Technical One man operation looking for help/sugestions!

Hey Folks!
I operate a small,busy one man shop. I work on hot rods,street rods and custom bikes. Mostly in the fabricating stage.
My question is...
I am beginning to have a fair number of customers/drop ins stop by to talk shop. It may be about an ongoing or future project,visit etc.
My problem is that its hard to get a full days work in with all the interruptions.
Now I also understand that I need to look after my customers and would be closed without them!
I have a few ideas im thinking of trying...
Keep the doors locked several mornings a week to try and get ahead.
Try to have customers make appointments.
Put a sign on the door asking them to respect my time.
Make one morning a week dedicated to customers/drop ins.
I appreciate your help/suggestions??!!

Thank you!

 

Hire an employee, make time for the customers.

 

Lock the doors until closing. Have them leave a voice mail and get back to them. Been there, done that, time is money and MOST will understand.

 

If you can tell that they want to just shop talk just get back to work and they will keep talking and watch or they will leave.
Looked doors is not good for business.
Get someone to head them off and get an appointment for you.

 

Kennedy Bros put up a solid fence so nobody could look in or bother them. Only a phone number, that way they can work and pick up the phone/listen to messages on their own time schedule. It works well, they still have a waiting list and yet get a lot done during the day.

 

Ignoring people usually worked out worse for me.
Being a one man shop I think he'll always have someone next waiting in line.
With the locked doors people knew I was working on there project and not shooting the shit with someone on there dime.
If you have a recently retired hot rod buddy talk him into being your doorman. He's probably looking for something to do anyways !

 

i feel your pain,its really hard especially when you need to concentrate on an intricate part of the project and have to keep putting it down.

let me know if you find a solution!

 

I make sure they know upfront that I charge hourly just to "talk shop" during business hours and even with that they must make an appointment. The guys that like your work and know you are fair in pricing understand.

Pull the ones that are bad and explain to them POLITELY that "in order to keep hourly prices down, you dont have time to be just bench racing". If they dont get it, start adding time to their bill, because they dont care if your shop lives or dies.

Pulling my worst offenders aside and explaining it to them was the best thing I ever did. Most understood and were good about it, the few that didnt dropped me, but hindsight, I now see they were costing me money in the long run.

 

Have a happy hour 5-7 on Fridays when any/everyone is welcome to come by and shoot the shit and have a beer. Like a car club without the club membership. Post it on a sign on the door.

The rest of the week needs to be for doing business with and work for actual customers. Post that (with respect & humor) on the same sign.

 

The issues you bring up are one reason that has kept us from doing work for others and why we only build cars for ourselves. While you want to be sociable and be willing to discuss future prospective car projects with people, it really can cut into the limited hours you have to do actual work. I also don't want people just hanging around and dropping in.

I think the idea of posting a sign or even a message on your phone that you are generally tied up doing actual fabrication and are not available during the day to take calls or entertain visitors is a good one. If you were tactful in what the message said it wouldn't offend anyone. Maybe something like:

"While we do want to discuss your projects with you, the work we do is very labor intensive and we need to devote every minute possible to doing actual work. We pride ourselves on turning out a good product and to keep our shop rate reasonable we must stay focused on each project until it is finished.

To accommodate those customers who may want to discuss their projects we have set aside the hours of 3 to 6 every Friday and will gladly make ourselves available during that time for phone calls and personal visits (by appointment please).

Thank you for your understanding and for your business."




Just a thought.

Don

 

One idea is to have a Friday afterwork BBQ at the shop for folks to come round and chat every week. That way it doesn't cut into work time but folks will feel you have time for them.

Ah just seen Don suggested the same.

BTW the BBQ can be a time for friends and family too. Folks are less stressed Friday after work than during the week.


Twitter @edsrodshop

 

Another idea is move out into the country and save on rent. My shop is in the countryside but as most of my customers drive at least 300 miles to me it doesn't matter.


Twitter @edsrodshop

 

Hours - By Appointment Only
Door locked
Thursday 6 to 10 pm, drop by and chat.
Message on the phone relates the fact that being a one man shop dictates that you have to use time efficiently, please leave a message and you will get back to them, make sure you do.

 

There is your simple and direct solution ....



Jim

 

These are some great replies! I knew I would get some good advice here on the Hamb!
Thank you! and keep them coming!!

 

I have never had the problem much, when I had to meet a deadline or get something out the door I just worked later.

That said here is what the old man did when i was a kid, he opened the doors on Satrurday, no work happened unless you were in his inner circle and for the most part it was one big bullshit session. If nobody knew who you were you introduced yourself properly and if you didn't you we shown the door. But those we simpler times I guess, introductions were common and expected from a total stranger.

I don't know that this will work for you but that is what thye old man did and everyone seemed to respect it. Any other time he kept his conversations short strictly bussiness.

Note: introductions are still expected in my garage and no one passes the door unless invited. but I am just an ass.

 

Post up a notice...appointments only.....genuine customers will understand......I think you should only open your workshop to past present or introduced customers...I'm over here in UK and offering that advice due to some of the theft posts I've been reading....think about it would you like your pride n joy being eyed up by junkie Joe Shmoe

 

Get in early 2 days a week Mon/Wed and set aside 4:30 to 6:00 where you discuss projects, take walk-ins and have current customers drop by to review progress.

If you need a weekly beer and bench racing with friends KEEP IT SEPERATE and make it another day. A "party" is not a great first impression for the guy with the wallet, after they see the quality of your work and progress on their build you can drop trou.

I had a friend working at a West Seattle shop lose a $300k 4 car build because when the prospective customer (retired executive pilot) showed up for his appointment on a Friday night a couple loud mouth shop "hangers-on" were drinking, lighting cigarettes with the torch and screwing around.

 

Clone yourself.

 

Open a bar? It's hard to come up with a blanket solution especially if you have an established customer base. I see lots of garages loose time (mid to late afternoon) when everyone ELSE gets out of work, and you're trying to finish up. The worst are the drinkers who drop by to relax on their way home while you've got people picking up and dropping off work.Nothing like a stiff in the office to impress people!I think the "closed door,phone #" policy is best- answer the calls in order and do the best you can. Main thing is SERVICE to your customers and PAYING THE BILLS. If the "visitors" don't like it, they'll go drive someone else nuts! Good luck with it.

 

Make up a sign and put it on the front door. Post your hours, and plainly what times you're available for "consultation". Don't lock the doors, but stick to what you posted. SO if someone shows up to just BS, and not consult about a build they want YOU to do, just politely tell them you're under the gun and need to keep working while they talk. Most will get the hint, and probably leave. Those who don't need special attention, and politely told they're costing you money.
I think the real problem becomes when you try to be too nice and allow the guys who are just bored waste your time. These guys will most likely never have you do their work, but have come to pick your brain for free help, or just bored and figured you don't mind the BS'ing. They're the ones who need to be set straight, and politely asked to stop by at closing time if they want to just chat.

 

Sign on door and in shop. IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR LABOR RATES AT IN A COMPETITIVE RANGE WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE TO KEEP ALL NON WORK RELATED CONVERSATIONS AND INTERRUPTION'S TO A MINIMUM.

THANK YOU THE MANAGEMENT




Phone Message. BEEP! You have reached SCHWARTZ INCORPORATED thank you for calling. We are busy in the shop working on a customer's cool project,we can't answer the phone at this time. Please leave a detailed message with a phone number and when we are able to check messages we will be more than glad to discuss your project or concern. Thank You for your patience and understanding. BEEP!

 

this happens to me all the time, what makes it worse is i like to talk and tell stories.

 

the best thing about a growing buisness is that if you want to keep it growing! your going to need to hire an assitant even if they work limited hours. cant make money if you dont spend some I had a buisness for 8 years, wasnt automotive it was food but the same rules apply to you! hiring someone isnt a bad thing Best of Luck !

 

Work nights.

 

Just stop bathing they wont want to hang out with you then
I used to work on the equipment at the dump and when I had one come in no one ever come around to talk when there was non dump equipment in people were always there to talk ,I got used to the smell so i I left trash cans full of what ever fell off the machine by the doors never was bothered agen

Good luck

 

I do machine shop work and on those hot summer days being splashed with water-soluble coolant... by 11AM I no longer smelled that fresh. It never stopped anyone though.

Bob

 

This works too. My most productive hours are between 4 and 9 PM.

I knew of one local engine builder, he had moonlighters that came in after 3 PM. It also eliminated complaints from nearby shops when he had an engine up on the dyno.

Bob

 

When I was a one man shop visitors were always a problem, not so much with customers but "buddies" hanging out killing time. Never understood why guys think since it's a rod shop it's OK to show up with a six pack of beer and hang out all afternoon. Finally posted a sign saying no visitors except Friday afternoon, customers by appointment. Almost every one of my buddies walked right past the sign, when I'd jump them for it they would just say "you mean me?!" I had to be an ass about it, I was getting real tired working till midnight to get stuff done.
Now days life is better, I have a crew so I can spend some time BSing!

 

Was in the same situation myself. One man shop, not enough time in the day to jack jaw and put a good days work in. After working too many 16 hour days, I realized my problem was just a few customers and everyone else was ok. The problem with time vampires or really needy customers is that they have no clue that in addition to giving you work, they can also hurt your business. For example say you bill for conversations, it's not even consulting, a forty hour job can become a sixty hour job real quick, and there goes your reputation. I use a phone forward on my cell, so if someone calls I can screen it easily. If people want to meet and talk, I only set up a meeting which is billed. If people drop by unannounced I act very polite, but keep saying how busy I am, as I keep working. Good customers usually figure it out pretty quick. Also a comical sign has helped, labor $70 hourly , bench racing $80 hourly, $120 if you help. Most guys laugh because they realize their money and your time is better spent on actual work. Biggest thing don't ever be a dick about it. Most people are more likely to talk about a bad experience than a good one. Think of how a doctor acts in the office, good bed side manner, short exchange and tactfully off to the next patient. That's how I try to handle people when they drop in and so far it works pretty well.