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Date:         Sat, 28 Apr 2007 06:52:19 -0700
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Mechanic VS customer (i need you imput!)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

I'd point out to the guy that you essentially just paid him for the pleasure of fixing his junk heap for him and that you'd appreciate it if he would accept the job with the door areas painted to match. If he's not willing to accept that I don't know what to tell you... you can stick to your ethics and pay for the new paint yourself and consider it a lesson learned... this by the way depends on whether you agreed to paint the thing to the original color or if you agreed to make the paint job match the 'current' color state of the paint- and that's not trying to find a loophole to wiggle through, it does matter. If you agreed to paint it to the original color than you did that and he's stuck with it. If you agreed to match current color than you ...um... painted yourself into a corner, I think. I would take John's advice and examine the legalese in my work order, tho.

I just saw your email about the paint under the mirror. If you can find the same thing somewhere on his van so that you can show it to him I'd then say paint the door jambs and tell him to lump it.

If your numbers are even close you made a less than $33 CDN/hr. for that job. If that price included materials you put yourself in the hole from the get-go. You can't keep doing that to yourself. Of course it isn't his fault; however if you had given him a quote that included a livable profit for yourself he probably would've abandoned the idea or you could have at least had a margin to break even after the paint error. It's no wonder he came back and said 'I want YOU to do it...' He talked to everybody else and found out that not only would they not even try but they'd want his house, wife and both his feet if they did.

You need to pay yourself adequately, Benny or the time will come when you either completely lose your passion to do this work or you will have worked yourself into poor health and you'll be forced to quit. I really don't get your approach to your business- Your skills and attention to detail should command a premium, and if there isn't a premium to be made in Vanagons then you at least have the right to ask for a comfortable, livable profit and set realistic work hours. You go at this like you're trying to work off a prison sentence. I can't really believe that when you decided to open your own business that your goal was to work like a slave's dog and to be compensated the same way.

Cya, Robert

----- Original Message ----- From: "Benny boy" <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Friday, April 27, 2007 10:26 PM Subject: Mechanic VS customer (i need you imput!)

> Hi, in life, i restore, fix, repair, find a way of saving a van call > Vanagon, not easy sometime! i work hard, 7/7 more than 13 hours a day, i > love my job, i love life! i take pride on what i do. This is the only way > for me, the full way, the hard way, i'm very honest and it can not be > otherwise for me(not good for business!). If one day i get up from bed and > i > feel like doing something else, i will. But for now, i rebuilt a nice > campers van call Vanagon, this van is not only a way to earn my life but > also a way of life for me. But in my line of work, i have to deal with a > thing call customers! most of the time, they are pretty cool, but! they > are > not my friend, this is the way things are, sadly. > > So, in the past 2 weeks, i have been working on a Van, yea, hard, 14 days, > more than 12hrs per day, 7/7, this is one of the BEST paint job i have did > so far, better then my own Red Tornado van, the rust part has been worked > carefully. On that job, only 1.5 days are for the paint job part, the rest > was removing rust, fixing metal part, welding... anyway, short story: > First > of all, i had say NO to this cutomer before! yea, it was to rusty... so > after i wile he came back and told me, i want YOU to do it, what is your > price, i said 5500$ CAD (about 4800USD), so i did the job... painfull. > > Remember that the pictures you see are only a fraction of the one i took, > or > the one i could have taken. they don't show all the welding, gluing, > grinding... > > But sadly, when done, something was wrong... the color match! everything > else is perfect! the work done, the rust, the paint job is one of my best > ever, but the color match is sadly a bit offset. > > So, look at all those pictures and tell me how to deal with that? i am > ready > to offer him to re-paint the van (sadly, the color code is the right one, > Valspar and Dupond have the same result??? the color is tricky!), but i > don't know how i can change the color... even my friend who is a 20yo > painter told me that metalic blue is dificult to match!!! and on a 20yo > van, > it's worse. should i lower the price! i'm ready to remove 1000$, about > what > the paint cost me (remember, i use high quality paint). > > The new color is simply... nicer (others have confirm!), i also offered > him > to paint the inside of the door and door for free to match the exterior. > Waithing for an answer, but he is not happy with it! > > http://www.benplace.com/87_dove_blue.htm > > Anyway, a long story to tell you how hi feel about me working like a dog > and > an unsatified cutomer. > > I want your advices as customers? just remember one thing, this van was a > piece of junk... ready for the garbage. > > Thank you for your time and imput, and thanks for any advices, if i have > bored anyone whit this post, i'm sorry. > > Regards, Ben > http://www.benplace.com/vw2.htm


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