Range Rover Land Rover Why me???

Hello, Hello, Hello, gentle readers!  It is Friday night, I am home and into my second medicinal liquid medication.  It has been quite a week. 

Where do I begin, lets start with the Mustang.  This Mustang was dropped off to be painted,  only.  Right off the bat, it would not start or move.  The owner spend Sat and Sunday in my lot working on it.  Still would not start.  We pushed it into the body dept, repaired it, pushed it into the booth, painted it and called the customer who brought a tow to pick it up.  He was so sorry, he gave me a hefty gift cert to Red Lobster.  Now, I have a Range Rover, known for the pain in the ass security system that we have not been able to start.  I tried everything, including driving to the dealer and having new batteries put in her key.  Well, the whold thing is my fault and she is very angry.  Tell, me what is the difference so I can handle these people. 

My estimator, Nate, is quite the magnet to the ladies.  They love him and he is good with them.  Professional and willing to let the old gals give him the hug they always want.  That part is going well. 

I want to share with you my experience with a taxi cab guy.  This man, new to the taxi biz, came in with a crayon he wanted me to paint his car!!  After a call from the city, we got approval on a paint code.  We painted his first car and he was happy.  The second car, needed a little work, my estimator told him he needed a new hood, or work as it was not going to turn out too well. All was documented.  he did not want to pay for any work, just paint, so just paint he got.  My painter worked in the booth for quite a while to try to counter act the reactions, and got them to the minimun.  So, Crayon guy came in and was so angry that he was shaking.  He stated that he told my estimator that there was problems and just because he refused to pay for repairs, we should have done them anyway.  Dude!!!  No!  You get what you pay for and more from my shop.  It turned into quite a shouting match, and when he told me, Lynn, your are pissing me off, I started to laugh and said hey man, you are not making my day!  OY!!!!  Told the crayon guy, pay his bill and leave!  He did.  being new to the taxi biz, he did not know his car would be beat up in 3 weeks. 

I am tired and have so much personal insights that I would like to share, but I am trying to keep this reading blog a documentation of the business.  I got a gift from another customer today, but I am so unhappy about the range rover......that is stupid to just retain the negative  and not the positive.  I had an appointment with the FP police today, but was canceled due to shootings.  Well, I guess I have to believe in the fact that I am not the most important person in town.  Duh. 

I am still in business after almost 4 years and I guess that has beaten the odds.  We will continue to see how it goes.  Thank you for listening to my insane experiences which keeps me sane to share.  Bon Nuit.  Mon Ami.  Shangri La!

All The World Is A Stage!

Beloved and Gentle Readers, Mon Ami and BFF, Bon Jour, It is Sunday Morning, sitting in bed sipping coffee, does it get any better?  It has been a good week.....

WEBSTERS:

"good week"  {any week that Shangri La does not cry, run through the shop and falls, tells customers their car was a piece of crap before it came in, stomp her feet and/or crawl under her desk and pretend she is in the Bahamas.}

So, I guess it was good, but that does not mean it was not entertaining.

All my bragging that I was so good at fixing things, came back on me when one of the compressors stopped.  Dave Durango to the rescue and I swear he laughs every time he is looking at my compressors.This time, I am lamenting about the oil leak that seemed to sprout everywhere on the back engine.  Dave opened a box and it was full of oil.  Every part of the engine was full of oil as I had oiled it to death.  That sweet man with the Fabio hair, looked at me and told me he would give me a freebee!  He drained the (over) oil, cleaned the whole thing and it works sweet again.  I am just a little smarter now.  (Just a little)

It seems like cars come in, in groups.  This has been mustang month.  We have finished our 6th mustang this month and it looks to die for.  The kid will be thrilled.  Now we have one in the parking lot to paint and it won's budge.  The owner was in the lot putting a new fuel pump in it when I left Saturday afternoon.  I usually do not let people work on their cars in the lot, but he was such a nice guy.  We will see if they get it running.  I am glad we do bodywork and not mechanics.  A lot less for me to learn.

I have done an insurance repair for a lady.  Friends, once you smack your car a good one, it will be fixed and usually perfect, but it will never line up 100% again.  There will be small, very small tell tale gaps that an educated eye can tell it had been wrecked.  That is just the ways it is.  Well this lady wants a perfect car again, (she should buy a new one) and is complaining about a 16th inch gap.  I am calling her ins. co. on Monday and let them decide.  I am not letting customers dictate to me such stuff.  She stood there and called it a "safety hazard"!  I took all body men out to look at the car and they laughed.  I actually told the lady, "stop arguing with me".  I think she was so surprised, she shut up.

PEOPLE, DO NOT GO AND BUY A RATTLE CAN OF ANY KIND OF PAINT AND PAINT YOUR CAR....DO NOT ROLL HOUSE PAINT ON YOUR CAR....(SAW THAT ON A JAG, SOMEONE WANTED TO TWO TONE IT, DO NOT ATTACH PARTS TO THE CAR WITH BATHROOM CALK.  TO NOT FIX DENTS WITH WALL PLASTER!

There, I have said it, some of you are now laughing, but I have seen it all and more.  All my love to you all, dive carefully and if not, come into see me before you attempt it yourself.

Have a blessed Sunday, Mon Ami....Shangri La

Just Another Friday Night without a Life

Gentle readers and most beloved,  it is almost 7:00 pm on a Friday night and I am still here sitting......sitting.....writing to you.   It has been quite a time the last few months.  I have great employees now and do little managing of egos.  So, no man drama to report.

I did have a customer come in, a Mr. Patures, with a Mustang he said he only wanted one color as he planned to sell it.  He even told my estimator how his breeding puppies died and he had to spend 20G to buy a new dog and could he pleeeeeeease have a discount.

When he picked up his BEAUTIFUL yellow mustang, he acted like it was a Wonderful job.  Then he called and told me over the phone, that he would make me the laughing stock of Cincinnati for the lousy job, (actually one of the best we have done) etc., etc.,...

He claimed he bought a new front bumper cover, actually, he bought the cheapest one one on the market, $39.00 and claimed we put his old one back on.  WELL....I went in the back of the shop and found his old bumper cover and it is sitting in my office.  We will see who is the laugh of the town.

My gentle readers, I do believe people do this as they believe they will get  money back.   I am not Kroger or Walmart!!!!  He tried to have Visa pull his money back.  They wouldn't because it was not his credit card, it was his girlfriends.  She said she would have nothing to do with being dishonest.  He then told Visa the paint was bubbling off his car.  Now this is a chemical impossibility, but  the woman from Visa was sending scathing emails saying his paint was bubbling off.  Yet, he refused to bring his car back.  He tried the BBB route next. 

I have a man threatening to sue me as we replaced his son's hood 8 weeks ago and it just flew up as he was driving the other night.  He claimed we had not shut it tight.  Of course, in his mind it is my fault. He parked it in my lot and left it refusing to get it and demanding I fix his car for free.  The fact that there was empty cans of radiator fluid and water bottles on his passenger front seat, may indicate that he opened the hood himself many times.  But!  no, no, no, his son, drug thug and childhood con artist and thief is telling the truth because he said he NEVER opened the hood.

I am waiting for that summons.  Why does the average Joe think a small business is capable of paying out large sums of money at their whim?????

I want to tell you about a fishing, canoe overturning event that happened, but am sworn to secrecy.  Well, if I knew he did not know canoeing, I would of told him ahead of time to not stand up, if I had known he could not swim, I would of not come up out of the water laughing.  It was a hot day and the dip did me good.  It seems that it was traumatic to my fishing partner who can only now laugh about it.

I am wearing a knee brace under my tight jeans now and my body man Timmy, pulls my pants leg down several times a day.  Most people find that funny, (Durango), but I find it a courtesy.  It is hot to wear a brace under jeans.  Yuk.

I used to have all girls up front and now I have all men.  It is quite a difference, I will go into that later.  I just try to stay out of some of the conversations.

I send out to all my gentle readers, God's blessings, bon nuit.  Mon amour.  Shangra La

Production, Personal cracks and skid marks

Gentle Readers,

It has been a while and so much has happened, it is a whirl.  Production.  We are a production facility as compared to a regular body shop.  I won't bore you with the meaning of that, but this week Gilbert, a bodyman and his wife had a baby on Tuesday and Les, my estimator had her baby on Wednesday.  They were down the hall from each other in the hospital.  Now that is production.

I had a painter who started out calling me "Honey".  Which if you knew anyone here, it is MISS SHANGRI LA!  He then proceeded to change everything and tell everyone, including me, what to do.  It went on for a while, and the first time someone said no to him, out he walked.  He was a pastor as well!  One thing he was, was not a good painter. So, there I was 45 cars and no painter.  After hitting the bottle, I got ads out and within two weeks have a great painter now. 

During those two weeks, lost money, compressor broke, jump box broke and garage door broke.  But, no Man Drama was going on. 

Man Drama:  (Websters)  Hissy fits, pissy moods, snotty behavior snappy, salty remarks brought on when an adult man does not get his way.  Can be accompanied by crying, complaining to the boss, paranoia and throwing things.  Can be seen most often in a body shop where only one person is creating the drama and it spreads.

None the less, I do not know how to handle man drama.  I refuse to listen to complaining for the sake of wining, deal with childish behavior or pat someone on the back daily. 

So, out walked the pastor.  We had a week and a half of re-do's, and 3 car days.  God blessed me with a painter who needed me as much as I needed him.  A great painter and an adult.

I am not spending as much time in the back as I used to, but I hear the stories and it seems like there is quite a bit of humor I am missing. 

A young man, proned toward behavior of the gang nature snuck in a couple of weeks ago.  I had the police throw him out the last time he was here.  I say "snuck" in as he came in, got an estimate and paid for the car when I was not here.  When he came to drop it off he was acting very cocky and when I finally asked him what he was doing I told him very nicely that I would refund his money, but he would have to go somewhere else.  Once again, all hell broke loose.  He wanted a piece of me and my off duty officer man stood between me and him while I called 911.  As usual, time when by before an officer showed up and then he let us know how the police feel about our shop.  This time, unbeknown to him, he was speaking to another officer and not one of my employees.  I have tried to speak to the police about this attitude in the past and been blown off and called a liar.  Now, Gentle Readers, it is on record.  I phoned my personal Lieutenant, (since they think I am such a pain, they gave me a personal officer)  I called him and told him what happened and it is the way I am treated often.  He said he would speak to the chief and get back to me.......3 weeks and waiting. 

It is not all bad, we did a car for a lovely lady who insisted on hugging everyone in the place each time she was in.  She seemed to brighten the room and I think everyone appreciated the hugs.  We did a 1960 something Beetle bug for a man who called today to just tell us that he loved it.  We do around 30 cars a week and call the police about once every three months, so that is not too bad. 

Someone tried to get in a door last night at 3 AM.  The alarm company called me, I did not get back to sleep, and the police were dispatched.  With the alarm blaring, of course they were gone by the time they got here.  They want to bill me for a false alarm....I do not think I will pay that bill.  Maybe they will arrest me and I can have a day off.

Dave Durango, the compressor man came yesterday to see why the compressor was not blowing as much air as needed to run the shop.  Dave stands there and says, can you see what is wrong?????   No, Dave.    Come on!  can't you see what is wrong????   No Dave.  He points to a pipe that is sticking up in the air that was attached to the compressor.  Oh that.   Yeaaaaaa, that.  So Mr. Durango fixed it and we had plenty of air. 

Customers continue to be interesting.  I had a guy pay a large bill in 20's and when I started to count the money, he threw more on the counter.  Bless his heart. 

Over and Out, Bon Nuite!  Shangri La

Money makes the word go around, the world go around.......

Good Morning Beloved readers, The first quarter of the year has gone by and it has gone by fast. There has been many new people to hire, train, give up on, fire...Every business book I have read says 50-50 and it is true. One man I interviewed, hired, started at 8 am, filled out all the paperework disappeared at 9 am. Nothing happened in that hour to cause him to leave! I do recall him saying he was on umemployment. Since I have NEVER been paid to not work, I cannot say I understand what that must feel like, but it must be powerful. Employment....a gifted young man who had been with me for 2.5 years, was #1 guy in the back and he walked out last week when I, just the owner, told him we were doing a taping thing the way we used to and not the way he had changed it to. Walked out the back door and left, no word to me, and never came back. Now I have to deal with months of paperwork regarding the unemployement he filed. Back in the day youngins, if the job got tough, we got tougher because the state did not pay us to quit everytime we wanted to. Now gentle readers, stretch your memory.....a young man brought a hoopdy to be painted and his attitude and mess of a contraption he called a vehicle caused me to tell Abby to not take it. The next morning it was there, we painted it and the owner threw such a fit when it was done we called the police... we also pulled a weapon out of his engine compartment. Well, he came in a few weeks ago, snuck past me and got an estimate and paid in advance for another hunk of junk. He came to drop it, I did not recognize his face, acting really punk, grinning at me took a new employee (3 days!) outside to help him pick a color. (kept asking my employee if he scared him) I finally went out and told him to drop the attitude and what did he want. He then informed me he had paid in advance and was dropping his junk on wheels. We went inside and I pulled up his estimate and recognized the name. I told him kindly that I would refund his money and he needed to take his car and leave. Just as before, all hell broke loose. The police finally got him out and the last I heard from banks all around town that he was trying to cash the check, but could not as the name he gave me was false and did not match any ID he had. There is a lesson in all of that for any punk wanna be's. We have been very busy and I have made many observations. Besides the fact that most people are serious crazy, money seem to be the most driving factor in everyone's behavior. Money, who can ever have enough. Bon Jour Mon Ami, Shangri La

I'LL BE YOUR HUCKELBERRY......

Bon jour beloved.

 Lately, the body shop has been an interesting mix of employee counseling and gun toting customers. I spent last Saturday working on paperwork and had two guys in the booths cleaning them.... I know my booths! I designed, paid for, named them, Paris and London.  And I have babied them and cared for the last three years. I know how I want them cleaned! So, in my klutziness way, (inherited from my daughter) I am in Paris showing them how to remove the grates and I fell into the pit!!! Not hurt but feeling high on the stupid scale. Jimmy Joe Bob was trying to help me out of the pit and fell in with me.

 Anyway, I was thrown out of the booth and the gentlemen completed their job.  The paint booths have pits in the concrete floor that is a large air duct.  With great power, the booth sucks air through the vent and filters it before it goes out of the building.  These are large concrete pits with grating over them.  There are filters that go into the grates to start the filtering process.  These are changed every morning, early and the booths are vacuumed.  Filters are very expensive but essential to keep the dust out of the paint on the car.  When I turn on the booths early in the morning, it sounds like a jet engine starting up.  They are very powerful and need to be respected.

It is Sunday and my God Given day of rest. I keep thinking about what I need to do at work. At work....At work......

The same Jimmy Joe Bob ran (accidentally) a customer car into another employee car and damaged the employee car. Now I have to sort out who, when how one employee pays another. I feel like Solomon. Of course, I had run a short errand. It seems to me that issues start while I am not there putting into me a paranoia about leaving.

Tuesday I, my attorney, an employee and others went to small claims court and proceeded to turn it into a trial. The psycho Mr. Shears, gets up and starts to tell his life story prompted by his attorney. My attorney 'OBJECTED' over and over. It went on, I painted the Accord that belonged to the really putrid Mr. Shears, the kind of self righteous person everyone loves to hate, for free.  I painted his car for FREE as an act of kindness and he still sued me!  The previous owner of the paint shop, painted his car years ago and he felt he should have it done again for free.  He was two years out of warranty.  He harassed me for a year and finally, I told him I was tired of hearing from him and would paint his car for free to get him to go on with his life. After it was painted, my employee shut the front drivers door of the 13 year old car and it did not open again. (I hate cars) I told my employees to leave it alone. I painted it for free, he can get his own door fixed.

The disgusting, low life Mr. Shears, sued me saying I broke his car door on purpose because I was mad about painting his car for free. I know so well that one good turn does NOT deserve anther.  He did it out of spite, breaking the law, attorney fees etc., etc., etc., saying I owe him several thousand dollars. COMPLETELY beyond belief! What is wrong with a mind who does that. So, trial went on and on. Judge announced she needed to think over the case and would get back to us. News for Shears, He may win, but I won't pay him. I will sit in jail if they make me, but won't pay him a penny. to be continued.........

I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth....Shangri La.

"SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT, SOMETIMES, YOU F...ING DON'T"

Good evening beloved!! There comes a time in life where you experience the feeling of living in a sit-com and that reality is now on a plasma screen. Isn't that fun. They call it the new reality, I guess. As I sit here writing body shop stories, my friend sits next to me watching yet another sit-com. If you are a dear person who finds my humor as funny as I do, congratulations, you are not normal either.

To day, at work was like any other. I have been dogging my auto painter, Will, as I am convinced of something, not sure of what, but was out to prove it. I am sure he knew what I was up to half way through the day of peeking around paint booths at him, as he asked me if I wanted to go in the booth and observe him blow himself. (Oh, by the way, that means blowing the dust off with an air hose before painting a car, something I insist on.) I told him no, I just only wanted to know if he tacked the hose first. Ah Ha! I got him, he was NOT tacking the hose.

A gentleman, OG they are called, Old Gangsters, came in mean as a snake. Greetings were met with growls. My gentleman estimater was writing an estimate he requested and my radar went up. I heard him tell Leslie a blunt NO when she asked if he could move his car as a customer he was blocking in wanted to leave.

As he scowled through a magazine in my lobby, he stated if the stupid estimater would hurry, he would leave. I asked,.....Sir, may I move your car for you so this man may leave? "NO", SIR, if you will be so kind to let me borrow your keys, I will be happy to move your car for you, "NO." May I ask why?.?.? My sister is in the car, she can move it. Well by now, it was the tone, the turning of the pages of the magazine, the growls and the other people in the room gauking.....Sir, please take your car elsewhere......sir, I am telling you to take your car elsewhere, all in the room were frozen....SIR, I OWN THIS FACILITY AND I AM TELLING YOU....TO....TAKE YOUR CAR AND LEAVE! Finally, we were in combat, moments passed as all wondered what was to happen next. He slowly put down his magazine and walked out of the building. In the meantime, I was in the parking lot moving his car.

All back to normal for the moment.

We have had a pink jag for a couple of weeks. Mr. Jag is very picky, very, cannot smile either. He was complaining that there was a bump under the felt liner under the hood of his car started sometime after we worked on it last......ok......It is 25 degrees out, thankfully as we, Big Bear and I remove it, we find a wasp nest the size of a baseball. Now, how I managed to do that, I sure do not know. Well, Mr. Jag insisted we order him a new liner as it had wasp coodies on it. Price check, please. Mr. Jag, a new liner for your jag, from jag, is well over $200.00 and there is really nothing wrong with yours. Yes sir, it has wasp coodies on it. One expensive Jag part coming up.

OMG!!! Got to tell you about Chief Dorry of Abraham Heights. Abraham Heights Police Dept. has owed me $800. since last summer when I repaired two of their squad cars which ran into each other. I gave up on that money, but sent a letter to the Chief Dorry anyway, a few months ago regarding the past due bill. This is right out of Dr. Seuss. Leslie answered the phone at work and and a gentleman on the other end demanded my cell phone number stating who he was and that it was an emergency. Not sure of what to do, but completely used to crack-pot customers, she called my cell on the way to the bank, to give me his number telling me he wanted an emergency call back asap.....k....Sir, this is Shangra la returning your call..... Then I became involved in the most bizarre conversation I have ever had with an adult.

The Chief, questioned me on what the balance of the bill was that just came to his attention,,,,,, well sir, as you know I am not in my office and it is not in front of me, but as I recall it was around $800. "Yes, it is", he says, "I am looking at it." I also recall sending it a second time a few months ago. "Uh-Uh-m-m-ugh. Well, I just became aware of it today." Yes sir. "I need to explain a situation to you, as you are aware, the previous chief, the ACTING Chief, the previous Chief was not authorized to make these repairs and well the department is not even the same people when the ACTING Chief blah, blah, blah, excuse me, Chief Maurie, what you are trying to tell me is that you are not going to pay the bill. "No, not at all"......a complete repeat of the conversation began again till I said, Sir, again, what you are telling me is you feel that I have some responsibility or control in your department politics and since it is my fault, you are not going to pay your bill. Sir, if you are not going to pay the bill, just say it. "OF COURSE, the department is going to pay the bill, but YOU have to work that out with the officer who was the previous ACTING CHIEF."

(You piece of shit) Sir, may I say I have respect for the previous ACTING Chief and feel he was ACTING in the department's best interest when he was repairing the equipment and I find it slimy how you are using him to squirm out of your responsibility. "OH, Thank you, we cannot pay this bill, may I tell him he does not have to pay it either???"

Yes you may sir, but only if I can use that same lame excuse the next time I get stopped for speeding. (said in sarcasm) "Oh, of course you may, thank you again...........bye".........did that really just happen??? The clerk in the bank asked, "were you really talking to the police??? Lady you got balls!"

Good Night Bill, Good Night Andy, Good Night Gilbert and Good night Jesse. Bon Nuit, Shangra La.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS, OH YEA.....WORKING OVERTIME

Gentle readers,

Nothing like a good rendition of "Foxy Lady" by Jimmy Hendrix on a Saturday night at home to get an old lady fired up!!!!!

Mourning time is over and little good it did me. For example, Dave Durango came in after reading my last post, not to even look at the compressor, (thanks Durango) but to give me shit about my poor me attitude! There he stood, Fabio hair blowing in the wind, puckering his lower lip to make fun of me. Here I am, wearing everything on my sleeve except a black band and he is laughing at me till I plastered his pout with a piece of masking tape.

Then, my consultant, the wild New Yorker who thinks so highly of Obama, tells me to get over it and get back on my blog....Gilbert, says "Man, I miss the stories about us."

Ok, the scoop, the kids left and it hurt. After starting to loose large sums of money, got over it fast. took a couple of months, but have great people in place. I feel better about the business at this moment than I have in years. Don't get me wrong, broke I am, but bring it on!!!!! I am a FOXY LADY!!!!

Last week...THE WEEK THAT WAS cannot happen in real life, like I always say, no one can make this stuff up!

First, it turns bloody cold and the heater in the front office catches fire. I am calm this time, unplug it and call the "guy".

Second, I have to tell you about Billy Joe Bob, a great kid, country boy, a sander and he loves it. Great attitude. Came walking into my office at 4:30 Monday night, shuffling, head down....."I got somethin to tell you and you ain't gonna like it." Billy Joe Bob, are you bleeding? No mam, but you won't be happy...I gotta show you. We walk into the shop. The sight I behold....a dump truck with the "dump" part raised and a Hvac heating unit knocked off the ceiling, gas leaking and....OH MY GOD!!! WHAT DID YOU DO!!! Told ya, you wouldn't be happy.........I am running to the phone, call Duke, come and turn off the gas!!!!!! Blowing up was not an option. Next thing I know, gas guy on scene, two fire trucks and they turn off the whole block. (they say women over react) Next morning, I am sitting in a freezing shop at 7 am, in the dark, alone waiting on the Hvac repair men, the repair man for the front and praying the gas will get turned on so we can turn on the paint booths and maybe, silly me, make a buck or two. I learn shortly, Billy Joe Bob was really upset and Gilbert my mischievous one, is screaming, "MAN, YOU ARE SO FIRED, DUDE, YOU ARE SO FIRED"

It so happens I have a new painter starting that day, no gas, paint booths and kaos all around. It took all day, but all was back in order. The next day, one of the two front computers got the blue screen of death. I worked on it all morning and then unplugged it and took it to the repair shop.

I cannot wait to see what will crap out next. Friday night, I am the last to leave, breathing a sigh, I wondered if I would get out without anything else breaking....cannot set the alarm.....back garage door is broken. I am sitting in the dark, late Friday, on the cold, dirty concrete floor looking at the broken wire that goes to the alarm, trying to decide if I should splice and fix it or just go home.

That was the week that was.

So, Can't keep a Good man, or woman down. I feel good, Foxy, Fiesty, energetic and ready to kick ass in the man's world of Auto Body repair. Stick with me, we have a half price sale coming on. We know what fun that can be. A customer asked me to marry him last week, spontaneous proposal, I guess I still got it!

Lets fix cars, make money and have fun. Thanks to all my friends who gave me shit till I got over myself and back to work.

God Bless all and let the good times roll. Shangri La, the wild and crazy Body shop chick.

The end

Dear Readers,

It has been a difficult time here at the body shop. The business I started for my children is now left to me. Both Hugh and Abby have decided to move on. It has left me in a very financial and emotional void. I hurt so much, I won't be able to write in the blog for quite some time. It is impossible to find humor in my days anymore.

There is no joy in this for me. I only hope to survive and move on. I have a great faith, and trust God will be with me.

This business venture has cost me, my marriage, my children, all my money and my life. I have worked 6 days a week for 3 years and am so alone. I have no friends or family. I wish I never did this, please think twice before starting your own business. There is a lot to consider.

God Bless and Keep you.

Body Shop Lady.

Running a Christian Business in Satan's Culture

Mon Cheri, Beloved, Bon jour. It is early on Sunday morning, my favorite time and I am thinking of you. I find myself feeling sad as I think over the events of the last week. My goal was to have a Christian Family Business and I find myself being beat up and challenged daily. At least once a day, a customer will try to con me to steal money.

For example, we re-stored a lady's Mustang and she was thrilled with the outcome. Then she told us her odometer did not work and we had to pay for it. I know exactly what was done to her car and NOTHING could have affected in any way, the odometer. Her odometer was broken when she brought it in and she sees a way to get a free one. I am sure I will end up in court. Yet, more sad than that, I am sure this woman goes to church. I am sure she sees nothing wrong with what she is doing. Why not? Everyone does it. Thus, society is misguided and a lack of character fills the world today. I say this as it happens daily. From what I also hear, it happens everywhere. I was told by another shop owner that a customer had a repair, was happy and then told the owner if he gave him $200.00, he would NOT write to the BBB and complain. That is extortion, I believe.

A lady we did an extensive repair for, and we did it complete and well, had a $500.00 deductable. She knew this all along. As the car was almost complete, I got a call from someone who said he was her brother wanting me to forget the deductable, you know, as you usually do....Sir, I do not know who you are and I am not discussing this lady's finances or repair with anyone but her. Then she started, I do not have the money. Abby and I both felt a con, so we stood our ground... After several calls, she came in to get her car and stood at the counter, with her saddest face, told Abby that she only had $400.00. Abby said you had to talk to the boss. She came in the shop and told me. I walked out front, and in an equally sad face, but firm, told her I was so sorry, but she could not have her car. I reminded her that we had talked about that and did she need help making arrangements as I could NOT let her have her car.

She then pulled the $500.00 out of her purse and paid her deductable and left with her car. Bless her heart, she had to try.

To anyone thinking about owning a business, think about it long and hard. Do you have the stomach to fight the fair battle daily? You will need the knowledge, skill and gut feel to do so, just to protect yourself.

I have made a rule that we do not do a vehicle older than 1985. People think a cheap paint job, and they want cheap, is the same as a restoration. My last confrontation, was after the paint job on a 35 year old car, which turned out beautiful, the window did not work perfectly. This was during my two weeks where I had no ability to deal with these people due to the heat and I told them their car was a piece of crap. New paint did not mean new car. My body man was there and laughed and told me with a smile, I may not want to tell people their cars were crap. We laughed and I told him I knew and would work on getting back on track. It is to the point, that my muscles tighten everytime anyone walks in. When someone loves you and thanks you, you just want to hug them and cry. Isn't that pathetic. Three years, and I still need to toughen up and learn to take it in stride.

I have hired a woman to work in the back. She starts Monday. This is a new one, and I know my crew well enough to know they will be respectful, but I also think she can handle it. I am excited about her as something about her character has impressed me. This one is on gut only. We will see how good my gut is.

I have been talking every week to my Italian, New York consultant. He continues to help me with advice, instruction and moral support. I continue to get better and understand the shop as it pertains to production. Thank you Anthony.

"As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil as Thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff shall comfort me"

Shangri La