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[Cody]

So I got a call from the city I live in. I have been doing upholstery work for the Rec center in town. Repairing worn covers on gym equipment. I don’t directly deal with the city officials, but the manager of the Rec. I put a bid in to do this job that very clearly outlined all costs on the jobs I was shown at the time. Covering material costs, normal rates vs the discounted rate they’d receive for basically ongoing work as it was needed in the future. Wrote my name, number etc on the estimate like any business would do. This was just below the part where I said if there are any questions about this please feel free to contact me to discuss things over. I turned it in to the manager who then showed it to any city officials that he needed to. I was approved and got the work. It’s been over a month and have turned in 3 invoices. I know how the government works and figure about a months time to get paid. Well the call was regarding times I put down per job and description regarding the work. Someone went and checked the work and pieces. I’m totally okay with that. I told in my estimate roughly 2 hours labor for what I was shown, per item. Various new items I wasn’t show on have come up. But the invoice he was calling had him quite furious and he made this very clear from the start. He hardly let me get a word on edge wise. He was upset that I charged 2 hours to do a 3 piece weight bench but charged 2 hours to do a single back rest. After 5 minutes of how I was padding the hours already cause the bench was a more complex job, and the cushion wasn’t. That 2 hours to do the cushion wasn’t right... I finally had to be a bit forceful to explain. I told him yes the hours weren’t right. Now I had agreed in his mind and confessed to basically stealing from the city. Again 5 min goes by about the consequences of doing this etc. I got forceful again to finally explain. I told him yes the hours weren’t right. But the other way around. The cushion was a 2 hour job. The bench was a 4-5 hour job. I was being considerate and sticking to I said roughly 2 hour jobs for what I was shown. That this bench wasn’t an item that was shown to me. But I try to be a man of my word and was trying to do good practices and treat the Rec center fairly for all they do for veterans. (My wife is an active veteran along with several family members) It’s a military based Rec center. That if this is how they would like to conduct business I would gladly charge them by the hour exactly what it costs to do a job. That I didn’t know charging them 2-3 hours less would anger him like it did. I then very sarcastically apologized for this mistake and said I wouldn’t repeat it again.

So end of rant. Has anyone else had to deal with this?

So far today this happened and I heard another person was claiming my custom paint work as theirs and drumming up business locally. So now I have that to deal
With. Never thought I’ve be ready for the weekend to be over.

[John]

Ahh man @Cody Im really sorry to hear about that. Yes I have dealt with a few insane customers like that. I once had a customer try to sue me for doing a "poor quality job" a week after his car won best in show at Good Guys in Scottsdale
I think you handled the situation quite well. I sometimes am not always able to maintain such composure. So I applaud you for that man!
So are they going to pay the invoice?

Its really amazing how many people out there will take credit for someones else's work. I dont understand how you could sleep at night doing that. But hey! atleast your work is so good that someone wants to steel it from you...

[hapyrdr]

I understand the claiming of someone elses work In 1972 I sold my 39deluxe coupe (streetrod) to a young man that lived in a town about 70 miles away . Sometime later on I saw the car in a show with a large sign beside it claiming the paint job by a body shop in his town GGRRrr It was a really nice lacquer paint job I had work on for weeks in my spare time (pretty much anytime I wasn't working sleeping or eating) Later on the car was damage pretty bad in a hail storm . The young man called me to find out what the color number and such was . I told him to ask the guys at the body shop who claimed the paint job

[John]

That is super frusterating! Lol your response to the guy was perfect though.

[Cody]

@John yes, the rec center has still been sending me work. I think I’m actually caught up there till more things wear out. I think the city official now understands where I was coming from as he stopped and talked to me the yesterday about fixing his truck seat. He was a completely calmer person lol. So I should be expecting payments coming in here. Usual govt stuff. It takes longer than it should lol.

@hapyrdr thats a great response lol. It’s frustrating for sure. This paint job was done for Harley and the person from Harley displaying it at the show is just a worker and had no idea who or where it was painted and another guy I actually know quite well unfortunately walked up and started talking to the Harley worker. This guy was around when I painted it and proceeded to tell the process like he did it. The Harley worker not knowing any better said we’ve had people asking about where to get this done, thinking he was talking to the painter. (The guy is a painter but not a custom painter) he didn’t say oh no, it wasn’t me. He decided to get out business cards and started to hand them out to people asking about it as the show. So I’m gonna have to probably go down there and have a chat about it. It’ll all work out when they realize he can do 2 tone paint jobs but not airbrushing lol.

[John]

You do airbrush? Post some pics of your work. Id love to see them. That is a super difficult skill to pick up.

[Cody]

Thanks for asking @John
Here are just some I have in my phone I can access quick at my daughters soccer game.(she’s not playing now lol) I don’t do it as often as I would like but I enjoy it. I just like being creative and I think that’s why I like upholstery. Sometimes it challenges you to think even when you don’t think you’ll have to. It’s just fun!

The tank I’m originally mentioned is the red one with the filigree. It was one that was involved with an accident and as of 2 weeks ago the paint was all burned off in the fire after the accident. So they figured good display tank. Not much airbrushing as far as details go, just some shadows and highlights.

[Revv Up]

Wow, that’s beautiful work!

I’m a tad frustrated over a customer that owes me 2k and taking there sweet time.... small town stuff

[Cody]

@Revv Up thank you. Small towns can sometimes be the worst. It’s like everyone think they are your buddy cause they know your moms cousin. At least in my small town lol. But why so much? Do you still have their stuff? Worst part about small claims court is that they don’t force the person to pay right away. They just put a lien on something. So if it ever sells then you get paid. But you end up paying more than it’s worth. Have you talked to the person? Do they have a good reason?

[Revv Up]

@Cody there’s no short version

It’s a large hotel chain I have done work for in the past who have always paid when the work was completed. The job is completed with no issues over workmanship, materials or time.... that was 3 weeks ago. When it comes to 30 days I’m going to tell the franchise owner I won’t be doing business with them anymore because I can’t afford to carry a multimillion dollar hotel chain.

He has 2 other business in town that use my services and I’m sure he won’t let that happen as the next closest place he can go is 1 1/2 drive each way.

I’m pretty sure his manager is being petty and is holding off for 30 days because my step son worked for them and gave his notice the day before I finished the job. No need to involve courts yet, I’m also pretty sure the owner doesn’t want the “bad press”

[hapyrdr]

Very nice paint

[Cody]

@Revv Up dang that sucks. If you’re right about the manager being petty cause they your step son put his notice in, I never understand that. He’s in a business. They have to know people with quit and move on. It’s how it works. Would hate to see you loose a large company. When they pay, could be good money. But I think you’re right and going higher up and explaining how you can’t afford to do this and that there needs to be a faster turn around on payment like before. Best of luck to you.

[Revv Up]

Good news for me, I sent them a 3rd reminder yesterday and they paid up today. To top it off they called this afternoon with more work.

[Cody]

@Revv Up perfect! Payment and more work! Can’t beat that

[Cale]

@Cody , No good deed goes unpunished. For these same reasons I have stopped giving discounts or any free upgrades. I had a customer one time that got angry with me because I put an upgraded chrome power steering pump on his $80k hot rod instead of a standard black pump. He claimed that I was not honest with him and that I didn't give him what he paid me to do. I agreed with him and told him he was right, I did more than you paid me to do and apologized for trying to help him. And this is only one such story of many.

As for someone else taking credit for your work? There is a guy that lives close to me that I knew that he bought, sold and traded cars all of the time. He would bring me something, I would do it and he would pay me. No problems. This went on for a couple of years until one day I saw one of the cars that I had done for him at a car show with a sticker that said "(his name) customs". I curiously questioned the current owner and he said that this guy did the work at his shop at his house and gave me the guys name and number. Not only was this guy taking credit for my work but at that time I was ALSO giving him a discount because he brought me so much work.

[Revv Up]

@Cody, sounds like our business are dry similar. When I do estimates or quotes I don’t break down the hours or materials, it’s a either a total price or price the pieces individually. Doing this prevents customers from chiseling on the time or profit on materials, this may work a little better for me because the closest competition is a 3/4 hr drive and most people don’t want to take the time and spend the fuel money to travel.

[John]

@Cody That is seriously some amazing work there! Your very talented. Thanks for sharing.

@Revv Up Great point! I do estimates the same way for the same reasons. Only thing is I list Total cost of labor and total cost of materials. But I dont show hours. Im not sure how it is in Canada but in the US labor is not subject to sales tax. If you combine the two on the invoice you have to charge sales tax on the entire price instead of just the material.

[BigRig]

@John,

Tax on everything here man :) @Cody totally unreal and you never know where hidden talent hides eh?

[Cody]

@John thanks I appreciate the kind words

@BigRig thanks much appreciated. I just broke down everything for a customer on a Datsun vintage race car I’m building for him. He was super nice, and just goes I don’t need all that info, just want is used up and what I owe as far as money. Not I’m starting to think I shouldn’t do that cause of what you say. I know a few people that want it broke down, but I also know they are the type that pick apart invoices. I started do this mainly for myself so I could go back and have a rough idea how much it costs to do this part of the job, and that part. So I could give prices and now it’s just a habit. But I’ve also found with restorations. Time and materials, everyone wants a price but you just can’t do that. I’m sure you’ve found in times with your work, that there are always hidden surprises. Now you need to go back and justify to someone that what you quoted is more. I’ve shot myself in the foot too many times to do that anymore. Some people don’t like open ended estimates either but I try to assure them it won’t be millions. Lol

[Brad M]

Sorry to hear about the troubles, glad it's working out. Just had to comment on your airbrush work. It's beautiful man! Especially like the red tank in the first picture.