Thread: Enough is Enough ...........

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Dave -
I take my Harley to a one man shop/friend who is an excellent mechanic. He is constantly struggling with individuals who need it now, but can't pay later. I always tell him what's going on with my bike, get a rough cost estimate, and then wait until I have the cash, before I even bring it in and schedule work. To me his skill and integrity is something I value and respect. Every time I drop by, he's got about ten bikes in the shop. Some completely done, some waiting payment, and a few waiting on parts. We get along great because I pay cash, and am straight forward with what I need done. I never impose time limits, because after doing construction for a few years, I realize $h!# happens that no one can foresee. I just wish people had Coyotes patience and my friend' or your's dependability. We'd all be happier!
It is funny just looking at my own measley build and realizing setting a time frame for completion is a difficult thing!
I feel for you both!

Communication is very important between customer and shop in any business. When we take a boat in the first question is how much and the second question is when will it be done.

Stuff happens and we find out most times there are additional problems that will cost more and sometimes it takes longer than we thought, due to parts needed, corrosion, etc. But I am on the phone immediately, letting the customer know what we have run into, what the new cost may be, and any delays that have happened. They are never happy to learn about the extra money or delays, but most times they thank me for keeping them in the loop. It is what I would want if I were in their shoes.

I think you were extremely patient in waiting 4 years before finally pulling the plug. They might be great bodymen but very lousy businessmen IMO. You did nothing wrong, you paid on time, accepted "some" degree of delays, and still speak highly of their work. But you do want to drive that car sometime in your lifetime, and you are the guy cutting the checks.

This is also a perfect example why most bodyshops are not great places to take a rod or custom for work. Doing these jobs right is very labor intensive and body shops are used to getting them in and out as fast as possible. When they realize how much time it takes to do the modifications or work we expect they shove our car into a corner and plan on working on it between other jobs. After a while the dust gets thicker and thicker as the car sits waiting.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Stuff happens and we find out most times there are additional problems that will cost more and sometimes it takes longer than we thought, due to parts needed, corrosion, etc. But I am on the phone immediately, letting the customer know what we have run into, what the new cost may be, and any delays that have happened. They are never happy to learn about the extra money or delays, but most times they thank me for keeping them in the loop. It is what I would want if I were in their shoes.



Don

There aren't any Silver Bullet soloutions in life/business, but what Pops has said there is about as close as it gets. Anyone contemplating running or improving their service business would do well to reread that several times, commit it to memory, and then live it! I used to take it to the next step as well..........put it in writing. In many trades they're known as "change orders". They work even better if the customer signs them when the change is decided on. That way, when the inevitable day comes that they are grumpy (to whatever degree), if you gently remind them that they were part of the decision making along the way that resulted in the time/cost shift most reasonable people will say something like "oh, I forgot about that!". And usually they honestly did. It's a pretty simple concept, harder to do if you're not very disciplined, but it makes business life, for both the customer and the shop, so much easier. And most often leads to more business either by repeats or referrals. Once I figured this stuff out I found I was getting referals from people who DIDN'T use my shop. I always prepped potential customers on our process, which almost nobody else did. With some regularity folks thought it "too complicated" or some variation on that thought. So they signed on with the shop that said something like "sure, bring it in, we'll get on it right away!". Then they lived the stories that have been told here. Not many, but a few, had the guts to come back and say "I should have listened to you in the beginning, that other shop................" (fill in tale of woe). As was stated, it's just communication to set expectations.................makes a big difference.