Date:         Sat, 28 Apr 2007 10:33:06 -0700
Reply-To:     Keith Hughes <keithahughes@QWEST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Keith Hughes <keithahughes@QWEST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Mechanic VS customer (i need you imput!)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

>Date:    Sat, 28 Apr 2007 01:26:16 -0400
>From:    Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
>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.
>
>
<SNIP>

Ben,

I would agree with most of the advice you've gotten so far, including
raising your rates to a livable level.  If you were commissioned to fix
and repaint to factory color, you did what you were asked to do.
Expecting that 20 yr old paint (especially *metallic*)  is still
identical to the day it left the factory floor is ridiculous, but
unfortunately you can't expect customers to recognize that.  I would
tell the customer that sorry, but the van *is* now the factory color,
and there's no way to match the interior paint (yes you could scan it
and custom formulate, and it *might* match, but a year from now when the
exterior darkens, he'll just be back telling you that used crap paint).
IMO, what you should have done was tell the customer up front (when
working for years as a mechanic, and now self employed as a consultant,
I never assume the customer knows anything about my area of expertise)
that the paint may not match, even though it's the correct color code.
I'd apologize to him/her for not pointing that out up front, show
him/her that the paint you used was correct, and offer to paint the jams
to match.  That's more than reasonable IMO, and they're getting a
smoking deal at that!   I'd also point out to the customer that he/she
would have ended up with the same results from all the other shops that
gave them the outrageous quotes (why they just *had* to have you do it),
they just got better work at a better rate from you.  If that doesn't
satisfy them, tough.  Good luck,

Keith Hughes
'86 Westy Tiico (Marvin)