|
The one time that happened with me was with the interior install. There was some reupholstering and other little things but the whole job was fairly pedestrian for specialty shop that has been in business for 35 years.
I took it in on a Tuesday because the shop said if they could get to it sooner, they would. Otherwise, they would start on Friday and I should be able to pick it up the following Tuesday or Wednesday.
I called the following Friday thinking I could have it for the weekend. "Oh, gee, we got backed up. We hope to get to it next week."
"Uh, okay," I said, trying to be nice.
I called again the Friday after that. "Oh, gee, things have been real busy."
"Well, it has been a week and a half after when you said it would be done, and you haven't even started on it yet. How can you be that busy that you are that far off?"
"You do have another car to drive, don't you?"
"Uh, y-e-e-a-ah. So? Does my other car have to go kablooey before you start working on my bug?"
"Ha, ha, ha. No, nothing like that. Take that '57 (Chevy) over there. It has been here for months while the owner is in his summer home in Maine. When he gets it back, it will be a real show winner."
"I hope he will still be alive so he can enter it in a show."
"When people bring in their hobby cars, it is with the understanding that we try to adhere to a schedule but our regular customers (taxis, police cars, dealers and the like) come first, since they are the ones who keep us in business. We had a sudden rush of cars we weren't counting on. Certainly, you can understand that."
"I would have understood it better if someone here had said I was some second-class after-thought a few weeks ago. Perhaps your reputation is much higher than it deserves to be, and I should take my 'hobby car' and the rest of my little toys and find someone else to play with. Someone with honor."
"Our work is of the highest quality."
"Your work is no work at all. You've been here 35 years? Well, guess what! I have been living here for 50 years ... and I will make sure everyone who sees my car will know you had nothing to do with it ... and why!"
After apologizing for "the misunderstanding," they kept the car and got it done by the next Wednesday. They took great pains in showing me the custom work that had to be done "at no extra charge," the seat belts they added "at no extra charge," and the door panels "at no extra charge," and the extra discount because they felt badly.
I like the money-savings, for sure, and they did do top drawer work ... but that kind of aggrevation isn't worth the trade-off.
All I have is a sympathetic ear, I'm afraid. I traded in my stock engine when I got my Type IV installed. Good luck.
|