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Got a call yesterday from another shop that advertises Hot Rod work. The owner asked me if i could tell him how to fit an IFS crossmember :confused: My first words where "shouldn't you know that already" and he said he didn't know what to do :(
I went on to say that in my opinion its a bad show to have to ask another hotrod shop this type of question.
Any way i told him how to do it, Should i have let him struggle ???
he owes you a favor .. i love for people to owe me favors
That’s a tough call – but you made the right one. No matter what the profession, it’s in the best interest of the industry to have at least a “cooperative spirit”. I am often asked to speak about the finer points of certain aspects of technology and I almost always agree. In so doing, I know that some of my competitors will be in the meeting and will take away information that can and probably be used against me the next time we go head-to-head in a competitive bid situation.
In my opinion, a lot of people can “get a job” but it’s through a conscientious effort of relationship building that we keep a client. This other chap may take an IFS cross member install away from you when working with a new client and complete this one task - but he will not easily sway one of your loyal customers with whom you have built a relationship.
Regardless of our craft or industry, success is achieved by building relationships that foster long term, repeat business as people grow to trust us and appreciate our commitment to excellence as we practice our trade.
I’m rarely the “cheapest” when I bid jobs, but I always try and be the best so that when the task at hand is finished, the customer feels good about the value received and looks forward to using our services again. Most people who just shop price are not the ones you want anyway. From the tone of your posts and the picture’s we’ve seen you run a first class establishment and my guess is that you sleep well at night knowing that your clients receive excellent value and you look forward to working for them on an ongoing basis.
So you helped a competitor to maybe complete a task – that’s good of you. I doubt seriously if he’ll be taking any of your clients with that bit of knowledge as that’s told him how to perform a task – not build a relationship.
My two cents,
Glenn
You done good + made a freind who will help you out.
Not so much now, because they have learned lots more about the electronics in these newer cars, I use to get lots of calls from several area shops for info or help.Never turned any of em down and can now call those guys for info or borrow a tool that I don't have.
You did the right thing, and from knowing you personally and seeing the way you are always willing to help someone on here out, it is the only way you could ever be. I believe in what goes around comes around so you never know how this same guy might repay the favor in the future.
I'm someone who picks other people's brains a lot and asks a lot of questions to try to figure out the best way to do something, so I would probably have been the guy calling you about that front end. I always appreciate the people who spend time giving me those answers and try to spend my money with them in the future.
You did good. :)
Don
You made the right call, and probably saved someones life and a lot of bad press for hotrodders when this incompetents work failed and caused a wreck. My hat is off to you.
You made the decision you made based on what you knew at the moment, so in that context it was the right thing to do. Maybe you've recruited an appreciative colleague, or maybe not. That depends on his integrity, you've already demonstrated yours. Conversely, even though you attempted to help the guy out, did he get it? You can't control that, so it's not on you. But as you've probably learned in life, some folks you can communicate with some you can't, no matter how skilled you are, and how much you've tried. Hopefully he has the welding skills to finish the job properly.
I think you did the right thing also. All the good shops around this area have good working relationship when it comes to helping each other out, the old saying what comes around, goes around.
Good Job!
i maybe wrong in thinking this way. but i do that on hear ? i like to help so its not to big of a deal .where i do not care to help is when somone want to use a deck plate or tooling of mine or use one of my shop machines to do a job . when it could be done at my shop by me. if someone is in need it is hard for me to say no.over the years there been many that help me when i was in need of help .i can not think of many times someone said no to me
Trust me, you did the right thing. That was a test. Think about it.
Yeah i guess your right guys, I don't like to see anyone struggle but i do think its a bit off advertising they do Hotrod work when something as simple as fitting an IFS confounds them, make me wonder what their other work is like :confused:
Been involved in similar issues a few times....Once it bit me in the butt, but the other times it was ok... Heck Steve, if that's your competition to me it's evident you don't have any. Customers and potential customers usually find out about the poser builders, too bad some of them get burnt by them first.....
A repair shop that I go to for allignments, gets the guy from another shop walking in and asking questions all the time about diagnostics, and he gives him information freely.. when that guy can't figure it out. the shop I go to gets the work
Dave i get very many customers that have had their fingers burnt, trouble is by the time they get to me most of their money is gone !!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Severson
Yeah, most of them do end up broke when the dummies are done with them.... I'm guilty of doing waaaaaay tooooo much cheap or free work fixing up "the other guys" mistakes..... For what it's worth, 3 of my very best repeat customers are guys who came to see me originally with a project they needed to be bailed out on....and all have been almost constant customers with a project in the works or pending since then.......
We all end up doing work for free Dave, I've never had so many friends since i opened the shop :LOL::LOL::LOL:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Severson
oh yes i know how that feels:DQuote:
Originally Posted by roadster32
help folks when you can.it comes back in some way or other.
I gotta agree with that,,absolutely true..Quote:
Originally Posted by geezer69
I was the fella that did the asking the other day.
We're swapping our '51 Ford School bus from left-hand-drive to rhd.
And struck a snag.
So I approached Willie Roach of Eagle Automotive to ask for help.
(Over the years Willie has converted certainly hundreds if not thousands to rhd.)
Not only did he give me exact and precise measurements as to how to go about it, he let me loose in his workshop to take as many photos as I liked of works-in-progress.
It was much appreciated.
(Mind you, I s'pose I've known Willie better than thirty years...we do go way back...)
A top man.
An honourable man.
And yes; I owe him.
Thanks Willie...you saved a lot of angst.
Good on you Steve. You not only helped a fellow shop owner, but a customer too! I know what you mean about him advertizing as a hotrod shop, you would hope they would know how to do custom suspension work. I'm here on this site to learn stuff like that from you guys, and make doing my project, mostly myself possible, so thanks from me too! I hope he appreciated you help, as we do watching your work here!:cool: