ll take care of the rest.”
As a result, Rob’s agOnline store has become integral to his order process, making orders more efficient so he has time to focus on what’s important: his art!
What’s impressed Rob the most about AlphaGraphics Kansas City is how they’ve kept pace with his professional growth (while also experiencing rapid growth themselves). Rob’s achieved some tremendous milestones, including painting live at events like WrestleMania Axxess and having his art on permanent display at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Ia., and he isn’t shy about the role that AlphaGraphics Kansas City has played in his career.
“They’re instrumental to my success,” Rob says. “My number one product is my art prints, and they’re the ones who make them. I think a big part of our success is the personal relationships I’ve built with everyone there so that we’re able to almost have a shorthand way of communication. They work with me so much that they know what to do. And their technical expertise has made it so my clients can communicate directly with them, increasing the level of customer service I can deliver.”