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

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.......... I have had it ............ I am pulling the Thames out of the shop in Asheboro ............ it has been there for 3 years and 10 months ........... and this is where we are ............ the work has been excellent, but after four years this car should be finished







......... The car has again ( for the fourth time ) sat untouched for over two months ........... a very common occurence ............. I have talked with the owner multiple times about "getting on with it" ............ his answer this last time was "Things have been crazy around here, give me a few weeks to get things in order" ........... well, the answer to that is NO !!

I asked over a year ago for them to get a driveshaft fabricated ........ nothing ........... Need dimensions so I can get a new radiator fabricated ........ nothing .......... I went ahead and built the engine internals and it has been sitting since September waiting on paint ............. the rear doors still need to be media blasted ......... the shop has been waiting for their "Blaster" to return a call from over a month ago ........... Enough is enough

I will be informing them tomorrow morning to cease all work (ha ha, what a joke) and prepare the car for a total parts inventory and movement to another location

I hate to do this, but I would like to see this project finished before I die of old age ............. Enough is Enough !!!

it` would`nt suprise me that someone there wanted you to tire of it and sell it to them ..that`s a super neat ride .

you're more patient than I would have been

Been there, done that. I usually just show up with my trailer unannounced so they don't have a chance to "lose" any of my stuff or to not be there when I come. I've done that even to "friends" who I thought I could count on. Business is business.......period.

You are right, the work looks great, but it is intolerable for them to take that much time to get that far. What they are doing is putting you on the back burner and doing other work that gets them immediate money.....even if those jobs came in long after yours did. Pull the plug......pay them for what they did to date and find a shop that won't sleep at the switch.

The other fear is that if they are that lax you might show up one day to find they are out of business and your stuff is either gone or locked up in some bankruptcy or other legal mess. If they are that poor at the business end those are real possiblilities, especially in today's financial world.

Don

WOW ...... 4 yrs. of waiting ...... you ARE a patient man. I'm with Don .... call & ask if they've had any recent progress (from down the street) and roll up with trailer in tow. I'm sure the surprise of you coming by with make for retention of your parts. If you give them any lead time most peoples reaction is to be pissed & vendictive.

Start by checking here (CHR) & over on the HAMB for a local restorer that can actually inish a project.

By the way ..... real neat project!!

REGS

That's a shame John, but I'm with Pops on this.
There are good technicians, and there are good business operators...........not too often do they occupy the same body. These guys probably take a decent size deposit to start a job, which means they get faster cash flow by taking in new work than completing "old" work. Ken Fenical, who owns Posies, has a statement on his website something to the effect, "If a shop asks for a deposit to start work they can't afford to be in business!". While I can think of some exceptions to that "rule" it's generally accurate in it's intent. I consulted with a rod shop operator a few years ago who operated similarly to your guys. He did great work, but when I surveyed his previous customers nearly all of them said they wouldn't do work with him again because of the grief he caused them. At the root it could be attributed to poor communication, but the shop owner kept dilluding himself that the customers just didn't understand...............he had a business to run! He never got the concept that treating people badly doesn't help running his business.

The next issue could be finding someone willing to takeover the project. I hated it when someone brought something like that in. The first work I do on any part of the job I own the whole thing in the customer's eyes. Make sure for your sanity, and that of the new shop, that all potential issues are noted BEFORE work begins. If the new shop doesn't do a thorough inspection and discussion with you about things they see that might need redoing or revising you could be in for more grief, and greater expense, down the road.

The best piece of advice you have received is "..don't give them advance notice", and hope that no one at the shop is a member or guest here!! I like REGs approach - call from a block away, ask for an update, and then pull up to finish the conversation in person while loading. Keep everything friendly and professional, just cannot continue to wait for them to have time to work on your ride, it's been almost 4 years, and going to make a change.
Best of luck.

One hundred percent agree with several of the folks above. Bring your trailer, settle up any outstanding bill, then load up and go - forever. You have waited about 2.5 years longer then my patience could have handled and from what I can see, done it well - but none of us are getting younger and it would be nice to see it running.

My biggest worry would be that they really didn't like me, explaining why you can't get them to do anything maybe, and that they would be vindictive. I don't know you and please don't take this the wrong way but is there something perhaps you have done to bring this on? I assume you have the finances etc. to keep them busy, ie. lack of cash from you isn't holding them up? If you're on the up and up (again I mean no slight to you) I can't for the life of me understand how these clowns stay in business. I really hope you get this straightened out. That's a really cool ride there. Of course it would be much cooler if it were finished.

I have been though that but not as long as you, I had to get the sheriff out there with me because the guy got mad and would't give me all my parts. Come to find out he had spent the money and put my parts on another ride. Needless to say there was a bad court battle and a long time collecting my money. Be on your toes and don't give him an inch because he will take it.

While there is the remote possibility that idunnitnow is right, I don't think so. As Bob P pointed out, sometimes the most skilled fabricators, painters, etc are the very worst business people. The successful ones are the guys who not only are skilled at their craft, but who understand how to make money and how important repeat business and word of mouth are.

We have all seen perfect examples of this in our everyday lives........some business that should really be great but isn't because they lose sight of the importance of doing good work, doing it in a timely fashion, keeping the customer informed and part of the decision making process, and not putting themselves up on the pedestal by feeling "we are the experts here and we will tell them how it needs to be done." At my work I get in "discussions" with our Techs all the time because they fail to see that at the end of the day the customer votes with his checkbook and if we haven't pleased him or her we have not only lost that one customer but the 5 or more he will tell.

Don

Pack a bag--go over there, check into motel, show up Monday morning in work clothes--take charge--
Log on to here and show them all the posts/comments on your car for the entire period of time that it has been there--all very high praise up until now-------
Have them make a list of what parts/material is needed yet, use there phone and order whatever isn't there
Start mixing the paint and wiping down the surface----

Its leaving Friday , Feburary 5, 2010!!!!!!!

Jerry

Also

post daily progress pics, review replies with them every morning---this can be just like those tv reality shows

Ah ....... to this end ..... for the next person that works on your vehicle I'd say CONTRACT.

My close friend owns & operates a race car fab business ..... some of his costomers require him to sign a contract & maintain weekly updates - which also includes $$ from the customer. Perhaps ..... you might bring that up next time you have someone working on the vehicle. If they hesitate ..... it might NOT be the place to leave it.

Big successful car builders are ..... big & successful because they produce a superior product on a schedule that make the customer either come back for more or refer others to them.

I work for a small (17 trucks & 50 men) moving company ...... 60-70% of our business is repeat/referal .... the balance (the most part) comes from internet searches about our "on time" operation & how we treat the customer AFTER the move. It works. I should work in ANY business.

My thoughts.

REGS

REGS

Originally Posted by idunnitnow!

My biggest worry would be that they really didn't like me, explaining why you can't get them to do anything maybe, and that they would be vindictive. I don't know you and please don't take this the wrong way but is there something perhaps you have done to bring this on? I assume you have the finances etc. to keep them busy, ie. lack of cash from you isn't holding them up? If you're on the up and up (again I mean no slight to you) I can't for the life of me understand how these clowns stay in business. I really hope you get this straightened out. That's a really cool ride there. Of course it would be much cooler if it were finished.

I have never had a single cross word with these guys ........... and I have never been late on a payment .......... I receive their invoice and I drive them a check the next day ............ don't want to risk it getting lost in the mail ........... the money is available to complete the job, and I have never asked them to wait for a moment for any reason

I believe there's a couple of issues here ......... this is a small, three man body shop run by some young guys ........... they take in insurance claims to keep the doors open and don't manage their workload very well ......... plus they're forever fixing some buddy's car or truck while the "project" cars sit idle

But, the biggest problem I believe is this ............. these guys are remarkable in body work and paint work when they can get replacement parts ......... their work is stunning ........... but there aren't any replacement parts for a '48 Thames ............everything has to be fabricated ............. and they don't seem to know how to do this .......... they farm out all the fabrication to other guys they know in the area ............ the bodywork is pretty much all done (their specialty} and now the difficult design, fabrication, and assembly work is left ............ and I think they're in way over their heads ............ so I'm moving the car to a small rod and custom shop ............ they do their own design, fabrication, painting, etc. ........... they do everything except interior work and I already have a custom interior shop lined up for that ............ and they are getting tired of waiting for it to arrive at their facility