Two things...

[Donny]

I need to find a rear window gasket for a 70 300 4dr HT, been all over C body site; nothing, anyone have any ideas?

For a laugh; had this guy's Mustang in for blasting, and epoxy priming. The total bill came to $1810.00 after the 500 buck deposit was deducted, he crowed because the estimated hours to take it apart were more than I 'guessed', but, I indicated ESTIMATE ONLY on the invoice. Well, before I start unloading anything I tell him "Let's settle this up before we unload anything" He gives me **** about being over hours, I remind him and show him ESTIMATE ONLY on the contract, then he say's "How about we call it even at $1700.00"? I said No, hell no, this is the cost, you're lucky that I didn't charge you for yesterday's failed delivery attempt where I blew a half a day bc your Mexican *** didn't show up at your house when I said I would be there! (I wanted to say Mexican ***, but didn't). A guy told me to be careful with Mexican's, he was not kidding either!

 

[70redbee]

I hope you got paid in cash. Some people just don't get it.

 

[Donny]

He layed out 100s, thing is I'm already working from the bottom line, I may need to just start higher (FOR EVERYONE) then work down. Let me tell you, the one place I give wholesale prices to, some people there STILL try to sharp shoot me with *** comments like "There's a place in Austin that will do the whole car in sugar sand for $300.00", I told him, take it there, there's NO way they can do the same thing I'm doing that cheap.

 

[Cranky]

I quit giving out low estimates many moons ago and got the same attitude from many. One guy tried to tell me I didn't have much overhead and I told him whoever showed my balance sheet to him showed him the wrong one and to take his crap elsewhere and then when he decided to use me, I charged him double the normal deposit lol. Fork em and feed em fish heads! I'm tired of people trying to rape me....try to be fair and gets this garbage....naw. Stand your ground man!

 

[MoparMitch]

Good job Donny. In this economic enviroment consumers are always trying to get a better deal. I agree with Cranky , you should start a little higher. That way you might even keep some of these idiots completely away from you.Keep up the good work

 

[Cranky]

Good job Donny. In this economic enviroment consumers are always trying to get a better deal.

Even during a good economy, the cheap *** bastards are out there! Gave a quote to a guy for some rear end work back in 07 and he started saying that I need to cut him some slack. Told him I could sit in my easy chair and drink beer instead of straining my back for the same money he was willing to pay and still come out ahead. Is that enough slack! Other words, take it and shove it lol. I'm usually a pretty nice and easy going guy but I can usually see who the BS'ers are and can get short with them pretty quick. Showed up at this one guy's house after his check bounced to get my engine back that I built for him. Backed up to his car and hooked my winch to it and then knocked on the door and told him he could do it the easy way or I could drag it back to my place with it in park. He paid me in full on the spot lol.

 

[MoparMitch]

Way to go Cranky

 

[blackblazer717]

People always want something for nothing, and if your needing our help because your not capable to do it yourself thN you must be prepared to pay for it.

 

[Donny]

The savory character I bought my media blasting systems from told me one time how he got his money back from a dead-beat customer. The guy wouldn't pay the full amount owed, so Ken took a 10lb sledge hammer to every panel on the car not only ruining the panels but also the paint job Ken put on it! He also told me there are lots of crooks and thieves in this business of cars, so watch out! Ken never got his money, but the customer was royally screwed!

 

[tpodwdog]

everybody wants something for nothing.....these cheap bastiges (johnny dangerously)..should just pay and be done with. WHYYYYYYYYYY does everyone have to be so freekin difficult ? i cant ever recall myself trying to jew...(yeah i said jew) someone down in price.... if thats what it costs..then thats what it costs. this is why i no longer have a company...... thats a long story, but it has everything to do with cheepnis (frank zappa). playing mind games should not have to be an option...in the immortal words of Jerry Seinfeld..."I PAID..................WHAT IT COST"

 

[696pack]

It is always the guys that start out looking for a discount when you begin dealing with them that are the problem and that should be a tip off on how to handle them.

It is the nice people that never give you any problem that are always thankful for a good job, never grind you and are your best people that give you referrals.

 

[Budnicks]

It seems to be the a$$holes who know nothing about cars just trying to get a deal, never do any or very little of the work themselves, or ever get their hands dirty types, or they wouldn't need to price shop everything all the time, cheap a$$es... It was very much the same thing when I was doing, Dealerships remodels, custom homes, bathrooms & kitchen, someone always seems to want a deal or discount so just start higher in price to begin with, then they think they are getting a deal, when the Jew you down in price...

 

[Donny]

It's all lessons learned. I think where I'm at price wise is very fair, not cheap, not a killer price either. The one customer I speak of, well, he was tooling on his car in his driveway, sanding the doors, hood, fenders down, putting undercoating on the inside of his fenders when the city clamped down on him, so, he was up against the wall when he called me -- I told him I can't start on his car for 6 weeks or so, but I could take it to help him out, I held firm to my prices then and there, he tried to Jew me down, didn't work. Then, he said he wanted the insides of the doors done because he could not get a DA sander in there (idiot), I said sure thing, and I'll do the entire door even where you sanded b/c sanding it down won't reveal how thick/thin or strong the metal is, only media blasting will, so, all the hours and sand paper pads you wasted was for nothing. You should have just had me do the stuff from the beginning. When I came to pick the car up, he brought out 2 totes full of small car stuff he wanted blasted, saying it's part of the body and should be included in the price! I said nope, that's extra, about 90 minutes -- again, he was up against the wall with the city bearing down on him for his car craftiness outside. And, when it was with me for the first week, he called asking how his car is doing! I said remember I can't do anything on your car for the next 6 weeks or so? So, moral of this story, watch out for the Jewish Mexicans out there! lol!!

 

[Ron 73]

There all over, i got another lesson a few months ago.. Guess we cant give up, just put the foot down a bit harder is all. Seems the more fair you are they automatically think were easy as well as stupid. Try to be fair, your up to no good, find out your honest? means your easy. lol..

 

[Donny]

OH! And I forgot another juicy part of this, that I didn't mention. He wanted to make me vinyl magnetic stick on signs for my truck advertising my business...I actually thought about it, and said I was open to that possibility, but, vinyl signs were not on the contract, he never mentioned it again.

I'm going to slightly uptick my pricing a bit, I pick up and deliver at no charge, spend as much time prepping the car as blasting it (putting on rotisserie, scraping seam sealer off, cleaning the greasy slime off bottom of car, getting the underdash fur off, and off the inside of the roof), or at least keep the prices the same but charge a few hrs for prepping. ONLY to avoid the cheap asses out there, and this game as outlined.