Donny
Well-Known Member
- Local time
- 7:53 AM
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2009
- Messages
- 3,206
- Reaction score
- 539
- Location
- North East San Antonio TX
I used to be one, and, there's many in here, but, the same record seems to keep playing, and, I don't think it's going to get past the skip in the record until the truth is told! Us car guys love our cars! We do! We want to do everything ourselves, so we can say -- with pride -- "I did that" at a Car show, Forum, Facebook, whatever! We like to impress our peers, be perceived as informed, even skilled and knowledgeable so we might become the 'Go To Person' for this or that as relating to our cars and or projects.
When we don't have the skills, or space, or tools, and we have spent years on the aforementioned platforms learning, reading, observing and becoming 'experts', we hire someone to do the job, right? Sure, this is how everything works, and is supposed to work. In my lane I see the car guy with his love -- his car come to me for services. Usually, it's just the Media Blasting, and the car's gone when I'm done, prices are set and contracts signed, we're all happy! When the inevitable 'Mission Creep' kicks in is when it always gets silly. So silly, that I'm just not going to tolerate the foolishness any longer. It's taken me about 2 yrs of thinking, war-gaming, and planning, predicting, and, sadly seeing predictions come true!
The truth I speak of is Mr. Car Nut with his ordinary Brand X car. He comes in wanting what's at the end; a nice car done for cheap. We all want this, we really do! However, unless you have the skills, time, tools, space you're not going to get it like you want it. Mr. Car Guy has a short list of what he wants me to do, he tries to nail me down on a price and time to do it, and, of course a cost! But, I always underline the key word 'ESTIMATE' and he signs the contract stating the end state objectives.
So, 30 or so days go by, the meager down payment is quickly exhausted, new invoices drawn up, sent off in email, and then the dragging of heels, complaints, *******, excuses start coming in. I used to entertain these gripes. Now, I don't. When I get the song and dance about "My wife this or that..." I say "I don't care". Then, I tell them when I get my electricity bill I can't just say "Oh, how about I pay 40% of that because I don't think that's a fair price to pay"! Yes, folks, I get this crap all the time! If I did that, the Electric company would come over, and pull my meter. I got this from a guy last week "How about I pay you $500.00". I said "No, you pay me all of what I billed you, or, your nice Brand X car gets pushed outside, and storage fees commence at $50.00 a day". This usually get's their attention.
To get to the point, us car guys LOVE our cars, then why is there so much pulling of hair over costs??? Nothing ever goes according to a budget, in fact, let me tell you a simple truth, there can't be a budget to get these cars done! Mr Brand X car is not made of Steel, so, when the Body came off, the entire underside is cracked like the Grand Canyon needing perhaps 30 hours more of work that wasn't factored into Mr. Car Guys' 'budget'. So, how is that my problem? You say go ahead and fix it, what part did you not understand of our agreement? I just can't get over how a hobby filled with so many passionate talented people just scoff dead in their tracks when the rubber meets the road?
Some solutions to execute: Mechanics Lein to be part of the process. Collect the Last month's estimated invoice price up front as earnest money, collect half of the estimated costs up front, bill by each 2 weeks. These are tools to help convince people that the guy they hire is NOT your buddy, is NOT your place to hang out and do work, is NOT there to teach you how to do your car for free. I had another Brand X guy just casually mention to me he wanted to come "Help me out on his car, and if that was ok"? I said no, it's not ok, but, no one has ever asked before! Then, he offers to sign a Liability Release Form more out of attempt to seem like a 'good guy'. So, when the stars align, and he and I can link up so he can do a few things to his car, I have the form ready for him to sign, and a bill stating how much it cost me to download from some law site, and he looks at me like "I thought we were friends, we're going to build my car together". I enforce his signature, and he does some minuscule tasks like drill spot welds with his brand new Blair bits and shiny new drill and new gloves while I tend to other paying jobs.
In case you're wondering, yes, this is ALL first hand stuff I've seen over and over again. Car guys can be *** holes, cheap SOBs who just need to write me a check to do the work they hired me to do, no arguments, no bitching, just show up, write a check, take 5 minutes and oogle, then, go away! How us Car Guys think we can just stride in, be buddy buddy with the guy you hired, and take all his time? It's beyond me.
The face to face advice John Balow gave me at the tour he invited me and my wife on his MCR shop rings ever more truthful today! He said don't let customers come in unless they arrange a time to come by and inspect their project. Have no windows below 10 ft above ground, Don't take money for work you have not done yet, but, charge for work you do, time is not free. Collect 100 hours up front as initial deposit to show commitment. All things I do on varying degrees. But, the fact of the Car Guy wanting to be part of the process, then complaining about costs is the double edged sword that is often masked as sincere business interests, but, often can cover a empty hole!
When we don't have the skills, or space, or tools, and we have spent years on the aforementioned platforms learning, reading, observing and becoming 'experts', we hire someone to do the job, right? Sure, this is how everything works, and is supposed to work. In my lane I see the car guy with his love -- his car come to me for services. Usually, it's just the Media Blasting, and the car's gone when I'm done, prices are set and contracts signed, we're all happy! When the inevitable 'Mission Creep' kicks in is when it always gets silly. So silly, that I'm just not going to tolerate the foolishness any longer. It's taken me about 2 yrs of thinking, war-gaming, and planning, predicting, and, sadly seeing predictions come true!
The truth I speak of is Mr. Car Nut with his ordinary Brand X car. He comes in wanting what's at the end; a nice car done for cheap. We all want this, we really do! However, unless you have the skills, time, tools, space you're not going to get it like you want it. Mr. Car Guy has a short list of what he wants me to do, he tries to nail me down on a price and time to do it, and, of course a cost! But, I always underline the key word 'ESTIMATE' and he signs the contract stating the end state objectives.
So, 30 or so days go by, the meager down payment is quickly exhausted, new invoices drawn up, sent off in email, and then the dragging of heels, complaints, *******, excuses start coming in. I used to entertain these gripes. Now, I don't. When I get the song and dance about "My wife this or that..." I say "I don't care". Then, I tell them when I get my electricity bill I can't just say "Oh, how about I pay 40% of that because I don't think that's a fair price to pay"! Yes, folks, I get this crap all the time! If I did that, the Electric company would come over, and pull my meter. I got this from a guy last week "How about I pay you $500.00". I said "No, you pay me all of what I billed you, or, your nice Brand X car gets pushed outside, and storage fees commence at $50.00 a day". This usually get's their attention.
To get to the point, us car guys LOVE our cars, then why is there so much pulling of hair over costs??? Nothing ever goes according to a budget, in fact, let me tell you a simple truth, there can't be a budget to get these cars done! Mr Brand X car is not made of Steel, so, when the Body came off, the entire underside is cracked like the Grand Canyon needing perhaps 30 hours more of work that wasn't factored into Mr. Car Guys' 'budget'. So, how is that my problem? You say go ahead and fix it, what part did you not understand of our agreement? I just can't get over how a hobby filled with so many passionate talented people just scoff dead in their tracks when the rubber meets the road?
Some solutions to execute: Mechanics Lein to be part of the process. Collect the Last month's estimated invoice price up front as earnest money, collect half of the estimated costs up front, bill by each 2 weeks. These are tools to help convince people that the guy they hire is NOT your buddy, is NOT your place to hang out and do work, is NOT there to teach you how to do your car for free. I had another Brand X guy just casually mention to me he wanted to come "Help me out on his car, and if that was ok"? I said no, it's not ok, but, no one has ever asked before! Then, he offers to sign a Liability Release Form more out of attempt to seem like a 'good guy'. So, when the stars align, and he and I can link up so he can do a few things to his car, I have the form ready for him to sign, and a bill stating how much it cost me to download from some law site, and he looks at me like "I thought we were friends, we're going to build my car together". I enforce his signature, and he does some minuscule tasks like drill spot welds with his brand new Blair bits and shiny new drill and new gloves while I tend to other paying jobs.
In case you're wondering, yes, this is ALL first hand stuff I've seen over and over again. Car guys can be *** holes, cheap SOBs who just need to write me a check to do the work they hired me to do, no arguments, no bitching, just show up, write a check, take 5 minutes and oogle, then, go away! How us Car Guys think we can just stride in, be buddy buddy with the guy you hired, and take all his time? It's beyond me.
The face to face advice John Balow gave me at the tour he invited me and my wife on his MCR shop rings ever more truthful today! He said don't let customers come in unless they arrange a time to come by and inspect their project. Have no windows below 10 ft above ground, Don't take money for work you have not done yet, but, charge for work you do, time is not free. Collect 100 hours up front as initial deposit to show commitment. All things I do on varying degrees. But, the fact of the Car Guy wanting to be part of the process, then complaining about costs is the double edged sword that is often masked as sincere business interests, but, often can cover a empty hole!