A sad story I've heard way too many times

As a customer I want to be fair while avoid being ripped off.

I have a do not exceed estimate, I will not pay any more than the written, signed estimate. If they realise the job will cost more than the origional estimate, we do a new estimate.

I will pay in cash if they want it.

I insist on a running account of hours worked on the car posted ON the car in plain view.

I buy all materials, except for welding gas etc which I wil also pay for IF it's in the estimate.

Once the build is started, I will stop by frequently and whenever a desicion needs to be made, within a 1/2 hour.

All work will be detailed in writing and signed by both parties.

All parts delivered will be signed for, any 'loss' is an insurance claim.

Wish me luck !
Keith

 

One thing nobody has mentioned yet..

Expectations

Most of the times with anything in life, if someone is disappointed, its because they did not receive what they expected. A clear HONEST discussion at the beginning of a project is key.

Oh yah and everyone wanting a "driver" quality paint job really wants and expects a show finish without paying for it.

 

Keith, the only issue I see with this is "the big one"
Unless you are building an EXACT duplicate of another car, expect to make some changes. and Changes, my friend....well, they say "The Devil is in the details"....

example. you have a set of headers. your motor is installed, headers fit, and the steering is placed to avoid them. no actual exhaust pipe is run. You go to a swap meet and find the coolest looking set of headers you have ever seen. they look like God himself welded them, and they're cheap. You bring them to the shop, and have them bolted on. Passenger side fits fine. drivers side-steering interferes with the new header. rather than re-invent the wheel, you go with the original headers.

End of the week, you drop by, and lo and behold, there's 2 hours worth of labor for removing and installing the headers! 2 hours you paid for, but didn't really get anything out of.
this particular scenario can eat you up. plan ahead, and if you can, build it in your head, then research your desicions before jumping in.

and remember...just because it's a small block, that doesn't mean everything bolts right on.

 

"The hardest thing for me to learn was when to say "No" to a customer"

Cannot be overstated.
There are just some people you don't want to have as customers, and some projects that you can tell will not come out well for at least one party.

 

Totally true, "expectations" can screw things up for even the best run shop. Having been around cars my entire life, I'm still shocked at how long stuff takes - even though I should know because it took forever last time, and the time before that. I always wonder how the customer who is completely clueless must flip out or figure he's getting screwed when stuff takes forever to get done - not realizing how hard it is to do a good job.

 

This has always worked for me too!! I tried for years working on other people's cars, but got tired of all of the hassles.

 

I just have to ask. Anyone just burn out on a car. No one's admited to it yet. If so How do you get back on track?

 

Fuck that..
No deposit? I always insist on a deposit and payment in advance. I insist the customer signs my contract .No signature on the "work to be done agreement" ... then no work gets done.
Customer buy their own parts ?I have a stalled job here now because the damn customer insists on buying crap on ebay to keep his cost down regardless of the fact I am charging him storage now. I pay rent on that sq.footage so it has to make money for me not provide free parking for someone else. a sure recipe for hold ups is to waste time waiting for the customer to front for parts.
You buy your parts wholesale and retail to the customer..biz 101~!!
Charge hourly? who doesn't? cant do this kind of work by estimating or quoting and sticking to a price.you'll lose every time.
Get paid weekly? what you going to do? send out expensive invoices each 7 days and then hope to get paid on time? see the first paragraph.

 

"Get paid weekly? what you going to do? send out expensive invoices each 7 days and then hope to get paid on time?"

 

I've been in this buisness for 34 years and it's not an easy gig by any means. Took me years to finally learn how to make money at it. Part of it was surviving long enough to get a "reputation" of doing quality work at resonable prices. I've recently sorta retired but this is how I made it worked. I have a resonable expatation of how many billable hours a month are availible knowing I accually have 25-30 hours in a 40 hour week I really work on a car. I have shop space for 4 vehicals (small shop, small overhead). I booked work by how many hours a month the customer wants, 25 being a minimum for major work. Basiclly each customer gets me for one week a month minimum and he knows the next week I'll be working on another car. Keeps me from burn out working the same project week after week and yet each customer see monthly progress. I only book 3 majors per month, keeping one week free for small jobs or goofing off. They only pay for special order parts up front and I order the parts as soon as I have payment. Nothing is worst then being behind the customer payments, spending the money before you earn it or not having the money for pre-paid parts. That's a catch up game you'll never win. I don't quote prices, just ballpark estimates, it's custom work. I bill each customer the 1st of the month, he has 10 days to pay. If he can't pay I file a lien on the 10th, no way I will store a car in my shop with no income and nothing makes me madder then a customer ordering work they can't pay for. I either own the vehical in 30 days or the customer pays including $25 day storage and removes it, no second chances. If he thinks I'm overcharging we settle a price and I ask him to take the vehical, with a waiting list no reason to work for someone who doesn't thing you deserve it. The results have been a wonderfull client base where they are happy, I'm making money without working day and night, and the cheepskapes and winers are all long gone.

 

Been in chrome bus. for 38 years get pad when job is done.

 

I have a local friend who owns a chassis fabrication and exhaust shop. He will do just about anything that pays and is afraid of very little. He has 3 lifts and 4-5 bays, the lifts in the front are for exhaust and short turn around jobs, the money for the daily operation. The lift in the back and fabrication area are for the long term jobs. He spends specific days of the week on the different projects.

s.

 

Lots of good stuff in this thread. Thanks everyone for taking time to post.
Jeff

 

thats the hardest thing to deal with sometimes,
a customer becomes a "friend" and all of a sudden the hard ass $/hr relationship is broken.

tp