Thursday, December 31, 2009

have a happy new years eve!

Dear Miss Diary,

We have a short day today. Then we do not come back to work until 2010! With 2010, BRING ON THE CARS! We are ready to be busy again. Last January, the flood gates opened Jan. 1. Hope for the same kind of January. We keep getting a better kind of customer and that is good. A police man told me yesterday that they were investigating the previous owner for painting cars for drugs. That explained a lot. We also get repeat customers. Not so good for the poor person who just got their car fixed and got hit again, but we are glad they come back here. The worst one was a nice young man who picked up his car late afternoon and was hit by someone that night. He was a mess. He told me he grabbed the guy by his lapels put his face to his bumper cover. He said, "Smell that!!! that is brand new paint, still wet!!!" None the less, he calmed down and we got him back to pristine shape.

I am thinking of any new years resolutions to make....."get more cars and get on the black side of the line. (stay out of the red) I am sure I can come up with some personal, but you do not need to hear those.

We had a customer drop his car yesterday and needed a ride home. I volunteered. I picked him up at the door and proceed to follow his directions. His first question was, "How long have you worked for MAACO?" I said about 15 months. He said, "Do they treat you well?" At that time I had to fess up....I own the place. Then the conversation began in earnest. He had an interesting story. He said two years ago, he gave a $20.00 tip to a bartender and told her to play the lottery with it. She won 1.6 million. So, every 12/30 since then he has given an young gal some money and told her to play the lottery. He decided the girl this year will be ABBY. He gave me $50.00 to give to Abby and tell her the story and play the lottery.

We all enjoyed the story and Abby took her assignment very seriously. She won $2.00 of which she will split with the gentleman when he comes to pick up his car. Yes, Miss diary, John Q. Public is a very interesting fellow and we enjoy all our encounters and turn them into stories to remember.

I wish you a safe and fun New Year's eve. I have told all my friends to call if they need bail now that I know how to do it. (I bailed one of my employees out recently)

I most of all wish everyone a safe, healthy and prosperous 2010. I pray that this recession lifts by God's Hands and all who seek work find it. In the meantime, lets hold each other up in prayer, for financial security. Lord, let us just be normal again. Hugs and kisses to you Miss Diary! See you next year. Lynn Moore

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Bah Humbug!!

Beloved, It is my favorite time of the week...Sunday Morning. I wake up when I feel like it and do what I feel like. I feel like talking to you. Everyone who ownes their own business at this moment in history share their worries quietly. We just look at each other and no words are needed. Just the look says it all, God be with you, I feel your pain, hang in there, I hope you make it, Be strong, etc., etc.

I have two weeks till January and x numer of dollars. We so desperately need cars these next two weeks. I know from history, January gets busy fast. It is hang in there until then. My guys, what a tough time to not be able to get 40 hour pay checks. I pray with the group most mornings and have been reading verses pertaining to the real meaning of Christmas. Lets all not forget what this Holy Season is about.

Being an OWNER of a business, (warning) is like being a mother to a large family. I worked for a very large business for many years, and was manager of a division of that company. I felt a lot of pressure and responsibility.......Nothing like being the owner. The weight and responsibility of being an owner is not compairable to anything I have ever experienced. I do love and care about the/my men. I took a young man who was doubled over with a tooth ache to my dentist. I took care of it out of my personal money. Soda is his what we all call him. I have never seen anyone in so much pain. In my mind, there was nothing else to do. He had no ins. or money or a dentist. I am sure many men owners would have thought it not their problem. For me, is that a fault or an attribute. If you look at it from a financial point of view, men would call me weak. From a human view, and I am human, a woman, mother and Christian. Soda hugs me good bye every day and says, "I love you Mom" before he leaves each day. I say I love you too. sometimes, when I am at the counter with a customer and he comes in to say Goodbye, I catch the look of awe on the customer's face. I act like it is business as usual and I know the customer is seeing a rare relatiohnship between boss and employee. They can tell by skin color that it IS boss and employee. sometimes, I wonder what they think, if they wonder what makes our business so special.

This week I did something I had never had to do before in my life, I bailed one of my employees out of jail. It was completely nuts that they locked John up. He had a fix-it ticket. When he went to court he was told the fine would be between 100-200 dollars. I fronted him $200. I got a phone call from him telling me they locked him up for an additional $105. He was near tears and so sorry to call me. After 15 minutes, (of which I had some hysteria, shhhhh) I got a policeman on the line. I had to speak my peace to the peace officer, "You mean to tell me you are locking up a man who has a full time job over 105 dollars! He gave you 200 of the fine. I happen to know you are requied to accept 10 percent and let them go to pay the fine later! This man works for me and I need him at 8 am tomorrow morning! I cannot believe you are locking him up for 10 days for$105!" I was told...."Mam, that is the way we do thing in Ohio" What was I, from outer space??? I could continue to comment on the Ohio thing, but I have many dear friends who are in law inforcement and I respect what they do everyday. I paid the fine with a credit card and John was let go and was at work the next morning. Another experience for me and my knowledge of the world continues to grow.

We had great customers this week, everyone was very happy. I had one gentleman pick up his vehicle and leave his other one for body work and paint. That is a great complement to the work my son and his crew does in the back and my daughter-in-law's customer service skills.

I gave out bonus monies on Friday. Since I cannot do anything small, I wrote a speech recapping the funny stuff and hard stuff of the last year 2009 to read. We all enjoyed remembering: The time a customer had left a rubber snake under the passenger seat of their car. John, a large man got into the car to move it into the shop and JUMPED OUT SCREAMING and ran through the shop. I could hear the laughter and fun in the front office. there was the time when the power went out and Hugh, the manager decided to plug in a light stand to help them keep working on a car. He actually plugged it in before the "oh yea" moment hit. They all laughed pretty hard, together. In the spring, I bought a new sign. It is huge, on a pole and lit at night. It is beautiful! part of it blew down in a wind storm recently. Waiting for the sign guy to put it back. Being prepared for anything and everything is the only way to stay sane. If you let it, it will take you to that famous farm that is know to be humerous. The first year was hard not to let each thing be a mountain. Now I know something will happen every day and look at it as a adventure. I am on the monkey train and jumping off would mean the end, so I am enjoying the ride and cannot wait to see what is around the next bend.

God Bless all druring this Holy Season. Lynnie

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Sunday Morning Recap

Good Morning Dearest Diary: It is good to sit with you again. It is raining and what a wonderful time to enjoy a rare treat, a cup of coffee and sharing my experiences with you. It is close to Christmas and slow in the body shop world. I am running 1/2 off all paint, put up my banner, with the permission of the City, (whom thinks of themselves as gods ruling their little world) We are slow with walk ins, but with such a sale, manage to sign them all up. We also have a base of trade business and I am thanking God as if we did not have them, we would not have any business at all.

I want to share an experience we have had on going for the last few weeks. A Lady names Lacy Gilligan, a self proclaimed princess and a person better than all else on earth, you know the type, has a very old volvo. She came in some time ago and dealt with Greg, daily to include asking him out. She is about 15 years older than Greg. She and Greg went over all her dings and dents and circled them with a crayon. She chose to stay with the Manufacture color, wise move. She came in while the car was in the body shop and approved all the repairs. She called Greg everyday to flirt and feel important. Her Volvo came out BEAUTIFUL. Hugh had our detailer wet sand and buff a few spots to make it flawless. FYI, anytime someone says they want it perfect, we tell them to go to God's Body Shop. This car was near perfect. As is the nature of black there are always a ding or two that is not visible until new paint is put on it. We tell people who want black so they are prepared. Remember, she saw the car in the body shop and circled the repairs herself. We actually found several more and fixed them for free.

Well, when she came in, Greg was out sick and I had to deal with her. She was in full Paris Hilton mode. She is the type who hates women and has never met a male she does not try to wrap around her finger. She proceed to talk down to me and act like everthing about the car was awful. I couldn't stand her and told her I would have Greg call her. She told me I did not have to bother "Little Greg". I told Oh, I believed I would be bothering little Greg.

Her chief complaint was, "The car looked painted"! It was painted.......I would guess it was painted when she bought it as well.... None of us could see what she was talking about. It was a beautiful base clear.

Getting to the point. She next latched onto Hugh as Greg would not bow down to her. She came in to go over her car with Hugh. We played Good Cop, Bad Cop. I made sure she hated me and would see Hugh as her savior.

By the way, when she left the second time, in a huff, she stated she was going to call her people.....I guess her people let her down as she came back in to try to get her way again.

She was walking the car with Hugh, flirting, yelling - the full monty. I stood closer and interjected to make her angry and hate me, so Hugh could be the good guy. I told her to watch her tone, that none of the stuff she wanted would come free, etc., She stated, "I have been dealing with you guys for three weeks!" I shot back with a little smug laughter, "We have been dealing with YOU for three weeks!"

At that point, I went into my office and got all my stuff and left as I had an appointment. Hugh said politely, Good bye Lynn and I said the same back. He played her savior at that point and we got her where we wanted her. She at that time asked to speak to Hugh alone. They went into my office. Hugh listened to her tell him how she woke up Sunday and prayed for her car and felt he was God's answer to her car prayers. Hugh listened and thought what a nut! He was professional at all time and did not engage, just listened........Who the hell prayes for their car???

We laughed and talked about the entire experience. She never knew he was my son and that we played her to get her where we wanted her. Gone! What a piece of work that gal is. I still wonder who her "people" were.

My Beloved, the next few weeks will be a real challenge. The Holidays always are. We will get through them and after the first of the year will be very busy. The stress shows in all of us as paychecks are not full, I cannot break even, but we are blessed by our Lord with a great crew and the love we have for each other. We will get through.

At night or early am, when I am alone in the shop, I walk the shop and feel a wonderful feeling knowing I own this. It is pride, I believe. Pride that we do things right, we are honest and survived a first year. We had a man bring his pride and joy to us to be painted and he drove all the way from Indiana to come to us. I believe we are turning around the bad rap from the previous owner. That is a wonderful feeling!

God Bless all of you and lets never stop praying for our soldiers and each other.

Lynn Moore, Body Shop Gal

Saturday, December 5, 2009

here we go again!

Hey Lady,

"This befell and behappened and became and was, O my best beloved, when the tame animals were wild" (Rudyard Kipling)

It is Saturday afternoon and I am sitting in my office as my estimator, Greg, has taken it upon himself to paint his brother's car. How hard can that be? We shall see. I have at least an hour to wait....and write. Greg has never painted a car before but always appears to be a quick study. I hope for his brother's sake, who is at his side, that he truly is a fast learner. Nonetheless, it has been an adventure they will both remember and laugh over many an alcoholic beverage.

It is the beginning of the second week of December. As is the case during the Holidays, we are slow. Shop guys are edgy. Damn, I am edgy. So, I gulped and made the decision to throw up the 1/2 price sale banner for a few weeks. We will be very busy....with the hiding hinky. As you will recall, nothing brings out the "best" in people like a half price sale. I already have a little gal who won't pick up or pay for her car as she is mad that it "looks painted"! Well, we painted it. It is a beautiful base/clear black. It looks great and above standards. We wet sanded and buffed it even though she did not pay for us to. We also fixed several dings for free. I might venture to guess, it looked painted when it was new and when she brought it in as it has always been painted. She seems on an ego thing and high maintenance. She said she was calling, "her people". I told her storage charges start today as she stormed out. I am wondering if she plans to steal it out of the lot without paying. I cannot imagine "her people" advising her to do so.

I let a guy go a while back whose chief position here was "breaker of all tools, daily". He backed two cars into the garage doors, broke everything he touched did as little work as he possible could. You see, poor man was addicted to unemployment and I was hell bent on not letting him get it. He became better and better daily at sluffing, breaking, disturbing others at work, sitting on the john and his other daily duties. I found out about his addiction when he applied for unemployment on his vacation and sick days. I gave him credit for his creative ways of trying to cheat his way onto the couch with a beer, as his new career. As Greg said, he had "anal glaucoma".....couldn't see his ass going to work.

My daughter in law, Abby is doing estimates on a regular basis and she is doing great! The customers love her and she is so customer service oriented and detailed that she is great! I so seldom do an estimate anymore, I do not think I have done one since the gentleman disrobed. I need to keep my fingers in the pot or I will forget how to cook.

I took a mental health break and got away from the shop for a week. I have a good group of people, they held down the fort. But, enough of the relax, we have a half price sale to drive us forward into 2010! Thank you Lord for all your blessings. Keep all my guys safe. talk soon love, Lynn Moore