running the bay?

If I was a potential customer and I was seriously looking,on hearing an answer phone, I'd just hang up and go on to the next one.

I was thinking the same Howie, but it has been some ideas I have been throwing around since my sales staff is incompetent. I just wish I could do one job instead of 2.

If you do not have voicemail/answering machine set-up now...Then Yes to that...! I wish i could pass up Priceshoppers...Only time i tell them to go elsewhere, is when they lie about pricing...(called a few stores in front of customer) Dude...Its tough and ultimatley it comes down to you...Couldnt tell you how many times a day i stop to do other ppl jobs...Why cant they price a friggin stereo install...??Whats so tough about looking up notes on vehicle during quoting process...??? This is part of my daily thought process...M.E.C.P & First-Class

Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!

I was going to say amazing how us installers always have the same problems with store front stuff but it's human nature. They are the wage slaves and we're the artists. If we didn't secretly love this job, coupled with a determination to make things happen, would we be doing it for the pay?  Rhetorical question.  I'm going to print this out and leave it in a few shops  to see if they get the message.

Explain to the customer that you will do the quoted work for the quoted price which was made clear to not include the factory disarm. Hooking the disarm during initial installation will cost this much more and is highly recommended. Installing it at a later date will cost more as it will take longer to install. Also explain any installation warranty is void if anybody else touches your alarm system. If he refuses now, he will be back later to have it put in.

So work this one out; 93 Prelude, in this morning, the nice shape, not the newer square one, AGuard 5.5 (Think that's a UK only spec) plus I/Start 5 plus529 closer, oh and remove the remains of the 15 year old alarm that's sitting there (not connected to locks or doors but it is to trunk (?)) Guess what? I pop the driver's door panel and discover there's no lock actuator! First time I've seen that on a Prelude, just like the mid-nineties Civics, well luckily the customer was hanging around so I pulled him over and showed him so he was prepared to pay. Just out of interest the 529t was dead on one side. Great so he's back tomorrow a.m. while I shove another unit in.

Howie- I feel for ya on that one. I probably would have charged them extra to pull the unit out since the lock actuators did not work. Maybe around $20-40 depending how long it took. I mean they actually saw the unit in there and usually I have to re-solder connections since most units I pull out are T-tapped. As far as the junk 529, if they brought it to me I would charge them again, because it is their fault for bringing me faulty equipment. I would probably only charge them 1/2 labor though. Otherwise if it was bought from our shop I would do it for free under manufacturer warranty. I don't have the time to test security products Stephen- Here's a question, how do you know/prove that someone else besides your shop touched the install? I have 2 other guys and sometimes 3 that work on vehicles. I mean the only way I can prove it is if I took pictures of EVERY install. Which I would not do/have enough time. Also here's a side rant. Don't you love it when you are 1/2 hour behind schedule with 2 hours to go till close, with constant walk-in customer questions and 3 "scheduled" hours work of work? (With constant customer glaring through a waiting area window) I love those days. *Insert sarcasm here*

yimke wrote: Stephen- Here's a question, how do you know/prove that someone else besides your shop touched the install? I have 2 other guys and sometimes 3 that work on vehicles. I mean the only way I can prove it is if I took pictures of EVERY install. Which I would not do/have enough time.

It usually is obvious. For instance, a factory disarm wire is now mysteriously attached to the alarm system you installed. At our shop we do things quite a bit different than anybody else around us. For instance all alarm wires are blacked out in electrical tape and we use a large number of zip ties to keep everything looking clean. However in the case of the OP we're not worried about proof. We just want the customer to know that going elsewhere for the disarm wire may have repercussions.