kai839•1d ago

Heard a customer say 'it's just a dent' today...

Some guy at the shop was watching me pull a quarter panel on a 2018 Civic and goes 'why don't you just pop it out from behind?'... I had to bite my tongue for a solid 10 seconds before explaining unibody structure and paint layers to him. How do you handle customers who think body work is as simple as fixing a fridge door?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_bailey1d ago

You ever have someone watch you weld a patch panel and say 'can't you just bondo that'? I told a guy once that bondo isnt spackle for cars and he looked at me like I was speaking ancient Greek. I just nodded and charged him for the full repair anyway.

iris_barnes871d ago

So did you ever have to redo a job because someone tried to cut corners like that, or did you just walk away? I'm curious if you actually explained why bondo can't handle structural stuff, or if it's easier to just let them think you're being dramatic. Like, do they ever come back mad when the cheap fix fails a year later?

tessalane1d ago

Have you tried just handing them a piece of scrap metal and a tube of bondo and saying "show me"? In my experience, some people just need to see it fail themselves. I've definitely had a couple guys come back a year later all red-faced, but luckily I always take pictures and write up a quick note about what I recommended. My rule of thumb is I explain it once, simple-like, then I just do the job right and let the invoice speak for itself. Most of the time they end up being repeat customers because they trust you after the cheap fix bites them.