I have a guy in the Dayton Ohio area (4 hour drive for me) that does upholestry work for me. He has done 4 or 5 complete jobs for me including my black panel truck which is like doing two vehicles. Rustzilla is the latest project that I took to him a week and a half before GG'S Indy (June 11-12) or so. He had already had the seat covered for some time and it was installed. He needed to install carpet, cover both kick panels, and do the headliner. Now the headliner he does is time consuming, he attaches 3-4 inch thick foam to the inner roof and then sculpts,grinds away excess until it is contoured and then covers. I knew making Indy was a looooong shot and I made it clear that making Columbus in July was a must. As of last Thursday he hadn't touched it. After speaking to him he indicated that when it was delivered to him it had no other customers in front of it or not even one that was being finished in front of it. Then he proceeds to go on about air-compressor issues, new-born child arrival etc. Then he gets to the kicker, Don Pilkinton(???) former owner of Dons Hot Rods in Dayton needed him to do a job for him. And getting to work for Don was like getting a blessing from the Pope. Now I held my anger and reflected on the over 25K I have spent with this guy over the last 5 years. Not once haggling with him or beating him down on price as he does good work at a fair price. Then I reflected on how many jobs Don gave him in all the years he was in business. You bet your a$$.......0. It seems Dons regular stitcher couldn't shoe horn him in between his scheldued customers. Now in the end the stitcher says it will be ready for Columbus but without the headliner. Six -seven weeks to lay carpet and do two kick panels, my 12 year-old could do that. I pleasently told him that I disagreed with his decision and would let him finish the job. But bet your behind it will be his last. How would you have handled the situation?
life is short ,I probally would have handled it by not posting anthing about it... but since you did, what more could you do?,gave him a timeline and he missed it,if that is part of his businesss then you will have to account for that if you go there again,but if he is hoping for business from anyone could not hurt to let peope know who did your interior if he was that slow in customers, does he like to be busy or is he just wanting to slow down? to jump on a big name project why not? could be no matter what way anyone handles it he might have his eyes set on being an interior specialist for the stars
Sounds like you handled it very well, you made your point and you were a gentlemen I applaud you sir!!!!
Ifyou like his work and are happy with the price, be patient. If you push him this time,you probably won't be happy with the job and won't go to him again. You'll have the finished product for (hopefully) a long time and will look back on this episode as no big deal. Everyone (including me ) that I know who has pushed someone on a job or pulled the job and gave it to someone else,ended up more dissatisfied than if they were just patient. However, it's a good idea to let him know you aren't happy just so he doesn't get the idea that he can push you off indefinitely.
If your happy with his work and pricing, and he has delt with you fairly in the past, you may wan't to chaulk this delay up to a minor bump in the road. Sounds like you handled the scituation well, because flying off the handle solves nothing. Good work at a good price can be hard to find, and though its easy to beat someone up for a mistake, life does happen and this guy might be struggling right now and need that high profile job to stay afloat. I'm not justifying his actions, and it surely isn't helping your dedline, but I wouldn't write someone off over 1 incident especially since you've had a good working relationship to this point. Just my 2 cents
It is amazing how so often so many people are "starstruck" by "celebrities", and instantly drop to their knees. It will be interesting to see how well the shop owner handles the situation when it is time to start looking to the "common folks" to pay the bills once again. Nothing new under the sun, we all fall victim to this one way or another, character is shown on how we handle the "learning curve".
Not to make excuses for the guy.....who knows what his reasons were for the delays, taking on another job, etc. But I will say this: way too often, people put some sort of time schedule to a job that someone else is doing. It may have been agreed upon up front, the prices agreed on, etc......but you might try to look at it this way....your car will be done WAY in advance of the NEXT car show. In other words, allowing more time for these kinds of projects takes into consideration the ever-present delays that happen. Had you started your project sooner and got it into his hands sooner....perhaps it could have been finished up well in time. Again, I am NOT making excuses for his issues. Just pointing out that stuff happens.....you have to assume it always will.
Well, you don't have a newborn child every day, unless you're a frequent Maury Povich guest, and that can be pretty demanding especially if it's the first. But you should be getting a discount at the least, especially since he took this other job ahead of you. If he doesn't take care of you, don't go back is all I guess. But may as well give the guy a chance to make it right.
There isn't really much you can do. Maybe tell him to get the "Pope" to pay his bills from here on out and send it to a dependable fella and fellow HAMBer in Texas. He's dependable known world wide and isn't too damned impressed with anyone any more than anyone else. Besides Mrs. Beaner likes him and she doesn't like very damned many people in the world. Never the less it appears as though you aren't going to make the Colombus deal so you haven't got any way to go but up from here, right?
I think you have a right to be upset,but you handled it well. Compressor issues? If you're a professional, then you call in a professional repair person. New baby? Wasn't a surprise was it? He had like 8-9 months to maybe figure out something was going to happen? I just can't buy those excuses. Death in the family, birthing complications, shop burns down, ok. Putting a "name" ahead of you for an agreed upon job/opportunity of a lifetime just sucks. No excuse for that. "Big name" won't respect that,just figure it's part of their power. In the end, I'd let him know, calmly, that you were not pleased with his integrity. What happened to someone's word being good? What happened to "first come,first served"? Unless he'll give you some compensation, I'd locate someone better,then tell your Star-Struck Stitcher you are moving on, and why. PS. Even if he discounted the job-that's for the delay. I'd still find another shop.
LOL, I'd tell him "no problem, I'll just have a sign made that says this headliner was promised to be finished 8 weeks ago by XXXX upholstery shop in time for this show" and post it on the windshield in Columbus. I'd then tell him that if the headliner is done by then I'll throw away the sign.
You handled it ok. Basicly the guy shouldn't bite the hand that feeds him. Me? I'd do the interior WITH my 12 yo son and forget spending $5000.00 on a sculptured headliner etc for a truck named "Rustzilla"...
I think everything has been coverd and you are to be commended on the way you handled everthing but if you want him to do the work, backoff( whatever his reasons) and be patient. If you can't do that then just pick the car up quitely with out incident and take your business else where. Just think, what would be better that having your 12 year old do the work or for that matter any other member of your Family, even if you had to help, After all your only 12 once.
I had a situation like this but completly different. I found a guy that did VERY nice upholstery work,real hi end. I started with him on a truck interior all special order leather. It took him longer than quoted but he did a very nice job. Next was another truck(about 6 months later) Again leather,custom consul etc. This time I had to visit the shop twice to see when the hell he was gonna finish this deal. Third was a '37 ford convert. A big job with the top and two seats. 9 months later still not done! While I was there begging him to get to it a used car lot owner comes in with a bucket seat with a torn seam. Wants to know how quickly the guy can fix it up on the cheap! My guy says " I'll have it done by tomrrow morning". I got it,he would rather do the quicky cash deals than the hi end interiors !!!!!??????? But suprise when I told him I had the feeling he wasn't interested in working on my stuff any more,he said no,no,no! I'll finish it up in two weeks,"I promise" and he did, and a good job too. I never went back to him and still won't. Too bad he is a nice person, I just can't afford to deal with him. Normal
I think you did a great job handleing a bad situation. I just think it was super Chicken Shit of the guy to drop your work to put some "Celeb" in front of you!! I would look for a new upholstry guy and write this guy Off !! But then again I am a real shit when it comes to things like this!!
I don't know any of the parties involved and don't really understand the concept of deadlines. Quality work takes time, when it gets done it's done.
This sounds like a typical upholestry and or paint , bodyshop story. The two shittiest areas to deal with on a build. You handled it way better than i would. This happened to me 20 years ago, i pulled the car out learned to do it myself and never looked back. Then again i'm a stubborn/stupid? old bastard. Learned to do body work and paint for the same reasons. Good luck will this guy and his excuse of the week attitude. I hope he doesn't tell you he has to breast feed the newborn !!!
Well i have done work for the industry in the past and never again, they are slow pay and a pain in the ass! give him a time frame to complete it and if not done by then pull it and have it finished up elsewhere, seems he has had more than enough time to finish this job. also remind him a bad word spreads faster than a good word!
Sounds like you need to start doing business with Don Piltinton's regular stitcher, since he would not squeeze Mr. Big in before already existing customers.
When he took on the other job, did he at least work longer days and weekends to compensate? If not, I would let him finish and don't use him anymore. Chances are that the other guy won't use him again unless he really needs him again. So instead of gaining a high end client he will be loosing his bread n butter. If someone asks about your interior it will give you an opertunity to tell your story which will cost him more business.
hotrod1940........... I agree 100 % with what you said......AND The37Kid , I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR THINKING AT ALL... My two cents , I won't go back their anymore for him to holded up any other interior jobs..
You handled it well ... get the job completed and find another guy ... These guys are all alike ... your money was good and the a star came along ... it maybe his only deal with "Don" ... I dropped a supplier for similar deal ... JD
The deadlines? No, I don't set deadlines, when stuff gets done it is done. If I miss an event I go the next year. I can't do upholstery work and I'd never rush a guy on one of the most visible and costly parts of a build.
So deadlines , quality , speed and being responcible don't mix in your world. Hope you don't run your own business. With your thinking the guy might have it forever. I guess saying your laid back is an understatement.
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