Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:16:12 -0400
Reply-To: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject: Was: Mechanic VS customer, now: it's a passion, period!
I did this post because i felt that you guys are crasy about Vanagon, you
are, (i guess) for the most of you, customers! some have mechanical or body
work skills, some don't and some are very good with their hands. I'm no good
businessman, but getting there because i have to eat and there is no way
out, i won't fail this time! This situation was different than an engine
job, mechanical work (unless done poorly) can not be judge by everyone, but
a paint/body work can be judge by most. Sadly, everything is all about
"look" today, sadly. Even last year, i would never imagine that one day i
could paint a whole van, but i have that skill, that, i know, so why not.
When i do a job, any job, i do it as if it was my own van, and that will
never change! Maybe i should charge more, but i'm no "money" guy, when i get
up in the morning, i race to my shop... this is worth a lot of money for me.
On this van i made a good 4200$ profit, 10 days, an happy camper... i'm rich
in many ways. I only want to be able to make a nice living, go camping with
some of my cutomers and/or friends, be happy and make them happy. The only
thing i DON'T want, is the stupid one, and this year, i can push them away.
I still love camping, travelling, going nowhere, having fun with nice folks
around a campfire.... that is all i ask about life.
The main reason for this post was "exhaustion" on my side, bad timing, and a
customer that thought that the color was ANOTHER one, so, it's simply bad
comunication. Anyway, i'm to tired to post pictures tonight, but everyone is
very happy at the end. I was just seeking your advices! I think that i do my
share for the Vanagon community and felt fine asking for advices when i need
some, even if this thread seem to be about my shop, and it was in some ways,
it was me, the men who as been here for a few years... now asking for
advices. I'm not selling stuff here, not even looking for customers, i don't
need any. I'm just here as i was here before i had my shop and will probably
still be here after i do something else.
Today, Sunday, i helped my EX brother in law Jason, the one who help me the
past 2 months (104 hours of works in exchange for works on his van)at the
shop, he is NOT good with is hands, at all, he as put apart over 4 complete
engine, he still don't know where is the Alternator! tonight, he was messing
with the swivel seet, tired and stressed.... ha ha ha, 15 minutes of fun for
me... in 5 hours, we put a rebuilt transmission, alternator and 2 batteries,
the last little things we had to do. This week, he is leaving for a long
time, first planting trees in northern Alberta for 3 months making 25k$,
after that, he will hang around the west cost surfing and skaboarding aboard
is ugly "lite blue" 84 Westy...
He as bought this van in 2002 for 3K, 100k miles, nice shape, he went around
North AMerica 3 time including Mexico 2 time, this van was good to him, but
last year, everything was falling apart, time to invest... oh yea! As Jason
does't care AT ALL for esthetic, all the money was put on the practical and
mechanical side of it. But in the past 2 months, he understood that a van is
a machine, an old machine.. he was amaze sometime that i loose time on one
single bolt. He understood that we nned to put energy and money to kkep them
alive, at a point that he got scared of driving his own van... he told me
one morning: Men, anything can break!!! yea boy....
Jason is a modern Hippie, he doesn't know he is, he is a good men! to
intelligent for most of us! he is way over there... he doesn't owned a Westy
as we would think modern hippie would, he just own a compact partical small
camper van! He dosn't care about VW or Westfalia, his not on any mailling
list or even does't understand the need for it... but believe me, he love
his van, he wan't to kkep it for ever... last month, for his birthday, i fix
2 things, put some nice speaker in front(of course, he is a musician) and
fix his fridge, yea, this guy never used his fridge, putting dry food in it,
it was fine like that he tolf me.... but he was happy as hell when that
thing came cold! Cool he said, fresh milk!!!
Jason left the shop tonight, i was following him in my car, (westy is in the
shop, engine is almost out for you know what reason!)... looking a that old
blue 84, did i do everything right! any smoke! is the trany ok! looking at
that big smile on his face, i was ok! i see an happy friend that gave me
what ever he had to offer, i took it, even knowing he would be more in my
way than anything else.... the van is a mess inside, he doesn't care, he as
a place to sleep where ever he is... We fix a ton of stuff, there is still
some to do... next year bro, i see you soon, maybein Mexico next winter.
It's fine for now Jay.. go on the road and show people what a Westy was made
for. We splited, and maybe i won't see that good friend and his happy 84
blue westy for a long time...
I'm sure Larry Chase understand...
Farewell brother...
Ben
http://www.benplace.com/baja/calif006.JPG (on the left)
http://www.benplace.com/baja/calif005.JPG (on the left)
On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:55:07 -0400, pdooley <psdooley@VERIZON.NET> wrote:
>So after all this the customer is happy??
>
>That's really good news.
>
>It makes me feel good to know that people like Benny who aren't afraid of
>hard work and care about the quality of their work aren't getting screwed by
>nit-picking customers.
>
>
>And Benny- don't raise your rates.
>My van needs a paint job :)
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