by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance
Something happened recently that made Guy and I pause, take a closer look, and then have a long discussion. Recently, a returning customer had come to us for some A/C work on his Chevy Chevelle after having some interior work done at the body shop where his paint was being done. We proceeded with our A/C work and, as sometimes happens, we began discovering some unsettling short-cuts which were taken by the body shop which had performed the interior work.
Motorheads Performance
Something happened recently that made Guy and I pause, take a closer look, and then have a long discussion. Recently, a returning customer had come to us for some A/C work on his Chevy Chevelle after having some interior work done at the body shop where his paint was being done. We proceeded with our A/C work and, as sometimes happens, we began discovering some unsettling short-cuts which were taken by the body shop which had performed the interior work.
We documented our findings and reported them back to the customer, as we always do when we find things our customers should be aware of. The customer asked us to speak with the owner of the body shop on his behalf, and a call was made. The shop owner first would not even acknowledge that the work was poor, denied it happened there, then ended up blaming one of his staff for the poor workmanship. It left us surprised and quiet taken aback.
Has society changed so much that many people are no longer able to take responsibility for their actions? Is government "roboticizing" us so much that we're becoming co-dependent, and allowing some to feel entitled to give shoddy service and expect a "free pass" to let it slide without consequence? Or is it geared more to the individual who simply cannot admit to making a mistake? I'm not sure, but what I do know is that we all have responsibilities...it's just part of life.
Has society changed so much that many people are no longer able to take responsibility for their actions? Is government "roboticizing" us so much that we're becoming co-dependent, and allowing some to feel entitled to give shoddy service and expect a "free pass" to let it slide without consequence? Or is it geared more to the individual who simply cannot admit to making a mistake? I'm not sure, but what I do know is that we all have responsibilities...it's just part of life.
A Shop's Responsibility to its Customers
Guy and I have always lived by the belief that if you make a mistake, you own up to it, figure out how to correct it, and take steps to make it right as soon as is reasonably possible. As a business owner, it is your responsibility. You are responsible for the actions of your employees. You are responsible for training them, guiding them, supervising them, and checking things over when they are done. If you don’t, you are still responsible for their actions or non-actions, as it is your business, and your name on the line. It was surprising to see that a fellow business owner wouldn’t or couldn’t see the value of this, and instead was content to blame his various employees.
Responsibility can take us beyond a mistake that may happen in the shop. For instance, we could easily order an incorrect part which therefore caused a delay in the job, or we could be responsible if an employee represents something incorrectly as fact to a customer, or we might even be responsible if information about a change order was not appropriately conveyed to those affected. And, sometimes the responsibility is cloaked in a much more allusive form such as a business policy, a certification, or a training.
The incident with our customer's body shop caused us to discuss a situation we recently dealt with. A gentleman complained that we had misrepresented information on our website. I was shocked, because I believed the information I had put on the site was factual. But, knowing I had a responsibility to accurately portray ourselves and our business, I reviewed our entire site, which is quite large.
Upon closer look at the three things complained about, I saw that although this man made incorrect statements about the Corvette Fever Magazine reader awards we had received several years in a row (Corvette Fever is still in existence on the Internet and the physical magazine was combined with Vette magazine into a single publication as a cost savings measure by the publisher), two of our other affiliations had errors with the words used. Yes, we are an Eckler’s Dealer, but not a “certified” dealer, as had been written. The other error was the listing of a reseller program we had been members of through the parts supplier J.C. Whitney. Not known to us, the InstallPRO program had been discontinued some time before, but we were never notified of it, as the company’s agent acknowledged in an e-mail to us.
Upon closer look at the three things complained about, I saw that although this man made incorrect statements about the Corvette Fever Magazine reader awards we had received several years in a row (Corvette Fever is still in existence on the Internet and the physical magazine was combined with Vette magazine into a single publication as a cost savings measure by the publisher), two of our other affiliations had errors with the words used. Yes, we are an Eckler’s Dealer, but not a “certified” dealer, as had been written. The other error was the listing of a reseller program we had been members of through the parts supplier J.C. Whitney. Not known to us, the InstallPRO program had been discontinued some time before, but we were never notified of it, as the company’s agent acknowledged in an e-mail to us.
I could have blamed others. I had hired my daughter who was home on break from college, to do some updates to many of our website pages including our affiliations, car show & event listings, classified ads, and other pages that were sorely overdue for updates, but ultimately it was my fault for not reviewing the work closely enough. I should have seen the error, but it got past me. I could have argued that J.C. Whitney never informed us that they were discontinuing the InstallPRO program, but where would that have gotten me? What did I do? Admit it, decide what to do, and take action!
Sure, it’s hard to maintain up-to-date information in today's fast-pace, ever-changing world, especially a large website. However, that is no excuse. I immediately took the misworded information and removed it from our website. After taking these steps, I then responded to the complaintant stating that we value when erroneous information is brought to our attention so that we can correct it, thanking him because I was grateful to be able to correct it. I pride myself on a quality website that accurately portrays our message.
Did I feel stupid for making a mistake? Certainly. But I also wanted immediately to make it right. I feel as a business owner, I want my customers to know exactly what to expect from us, and how they’ll be treated. I appreciate our customers, and want to do right by them. It’s a philosophy that is very important to Guy and I. At the same time, we wish others had an easier time accepting responsibility and delivering what is needed to do their job right.
Although not every shop feels the same way, Guy Algar and I have made the deliberate choice to stay a small shop and to do the work ourselves rather than pass off work on employees. We like that we stay involved with each and every job from start to finish. Customers are able to talk directly to the people who actually do the planning and work on their vehicle and we work actively with each of our customers to ensure that they receive the results they want. And Guy has a valid point when he states, "I don't have time to babysit someone else." Having been a Business Manager for many years prior to starting our business, I had multi-member staffs and I know it can be a full time job just keeping things running smoothly with your employees." Car shops are no exception.
While in some articles I've spent time pointing out some of the bad things that can happen when you take your car to a shop for repairs and/or restoration work, there are some very good things happening out there. There are actually shops out there that care greatly about their customers, and take great pride in the quality of work they deliver. Even then, sometimes things happen that are out of their control. As a shop owner, we're often at the mercy of those vendors and subcontractors who we deal with. Incorrect part shipments, billing errors, back orders, delays in shipping, subcontractors getting behind schedule or having quality issues. All these things can come back to you in a negative way.
Ultimately, a shop owner must accept the responsibility of making it right. On one unusual repair we did several years ago, we had initially saved the man over $100 in shipping fees by picking up the fenders ourselves and charging him a small $35 pickup fee to cover the 1-1/2 hour round trip and cost of gas for our truck. What he didn't see was the time spent on our return trip to exchange the fenders because of damage discovered when we opened them up back at the shop - the 2 hours of opening boxes at the vendor's warehouse until we found a pair without excessive damage!
We find that when things like this happen, we become even more determined to give our very best. It's difficult when you make a mistake, but we know that it's far better to address the mistake immediately, take appropriate action, and learn from it! In the eight years we've been in business we've been very fortunate. I'd like to believe that there are also other businesses out there who have the ability to take responsibility and act professionally, even when mistakes are made.
But responsibility is a two-way street, even in the world of classic car or muscle car repairs and restorations! Just as where freedom of speech comes with responsibilities for what you say (i.e. dealing with the consequences of words spoken out of anger for example), freedom of owning a gun comes with the responsibilies of self-control and good judgement (i.e. using it for the intended purpose of self-defense and not one where you are an aggressor against someone), simply being a member of society has its own responsibilities (i.e. to behave in a moral or ethical manner so that it benefits society as a whole). The act of being a customer has its own share of responsibilities.
A Customer's Responsibility
We all know the basic set of responsibilities that come with being a customer anywhere, with any type of business. We know that we should present our request for service in a clear, truthful fashion for instance. We have a responsibility to ask questions that are important to us, as the shop owner cannot read our minds and know what type of information we personally need. We need to ask the price of services, and we need to be prepared to pay for the services when they have been finished. We need to act appropriate while at the shop owner's establishment, and we need to act appropriately if we have disagreements.
So, what can you, as a customer, do if you feel mistakes are being made or if you're just not so happy about the way things are going? It's always helpful to the shop owner to have questions brought up in a timely way, when we still have a chance to resolve issues to your satisfaction. Don't wait until the job is finished to bring up concerns over pricing, quality or anything else that isn't sitting right for you. In the case of the customer who asked us to intervene on his behalf, it was needed because the other shop owner was denying the problems altogether, and there were problems! We were able to help get the issues resolved for our customer. But getting this type of help isn't always possible for you, the customer. Usually, you're left to fend for yourself, and it can be awkward and difficult. Communication is usually the "make it or break it" of a project going without a hitch.
So, what can you, as a customer, do if you feel mistakes are being made or if you're just not so happy about the way things are going? It's always helpful to the shop owner to have questions brought up in a timely way, when we still have a chance to resolve issues to your satisfaction. Don't wait until the job is finished to bring up concerns over pricing, quality or anything else that isn't sitting right for you. In the case of the customer who asked us to intervene on his behalf, it was needed because the other shop owner was denying the problems altogether, and there were problems! We were able to help get the issues resolved for our customer. But getting this type of help isn't always possible for you, the customer. Usually, you're left to fend for yourself, and it can be awkward and difficult. Communication is usually the "make it or break it" of a project going without a hitch.
Probably the worst thing is to get confrontational at the start. Remember, you may have been thinking about this for a long time, stewing over your frustrations and rehashing what to do in your own mind. But, it's probably the first time that the shop owner or the technician is being made aware of it!
Talk with the technician or person you're most accustomed in dealing with, and bring up your concern, the problem, or whatever the issue is in a non-accusing manner. If it's a question of price, ask if you can sit down and review where the cost of the project is going, or that the cost of the parts seems to be pushing you over budget and you'd like to review where you are with things. If it's questions of quality or workmanship, you might ask if you can schedule a time to review the work to date, then ask your questions or state your concerns in this meeting where you can point things out and show why you're asking.
Most shops have multiple projects going on at the same time. They may have one tech who does the prep work, another who performs the fabrications, one who does installation, repairs and welding, and yet another for the painting. There are many things to coordinate, and many things that can get a project behind schedule. Openly discussing your wishes and your concerns helps the shop try their best to meet your goals, and it also gives them the opportunity to keep you informed as the job goes along. It's a partnership, and as with all partnerships, good communication is essential.
REFERENCES:
business.com - Business Ethics in the Workplace
businessdictionary.com - What is Responsibility?
Business Link - Deal Responsibly With Customers and Suppliers
Business Link - Deal Responsibly With Customers and Suppliers
entrepreneur - How To Stop Passing The Blame Buck
frozennorth.org - To Whom Does an Ethical Business Owe A Responsibility?
Merriam-Webster - The Definitition of "Responsible" (origin of responsibility)
partnersinexcellenceblog.com - It's Not Your Customer's Responsibility To Do Your Job!
partnersinexcellenceblog.com - It's Not Your Customer's Responsibility To Do Your Job!
The Business Ethics Blog - Responsibility For Consumer Error
The Tech Empowered Consumer - Positive Engagement is the Customer's Responsibility Too
Wikipedia.com - Social Responsibility
Wikipedia.com - Social Responsibility
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This article is based on my observations as a businesswoman, both in and out of the automotive industry for, well let's just say over 25 years! My husband Guy Algar and I made a commitment when we started our venture that we wanted to do things differently. We wanted to provide the best in customer satisfaction and help our customers enjoy their rides by involving them in the experience. Everyone who starts a business has challenges and difficulties, and it's definitely an eye-opening learning experience! We try hard to establish good relationships right from the start so that there is good communication and good policies in place to deal with the most typical situations that come up. But the one thing we don't take lightly is our responsibility to our customers, and our desire to do the very best job possible for them. A heart-felt "thank you" to all of our current and past customers, each and every one who have taught us something along the way! I hope this article inspires others as well. - Andrea
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.
This article is based on my observations as a businesswoman, both in and out of the automotive industry for, well let's just say over 25 years! My husband Guy Algar and I made a commitment when we started our venture that we wanted to do things differently. We wanted to provide the best in customer satisfaction and help our customers enjoy their rides by involving them in the experience. Everyone who starts a business has challenges and difficulties, and it's definitely an eye-opening learning experience! We try hard to establish good relationships right from the start so that there is good communication and good policies in place to deal with the most typical situations that come up. But the one thing we don't take lightly is our responsibility to our customers, and our desire to do the very best job possible for them. A heart-felt "thank you" to all of our current and past customers, each and every one who have taught us something along the way! I hope this article inspires others as well. - Andrea
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.