[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by tech69

It's either the owner or the painter who gets all the credit but it's the body tech who REALLY did the most challenging work. Turning a body man into a painter is a whole lot easier than turning a painter into a body man. I don't really mind not getting the credit. I document my work as my resume.

This is so true, when delivering a late model repair as well, that is all the customer sees is the paint. The panel fit will be second, just a tiny misalignment to the door and they spot it. The tech replaced 5 weld on panels to absolute perfection but the customer notices a microscopic difference in the height of the belt molding.

But the customer is ALWAYS right. If the person in the office who has worked with them has explained everything properly (referring to old damage and what not) the customer is ALWAYS right. They may be unreasonable as in expecting beyond what the factory did like poor fit that matches the other side for instance, hey, ours SHOULD be better in their eyes. But realistically they are always right. If they really are out of line it is most always the person who dealt with them in the office that didn't communicate properly.
That's just my opinion but that is how I see it.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by 69 widetrack

I know those guys all to well and they are out there....I 'd love to find the rock that they crawled out from underneath and seal it up permanently...I was between restoration jobs a while back and this guy called me, (I'd done work for him in the past and he's the guy your talking about). He asked what I was doing and I told him I was getting organized for my next job. He asked id I could come over and take a look at a small job he needed done. I looked at the job and gave him a more than fair quote, (probably discounted the job by 30% because I had done work for him in the past and it wasn't that big a job) he thought it was way to high...he ranted, raved, screamed and told me I thought you where my friend, why are you trying to take advantage of me...on and on. I waited for him to take a breath, and I told him that if he felt we where friends, he wouldn't blow up like that and now the price was going up. He screamed and yelled again...so I walked away. When I got home he had left 2 messages on my phone saying he needed to talk to me. I phoned him and calmly asked "what's up". He said he would be happy to pay my original price and that he was sorry...I told him that the price had gone up and that in future if he wanted to be my friend to call me after 6PM.

I haven't heard from him in several years...and I'm so good with that because these guys never stop, they'll grind you until your out of business. As far as the friendship goes, No call after 6PM so I guess we weren't friends to start off with.LOL

When you work for yourself you can do it, you still need to manage your responses to these characters but it is possible.

Ray

I have mentioned this before about the "Friend" thing. A local shop owner and I were talking about a mutual customer who we had both worked on his 32 Ford. This customer had went to him wanting him to do something and he said "I thought you were my friend" and he told him the funniest thing that my brother and I still joke about. He said in his broken English Hawaiian accent, "You not my friend, we never go fishing, we never go to ball game, you never come to my house for ba-ba-Q, you never come to my boys birthday pa-tee, you not my friend". LOLOLOLOL

Brian

[455olds]

Very nice looking car!

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by tech69

It's either the owner or the painter who gets all the credit but it's the body tech who REALLY did the most challenging work. Turning a body man into a painter is a whole lot easier than turning a painter into a body man. I don't really mind not getting the credit. I document my work as my resume.

I have to tell you though Henry, that "resume" doesn't mean a whole lot in this business. I have never shown one in my life, other than my paint rep job, they wanted one. But in shops, you go and talk to them and if they have half a brain in their head an know the business at all once they spend ten minutes with you will KNOW you are a damn good tech, just talking to you they will KNOW you are at the very least a damn good chance to put out in the shop and see what you can do. The photo album full of photos that you could or couldn't have done, they are good to have don't get me wrong but I have see too many times that when the guy comes in with one of those things they are "ok" ego maniacs at best. Just tell them where you worked and what you have done and how you do things and above all your work ethic will come thru just like here, unless the guy is a fool and knows nothing about this business, you will have a job.

Brian

[tech69]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I have to tell you though Henry, that "resume" doesn't mean a whole lot in this business. I have never shown one in my life, other than my paint rep job, they wanted one. But in shops, you go and talk to them and if they have half a brain in their head an know the business at all once they spend ten minutes with you will KNOW you are a damn good tech, just talking to you they will KNOW you are at the very least a damn good chance to put out in the shop and see what you can do. The photo album full of photos that you could or couldn't have done, they are good to have don't get me wrong but I have see too many times that when the guy comes in with one of those things they are "ok" ego maniacs at best. Just tell them where you worked and what you have done and how you do things and above all your work ethic will come thru just like here, unless the guy is a fool and knows nothing about this business, you will have a job.

Brian

wow. you know everything. I'm sure the google car builders association would be proud of all your typing.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by tech69

blah blah blah. talk is cheap.

So is a photo album full of cars that you could have bought at a flee market. "Believe me not, a Jedi it takes to speak the words".



Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by tech69

wow. you know everything. I'm sure the google car builders association would be proud of all your typing.

Over at fakecarbuilders.com I am a moderator.

Brian

[tech69]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

So is a photo album full of cars that you could have bought at a flee market. "Believe me not, a Jedi it takes to speak the words".



Brian

Yoda, aren't you supposed to "show" Luke the force instead of always just "talking" about it?

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by tech69

Yoda, aren't you supposed to "show" Luke the force instead of always just "talking" about it?

"Fly an X wing I not, Yoda I am, why?"

Brian

[tech69]

Have a good day, master Yoda.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by tech69

you seem to want that old man bodyman respect and that's cool. Most old guys know more than I do but the reality is, doesn't mean they are good and deserve that respect, but in person I always give it, even though at times it's clear my work is a lot better. You never know when an old Yoda will come in handy. Most times it's been my experience these old yodas will take your kindness for weakness and although you give them that respect they haven't really deserved it, and I always keep my mouth shut til my work puts it into perspective for them. Then I sit back and smile cause I have earned their respect, which is never given mutually at their old age but it's part of the game I signed up for, but with all the unfairness that goes along with that, don't expect for one minute that I'm gonna bow down to you cause only YOU know whether that knowledge translates to good work or not, and until I see that don't come around and expect that old man respect unless you're in the shop beside me showing me all that wonderful info you have or it's something I can clearly see and say, "you know, Martin is an awesome tech, not cause he says so but cause I can see it."

With all that said, there's a lot of old guys on here and don't mean to disrespect you, but a lot of you do a lot less talking then Martin does and are actually doing cars. I'd much rather listen to what you guys say than to listen to regurgitated I Car Info.

Wow, that kinda sucks, I was joking more than anything mostly about the fact that Yoda DIDN'T do **** but taught. And thought you were in on the joke. But wow, sorry I insinuated anything that made you believe I needed so much. All I expect is the respect given to any other human.

Brian

[tech69]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

Wow, that kinda sucks, I was joking more than anything mostly about the fact that Yoda DIDN'T do **** but taught. And thought you were in on the joke. But wow, sorry I insinuated anything that made you believe I needed so much. All I expect is the respect given to any other human.

Brian

ah man, I was hoping you didn't read that. I edited it out but I guess you quoted it first. I'm sorry for that, Martin, You bring valuable knowledge to the table.

[geezer69]

i drove a 62,red/white top,409 4 speed to high school for a while.man, you ever want one of them old cars back??? hahaha

[tech69]

the ongoing joke in the shop about this car is why the guy would drop so much money on an Impala and not have cholos air brushed on it.