Just say no

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salvatoreali
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Just say no

Post by salvatoreali »

As I enter my sixth year in the business I have asked myself a simple yet life changing question.
What do I want my business to be? Do I respect my business and all I have put into it to the extent that I am willing to forgone short term gain for long term control and happiness?
You must ask why did I go into business for myself?
For me it was to regain control I had willingly abdicated to others for a paycheck.
As a self employed person you must remember this control is paramount to your success and happiness.
Yes you take on customers and work your arse off in the beginning as you build, but there comes a point where you must define who your customers are and how , where, and how much you want or need to be happy.
I detest stress which is why I love this business.
Therefore now that I can, I have deliberately dumped several dealers that caused me stress by their inability to expedite the time I spend waiting for them and wasting valuable time. I have dumped dealers that repeatedly ask for duplicate invoices as a technique to slow down payment. I will not deal with dealers that churn upper management because I have better things to do with my time than re-train them to my way of doing business.
And yesterday I refused to work on a crack because of high moisture, bad light, inability to park, and a customer's bad attitude. I did offer an alternative venue for repair that would guarantee me success but was rebuffed by customer.
To sum up, we can only be successful when we can offer superior products and services, with a smile, because we are happy with how we do business and have customers that appreciate us.
Incidentally, I refuse to deal with insurance companies on weekends when they are slow and I am extra busy.Will only have customers come to me on Saturday, no mobile, and cash only. Never had an issue with this policy.
screenman
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Re: Just say no

Post by screenman »

10 likes for that post, I have run my business for many years just that way.
salvatoreali
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Re: Just say no

Post by salvatoreali »

Update:
Got a call this morning from manager of fleet service on that crack I mentioned yesterday.
He was happy to come to me so we would be able to have proper conditions to fix the crack , was happy with the job ,and paid me cash.
To any newbies out there, as soon as you have the confidence and income to do it, take control of the business and do business with good people of your choosing. You may have to deal with the a-holes for a while while you grow, but trust me there are plenty of good customers out there and you will grow to appreciate what a terrific business this is!
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benswindshieldrepair
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Re: Just say no

Post by benswindshieldrepair »

In contrast, I will say that while your are building your business, you should NEVER say no. Once you're as badass as this guy, well then, get crazy. But never say NO, when your trying to get it up.
wrtech
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Re: Just say no

Post by wrtech »

This is solid advice for any business. My grandpa used to run a pretzel stand in the Bronx for extra money after he retired. I would occasionally help out as a kid and this customer got lippy with him once and he told em to go you know where. I said to him "isn't the customer always right" and he said "if you bend over backwards for a customer you'll break your back!"

I've never forgotten that old-timey wisdom, god bless that man.
WinMan
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Re: Just say no

Post by WinMan »

Treating people the right way; changes the game. It's not always about us as a business as much as it can be for the consumer. Provide them the right experience, Always, and business will be around for a long time.
Dempsterglass
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Re: Just say no

Post by Dempsterglass »

Even when I worked for the big companies managing their stores I never had a problem saying NO. Dealers or fleets that burn my time were out and especially if they released vehicle to customer before SDAT achieved. I lit into a GM at a huge dealership once when I saw the car I just did a w/s replacemt on being handed back to customer to drive off in. I stopped the customer and explained why they should not be driving the car until the allotted time has passed and then had a nice conversation with GM about liability.
I tell the customer point blank that auto glass is a vital part of the structural integrity of their car. I will only do the work if I can do so without compromise to my work or their safety.
I've lost a few customers and I'm perfectly ok with that. But I've gained the respect of countless other once they realize the right way of having it done.
It's my business, my name on the job, my liability, therefore my way or no way.
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