I just really need to vent.

[Logan@THM]

Anyone else love when customer's go back and forth between shops, treating them like ex girlfriends and trying to pit them against each other? I just love when I have phone calls that go like this:

Customer X: Man, I hate (insert any shop name) they totally screwed my car up when I was there last.

Me:Sorry to hear that, how can we help?

Customer X: As long as you dont treat me like (insert shop name here) everything you do will help me! You guys are literally the best in the business, could I get a discount if a rock your sticker on my car?

Just a quick heads up, nobody in the industry cares if you hate speed inc, or straightline, or FAST, or AMS, or P&L, or WHOEVER you are trying to drag down. More than likely, if you start the conversation bashing another shop, you will be passed along to another place. This type of customer is the worst type of customer. I find that the Chicago area is prone to this behavior more than most. Any opinions?

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[Mook]

I hate you and all you stand for.

 

[Logan@THM]

I hate you and all you stand for.

 

[Smokinhot]

Yea, not the best way to start a conversation... You have good luck and bad luck.

 

[VenomousDSG]

I'd welcome it if a customer was telling me they didn't like a competitive business, more money to me!

Freedom of speech my man. If someone has a problem with a shop, they have every right to say whatever they want about it. Lord knows I'd be vocal if I had an awful experience with someone. Word of mouth advertising can make or break companies too, so that should be motivation enough for a business to treat every customer as best as they possibly could, even if they are in the wrong.

Don't like it, refuse their business and watch them go to another competitor.

 

[Logan@THM]

I'd welcome it if a customer was telling me they didn't like a competitive business, more money to me!

Freedom of speech my man. If someone has a problem with a shop, they have every right to say whatever they want about it. Lord knows I'd be vocal if I had an awful experience with someone. Word of mouth advertising can make or break companies too, so that should be motivation enough for a business to treat every customer as best as they possibly could, even if they are in the wrong.

Don't like it, refuse their business and watch them go to another competitor.

My point was mainly aimed at the customers that had no bad experience with a previous shop, but had trials and tribulations based on their own decisions on setups/modifications. I cant count how many customers I would get that call because "this tune is garbage from XXXX shop" and when they come in theyre cars are absolutely disgusting. So by passing blame to a shop, they alleviate any blame on themselves or the business they are trying to go to, and simply play the point the finger game. I would correct vehicles from other shops without issue, but I wouldnt make it a public matter.

 

[RICH17]

People are idiots and want everything for free.

 

[VenomousDSG]

My point was mainly aimed at the customers that had no bad experience with a previous shop, but had trials and tribulations based on their own decisions on setups/modifications. I cant count how many customers I would get that call because "this tune is garbage from XXXX shop" and when they come in theyre cars are absolutely disgusting. So by passing blame to a shop, they alleviate any blame on themselves or the business they are trying to go to, and simply play the point the finger game. I would correct vehicles from other shops without issue, but I wouldnt make it a public matter.

I get what you mean, but every car and customer has to be judged on a case by case basis.

For instance, if you had someone complaining about a tune another shop did to his car, and it wasn't really the tuner's fault, but his junk car, I'd tell him that respectfully. Say "I don't want to refuse your business, but there's a good chance your car still will run like shit after I tune it, since the problem more than likely is within your setup, not the previous tuner."

People are idiots and want everything for free.

Agreed with this also.

 

[Logan@THM]

I get what you mean, but every car and customer has to be judged on a case by case basis.

For instance, if you had someone complaining about a tune another shop did to his car, and it wasn't really the tuner's fault, but his junk car, I'd tell him that respectfully. Say "I don't want to refuse your business, but there's a good chance your car still will run like shit after I tune it, since the problem more than likely within your setup, not the previous tuner."

I agree 110%. I guess after 70% of the phone calls starting with a bad experience story from another shop you get burnt out. If these shops were really THAT bad, they wouldnt be in business. It's like a game to certain customers just to try squeezing an imaginary buddy deal out of you.

 

[DirtyDan10]

People are idiots and want everything for free.

This.

 

[Spivitz]

Owning, working at a speed shop is a tough racket.
#1 people are stupid
#2 too many of them don't know how to take care of their vehicles, beat the living shit out of them because
#3 people are stupid.


And then when shit breaks for example a Camaro owner roasting his tires for seven minutes immediately after a cam install or whatever it's the shops fault.

 

[IZZy]

They are just trying to hustle you for a deal...

But on the other hand I have seen some shitty work be performed on people's cars in the Chicagoland area and those people ought to be put on blast for putting out garbage when they were paid good money to do so.

 

[Yaj Yak]

well at least i know who i wouldn't call...

 

[GLADIATOR]

How is this good for your business?

 

[ChrisRac]

So did he get a discount for rocking a sticker?

 

[Eagle]

I completely understand the point. People build janky cars, pass them off on a shop to tune as best they can, but when it has problems... It's all the fault of the shop that got stuck tuning their car.

And people try to work shop's prices down by sporting stickers... But if they don't ask, how would they know?

Either way, it's a dog eat dog world out there! Gotta do what you have to in order to stay on top!

 

[JBruno88]

I'd be lying if I said I haven't complained about a tune from a shop. In my experience, any local speed shop that is reputable Speed Inc., Straightline, Fast, etc... will get you 80% of the way there. The other 20% really requires drivability logging and logging at the track to get WOT and shift points dialed in. They only have so many resources and they do the best with what they've got at hand. I've learned that in this past year and won't put any blame on a shop.

 

[syP]

This is why I go out of state to have all my junk boxes tuned.

 

[Xfirez51]

I agree 110%. I guess after 70% of the phone calls starting with a bad experience story from another shop you get burnt out. If these shops were really THAT bad, they wouldnt be in business. It's like a game to certain customers just to try squeezing an imaginary buddy deal out of you.

Frankly, I would look at it as an opportunity to differentiate your shop from the others. That type of "complaining" is telling you, the business owner, what you could do to win more business. The potential customer is telling you their "hot buttons". If you can convert that, it becomes a great referral, and I am sure you already know that referral business is the most profitable business to have.

 

[PANDA]

What I find funny is how some people nut swing from a shop so fucking hard. Then when something goes south they be all like that shop sucks the dick.

 

[bluzohh6]

There are a lot of fly by night hack shops in Chicago. A lot of guys that aren't trained not certified and will hack at your car to make a buck and when it grenades after 1200 miles tell you you're out of luck. Unfortunately the business bred the client.

 

[Logan@THM]

How is this good for your business?

We are an internet retailer, this has nothing to do with THMotorsports in any regard.

 

[Yaj Yak]

it does have something to do with thmotorsports because here you are complaining...... and everything about your name here says thmotorsports... I, like many people, (I'd assume... ) thought you were talking about THM...

maybe a quick edit or sidenote is in order...

 

[bluzohh6]

I didn't think he was referring to THM

 

[Yaj Yak]

I did... and if I did... I'd bet at least 1 or two other people did...