Although I wish I could say I had the balls to write this article, it is infact written by a fellow ziptied member. Most of our customers thankfully are great and understanding, but there are some lowballers who I would often rather not do business with, mostly due to their entire lack of respect for what we do. Check it!
I’m no genius, but as a result of showing up to work everyday, I have noticed that there is a way of being a “successful” customer, and a way to being a bad one. Our market is one of the only ones where the customer AUTOMATICALLY assumes the price is negotiable and as a result doesn’t see the bigger picture. Here’s a few tips that have been marinating in my brain:
1. Don’t be an asshole: Although cliché, as your moms told you, treat others as you want to be treated. If you call me and act like an ass and give me attitude, I have even less reason to give you good pricing or preferential treatment. Don’t be a brown noser either, cause I can see right through that. And don’t take your bad day out on the salesman, cause that’s just being selfish.
2. People make mistakes: Sometimes there will be mistakes made, and regardless of who’s fault it is, attempt to be understanding about it. If you are understanding, the seller will try to FIND a solution, rather than waste time fighting it out with you.
3. Be patient: Special orders take time, shipping takes time, deliveries take time, picking up parts takes time, so be understanding rather than upset at every little thing that isn’t going your way.
4. Don’t ask me for sponsorships: This isn’t a handout contest. Earn your way to the top with your OWN hard work, money, and elbow grease. Then get OFFERED sponsorships or help with your project, rather than beginning with nothing to show for it. You gotta EARN respect, you can’t expect it from the get go. And don’t get braggadocious about it…if you need to brag to me about why you should have sponsors, then maybe that’s why you don’t have any.
5. Asking about price matching: A lot of shops offer “price matching” and as a result customers try to use this as leverage while hitting other shops up for price quotes. There is a way to be tactful about it, and immediately telling me “wow that’s expensive I can get it at ABC Motors for $XXX” is not a good way to go about it (see #1). If you can get a cheaper price than what I can do, then by all means do it, but don’t cry to me when the shop doesn’t come through on their end. Cliché alert! If its too good to be true then…yeah.
6. Don’t be a lowballer: If you ask me “can you go any lower” when I’ve already given you a price break, that just becomes irritating (yet again, see #1). I am more than willing to hook it up on price, but goddamn this isn’t a haggle contest. You don’t go into the supermarket and ask for half off on the creamed corn, do you?
7. Don’t believe everything you read: The internet has a wealth of good information. The internet also has a wealth of CRAP ASS information. Use your brain and choose wisely, and learn from real life experience.
8. Be loyal: A lot of my customers buy from me time and time again, and this is probably one of the best feelings to see a returning customer. They might not always get the lowest price, and might have been able to save a couple bucks going elsewhere, but the fact that they come back and shop with me makes me even more willing to help them out the next time around.
9. Running my stickers won’t change a damn thing: Running a shop’s sticker shouldn’t be some kind of exchange for discount. You should run it because you WANT TO SUPPORT THE SHOP.
10. Buy QUALITY products: Demand the best! Do it right the first time! So many mottos run through my head, but it’s so true. You wonder why the current market is being bombarded with low-priced shitty quality controlled crap? If you don’t buy quality products (as featured by OG Made), then you’ll be left without any good choices, and all the great Japanese companies who have come to the USA will have to pack up and take it home.
Crap, I wanted to make it an even 10, but:
11. BUSINESSES NEED TO MAKE MONEY TO OPERATE: Gasp! Are you seriousss!? You need profit to operate a business? YOU SHARKS! LOL. Let’s get real folks…if you want GOOD shops to stay around, then you need to support them, so stop trying to squeeze every fricken penny out of us to YOUR benefit. Paying cash doesn’t mean no sales tax! Shipping to a business address doesn’t magically cut freight cost in half! Good service costs money too. You gotta eat, and so do we.
Thought this was a great article, but I may be biased. On a final note, I'd like to expand on point 11. You see, any money SG brings in, it spends either on growing the shop, or going racing. So you can be sure that everytime you pay us for work on your car, your are helping grow the industry. No coke feinds, no children to feed, just RACING and growing our business. Check out the full version of the article with pictures at Original Made here: http://og-made.com/archives/1376
