Projects Firing a customer!

At the first shop I ever worked in, The first thing the owner said to me was "remember the customer is always a f**king asshole", at that point I think he was already 40+ years in the business and had enough of difficult customers. Many times I saw him throwing boxes of customers parts out the door and pushed their cars outside.

 

kind of OT/ I had this sign made when I opened my last studio in 1984, it's the first thing clients see when entering the shooting area.
Later on when clients asked for discounts, i whipped out my wallet, showed my 6& 8 yo's picture and say' they won't let me' ended all pleading..
Firing a client is difficult with all the emotion, but the feeling of ' sanity returns ' is worth any $$ losss.
my 2 cents.
-41-

 

I used to have a sign in my store that simply said; Everyone here brings happiness. Some by coming in and others by leaving!

 

Been there done that. Free would be too expensive for some. I especially hate the guy that thinks things should be done a certain way when I know it will not work. Thank you for a place to vent.

 

Do the work he has paid for no more no less,you are in business to make money not play games with idiots trying to take it out of your pocket.Give him a free pass to reality,out the front door.

 

W. Edwards Demming said: "You get the behavior you reward."

By tolerating idiots and assholes, you are rewarding their behavior.
Therefore, they have no reason to change.


The logic works for shop/business owners, employers, employees, and customers.

Also works on internet boards.

 

It's really simple! Business is Business period.
I do a little body work on the side. I tell the customer , freind or not, I do it my way. You can check on the progess any time but this is a after normal working hours deal. The first time you call and ask when it will be done IT'S DONE come get it

 

I had a customer who tried to ream my ass out because he was in Florida and had a tire low on air.....all because I had put a rad fan in it a month earlier. It was the straw that broke the camels back with this customer. By the time I was done yelling even his wife was afraid to say something to me. Needless to say they both weren't welcome back.

 

Gee Alex, sounds like we worked for the same guy! Never knew you lived in Rapid City!?

 

Tommy, there is a guy up here like that. I think he got the paint and engine work almost for free on his 40 Ford due to complaining and nagging to the shops that worked on them.

 

At Performance Marine, I did a complete new bare hull for a guy, he kept changing everything from engines hardware blown unblown, changed interior back and forth then he was mad it was taking longer complained if something was more after he changed his mind so on and so on, a real pain in the ass!! So when it was all said and done I cut him a break just thinking it would be better for my reputation even though I really did nothing wrong, I found out he sold it one week later for 30K more than the whole boat cost out the door. After that I had NO problem telling a customer to pound sand and feel free to go somewhere else, one of the best experiences I had in the long run.

 

Plain and simple. I entered this project with the estimate and he met wit enthusiasim. I told him how to save money, he said no thanks. I submit an overall list of needs and broke it down into stages. Approved. Broke into the job stage one and two and he was on top of the world. Every stage had a needs and cost list with estimate of labor. His understanding that the labor is what it is. I level with every customer and let them know to expect labor to be affected by as much as 25%. I log all the hours everyday for each project. I after a weeks time make notes of work and non work related items within that time period. I reflect that in my labor. I don't always charege the at the desk hour unless its on the computer designing parts.

Ive over estimated my labor over all and he has benifitted from it and I've made it be known that things were cheaper in some areas. Ive given him a reduction in labor by 6500.00 due to my divorce affecting time. But still made progress. He's eating the apple he picked from the tree and is mad at the tree. I'm cutting my losses now. I have my own projects and customers in the wings that have been patient with this customers project taking precedence.

I run a 28,000 sq' metal fabrication facility and am very anal and detailed about lots of things all at once. I choose to make sure my shop customers at the top most and lower levels be treated with all the same attention and care. I've dealt with the cheap skates in the manufacturing and construction fields. You can never make them happy. And I know that. I just needed to vent.

My name is Chris and I'm a workaholic. Thanks for listening.
Keep coming back because it works if you work it!

 

It must be in the water I have had two of the worst clients in eight years in the last month. Really makes it hard to love your job.

 

Oh yeah, been there done that. You should try running a recording studio.

I always did my best to be diplomatic and give the customer what they wanted, but the hard part of the biz is that the quality of the end product rests largely on their shoulders as a performer.

I worked my ass of for two weeks for this one old insufferable bitch until she got on my last nerve one night. She said something to the effect of "I don't understand why everybody says you're such a good engineer and producer, my recording just sounds horrible and you've done nothing to try and make it sound decent!!"

At that point I was just fed up and said " lady, the truth is, you suck, you're the worst singer I've ever tried to record and all the auto-tune in the world ain't gonna fix it!!"

She stormed out in a huff and I was never so relieved in my life.

In any biz, you do the best you can and just know, you can't please everybody

 

My best friend growing up said that he would never work for someone else...he'd run his own business and he would be the boss. Some years later I asked him how it was going...he said he hated it, every person who walked in the door was his "boss". He finally figured out that he could charge excessive amounts to the jerks and farm the work out to others...or they would just get the message and move on. If you don't get hung up trying to satisfy those who just will not be satisfied then you will have the time to devote to the "real" customers. Sounds like you're doing the right thing for yourself, your business, and your real customers.

 

When I managed an Olds body shop back in the 70's we had a customer that was about as annal as you could get.

Well she bought a new white on white Toronado and had a fender bender the next week. Not bad, fender, extension, light, didn't even get the core support. Order the parts, edged the fender and called her to bring it in.

I started to work on it and the salesman brings the customer back to the shop area. Now I have she and her husband standing over my shoulder whipping each other into a frenzy over "if it would ever be as good as new". (salesman wasn't helping)

I finally had enough and the extention was bent around the bolts holding the fender on. Well I could have used a cut off tool but instead I wheeled out the torch and took off the front half of the fender. Smoke, bubbling white paint, an a couple about to have a heart attack. They shot out of there like they were being chased by a leopard. Less than a minute later the owner comes back screaming, "What the hell did you do to those people!" To which I replied, "Keep the customers out of my shop, If they come back tomorrow it will be as good as new". They did, it was.

 

So so true!!!

 

It is never a good excuse to let your personal life hinder what you do for a living. I think everyone's been down that road.

But, any good marketing book will tell you there are some customers not worth keeping.

 

A quick way to run your business into the ground: try to please all of the customers all of the time.

 

I get it (South Park) agreed!!
I once had a customer/friend I did some suspension work for who didnt have the cash to pay me when the job was done. So he found the smallest little things wrong with my work and used them as excuses to get out of paying me. I called him a DICK and told him to get it out of my shop without paying. He continued to spread the word of my shabby work and slam me. Whatever. A little while later he had the balls to ask me to do more work for him. I told him no, I wasn't interested, well that turned me into a bigger asshole. I was definately better off without his biz.

 

One great piece of advise my Dad taught me was "If you see a bad customer come in, you'd better make LOTS of money off of him right off the bat, cuz you'll give it back to him in the long run."

We've been lucky lately at the shop. Have our best set of customers we've EVER had. Most of our 'dead' projects are gone and now are working on great cars that are fun to see come together and the customer is having fun, too.

 

when you know they are never going to be pleased no matter what you do or how much you give them, refer them to the nearest competitor you have...

 

Good advice...after 20 years in business I've learned how to spot them coming in the door. I "interview" them, and they never even know it. Squeeky wheels can go elsewhere, It just ain't worth it. Also, I order the parts, not the customer. Half the time they order the wrong things or the cheapest, worst fitting stuff you can buy.

 

I've had some of them, yes, I fired one before I even started work on it. We just called them "Richard Craniums".

 

Richard Craniums, Ha Ha, classic.

 

Man you are in Texas, roll that thing outside and tell him you just don't enjoy his business. If he turns back around tell him if he takes another step in your direction you are calling the cops for trespassing. Develop a low tolerance for Assholes and your life will be much easier.

I think it was much more eloquently said " you attract the company you tolerate"

Good Luck,

Tim

 

My Dad built homes all of his life. Was part owner in a company that built to customers specs. I worked with him and many could never be satisfied. When in court, the judge would tell the customer they had no reason to bring it to court. T's always crossed and I's dotted.

When he was building on his own, he'd build the house to completion and if someone liked it, they would buy it. If they wanted something different or changed, he would give them the number of someone to do it after they settled with them.

That taught me that building cars is the same way. Build a car the way you like it, sell it to someone who wants it. Changes? Same way as Dad. Let someone else do it no matter how well you know the car. Sad to have to lose trust in others, but much safer.....................

 

Everything in writing. I have a 64 F-1 that has been gone 8 yrs. I paid for vacations for the first guy for 2 yrs. Good friend at the time. I finally went and got my truck. Took it to another guy who kept it another 2 yrs. He did a lot and got married and didn't want to finish it. That was ok. Another one came in, took me for a ride and then backed out. Finally got another, signed a contract, it was notorized. I paid him $500.00 a month til paid off. He said nine months to a year. It's been three. I wouldn't mind the time, but he calls every week with an excuse. I never call him. I'm giving him to the end of November and that's it. It's Lawyer time after that. Just letting both sides know, make sure it is clear.

 

thats why i hand select any one i do work for....I do it to my quality, and they pay my price....Had a guy kinda gulp when i gave him his bill, but the next day he was talking to me about more work...Of course, I dont do this full time yet, but Ive also been able to remove some before i started

 

What a refreshing read to balance all the dead horse beaters complaining how slow machine shops are. Pat