Thread: Garage manners?

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Originally Posted by jyardgirl

... DO NOT CHANGE MY RADIO STATION...

Forgot to mention that one! Very important!

My garage, my rules...

Your garage, your rules.....

Simple, just plain old common courtesy....

got no time for crap like beer,booze or smokes in my shop. I'm there to get customers cars done, not for visiting time. we're a" by appointment only" shop and don't want to be disturbed by looky lou's who just want to shoot the crap, touch stuff and basically waste our valuable work time... thats what beer time at the house is for !@!!

they're not used to you being in thier shop, so don't get in their way.

It's thier shop and thier rules

leave it cleaner than you found it.

ASK FIRST. Most peeps are real funny about thier tools.

Show courtesy and respect at all times or you won't be invited back

If it is a commercial shop, don't loiter. They are trying to make money.

they are doing you a favor. Reciprocate if you can: if you can do some extra cleaning, or de-cluttering, it will be appreciated.

dont cuss in my shop .. i hate cuss words .. eat drink and be merry .. just leave the F words at home

I like R's2 run an upholstery shop,time is money,we do allow walk ins,but we have a small office in front with samples to pick from,exc.they are not allowed in shop,a no smoking that reads (nearest smoking area 2 blocks south and 3 west) also we put signs on cars and furniture that says please (do not sit or lean on me !!), thats because your car or furniture are our reponsablity now,friend and relatives that do walk in shop know that thier safety is first , we have a sewing machine with a 36'' arm and a 3'' needle that will sew your hand with no problem, not to mention,12'' razor sharp knifes,air staple guns and air nailers,but if I'm on break I 'll shot the shit if not,I'll say grab a broom or staple remove and pull some staple off that chair, my person one is my favorite, I don't like racist jokes(of any kind)a guy came in one day, did you hear the one about this (N),I said hold on, I brother inlaw is Black and is in the back room,I'll get him, he might like this one, zoom he was gone

one more thing. Do not tell me how i can do something better or different. If i need help i will ask. Do not tell me that you do not like the way I am making my car sound, run, or look. If you know so much go get a car and do it yourself. I am doing mine my way.

At the marina where I work we always get someone who will stop in with the line " I buy all my parts here, I wonder if I could speak to one of your Technicians so I can ask him a question?" That question is generally "how do I fix my boat without paying you!" I generally intercept them and explain our Techs are busy down in the bilge of some boat and that we don't bother them while they are making us $ 95.00 an hour. If they keep trying, I get out my sign in sheet and tell them it will be $ 95.00 to answer their question because that is what we are losing if I pull one off of a job.

Most people understand and either make an appointment or just leave, but some get PO'd and tell us that is no way to treat a "customer." If it is someone we see at the parts counter occasionally we might try to get them an answer, but in most cases the guy has really never bought a thing from us.

We also get the people who want to bring their parts for us to install. We don't do that either and explain it is like taking your steak to a restaurant and asking them to cook it for you. We stand behind the parts we use, which are only OEM parts, but can't warranty ones brought to us.

What people have to understand is that our only products are our time and our expertise.............that is what we sell. If we gave it away free we would be looking for jobs in no time.


Don

After reading the thread I can now understand why a near by shop ran by butt off when I was starting the 34.

Prior to starting the car back in 2005, I noticed a 33/34 coupe sitting in the shop.I circled the block and proceeded to take a look. The shop had chains in front of the overhead door bays.I was eyeballing the coupe from the outside and the owner came over and in a loud shrill voice said may I help you.I said I was thinking of building a coupe and would it be possible to come in and take a closer look.He replied h_ _ _ no and I'm no going to offer you any help.I was flabergasted and left without without saying a word.

I pass this shop daily and even though I might have been in the wrong,I have a bad felling and would never send any of my friends there.

While building the car I had lot's of lookers and really enjoyed the chit chat.The only difference was I was not making a living at it.Being in the Tool and Die Buisness for 20 yrs.I can understand time is money but rudeness there is no excuse.IMO

you know some times it's not a matter of rudiness as it is that we're really into what we are doing and can't stop at a perticular point or we might be screwing up a big dollar piece of material as well as weeks worth of time working on it. thats why our shop is by appointment only and I won't have to have a "tude" at some one just for passing by and having questions about things ... hell if you don't ask questions you'd never learn things right !!

This is a little off the shop etiquette or maybe not. In the early 70’s I bought a 56 Chevy 2dr. ht. No engine or transmission. I had a 56 Chevy wagon that I had planned on taking the engine out of it and putting it in the 2dr. ht. Something else came along like a 40 Ford pickup so I decided to sale the 56 hardtop, and the 56 wagon. A slick guy came along and offered to buy both if we could do the swap in my garage. I was a young guy back then strong no injury’s yet. I said ok, my garage, tools, and me doing most of the work as it was his first car. We worked until late that night, and had almost everything hooked up. I hooked a chain to the 56 hard top, and I pulled it to the guy’s parent’s house. I don’t think I sleep all night when I had realized what I had just done. Young, and Dumb!!

Richard

My rules are as follows, tools go back were they came from CLEAN, no horseplay, no alchohol, no smoking, dont be greedy with the drinks - I may want one, and you have to clean up the mess you make. Sometimes I'll make exceptions on the smoking or general clean up, at the end of a long day or with bad weather.

Do your views change any if it`s you and some good buddies hanging in the shop doing work?

But then again good buddies dont disrespect your stuff to much. I guess when i first read the topic i assumed that`s what they were talking about. I did not really think about total or mostly strangers in my shop.

Originally Posted by hotroddaddy

Do your views change any if it`s you and some good buddies hanging in the shop doing work?

But then again good buddies dont disrespect your stuff to much. I guess when i first read the topic i assumed that`s what they were talking about. I did not really think about total or mostly strangers in my shop.

i worry about someone getting hang up in my big mill as well as the other machines i use my buddies know how much the stuff cost and i tell them what that machine will do with out missing a beat to any thing that gets in the way .my friends come over sit in a chair or push a broom thats fine as long is there not there trying to screw with me . i need to work when i at my shop so it by appointment only guys do drop by it it screws up my day some times the door gets lock or i will show up at a time no ones going to be out and work on some thing that i do not need anyone around . i try not to be rude i think i do ok give out some info so they can feel good about droping off there stuff but if there coming over just to talk that works better for you if your buying my lunch but the more work at the shop thats is not getting done the less time i have for my self

My good friends know the rules - If you use it clean it and put it back
some of my pals and I have pulled off some amazing jobs.
Leave their tools at home and just use mine. That way my tools don't go missing.

But now I have a no"strangers inside" rule in effect because:
I was working on a older Ford 6 cyl pickup for a stranger

My shop was full so I did the engine work out side

I grabbed some tools and put them on a roll out tool table , parked it near the truck
I needed a different screwdriver and went back into the shop for it.
Came back out and looked for the first screwdriver it wasn't there
so back in the shop to look for it and looked out and saw the guy messing with the tools on the table
he grabbed something and dropped it into the windshield washer fluid tank.
I finished the truck and got paid and just before I slammed the hood I reached in and rescued the screwdriver and 3 snap on wrenches.
I asked the guy if he believed in Karma because his was going to be instant if he didn't disappear.
I told the guy I had better never see him again.
I hate thieves