A question for independant shop owners

[FRITZ]

how do you guys handel "hang arounds" You know the ass that shows up and never pays for services or is looking to sell unwanted junk or get something for free. maybe this is more of a rant,.....but i only have a few weeks to work on my own car and eveytime one of these hang around assholes show up it takes an hour away from my stuff to stroke their ego! for an hour i get to hear about the car "no one has ever seen them drive" they allways show up in the wifes mini van ya know! is there a polite way to tell 'em if ya aint here on buissnes you got no buissnes being here!!!! or do ya just say git the fuck out!
FRITZ

[Unkl Ian]

1-Start doing something real noisy
2-Start doing something real smelly.

[FRITZ]

Unkl, that dont work......
the dumb asses will stand around, i guess they are afraid to go home to the wife or something. you figure they would run home after work to build this car that is always better then yer shit, you know the one they never drive to meets & stuff, LOL
FRITZ

[Nads]

Tell 'em to get fucked or go seriously underground and lock your doors, like a certain place in Reading, PA.
Anyone that truly respects you will know when to shut up and let you work.
Some folks are inherently stupid and don't understand simple hints, for those idiots you need a loaded shotgun.
Seriously the only shop I hang around in is Mickey's Place and I've only seen a handful of hanger onners pass through there.
Eventually they were made unwelcome and left.

I can't even imagine what you must go through.

Oh, I just thought of this idea, how about giving up bathing and using TP, that might work???

[negativeMatt]

i usually listen for a few minutes, the i'll tell them i'm real busy with a paying customers car, so i gotta get back to work. i tell em i'll see them later( that lets 'em know to leave), and i go back to work.
at least it works here.

[52Chief]

Get a big, smelly, nasty, loud dog. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[shifts]

Around my shop most ppl know I'm short tempered, so I do my best Paul Sr impression whenever I get "friends" hanging out. You know, throwing shit around etc. If that dont work I can usually find a way to give them an accidental tranny fluid bath. That ALWAYS works!!DAVE

[ESnacky6]

Every time they come around, ask them to 'help you out'...

then just have them do dirty work... scraping dirty parts,
sweeping, helping you lift very heavy things you need moved
around... you know, things YOU don't even want to do..!

and if they don't want to, ask them what the fuck good are they..?

Hahaha... they might think mowing their lawn, or whatever
else the wife is bugging them to do, is fun after that..!!


my 2 cents...

[ric]

My shop has a nice waiting room/reception area. I just tell people they can go sit in the waiting room if they need to hang around. You have to make the work area semi-inaccesible and un-inviting. Getting deeply involved in your work and not answering questions or otherwise interacting with them also sends a message.....like "get the fuck outa here, I got work to do....."

[52Chief]

I think In California it's against the law to have any non-employees in the shop area, isn't it? I know I wouldn't want looky-loos hanging around and taking the cahnce of them suing me if they got hurt.

Maybe you can just say, "Hey, I can't have you get hurt here"?

[negativeMatt]

i used to have a HUGE sign that said NO CUSTOMERS ALLOWED IN SHOP AREA. i'd see these fuckers look up, read it, and still just mosey on in. i'd tell em i can't have them in the shop, and they would say " oh, i'm sorry, i didn't know." i guess they just forget how to read when they want to.
sometimes you just hafta be a dick, cause most customers always are.

[FRITZ]

Nads, ric, kustom,....all good points....
my big problem is I "live" here i have a 1500 sq foot shop in my back yard,....most of these guys are so stupid that at 9:00 pm on a sunday night they think nothing of banging on the back door! "hey i saw the lights were off in the shop i figured ya was inside!!!!! yah no shit trying to get cozy with my wife,....hey guys Long island is just full of self indulgent (sp) assholes. But i do like hearing how you handle the problem,.....Nads idea is more of what Im thinking of doing.
I used to worry about people thinking i was an asshole, but i think that isnt gonna be a problem to much longer..
keep em comeing i love it!
FRITZ

[29EHV8]

I tell em to pick up a grinder or get out.
You can also tell em that fridays after 2:00 is open house.Thats when you don't charge people to be in the shop.
Put up a sign outside the shop that say 'By appointment only'and lock the door and work away.If they bang on the door tell em to come back at lunchtime or after 5:00 that you have work to do.
If hes a customer charge him for the time,I do!
I also ask the hangarounds if they think its a museum.LOL
Or get the grinder out and intentionally shoot sparks right at em......Shiny

[lownslow]

fritz,
thats a good question.....my shop is at home as well and people think because its there you are just hangin out fuckin around....i had a dude walk in when i was painting one day.....of couse i am in there and he opens the door and ofcourse dirt and shit blow in the open door. and of course it lands in a candy job......he sees the look on my face and says..''oh you look busy i will take off now'' ..i felt like sayin no dude wait here until the paint dries cause you are gonna help me strip down so i can do it AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! but i just wanted him gone ....now he just says i am moody and doesnt come around any more....and the loud and smelly job doesnt seem to deter them either .........i am with ya man....what do ya do?????? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[ESnacky6]

Donnie... You should have KICKED THAT GUYS ASS..!!!

Whatta HOMO....

[bigron]

i don't have a shop but when my "nosey neighbors" show up and want to hang out i just get them to help me doing something and pretty soon they justt leave.....??

[lownslow]

[ QUOTE ]
Donnie... You should have KICKED THAT GUYS ASS..!!!

Whatta HOMO....


i know but this is the kinder more gentle donnie.......remember i am old.......hahaha.......but it did put me wayyyyyyy behind schedule....


[/ QUOTE ]

[sawzall]

[ QUOTE ]
i don't have a shop but when my "nosey neighbors" show up and want to hang out i just get them to help me doing something and pretty soon they justt leave.....??

[/ QUOTE ]

I am in the same boat..I have a problem with one guy.. who is suprizingly from long island... I got rid of him by doing a SMALL job for him and sending him an extremely LARGE BILL (hey who says 2 tack welds cant cost 200.00) he hasnt been back..

[plmczy]

But what if the guy wants to learn something? I mean I see what your saying about workin hard on somethin then getting interupted. Thats why I don't interact well with people much, 'cause I never know when I'm bothering someone or not. Ah never mind I'm just f*ucked up. later plmczy

[customcarpainter]

I run my shop from my home also,and theres no easy way to do it.You've got to decide rather you'll ever work on their shit or not.If not,then you've narrowed down the approach you can use to get rid of them.I have told people that I charge by the hour and if they wanna sit and shoot the shit,I'll be glad to put their name on a job card and punch the time clock,1 hour minimum.They usually haul ass.Some of these people are the same ones who will run your name down about the quality of your work,yet have no clue about what your actually doing.Its an age old problem my friend,and there is no easy solution.Pick your battles carefully.

[porknbeaner]

Find out what they want, then go back to work if they don't want anything.
Close the door, and put a phone number up. If its important they will call. Get an answering machine and screen calls.
I've done both at one time or another.
I went with a friend to a local speed shop today, it had a sign be back @ 12:15. That was 11:00, we went back. I could here him in there working, when we were there. Didn't matter he had something we wanted. And he's a pretty good guy.
BTW what kinda free stuff do ya got and do ya want to hear about the car that will never run? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[FRITZ]

you guys kill me, I love ya all!!!!!!
after 3 margaritas im pretty buzzed now to not give a shit!
to be honest I envy mark moriority! he likes the same shit i do and i met him from this boaed, he goes to work and comes home to his stuff,.....what a simple life!!!.....I have to deal with bum wipes to be able to work on my shit.
i guess i'll have to just be a dick and tell people to just fuck off! thats all there is to it. i never wanted to be that way but the assholes have forced me into it!
but really to the guys that are into it, im really a nice guy! LOL,....the cool guys the guys that are "made" are OK by me and can hang, hell they are the ones that offer to help,.....everyone else is a fuck head
FRITZ

[ESnacky6]

Donnie... I'd at the very least make him pay for his fuck-up...

materials...time... FTW...

[earl schieb]

Fritz, man I'm glad you started this thread---I've fought loafers for 20 years!
If it's somebody I kinda know, that I KNOW wants to just hang out SOMEWHERE--and I'm real BUSY---I usually use my best Andy Griffith method and ask em if they can help out, like makin a trip to town for me, cause I'm REALLY under the gun to get this whatever finished RIGHT now--REALLY imperative that it gets done. Most of the time, they're like "sure man". "How bout run get me a case of beer" or "can ya go to the liquor store and get a fifth of Jack?"
Of course, I dig in the wrong pockets and never can come up with $$$ At that point, I ask em to spot me--I'm good for it. That usually get's em to remember somewhere else they gotta be.....

And Donnie, I had the booth door slid open one night too in the middle of sprayin....My respirator muffled what all I said, http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif but I think they got the message http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

People are stupid. There's no real answer to the problem http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[Chris Wiehle]

Lock your door

[Flatdog]

We handle it a couple of difference ways .1 most of the hangers ons come on saterday, easy we close saterday.2 ask them to run a eran or really help with something, real work they generally leave pretty quick then.My 2cents.

[286merc]

If your shop is in a residential area tell the visitors you got problems with the zoning people and you cant have anyone there or you'll get shut down.

Works for me.

Oh, yeah, I also pulled out the fridge so that got rid of the boozers first and just left the assholes.

BTW, Ive been on BOTH sides of this issue http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Im originally from Long Island so I have no problem pulling my NY attitude on the locals up here in the boonies.

[Unkl Ian]

When I was an Apprentice,
I had my drunken Boss,and 3 Weasels from the Bank,
standing there watching me work on a CNC Duplicating mill.
After about 3 minutes,I decided it was time for them to leave. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

By changing the direction of travel,and the depth of cut,
I was able to send a steady stream of glowing hot Steel chips
over the end of the machine and onto the floor.
The longer they waited the closer the chips got to them.
They got the hint. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[polisher]

I just put a zinc coated bolt, or a bit of aluminum in the hydrochloric acid, and mutter "Don't think you need to breathe that yellow gas," as I pull down my gas mask, and they leave.
No problem.

[hatch]

I used to go to a bike shop in detroit and the owner greeted everybody the same way...."What the fuck do you want???"...and he was serious about it. He was there to make money and didn't care who he pissed off. I know for a fact that I always got what I needed and left.

[skipstitch]

About 2 years ago, I started lockin' the shop door from Monday morning till noon on Friday...NO EXCEPTIONS. I'm there to make a living...Period. The bullshit hangers got the point, and the guys who just want to see what were doin' respect the decision and usually wait till after 3pm on Friday to say HI. If someone wants to drop by any other time, it's by appointment only. That's what works for me...Stitch

[choprods]

say Hi- be real nice...then after A COUPLE minutes- say....A VISIT IS 10 MINUTES- ANYTHING OVER THAT AND THEN WE'RE ON THE CLOCK AT--XX DOLLARS AND HOUR! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Fat Hack]

Ha Ha...good stories, all! I can appreciate the frustration some of you feel, too!

For me, it's neighbors. The guy right next door on one side is a very friendly goofball! He's loud, obnoxious and very outgoing...although he doesn't know a THING about cars! He sometimes drifts over to the fence when I'm working on the Chevy to gab.

I don't mind a couple minutes of talk, but he scares me when he says things like, "Boy! That looks like FUN! If you ever need any help, I'd love to come over and play on that thing, too!". So far, I've been able to put him off by saying, "Cool, I'll let ya know!".

The guy TWO doors down does know cars, and he's been at it since high school. The city Nazis have been giving him shit, too...and he recently fucked up his back again so he is on leave from work waiting on surgery. Being cooped up in the house all winter has made him stir crazy, so he comes down to talk and see what I'm doing.

I don't mind when he stops by, but it's like having one of my buddies around...I just stop working to talk! Never was good at talking WHILE working! He feels bad, saying "Don't let me interrupt you!" all the time, but I still don't do too much when he's around.

It's not such a big deal for me, though...this is a personal project, and I work really slow anyway. If I were trying to run a shop, I'd HAVE to have someone like my ex wife between me and customers, or NOTHING would get done!

That...or Jasmine!

("Jazzy" or Jasmine was an Akita that my sister had for a while back in the 80s. I'm not a dog person so I ignored her animals and hoped they'd extend me the same courtesy.

However, she had this big, dopey Great Dane that would come into the garage and steal tools and stuff when I was working. One day, Jazzy was out there, just calmly laying by the garage door, and the stupid Great Dane tried to get in again. I chased it off, then looked at Jazzy and yelled "Keep that other dog OUTTA here if you have any damn brains at all!"

Next time the Great Dane wandered up, Jasmine jumped to her feet and growled, much to my disbelief!

But...it worked TOO well...from that day on, NOBODY could enter the garage without my say so! If a buddy or someone walked up, Jazzy would run at them growling and barking. If I said "He's okay", she'd let them pass...if not, they couldn't get to the door! I wish I still had that damn dog sometimes!)

[FRITZ]

you guys are the best, im laughin my ass off!!!!!!!
well you'll love what I did, I put a little sign on my shop door tonight, just a piece of paper written on with a sharpie marker

"this is not a social club!....
This is my place of buissnes!....
if you aint here to give me money!...
GO THE FUCK HOME"

I think that pretty much sums it up. and I dont care who I piss off anymore. theres my machine shop buddie a few pin stripers and TV guys I like and who know the deal ( and at least they come by with coffee) I dont mind them they dont make a habit of it. Life goes on, im still sanddin body filler and my finger hurts, LOL till tomorrow.
FRITZ

[safariknut]

I have a good friend in Massachusetts who used to have a shop doing mostly bikes.He is not the most friendly person on the planet and in the shop waiting room there were two large signs.You had to see them when you walked in the door(unless you were Ray Charles).One of them said,"DON'T ASK DUMB QUESTIONS!" and the other said,"DON"T PET THE DOG!" Behind the counter was the meanest Doberman I've ever run across;the only one who could even get close to him was Kelsey.People got the idea really quick.
I don't have any windows in my shop(garage)and always have the door locked and the radio loud unless I'm expecting someone.People don't usually come there unless they call first so I'm pretty much undisturbed most of the time.

[Tman]

I dont own the shop but part of my job is to play interference for Gene and the guys in back.

I know the folks that are cool to hang out and talk to Gene. I take the others out of the shop area with conversation. Once up front, I either A: End up with the phone ringing and End the conversation with "Have a nice day, I'll see you next time.................." OR B: "Well, I have some billing to do, I better get to work, stop back some other time."

I can be pretty smooth at times. It is my job. When tact doesnt work, they just get told that Gene is busy ,I gotta floss my cat and they better come back later!

Saturdays are the days we try to work on our own stuff. I can be a real asshole then. I found that if you just be curt with them. Make little eye contact. And just keep your nose to the grindstone you can usually get them to leave.

In a worse case scenario, I just lock the door.

[DrDano]

Unkl's post reminds me of how I solved the same hang around problem while I was working as a laser machinist in college a few years ago. The main hangaround's were indeed the boss, his dumbass friends and his married mistress.

One day I was in the laser cutting room, which has a big ass RED sign on the door and big ass RED light that is lit up that says "LASER IN USE DO NOT ENTER". It was company policy that NO ONE except the machinist was to be in the room while the laser was running. Just as I had started to cut on a customers part, in waltzes the dumbass boss and his mistress past the red sign and the red light with no protective gear to "see what I was up to". Just as the door opened I hit the tilt for the CNC table and the laser head sending all the sparks and slag shooting towards the door.

20 minutes later I came out after finishing to "see what they were up to". The mistress had aparently left in a raging fury, the boss was seeing spots and I had turned his khaki cargo pants and eddie bauer knitted sweater into swiss cheese with flying sparks. I was never EVER again interrupted by anyone while I worked there.

[Unkl Ian]

That's the best story I've heard in a while. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[kritz]

granted i don't have a large garage, and it is really only big enough for work on my projects. occasionally friends do stop by to see what's going on and are immediately put to work...whether it's handing them a broom, some sandpaper, or having them clean up my workbench, they don't get outta there without lending a hand. just ask flatheadpete. i think jdubbya has been roped into lending a hand too...

now at the tattoo shop we have tons of "cool guys" the guys who hang out all day and pretend like they're important because they're in a tattoo shop.
those are the people who normally answer the phones, go to the store for food and soda, and deal with customers.
not because they want to, but because they're there.
i'm a pretty busy guy when i'm at the shop, so people usually get 1 to 2 minutes to say what they gotta say. after that i'm back to work, i don't have time to listen to joe schmoe talk about the cool tattoo that his girlfriend's brother's baby momma wants to get when she gets outta jail.
i try not to be rude, but sometimes it happens.

we have a sign in our lobby that says:
"if you're drunk, high, sick, pregnant, or just being an asshole..come back when you're not."

and another one..
"we nolonger accept credit cards, checks, money orders, crack, or foodstamps."

[FRITZ]

the top 2
#1 "i gotta floss my cat" !!!!!!
#2 we no longer take food stamps, crack, etc....."
I think I shit my pants, I gotta floss my cat, LOL

My personel one was "i dont need your help wastting my time, I do a good job all by myself"

Yup,...i think its a new world order here in fritz's back yard!
thanks guys
FRITZ

[gotcha]

You guys think it's bad to have a shop at home at not know how to get ready of "groupies"...My shop is in the same town that I'm a cop in...Everytime I write a ticket, I wonder if I just ran someone off that MAY spend money with me...As for the shop, I don't stop working when "those people" come in...I just keep doing what I was doing, and they get the hint(usually)...When they ask how much to do something, I quote them about 4 times what it's worth, then they usually start hangin'somewhere else...Bottom line, there's no easy way...You just tell them to leave, or deal with them stayin'a while...

JP

[Nads]

Everyone's got some good ideas on this perplexing problem.
I don't have a shop, I work outside in the great outdoors so I'm especially vulnerable to 'interferons.'
But funnily enough no pests hardly ever come by, but then I'm not a 'known' person like Fritz. I think when you do become somewhat of a public figure people do glom onto you, and it's not right. And it makes it even harder to tell them to fuck off.
You could always have a '$5 SHOP TOUR FEE APPLIES AT ALL TIMES' sign like they do at Wolfman's Rod Shop in Kissimmee.
In all the years I can honestly say only a handful of strangers have come walking up my driveway. Some were simply bums looking for change to by some Cisco, others were genuinely interested and a few were gay men trying to hook up with a dirty grease monkey.

[Killer]

Friends:
I keep working. They get the idea after a few minutes.

Customers:
After 10 min. or so, I mark the time on their time sheet. "What ya doin?" is the reply. "Markin your time down, I get paid hourly."

Works everytime.

[AHotRod]

1st 5 minutes=Free

Then, $40.00 per hour !

'Cause ya never know if they will or can be a paying customer.





Friends:
I keep working. They get the idea after a few minutes.

Customers:
After 10 min. or so, I mark the time on their time sheet. "What ya doin?" is the reply. "Markin your time down, I get paid hourly."

Works everytime.

[hot rod pro]

in our sport you have to be carefull who you run off. that guy that that bugs you to death may be just the same guy that wants to drop a load of money to have you build the car of your dreams for him.play your cards right and the true dead beats allways fall by the wayside.

-danny

[aussiesteve]

[QUOTE=Nads]Tell 'em to get fucked or go seriously underground and lock your doors, like a certain place in Reading, PA.


I,m on the same wavelength as Ed and E J in Reading.lock the door.
I have chains across the door at both ends of the shop and the guys running retail know not to bring anyone into the back unless they are a serious customer.I do tell people that my insurance company will kill me if I have people in the shop(liability)
Besides,I,m an asshole so most people leave me alone.

[Nads]

aussiesteve, you know what I'm talking about.

Damn, what is it with these ancient posts reappearing?

Something really wierd happened the other day whilst I was at work. My wife was home and she told me some people drove right up my driveway (my cars are somewhat visible from the street) and knocked on the door. An enourmously huge lady wanted to know if we would rent out the 'purple' car for her wedding. The 'purple' car is a chopped '54 Chevy that I'm pretty sure that she couldn't fit into, never mind her future husband and me as the chauffeur.

The gall of some people.

[aussiesteve]

[QUOTE=Nads]aussiesteve, you know what I'm talking about.


Nads
I,ve known those 2 in Reading since 89 so I think we are all on the same wavelength.
When I used to live in LA,i would get all manner of idiot coming up the driveway to look at the' neat old cars'.because I lived near a public park.
usually my 2 dogs were watching me work so I would turn around and go back in the garage and the dogs would stop people getting any closer

[Larry T]

]how do you guys handel "hang arounds"

Bout a year ago one of the hang arounds screwed up the toliet in my "public" rest room. I was busy with customer work so I hung an out of order sign on the door until I could fix it. I noticed the hang arounds didn't hang around near as long. So I left the sign on the door, even after I fixed the throne. Works pretty good. If some one's really getting on my nerves, I offer 'em a cup of coffee or a beer.
Larry T