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#11
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"Classic Auto Works" <mikecaw@mcleodusa> wrote in message ... > I have to agree hole harted with Bob as I also do this for a living also ..So > I see this every day and it has nothing to do with deep pockets .A lot of > customers can't find anyone to work on their car because most of the new age > wrench's don't know diagnostics or at least without a scan tool . <snip> > Most of the cars I refuse are not because of the car it self but the human > that drove it in > Mike Shambarger > Classic Auto Works > Fully agree, many new mechs can't work the old stuff and many clients *always* look for a cheap fix (especially your CEO type - how do you think he got there ... ) But what I was saying was that I hoped that the experience with bad clients does not mean a potentially good client gets jumped and barked at when he asks "And that is going to be how much 'glups' labor to get that done ?" Here are my last two capers (one pos, one neg) : 1) Just bought an MGB 63 and brought it to (highly recommended) British Motorsports Inc in Campbell, CA. The suspension was rebuilt, brakes redone (the PO had noticed smoking 6 months prior but just continued to drive) and we discussed options all along the work (1 week) as there were a couple of nasty surprises (bent pan, leaky axle) but when labor was lower or work unnecessary this was taken off the final bill. And everything was explained, used parts shown, suppliers and options discussed. A happy warm-fuzzy experience. 2) My daily driver is a 1985 Alfa Giulietta 2.0 that is turning into a rust bucket. Recently had the rear clutch receptor leaking fluid and as I have another project car in garage, I felt no joy in doing this myself. As the 'real' mechanic is a 30 mile drive I towed it to the local Alfa mech/dealer (3 miles), I even brought the needed part I had purchased (as agreed since he had said that he would have a hard time finding it). I also asked that they fix an electric problem (windows, clock, and heater are out). Two weeks later no news, I call to find that the piece I brought is 'screwed' (their words), they tried to fit it but it can't be used and that they will need to order a new piece ... So 3 months later (yep), after repeated calls and visits, I get back my car with a new receptor but none of the electrical work done. They only *yanked* out my fuse box which will need to be reinstalled. Oh, and on the receptor, when I asked for my original (new) piece back, they had lost it , when I insisted they found it ... in its *original* plastic bag, they never even opened the bag. Well, next time she'll get towed the 30 miles to the guy that know her. Now, I won't condemn all mechanics because of this incompetent thief, but unless I know the guy working on my car (and not only the shop owner) and he knows me, I always ask detailed questions, try to create expectations as to cost and delays, try to limit the surprises. Still get had from time to time. Eugenio |
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#12
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Very true and my .02 on this is there are as many bad mechanics as there are
bad customers. The major problem I have is the type of cars we build ,Rods and Customs are next to impossible to do an estimate but I spend the time to inform the customer of every thing that has changed over the guesstimate and every part we didn't figure in the beginning and to some this is a pain although at the end when the bill is presented and their eyes roll back ,they say O'yea you called me on all this .One other thing I have done is send daily emails with pix of progress .If you don't get a pix today that means one thing your car didn't get any work today . I have even had customers build their web site with my daily pix .This way there are no questions as to the work being done or the quality of the work .I also run an open shop and EXPECT the customer to come and see .Since if you have nothing to hide why shouldn't they see the work ,the whole work not just the finished project plus problems and questions are much easier with pix Here's an example not a rod but off the wall and that's what we do best http://www.whirlingpool.com/isetta/my%20car/mybaby9.htm Mike > 1) Just bought an MGB 63 and brought it to (highly recommended) British > Motorsports Inc in Campbell, CA. The suspension was rebuilt, brakes redone > (the PO had noticed smoking 6 months prior but just continued to drive) and > we discussed options all along the work (1 week) as there were a couple of > nasty surprises (bent pan, leaky axle) but when labor was lower or work > unnecessary this was taken off the final bill. And everything was explained, > used parts shown, suppliers and options discussed. A happy warm-fuzzy > experience. > > 2) My daily driver is a 1985 Alfa Giulietta 2.0 that is turning into a rust > bucket. Recently had the rear clutch receptor leaking fluid and as I have > another project car in garage, I felt no joy in doing this myself. As the > 'real' mechanic is a 30 mile drive I towed it to the local Alfa mech/dealer > (3 miles), I even brought the needed part I had purchased (as agreed since > he had said that he would have a hard time finding it). I also asked that > they fix an electric problem (windows, clock, and heater are out). Two weeks > later no news, I call to find that the piece I brought is 'screwed' (their > words), they tried to fit it but it can't be used and that they will need to > order a new piece ... So 3 months later (yep), after repeated calls and > visits, I get back my car with a new receptor but none of the electrical > work done. They only *yanked* out my fuse box which will need to be > reinstalled. Oh, and on the receptor, when I asked for my original (new) > piece back, they had lost it , when I insisted they found it ... in its > *original* plastic bag, they never even opened the bag. Well, next time > she'll get towed the 30 miles to the guy that know her. > > Now, I won't condemn all mechanics because of this incompetent thief, but > unless I know the guy working on my car (and not only the shop owner) and he > knows me, I always ask detailed questions, try to create expectations as to > cost and delays, try to limit the surprises. Still get had from time to > time. > > Eugenio |
#13
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"Classic Auto Works" <mikecaw@mcleodusa> wrote in message ... > Very true and my .02 on this is there are as many bad mechanics as there are > bad customers. The major problem I have is the type of cars we build ,Rods > and Customs are next to impossible to do an estimate but I spend the time to > inform the customer of every thing that has changed over the guesstimate and > every part we didn't figure in the beginning and to some this is a pain > although at the end when the bill is presented and their eyes roll back > ,they say O'yea you called me on all this .One other thing I have done is > send daily emails with pix of progress .If you don't get a pix today that > means one thing your car didn't get any work today . I have even had > customers build their web site with my daily pix .This way there are no > questions as to the work being done or the quality of the work .I also run > an open shop and EXPECT the customer to come and see .Since if you have > nothing to hide why shouldn't they see the work ,the whole work not just the > finished project plus problems and questions are much easier with pix > Here's an example not a rod but off the wall and that's what we do best > http://www.whirlingpool.com/isetta/my%20car/mybaby9.htm > Mike Damn, you set a new standard, ... pictures !!!! Sure you don't want to move into my neighborhood, I like the shop pictures, I like the Isetta, guess I might just have to move to Texas.... You certainly have the right attitude... gotta go the women are calling ... Eug |
#14
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Rustler wrote:
>I keep running into more and more problems getting service on things I can't do >myself. It would be interesting to know if others run into this too. On the >first visit, some places flatly refuse to accept customers who have older cars. >Others keep coming up with excuses as to why they can't get to the car. One >complained about people going to big auto parts chain stores for "cheap" >supplies. Another wouldn't look at the car because I told them I had put new >spark plugs in it--they said they didn't work on cars that had had things done >to them. > >If this has happened to you, what do you do about it? I NEVER let anybody else work on my cars. That's the best solution. -Rock http://www.rocky-frisco.com -- "JJ Cale Live" CD & Video: http://www.rocky-frisco.com/calelive.htm The Wednesday Night Science Project: http://www.wednitesciproj.us Larry Spears and the Hapless Romantics: http://www.larry-spears.com x-- 100 Proof News - http://www.100ProofNews.com x-- 3,500+ Binary NewsGroups, and over 90,000 other groups x-- Access to over 800 Gigs/Day - $8.95/Month x-- UNLIMITED DOWNLOAD |
#15
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Amen to Rocky. That's most right. You don't let anyone else touch
your car except maybe for inspection, or alignment, or perhaps painting. DO YOUR OWN WORK. Everytime I ever let someone touch my 66' XKE, they messed it up. They don't touch it anymore. I've had it since 72' and have rebuilt everything on it. When you do your own work, you know what has and hasn't been done, where the parts came from, and that nothing else has bee nbutchered in the process. Mike |
#16
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I aspire to be like you good people with my 1960 MGA.
I earned two degrees in engineering, but have no practical experience with "car stuff". Nevertheless, I have single-handedly made the thing street-legal (though I occasionally bring it into a good garage and ask them to inspect it and look for potential problems with my work). As a somewhat academic engineer, this car is giving me a fabulous education on mechanical design. Every engineer should be encouraged/forced to do something like this. For a semester's tuition (in my case, $4995), I am getting a master's degree in mechanical design experience: materials, processing/manufacturing, design, optimization, and mechanics. Anyway, I haven't boogered anything up yet... but I'm trying! -Mike |
#17
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Mike,
If the light comes out of the headlights, instead of being sucked into them, then you're doing better than the engineers at Lucas ever did...lol Cheers! Steve Sears, P.Eng. (Civil) 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes - aka - "complex simplicity" - don't recall my friends in Mech Eng talking about "reverse loop scavenging two-stroke engines"....but I'm learning about it anyway.... (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply) |
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