Empty promises (long)

[NorCal911]

Hi folks,
I am asking for thoughts/opinions on what you would do in regards to having work done on a car and the shop gives you completion dates and continues jerking you around why it's not finished.
My car is a 80SC I purchased in 1995. Tom Amon (T&D Performance) did the top end in 1995 and his shop in Campbell maintained it up to 2000. I found Pelican in 2001 and the slippery slope started and after much research this is how it turned out in 2004. It remained in this config for a decade as an autocrosser/twisty carver.



As the norm for many of us here, we just can't leave well enough alone so after having Tom (now Mobile Works West) do some scheduled service and a few other things, the car morphed into this Aug. 2014:



Which leaves me to my current situation. After last Labor Day, I went with a shop in Sacramento to do some final cosmetics, remove flag mirrors, weld up holes/paint and install manual mirrors, install new F/R windshield trim/seals, re-anodize all trim/chrome door handles, new headliner, dye pillars & sun visors, install M&K GT3 1in-2out muffler and cut center slot in FG bumper for the exhaust to exit. I'm not an expert but I figured this to be a 2 month job max, for those in the know, does this sound reasonable? As of the beginning of Nov. they promised I'd have my car back by Thanksgiving but it's been one empty promise after another. They didn't start the trim plating until end of October & my heart just sank. They didn't get the parts back until last week. I made a surprise visit to the shop last Friday and nothing has been done since as they are waiting for their Porsche tech to complete. The shop manager promised me it would be completed by this coming Weds. or Thurs. but he's been telling me this for over 2+ months. I have all the e-mails from the shop for history.
So, if you were in this situation, how would you handle it? I've taken the quiet/patient route but after 4 1/2+ months have finally lost my patience. Would you just pay the bill once completed and get the hell outta' there? Would you ask or demand for some discount/compensation for not delivering when promised? Here are some pics of the slow progress and where it's at now.

Thanks for reading this, rant over
Ed

[whiskyb]

Tough call, do you want them to rush it and not do a 100% job. Can you finish it as it sits now?

[Milesaway]

Cut your losses and run (with the car in tow!), these situations never get better. I once towed my S down a main street on a piece of rope just to get it away from a shop i could see was going nowhere on it.

[patz]

Tell to get their collective doodie together or you will pay them off and pull the cash cow. Crap or get off the pot.

[911SauCy]

I'd be annoyed, but hey when I'm paying a professional for their services I expect they uphold the expectation thats been set.

It's how I run my business and it almost always results in happy customers.

Strange, I know.

[NorCal911]

Hi whiskyb,
To me, I've stuck with them this long and just asking the board if 4 1/2+ months is a reasonable timeframe for the work being done. It's just been one disappointing promised completion date after another since Nov.
Ed

[NorCal911]

Milesaway & patz,
Yeah...I should have pulled the plug 2 months ago but I kept running on faith so that decision was my bad.

911SauCy,
Yes, I agree with you that integrity in business is what brings you back and generates new customers. One of my friends who's close to a windows out re-spray has been following my dealings and he won't be using them so they lost a potential customer.

[ZOA NOM]

I would ask how they feel about the whole transaction, and whether they feel they owe you anything for the trouble. If they balk, thank them for identifying a shop that will never touch your Porsche again. If they had reasonable excuses for the delays, they should find a way to make it right and keep your business. Let us know who they are if they choose to take the low road.

[CONCRETE911]

Norcal 911,

If car is not complete by the next delivery date promised then I would proceed to repossess your car and find a professional with integrity to finish the job. If the car remains hostage at the current shop in Sacramento I would demand the highest quality finishes and reassembly, anything short of this would not be acceptable or warrant payment. The scope of work mentioned is at best a 2-3 week project for any respectable auto body shop. Assert your position and continue to drive your race not theirs. The continued broken promises are the deal breaker, especially one after another since before Thanksgiving of last year. Best of luck in getting your car back. Hope the work completed is top shelf so as to remove the bad taste in your mouth.

P.S. Your car looks great in pics, please share pics of car completed and path taken by you to do so. CHEERS!

[RSBob]

I would ask them to give me a completion date in the near future. Then ask them if they can 100% commit to that date. If they say yes, tell them that is their drop dead date, and you will take it away on that day regardless. If they won't commit to a date, pull it now.

[NorCal911]

....whoa...mesmerized a bit
Zoa Nom, IMO, they should have sent the trim to the platers in Sept. and was getting this song & dance that they were trying to find the best price and quality, once they went with the plater of their choice end of Oct., the platers were the excuse for the delays.

CONCRETE911
"hostage"...never thought about it in that way...Yeah I'm stuck between a rock & a hard place to make a decision...I just talked to a bud in Sacramento and he offered his truck & trailer to get the car if it's not completed this week...he said if I show up with a trailer and square the bill for services done up to this point, they'll either be glad to oblige or do everything in their power to make a customer happy...we'll see...

Thanks all for your feedback...

[catuck]

You didn't mention if they gave you a bargain price or if your paying a premium. In my field, I have a term I learned from a professor "the meatloaf axiom" in other words two out of three aint bad. You can expect any two of: quality, speed, price. If you have a great price and quality I wouldn't sweat the time even if they're terrible at scheduling. They should have been upfront on how long this would take though. However, if you're paying a premium and not getting quality then you should settle up with where you are with them and go somewhere else. If you're paying a premium and getting great quality I think you should get them to compensate you somehow.

[NorCal911]

Chris,
Man, thanks for this great insight. After thinking about what you wrote, I think your last sentence is where I'm at...the quality up to this point looks fine per my visit last Friday, their speed to deliver has been non-existent, I am paying a premium so I hope they do the right thing and compensate for all the broken completion dates.
I don't have any confidence with the shop Mgr. I've been dealing with as far as commitment is concerned. He tells you what you want to hear but cannot deliver...again, I've let this go as long as it has so lesson learned on my part...should have stopped the bleeding several months ago.
I am leaning towards trailering it out of there this Friday if they haven't started re-assembly tomorrow.

[juanbenae]

I would not want somebody doing business as you describe "hurrying" to make another hollow deadline. you don't mention where you are, but if the car runs id go get it right away, get it the hell out of that shop. if it were me id have been stopping by every couple days being a pain in proprietor's ass.

take the parts that have been completed to this point, not installed. once the car & parts are all in your possession then start talking compensation based on what's been done figuring in your disappointment. I did read the post for the most part and don't recall if you stated you'd paid anything to this point or not. ... what id want is my car back, and check the miles & door pockets for jack in the box receipts from the owner taking it to get his lunch a couple times a week.

get that car, even if it takes a tow truck driver. the biggest, ugliest one you can find to stand behind you when you do a sneak attack property reacquisition..

[juanbenae]

oh yeah, very well done, tastefully car by what you've shared.

I referenced you not mentioning where you were, I get the bay area for the most part by the screen name. what I was considering how close you were to the shop??

[NorCal911]

Thanks car 311. I am located in Fairfield so the shop is an hour away. I've been over there 7-8 times since Oct. to personally check progress. I originally was going to go with Freddie Hernandez at Vintage Sportscar Restorations when he was in Crockett but he moved to Oregon and I wanted to keep the car local.
It seems the consensus of the board are in the same camp as you so my plan is to contact the shop on their promise of Weds. and if they give me another excuse I will show up with a trailer the next day or Friday.

[ian c2]

This is an all too familiar story to anybody who likes playing with cars in their spare time .

THEY gave you a deadline that they have missed .
YOU now need to give them a deadline ....

Be patient .

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by NorCal911

the quality up to this point looks fine per my visit last Friday, their speed to deliver has been non-existent, I am paying a premium..........

That's one out of three.

Something is wrong. You should almost always get two out of three. Never three out of three.

I like RSBob's input. Get them to commit to a reasonable date. Ask them (corner them) what is a reasonable given their track record. Ask them what is wrong with the picture of you, as a customer, expecting some form of delivery on their promise.

Not sure how "ugly" you are being, but I know that after a half dozen trips there, the formalities would have gone out the window for me. I would be up that manager's ass with a chain saw. It would be getting real. But, I digress.

Sounds like you are being more than fair. Give them a chance. If they sound wishy-washy (again), ask for compensation if they break their promise. If they balk at this challenge, then you have to cut the cord and reduce your losses.

Sorry you are going through this.

I have a customer that is the antithesis of you. Reviving her 99 Jetta with three of four calipers frozen. I lost one of her $8 auto-zone hubcaps (I am serious - $8 each) as they are cheesy and one fell off. Her other (driver) car breaks down and I say "You can drive the Jetta - the brakes are working now - let's trade". She says "I can't be seen in a car with a missing hubcap". I schlep my ass to Auto-Zone this morning and buy a new set of $8 hubcaps for her so she can be presentable.

[NorCal911]

Thanks for your input Bob & RSBob, I'm amazed how the BBS can dissect one's comments and reply with other ways to look at the problem.
Yes I feel I've been more than fair giving them ample time to make this right. I haven't gotten "ugly" but have voiced my frustration on several occasions. Last Fri. I gave him the silent treatment just sitting there staring, arms & legs crossed as he said again how sorry he was that this was taking so long. After he was done, I didn't say a word for several minutes and just sat there...I know it was awkward for him. He said he will have someone in this weekend to work on it and another promise of completion for this Weds. I got up and left.
When I go to get my car whether it's completed or not, I will request the owner to be present, show ALL the e-mails of promise of completion and see what he will do to make this right. I have a number in mind.
As ianC2 said, this is an all too familiar story.
Thanks all,
Ed

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by NorCal911

After he was done, I didn't say a word for several minutes and just sat there...I know it was awkward for him.

Ed, you are a better man than I am. I just can't do that and it has cost me through my life. But, on the upside, I have a long string of severed ears on a wire the police have not found yet. Really has done me no good.

I think you will be fine. The fact the shop has to in-source the skill adds another variable. You may have a decent play with the documentation presentation plan on Wednesday.

Also, the fact you have not lost your marbles reduces the spite factor.

Hang in there.