Projects Firing a customer!

I've had people tell me 'Can't I get a break? I mean, I've spent $700 with you over the last three days.' If I can deal with that person, fine. If it's somebody I can't stand, I tell them '$700 in three days? Maybe get a car that isn't a complete piece of shit.' And I'll gladly work past 5... IF I'm being paid accordingly. But I'm not going to waste any more moments of my life than necessary fixing some bitchy dingbat's or surly asshole's '03 Century. If it ain't done by 5- it'll still be in the service bay or parked out front bright and early the next morning.

Don't even get me started on checks. Its the twenty-first goddamned century... we have debit cards. Look into it.

 

Yep i usually fire a customer or two each year end. You got to evaulate the amount of dollars spent in ratio to the problems created sometimes.
Just had a guy this morning ( Fuel Injector side of the business) call and bitch for 6 orings for the bottom of a fuel injector. Just had a fit on the phone about everything you could imagine. Pricing gets higher with every breathe......Dont feel bad firing a guy for less than 5 bucks ???

 

Sometimes I hate customers....oh ya and I agree with everything that's been said...bin there dun it...can't shootem

 

The last customer I fired before retiring, came to me with a big inch stroked small block Mopar. All in pieces, and a bad attitude. It took all of 30 seconds to spot the tungsten slugs put in the crank for internal balancing, poorly welded into holes drilled in the counterwieghts radially. A real engine builder will put the crank in a verticle mill, vertically, drill the holes for the tungsten, then carefully ream to size, freeze said tungsten, and install the pieces safely and forever. I tried explained this crank is NOT how you do it, explained how you do do it, and well he didn't want to hear it. That and several other clues, I told him I wanted no part of this machining disaster. I told him when you call the other shop, they will say, " they have been doing it this way for 30 years ". I told him good luck, I cant help him and on his way he went. An hour later he called me with a even worse attitude, and guess what he said...... the other shop told him........" they have been doing it that way for 30 years ". EXACTLY WORD FOR WORD AS I SAID. TRUE STORY. If that piece of tungsten would have came out of that crank at 7000 RPM, it would have gone through the block, through the fender and into the stands like a 44 magnum round. BDM.

 

Let the other shop assemble it then.

I hate fixing other peoples crap, especially under pressure.

 

Dont grease the squeaky wheel...Change it.

 

Thats cuz they think things are free...

 

Unkl Ian, thats exactly what I told him, as nicely as I could. Didn't want to tarnish my reputation by assembling that disaster or not handling the " I'm not touching that with a stick " and take it back to them, closing conversation with dignity, Cheers.

 

Good to hear my experiences with utter imbeciles just selling on eBay and locally isn't a unique thing to my experience - apparently assholes are everywhere. I've gotten so if someone can't bother to read and asks something there's already an answer to, I just give an obnoxious answer so they'll go away - it's not worth the headache, because the guy who can't bother to read the not-even-fine print up front, is the guy who's going to be bitching and filing claims down the road. Sometimes they can't even read the biggest lines of text I put on the page, for crying out loud.

Like for instance when I have a motor listed and the first thing I say about it is it's "set up and should be considered a core for rebuild"; so a guy emails up and asks "can it be turned over by hand" .... Uh yeah. goodbye -

I suppose that makes me a terrible businessperson, but if I wanted to kiss people's ass no matter how unreasonable they are, I'd go to someplace like a Wal-mart and at least get paid by the hour to do it. I don't want to hear it from the same idiot a month later when he starts bitching that the motor doesn't turn over when he's been told that like three times. We had something like that actually happen with a guy who bought a '54 331 Hemi - the guy is a few cards short of a full deck; he leaves it outside uncovered to get rained on for three weeks, then calls up bitching and is going to sue my friend because suddenly it's stuck. A few months later, he's wanting to buy a car from me and I said "no thanks" in a less than polite way.

 

No Bonus Points for subtlety.

 

MY customers are always ageeable..........Of course, Their cars are in my name....................

 

I've only done it once, I wasn't happy to do it but sometimes my shop space is worth more than a guy who is pushy as hell, tries to work on the car himself in my shop, can't make a decision on what color to paint it and wants me to come up with every single color of gold known to man just for him to turn them all down but still look for a color gold he likes, and then disappear for 5 months.

 

Just give the customer a big kick in rear!!! This type, you dont get any good recommendations from, whatever. I did find someone occasionally at working (moving company). They get a straight word about attitude, and how things are done, and if it ain´t changed, i drive off. Once did drive 120miles for a load, the guy was so disrespectful, i give him the shot, the load is not going to his new address 120miles away.He hastly forefilled the written contract, badly enough,so he did get his load......
but some others have had to find another company to do the work, all agreed by company rules. Such customers want give you the cash, or something else ypure company would be preciated for anyway.

 

That's pretty much how my shop operates. I get enough people who think I'm working for them.

 

You got that right. Try to help somebody out then suddenly you have 5 more hard luck cases in the door. Who are , of coarse , completely ungratefull for all the free work/ parts you give away. I'm in the process of firing a long time customer.

 

I've had guys like that . It sucks , I know but it's a 2 way street with the respect thing and outlining of desires on both parts.
I've sent people like that packing or put them off so long til they just quit calling. You spend more time on phone and so on and never get anyting done with these calling to checkup every day types and rest assured that a guy naggin about price will not be a repeat customer anyway .
Couple things I remind people of, " if I'm on the phone talking to you then I'm not working on yoru car am I ? " " when I get these 100k worth of tools for free then your'll get labor for free " " this is a specialty application that takes time to do it right and we will take the time to do it right or we will not do it "
THis was a sign at our old shop " an estimate is just that, an estimate , while we would lovce to get it done faster and cheaper for you , it is not always possible due to the age and unforseeable problems with old cars when we give the estimate "

 

I'm thinking put 'em on the clock, and they are billed every other week, and if they don't want to pay you tell 'em to pay their bill and pack sand with their car...

 

"He stood there and said "but I want you to do it, you do better work". Go figure! Don't know where he ended up going, I refused to do it at any price after that."
Been in business for 31 years and it still makes me smile to hear that. How can anyone justify the statement that you do better work but charge more than the competition? I guess it's what's known as a "left handed" compliment. I also like the customer who asks what time we close, and then expects to show up before that time and get a complete exhaust done because they came before we closed. I just smile and close the doors. Staying ahead of the bill collectors is "exhausting" enough without worrying about the dickheads who need a "deal".

 

"I also like the customer who asks what time we close, and then expects to show up before that time and get a complete exhaust done because they came before we closed. I just smile and close the doors."

I once asked a store owner what time he closed and he said "4:59 - you show up at 5 and there will be nobody here." Great comments from everyone.

 

GREAT thread and it's so true. I been there and done that concerning fixing other peoples junk (late model) to the point I no longer work on cars out of my garage for money and just do my own projects. This is the very reason I got out of the industry as a whole and doing that and doing my own thing brought the passion back into it since I work on my own time and own stuff.

I've actually even fired bosses before, but with very good cause. I generally respect the work order, but my last few jobs have been nightmares and they all had payroll errors or withhold of earnings for no reason legal.

You are in no way a dick, and you are def. alot nicer than I would be. My whole life I was always a giver and gave my time or helped people out and it got me no where. I helped people build cars, housework, etc etc etc and i have yet to get any help in the last 20 years at all. I generally do not do things with friends with expectations, but I no longer help anyone at all, it's just held me back..

 

to fab 32
A little thing that some of you may have found out. Did you ever notice the more the customer makes for a living or the more he is worth the bigger the PIA he is? Wealthy (or reasonably well of ) customers seem to feel a sense of entitlement because of who/what they are. Most of them would like you to feel honored to be working on their project, to the extent that you should/must cave when an unreasonable situation arises just to maintain them as a customer. I had this come up with several people during my shop ownership years and my good friend that runs the high end rod shop is mired in this quagmire with a couple of very wealthy customers now

Im not in the car buis but I do notice that too. Wealthier ppl are often jerks, late on paying expect discounts cos joe-blow did it at this price one time. I greatly appreciate the ones who are up front and honest and pay with a smile on their face.

 

I had a friend you routinely did exactly as you described. He isn't in business anymore. To one degree or another nearly all businesses are benefited or harmed by word of mouth. Good will is valuable, but it's not as powerful as unhappy customers. If you can get by with treating customers rudely, and you think it's ok, then that's your business.

During the years I had a business I did it to get money. When someone showed up wanting to give me money, or even talk about giving me money, I didn't blow them off. If you are exceptionally good at what you do you can get often get by with some fairly poor customer service. But dissing customers, pissing them off, getting in their face, or some of the other things described in this discussion, is just creating an opportunity for a competitor to take business away from you. Although there are customers I would rather my competitor be stuck with, making that obvious is just creating enemies you don't need.

 

Good stories here, bad for the guys telling, but sometimes telling others about it makes the a**holes seem a little less a**-holish, for lack of a
better term...

I've never had to fire anyone, but I was working with an old buddy of mine last year at his resto shop, small country shop, does amazing work, absolute wealth of knowledge on older vehicles, Mainly MOPAR vehicles, but has owned and worked on many other brands...anyways...

It seemed like most days,I was working cleaning, painting, reinstalling, etc and he would be on the phone for 3/4 of the time, usually spending 10 minutes sourcing parts from his inventory for someone, and the rest of the time giving free advice on how to do the job.That eats up a day.

was always and still is a line up of folks waiting to get in, a shorter line of folks already "in", but waiting to get done, and everyone wanted to be pushed ahead of the other...I was only there a few months, but honestly, if that were my business, I would have let most of the people know time is money, and politely let them go. I told him he's too nice

He had told me stories of the wealthy guys trying to bump him, guys dropping 10 dollar deposits on rare taillamps, hood scoops, heads, carbs, etc and then disappearing for 4 years, and showing up unannounced looking for the parts, which were sold two years after the big ten spot was paid...and guys not wanting to ay and nit picking...

he did a stellar redo on a mid 60's Plymouth base model that the owner had been passing off as a GTX for years, the car was a anemic small block, driver paint on the outside, previous engine fire victim, and most of the wiring was jury rigged, even heard some Romex house wire was used to replace some of it...heat warped the firewall, etc...the guy would never open his hood up. The owner asks my buddy to find him a 67 440, detail it and the engine compartment to factory GTX spec, etc...so, its done, freaking gorgeous as usual, you could take that engine into the operating room its so clean....and the guy comes to pick the car up, and starts to nit pick everything just to finally state " he is not paying the bill" which was a paltry amount for something like that.

My buddy and his wife worked the engine compartment metal, repainted it, just like glass, better than the exterior. I would have told the guy to get out and keep the car as a lien against the work, but he let the guy go, who badmouthed him all over... funny, most of the local guys badmouth him, but they all call or show up when they need the right parts or work advice.

It still frustrates me, and I didn't touch the car.

funny story, one of the wealthier guys had a Road Runner he was wanting a bit of work done on, he even flashed cash to try and bump his way up, no dice....so he took it to another guy, the story goes the other guy sources a used ring and pinion in the desired ratio for super cheap and installs it, tells owner its new and worth 2-3 hun...he paid less than 50 dollars i was told...no one the wiser...well, rich dude finds out from the seller of the parts that he got used diff stuff instead of new, and was also told the low low price it was sold for...he confronted the back yarder, and was told that he got "special pricing" cuz he could afford it .

I also like the stories of cars that were supposed to be "done" to show standards, and things like the fresh air door on the air grabber scoops, tachs, windows, etc don't work.....and my buddy would fix them , charge reasonable rates, get blasted by the owner of the car for the cost of fixing the "other" guys crappy work, and having the "other" shop owners drive waaay out of their way, like hours out of their way, to again , blast him for fixing their less than quality repairs.

would make me want to build a moat.

 

Some customers are just never happy and never satisfied. I've been really lucky to have had mostly good customers, but there have been a few........

I'd say look, I'm doing the best I can....these are my rates and if he's not happy, tell em to hit the road!!!! Thats not being a dick, but just avoiding a bad situation from getting worse.

 

fuckin A dude...

 

"I simply can't afford the luxury of your business" is how we turn down business of the "unreasonable". It always messes with their head. Luckily, they are easy to see coming... not in the auto business, but several others, and luckily they expose their unfortunate attitudes way in advance!

 

Reading this brings back so bad ones. I was doing a guys mustang,67, and it started out as a paint job. As we got into it he wanted big disk all around and a rack and pinon and the motor done and power locks and yada. Well after all of that I handed him a new cost sheet and he flipped. Seems that he though all the xtra was free. I hope you all can guess what I told him, and it was not very nice. He came at me with, I have a phd, I said a phd does not build your hot rod.

 

Just remembered another one. Back in the late 80's I managed a parts store.I was working on a Sunday, which I normally didn't do. Gave my guy an extra day off. Store opens at 10:00 and closes at 5:00. Nothing going on all day, just a little before the big game. Now with me opening the next morning I figured I would get ahead of the next day so I am there late. About 5:30 this guy comes pounding at the door hollering "I got to get to work tomorrow!!" I just told him "I have been open since 10:00 this morning. If you hadn't decided to watch the game and drink beer all day you had plenty of time to get here and fix your car." The guy's jaw damned near hit the ground. He says "How did you know what I have done all day?" I just told him I knew there was a big game on and the rest was just a deduction on my part.

Guess what? The same guy was there when I opened the next morning and apologized for being an ass the night before.

Sometimes if you confront them it dawns on them what an ass they make of themselves.

I am sure there are more stories like this but I don't recall them at the moment.

 

Everyone wants something for nothing...we have customers like that and we have other customers they just say do whatever you want and don't care what it costs....we figure the average restoration is between 600-700 labor hours plus materials and parts which averages out to $60,000-70,000....cuztom jobs average about $30,000 more....its just the way it goes and our labor rate is cheaper than most....people expect you to paint their car for $2000 and don't get why you don't pull dents and other stuff like that....when it comes down to it a paint job with proper body work is $15,000 and most people don't get that...what it comes down to is quality of the customer. If they don't understand the time and money involved then its best not to have them as a customer...I think it was said in Joe Dirt the best maybe if Unicef gets into the car business it'll change till then you have to just deal with customers and if they don't like it tell them to hit the bricks....there's tons more customer out there that are willing to pay