Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2007 01:10:06 -0400
Reply-To: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject: Re: Labor, 28 hours, customer say, i have no money....
I read you all... i didn't know that post will turn into a social one. But
that's ok i guess.
Here is what i know, my side of the story:
I fix 15+ yo vehicle, sometime way more. they are VW, VW leaks like crasy,
that mean I get dirty like hell, all the time, i drink "prestone" for
breakfast, oil for lunch and fuel for diner, i come home at 9pm on average,
i do my own accounting when possible, i have a big web site to maintain. I'm
still in the very minus (-) of my bank account (you don't want to know...),
everytime i start an engine after a rebuilt or a re-seal i shiver/shake...
when ready to start that one, it will never stop, i'm like that, excited but
nervous, this may sound cool, exciting, but it's not... it's getting on my
nerve with time, i take so much risk to fix those old engine that i sometime
think that i make miracle. It's nothing like working on a 99 Honda Civic
engine.. new parts at the dealer... so on.
Parts are getting hard to find.. if i break something rare in the process of
a rebuilt... i'm fu** (sorry), i need to order from far away and i'm stuck
with that van, this van is using one of my 3 spot. So for maybe a week or 2,
i have to forget about that working space.
I heard that no one want to work on AC vanagon on my part of the wood... i
fully understand why! Soon, it's gonna be the same for Water leaker.
So please, let's not put mechanic as rich men and frigging crook, far from
it. I have to say that sometime, it's for the love of the frigging machine
that we do so, more as a passion than anything else. But yes, i need money
to eat, and that is the sad truth.
I would challenge any of you, come work with me for a week... you will go
back to your normal clean job, believe me. I know so much about those you
have no idea, i'm staying humble most of the time.
Beside my shop there is many shop, i see 60-65yo men working 10/7, still
working hard after 20+ years, honest men.
Lien, written stuff, honnor, layer... it's all BS, just be frigging honest
with YOURSELF for a start, you had work done, you bought something, just pay
for the frigging thing. If the product is not good, to work not well done
that another story. We are all responsible for our decision, but sadly, some
just don't up to the task (her goe's my English)
Some years ago, here, on this list, i "bashed" mechanic's, I Sincerely
apologise for saying so... i won't get rich with my shop, i know that by
now. But i'm free.
I'm not fixing car, i'm fixing one vehicle, it's called a Westy.
Marde, chu tanne d'mexprimer dans un autre "esti" langue... mais vous
comprenez meme pas dimension de mon implication... quelle valeurs a le
partage, dite moi?
Regards, Ben
http://www.benplace.com/
On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 19:31:03 -0700, BA <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM> wrote:
>On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 14:20:49 +0000, you wrote:
>
>>That's not the description of an honest mechanic in my mind, it is one that
>>is living hand to mouth. Sorry, I don't mean to be insulting, but if a
>>mechanic asked me to pay up front, I would know it was not a well funded
>>(and I would assume) not a well run business, unless it had just started.
>
>
>OTOH, consider a business that feels it has enough money on hand to
>take a large risk on doing a job without requiring a deposit.
>
>And where is that business getting so far ahead on money? Very
>possibly by overcharging everyone to cover their poorly-estimated
>jobs.
>
>So I'd have some additional confidence in a business that asked for
>enough deposit to cover reasonable out-of-pocket costs before they
>started doing the job. It gives me the feeling that they're being
>realistic.
>
>
>B&S
>'87 'Esmerelda Blanc'
>SoCal
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