You know there's a strange sense of irony here, as I can remain neutral to both sides of this debate, and tho I am more inclined to support Kris prevailing in this one... the sad part is; in this day and age, if someone gets a fat @$$ eating too many Big Mac's they can win a lawsuit! -If you shell out enough cash for a lawyer you can get away with murder. Choose to smoke cigarettes (*which I am guilty of) and then get sick... cha ching!
However, from an integral stand point, I think this epitomizes just how corrupt the system (*riddled with greed & ignorance) can be, and puts honest people at risk of unnecessary loses, promotes fear, and by way of another persons incompetence, willful ignorance, or worse; bad intent... allows good people to suffer without merit or provocation.
While I am a complete newbie to detailing and this forum, just reading a few of Kris's other posts influences me to believe; he is sincere about providing quality services and preserving the integrity of his shop and business, putting the customers needs first, if you will.
Be it that is merely a formed opinion...
What sucks is one negative review can often override 10 positive ones, as the psychology of most consumers is 'stained' by the inability to 'trust' do to the amount of 'bad experiences' they've had prior.
I was a swimming pool sub-contractor for years, and despite always going above and beyond my contractual agreements, the industry as a whole always had that one contractor who was a scam artist, and polluted the 'consumers' minds... effecting the honest contractors like a freaking plague! -That one news segment that exposed a 'crook' always "bred fear" into the minds of a large number of consumers, and I saw how 'scared' these people were they were gonna get ripped off too, even tho I worked for some of the best builders in the industry... honest builders that demanded quality workmanship, and prided themselves in integrity.
So, while I stand firm on my belief this was likely the vehicle owners pre-existing condition (*whether they knew it or not)... it opens ones eyes to just how easy crap like this can happen in this business or any business really.
If I ever reach the goal of having a shop, or perhaps 'when' is a better word... I will likely have a lawyer draw up a little legal bit (on the back of a signed work order) regarding cars that are left on (said property) are done so at the discretion of the vehicle owner, and unless the damages/impairments/imperfections are the direct result of accidental or negligent workmanship on behalf of (company name) - (Said company) assumes no responsibility in the event of vandalism, pre-existing conditions, damages, etc...Blah! Blah! Blah!
No matter how you look at it, as business owners you almost have to armor yourself up in a "bs resistant suit" daily just to survive the ignorant these days and stay afloat. If it's not the consumer wanting something for nothing, it's the new guy selling himself too cheap, only to hurt the entire industry. Until eventually it threatens both the consumer and the business owner. Heck, I love my country, but just look at today's economic reality...it shares a similar pattern on a much larger scale, no?
Ask yourself this one question; "How many people do you know love their job or even remotely like it?" - How was the service last time you ate at a fast food joint? -Better still, How about those lovely worker's so eager to please at the Department of Motor Vehicles?
Point being, we have people who have good jobs who don't wanna work. Then there's people lining up for jobs paying 1/2 of what they are truly worth because "The Majority" would rather turn a blind eye to the problem, as opposed to "Stand Up" to the minority causing a good portion of the problem.
*Not trying to be negative here, just calling it the way I see it.
Ultimately, my point is this, if ones perception is influenced in the aforethought that something will go wrong...it generally does. Hence, just as the customer above praised the work at first, what was the end result(?).. they found something to complain about and needed someone to blame.
End result... Honest businessman suffers insult, ends up doing more work (*for free), losses time & money, and faces the threat of that viral plague of having that one unsatisfied (corrupted) customer who has the potential to soil and pollute the minds of potential new clients.
"Give a hoot... don't pollute" - sorry just resonated by itself and needed saying I guess... but all kidding aside, it's tough to reach any true level of success with the current conditions, so I have a "NO Tolerance Policy" for stupidity.
IMHO this is just a minor reflection of a society that refuses to take responsibility, step up the integrity, acknowledge fault, and correct upon it. There are leaders and there are followers. Don't get me wrong, it could be an honest mistake made by the customer, as the dirt was hiding the existing damages... it lit the wick seeing the responses stating the obvious....fix it free, so you don't get sued, lose business, or upset the client. *Which sadly I have done myself in other businesses just to be the better man.
If only the majority did sit idle, waiting for the minority to "instruct them" with some common sense... maybe then we wouldn't be borrowing money, outsourcing work while unemployment is on the rise, and could afford to properly educate today's youth & society to demand the appropriate respect/wage in accordance to the workmanship performed.
Imagine that... if only it could be so easy, huh?
Instead, people line up to work for minimum wage, and from this depreciation of standards, it has tainted the businessman's perception to be weighed in profit over that of integrity... and "You have what we had here last week... which is the way he wants it, and I don't like it any more than you men!"
We create our own prisons!
- Sorry for the rant... just my .02, blame it on the coffee:righton:
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