When you call Ball Fabrics, a real person answers the phone.
That may not sound particularly remarkable. But as more parts of the customer experience become automated, we think there’s still real value in being able to talk directly with someone who understands the products, knows the questions to ask, and can help you figure out the right solution.
For us, personal service isn’t about resisting technology. It’s about recognizing that the work we do often requires a conversation.
Sometimes the Right Product Starts With the Right Questions
Customers don’t always come to us knowing exactly what they need.
They might know they need privacy around a job site. They might need windscreen for an athletic facility, graphics for a fence, or a product that can perform under specific conditions.
But choosing the right material, density, height, measurements, or construction isn’t always obvious.
That’s where an experienced person on the other end of the phone can make a difference.
As Jon Ball puts it:
“We don’t want to simply take an order and produce what’s written on it. We want to understand what they’re trying to accomplish and make sure we’re solving the right problem in the first place.” — Jon Ball
That approach means asking questions before an order goes into production.
How will the product be used? Where will it be installed? What is the customer ultimately trying to accomplish? Are there details they may not have considered?
Sometimes those conversations confirm exactly what the customer originally requested. Other times, they lead us in a different direction.
Either way, we’d rather ask the questions upfront.
Nearly Four Decades of Experience Behind the Conversation
Ball Fabrics has been doing this since 1987.
Over that time, we’ve worked with customers across fencing, construction, athletics, commercial applications, and other industries. We’ve seen products used in straightforward applications and in situations that required us to think a little differently.
That experience becomes valuable when a customer calls with a question.
Our team isn’t working from a script. They’re drawing on years of product knowledge, customer conversations, manufacturing experience, and an understanding of how these products are actually used in the field.
It’s an approach that goes back to the early days of Ball Fabrics. When Larry Ball built the company, relationships and personal service were central to how he wanted to do business. As the company grew, his father, Dale, and his brother, Jon, joined him, and those values continued to shape the way Ball Fabrics worked with its customers.
Today, with multiple generations of the Ball family involved in the business, that philosophy remains an important part of how the company operates.
Larry has spoken about the responsibility that comes with that:
“You’re not just thinking about this year or next year. You’re thinking about reputation over time.” — Larry Ball
That reputation isn’t built through one transaction. It’s built through what happens when a customer needs help, has a difficult question, is working against a deadline, or simply isn’t sure what they need.
More Than Taking an Order
Good customer service isn’t just being friendly when someone calls.
It’s being useful.
With custom products in particular, small details can have a big impact on the finished result. Measurements matter. Material selection matters. Understanding the application matters.
As Jon has said:
“Good results aren’t just about how well a product is made. They also depend on the information it was made from.” — Jon Ball
That’s one of the reasons we put so much emphasis on communication before production.
Our job isn’t simply to manufacture what appears on an order form. It’s to combine what the customer knows about their project with what we’ve learned from decades of manufacturing these products.
That’s where a conversation can prevent a problem before it happens.
Technology Has a Place. So Do People.
We use technology throughout our business, and we’ll continue finding ways for it to make us more efficient and better at what we do.
But we don’t believe efficiency has to come at the expense of connection.
When you call Ball Fabrics, you can talk to someone who knows our products. When you email us with a question, a member of our team reads it and responds. And when your project doesn’t fit neatly into a standard answer, there’s someone here who can talk it through with you.
That’s intentional.
As Ball Fabrics has grown, the products, technology, and capabilities of the company have evolved. The importance we place on relationships hasn’t.
Built on Relationships
Some of the customers we work with today have been part of the Ball Fabrics story for decades.
Larry has talked about customers who first began working with the company when Ball Fabrics entered the fence industry in the 1990s and who have remained part of the business ever since.
Those relationships matter to us because they’re one of the clearest measures of whether we’re doing things the right way.
Products matter. Quality matters. Innovation matters.
But so does being the kind of company people want to call again.
After nearly four decades in business, that’s something we have no intention of changing.
Have a project you’d like to talk through? Contact the Ball Fabrics team
