haha true. there is a reason succesful buisnessmen are rude haha. luckily its only been a few things and havent risked any ruining yet but ive learned my lesson!
“Fool me one time shame on you Fool me twice, can't put the blame on you Fool me three times, f*ck the peace signs Load the chopper, let it rain on you”
There's an old saying in Tennessee, I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee, that says, fool me once… shame on… shame on you. Fool me, you can't get fooled again
My dad found that if he went to the people's home during their Thanks Giving Dinner when their relatives are there, that was a good time to collect. They don't want to look like a deadbeat in front of the In-laws.
@@MrMikey1273 just make sure you document what you did. and if they call the cops, explain to them whats going on and remain calm and away from front door.
I had a mobile marine business for many years, I got so tired of people not paying for the work I did. I started out being nice, I learned that the nicer I was the more I was taken advantage of. Best thing I did was start to require a credit card number and charge a deposit based on my estimate, I would send a bill payable in 7 business days or I would charge the credit card PLUS 8% for the credit card processing fee. All my problems went away, the people who refused were usually the ones who were going to stiff me anyway. I was always polite but stop being "Nice"
It's the nature of the job. A mechanic's lien is one of the most powerful laws there is because of deadbeats. Been there done that. I never lost a case with a mechanic's lien, the judge's hands are tied, you don't pay, you don't get the car back until you pay in full. Period. You get the car back when and only when you pay the bill in full. If you don't pay I have every right to sell the car and keep all the money. Trust no one, lose nothing was my policy. I wasn't a charity. It's how I fed and housed my family. Pay to play or walk away. Didn't matter to me if your car got sold to pay the bill.
Moral of the story, people are trash. Please stop being overly nice and trusting. You will get screwed, 100% guaranteed. Be professional and polite, never trusting. Otherwise keep up the amazing job 💪
I’m soooooo glad i did loads of sales and door to door jobs and learned very quickly that I can’t trust anything anyone says, I put everything on paper. People can be so selfish it’s ridiculous. Especially when this guy, just like I do.. has a general love for HELPING people. But they will just rob you blind and not care.
Big cooperation Mechanic shops doesn't work like that, they want their full payment or the car is not going anywhere a long with a contract that has to be signed before work they can begin working on their car. There's a lot of scammers in this world, then there are honest people. Just like there are more evil people, then there are Good people. As being a private Mechanic, people's cars should be held hostage if they refused to pay the remaining of the payment or as a matter of fact ask for the full payment before working on their car. This way nobody gets Ripped off.
"Some" people are trash...Most people are decent actually; 30 year business owner, contracting, in philly... I've had plenty of pieces of shit but; the good FAR outweighs the bad...But; you're right. Trust must be earned...
Trump entire history of litigation by those entering business with him ...over 3000 civil suit for breach of contract....that why he had his own lawyer on retainer
Worked in a tree business for a while, if someone didn’t pay we would deliver the tree back to them usually blocking off their driveway. (These were not small trees)
haha this reminds me of a job me n my cousin did back in the day, the job was to dig up an area for a pool, you can only imagine what we did with all that dirt
Had a buddy do HVACR, would occasionally leave a tool in persons basement near job, furnace, etc, if didnt pay...would call to swing back to get "tool forgot there"...then would take shit he fixed off of furnace, etc.
Unfortunately, being too nice can be a big disadvantage as a business owner. There will always be dickbags out there so don't let your guard down with anybody..anybody
what i do is don't let them get their key back untill paid in full and lock their car in my home garage (where i do the work)then when they pay i open the garage and they get there car. so far never had a problem of under paying , many leave great tips
@@startingtech3900 then you hope they don't vandalize your home later. It's risky to expose your home or family in a dispute. At least mobile gives you some distance to that stuff.
Yea,rite...too many drug addicts just take your money n leave...I chased down one and whooped his ass after he tried. Lol I went in to go take a piss and the kid literally tried running away through the backyards hahaha I seen him n took chase
Worst part is when someone calls you few days later after the job and tells you oh my car overheats and it wasnt doing that before. When all you did was brakes and struts.
@@CaptainVillanueva1 Crazy. People just have no clue on how stuff works. Thats like going to dentist to get a filling and then coming back saying your ankle hurts and it wasnt hurting before. 🤦♂️
Exactly! I always use the analogy of "you hire an electrician to come fix your living room fan, that same day your bathroom sink starts leaking" they are in no way related in any way shape or form it is just a terrible coincidence.
Thats very true that’s worse part of having your own mobile auto mechanic business people don’t take you too serious . But with the major shop that really don’t have that problem
My father owned his own mechanic shop for almost 30 years, transmission repair specifically. He was overly nice and trusting, and his business failed in the end because of it. Way too many people owing him money and not paying.
Dude for real! I just sold a phone like 2 hours ago. Obviously it worked and everything, but I'm sitting there thinking. I hope it doesn't fail soon. I hate ripping people off. 😕
I feel your pain man,i went through the same with many of my clients. One guy agreed on my fee to rebuild his motor,once completed and running (at 8 :30 pm the same day) he then tried to back out on the payment telling me all his problems. I straight away opened the bonnet and started stripping the engine and told him i would take the parts and sell them online to recoup the money. He paid in full on the spot.
I had a guy that wouldn't pay me for clearing a lot. I had been trying to collect for over a year. Well, I was working in his area hauling off debris from another job a few minutes from his now completed house. His house set off the road about 300 feet with one driveway. One way in and one way out. I backed my dump truck into his driveway and dumped my load. Went back to the job and loaded another and dumped it there too. The very next day his wife called my office, which my wife runs and made arrangements to pay her the next day in cash. Never mentioned the mess and not being able to get in their driveway untill it was cleaned up. I bet the person they hired to clean it up got his money on the spot. True story, I will collect my money. By the way, it was nearly $6000.00 owed to me. Sad I had to resort to those tactics but I will do it again if needed.
I had a customer not pay me $30 for an oil change I did on their driveway. Went back the same night and drained their engine oil without saying anything. Who knows what happened, but I hope it ruined their engine.
Strate Shooter 😂waaaaaat. Dude did you not listen to him. He’s saying you waste more time and effort in courts and money getting back your money. Learn from your mistakes and move on. Your a bigger man if you do.
You are dating yourself, man. That is what Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons said, "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." He mooched hamburgers.
You, young man, are a treasure, you must have had very special parents or someone in your formative years that helped lay the foundation that had created and grown the fine man you are today. I have never heard or seen you blog before now but, I wish I knew you and wish there were more people like you in this upside down world we live in today. - Gary Mitchell, Phoenix Arizona.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that financially yes being nice you can take a hit here and there. But the life experience, and going through it makes this guy the guy he is today. A very good honest person. And that is worth more than any job that someone stiffed you on cus word will spread how good of guy and business he does, this guy is going places I promise you!
Honestly, I would just rather work as a fleet mechanic. I tried being a mobile mechanic. Too many sketchy people and cons. If the people can't pay for a tow truck to get it to a shop and them fix it, they don't have the money to pay for my time and then a luxury charge the "mobile" part. Seems like it would be better to call it concierge and only work with wealthy people and require payment in full up front.
Requiring payment either full or half now half when the job is done is the best way to do things however just because someone doesnt want to pay for the tow and shop rates doesnt mean they are a con or sketchy. The book time for most repairs is far greater than the actual time it takes to do most repairs. The shops are most of the time are the real cons charging double what it should be.
@@SuperReviews4you sir with all do respect it takes experience and knowledge to do the job faster than book time. Charging by flat rate is not a rip off or a con, those times are studied and verified but trained professional's doing the work exactly by the manufacturer's directions. Me charging 6 hrs book time and getting it done in four is because I have work around or have enough experience to efficiently do the job. It's a fair way to charge for work and it ensures that shop's are not overcharging for work. Most customer's are in the dark when it comes to the repairs done on their vehicles, but can easily search for the published labor times.
@@greasemonky74 exactly . I work in health care and have been doing 1 specific test for 14 years. I can do this test in half the booked time, and that’s by the book. But people always get suspicious and I understand but they need to understand hey I’ve don’t thousands of these tests literally. I can do these in my sleep with handcuffs on.
You can put a lien on peoples homes cars boats... lol it doesn’t really guarantee they will pay you but at least they can’t legally sell anything without giving your cut haha nice you mention it :)
A mechanic's lien is typical, but expensive and time consuming... not worth the hassle for most small debts. Smalls claims/conciliation courts is an option for most small business owners, it's also affordable and requires little effort.
Word of advice. Don't be so nice, we all have to make money so make sure you charge the right amount even for friends. Always contract, in my contracts customers give up their rights to their vehicle until they pay. Had a customer who didn't pay, took it to court and I ended up with their vehicle. Only person who hasn't payed in the 12 years I've been a mechanic
This is one of the reasons a lot of guys won’t do engine swaps. It’s a never ending saga. At least your learning and improving your process. I hope you have insurance liability that is.
Never trust ANYONE! I have done it on two occasions and both times I have been burned. One time a guy was supposed to come do some yard work for me, take out some shrubs and lay some pine straw. I leave work early and come home and of course he's an hour late so I message him and he claims he is having "car trouble". Well he finally shows up 4 hours late with his truck barely running and smoking and did part of the job until it got dark. I was going to pay him for the work he did and he asked if I would be willing to pay him the full amount so he could get his truck fixed and make it back the next day. Me thinking this guy did all he could to make it and even risked ruining his truck to show up, I did. Well, from then on I was ghosted and he never came back to finish the job and took the extra $300. No one gets the benefit of the doubt anymore, EVER! You have a business to run and bills to pay, you're not in business to do folks favors!
Like the Old saying "Gas, Grass, or Ass." Got tired of acquaintances constantly asking for rides, so i started to charged basically 2X the gas cost to me and charged it up front, Haven't been asked for a ride by acquaintances in months, X family is a another story, but that one in particular finally got the brunt of the message when i dumped her at the casino when she tried to pull shit on me the last time.
Ive been a mobile mechanic for 15+ years i always require money for parts up front no exceptions plus half of labor up front if they dont agree i kindly decline the job but most of my customers have been with me for 15 years and they pay me full price up front because ive built that trust
Im not one to pay anyone before the jobs done, that being said. If i find a good mechanic/tow/dentist any amazing services im willing to bend my rules of not paying upfront to build a relationship.
Angel HC ....you are correct.......anyone who/which uses THEIR HANDS...creatively, carpenters, plumbrers, electricians, drywall/painters/.....etc etc....mechs...etc.... usually get shafted by the 'SUITS' ...........probly 'cause they are ' holier ' than thou..........oldtech.....
Never install customer supplied parts, and stay away from engine swaps. Engine swaps eat up days and profit and when the engine doesn't run right or things don't line up right , guess who gets the blame. Yeah and people don't pay that happens in a lot of businesses.
I pretty much only install customer supplied parts and have had no issues. It saves me a lot of work on ordering and tracking down parts, and allows the customer to feel like they were a smart shopper in the deal by saving some money. And I just let them.know that they are paying for labor only and if the part is bad they have to pay me to install it. I've had no issues so far in 4 years. But I agree I dont do engines or transmissions.
@@sjm98126 It's always AutoZone junk. No way in hell will I ever install that crap. You're going to lose money on every electronic part and everything else will fail in a year or two and guess who gets the bad rep.
My mom is an attorney, the one piece of information she ALWAYS beat into me and that I really use and understand the importance of is to ALWAYS document, document, document everything. It has not steered me wrong!
Just curious... why take his word on parts interchangeability when he's not even capable of doing his own work? if he can't do the job, he can't possibly have any experience to validate what he's telling you.
I can relate. Early 90`s 4.3 blazer, needed an engine. Got the engine, rebuilt it, went to put it in and it had a late 90`s trans. Now it still needs an engine or a different trans. Nightmare job, ended up with no bill paid and a crappy blazer in my shop. I did recoup some though... sold the rebuilt engine.
i probably would have trusted to a point and pulled the engine...looked at things between the engines and STOPPED for him to get me the correct engine....would not be my job to make provisions for the wrong engine (computer and differing fuel systems can be a nightmare) . Job over...if you want the original engine back in car...need to pay me to get it back in.
@@120alaska Like even doing a bit of my own work and helping friends out with jobs, I've seen a few funny ones. One that came to mind was one of my friends had an XJ 4.0 I6, crank, no start. No ignition signal, and it was OBDI, but we were able to get a key cycle code which read the code for a bad cam sensor. Ended up, that for the vehicle that it was the sensor in the distributor, forgot what it was called. Zipped to the parts store and picked one up before tearing the distributor apart. Went to put it on and the distributor was very different, and the sensor wasn't even accessible. Ran the numbers engraved into the distributor, and it was actually off of a 1992 V6 Dakota. You can't make this shit up. Luckily my friend's uncle had an XJ distributor laying around, which we put the new sensor on, and put that in the vehicle.
im a plumber from the uk.. in my area there are alot of pakistani's and they never pay!! nobody works for them.. ive been stung a few times by them and never again!
Is it true that the polish are like the Mexicans of Europe? In the usa my tow truck driver (a guy from Germany) said the polish leave Poland and work really hard jobs nobody else wants too do
Man I hate that they try and haggle at the end with payment at the end when the car is done I dont care if its 10$ less we agreed on a set payment in the beginning I keep my gun on me at all times never had to threaten that far but I'm a pretty nice guy and I feel yes they see that and take advantage.
The word "quote" should never be used! You give estimates! That way they can't hold you to it. You cannot predict what you'll run into repairing vehicles. Been repairing for 30+ years and I still get taken here and there. Best to get money down to cover all expenses, especially if you don't know them well. And one thing that saved me many times is taking credit cards. I use square, it's super easy! Plus when using the card you add 3% tip to cover the card usage.
Be sure you have a wide variety of payment methods... Do not give them the choice to pay later... Unless of course it's a regular. New customers pay upfront for their parts that I quote them. I buy the parts at a discounted price. If they choose to stiff me then at least I would have made money off the parts and we'll see the rest in court.... About the texts, yes even text your own wife for future reference lol
to be exact a preliminary estimate. you never know what you will find or run into. it should say that on the top of your prelim and final bill on the last bill
Don't use a third party payment processors or you will be subject to their loose charge back terms which vary according to whoever you are dealing with, get your own bank based merchant facility from your own business bank, they wont stitch you up you because you have your business accounts at their bank.. Always be sure to have the owner sign the invoice when they go to pay you, that is proof they have accepted the work. If they are paying over the phone (only allow this for regulars) be sure you use an SMS and or Email audit trail of the customer confirming they have accepted the job.
I used to work for a guy hauling cars. He taught me not to remove the car from the trailer or hand the keys over to the customer until I have payment in my hand. Got screwed a couple times so you learn from your mistakes.
DON'T LET PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH NOT PAYING BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE WILL TELL OTHER PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH NOT PAYING. IM LIKE YOU PAY ME OR I WILL TAKE THE PARTS OFF AND MAYBE MORE PARTS. JUST TELL THEM YOU WILL CALL THE POLICE. YOU WORK HARD SO YOU DESERVE TO GET PAID.
Oh , the police show up and will tell you it is a civil matter and refer you to small claims court. They allow the small guy to be robbed but you steal from Wal Mart your going to jail.
Exactly why I left the automotive industry. I crossed over to heavy industry and never looked back. Unfortunately, unless you only target high end communities, you wont run in to as many of these problems. But the heavy industry pays very well. I have made over 130k a year consistantly with out working to hard. I always stick to "never say never" but, I will avoid the automotive industry as long as I can!!!!!
This is not a true statement. Don’t get stressed about the non payers. They are very few and far between. I have been doing this for 15 years and trust fully everyone. It’s so much less stressful, just don’t worry about it. Just consider it cost of doing business.
@@justinacase2623 have a written and signed woel order and by law you can hold the keys until paid. And if you get a good cop he'll press them for "theft of services" and lean on them with arrest.
Years ago I had a guy come to me for a tune up. When he picked it up he said he doesn't have the money but he will pay me next Friday. Months went by and he stopped answering the phone. I was out one night and saw his car, so I swapped 2 plug wires and he was calling me the next day. I got paid and fixed his car. Sneaky? Yes but effective.
I used to be a tool truck franchise owner, you have never seen so many non-paying customers..horrible. Is there anything worse than a deadbeat customer that won't pay? After 2 years of chasing techs around, I got out..horrible
I'm a car hauler and I always leave the car half way out from the trailer, customer knows exactly how much they owe me at delivery and its usually COD cash on delivery, if they dont got the money I threaten to put car back on trailer and tell them if I leave a mile and you change your mind, then u owe me double what the first one was, they always make sure to pay me once that's heard. Always have some kind of back up threat, not a death threat but I call it a business threat. Works every time.
I have a computer repair shop, it is small but I specialize in the more difficult repairs such as micro soldering, motherboard replacements and so on. I clearly state the work and there are always variables I need to take into account. First and foremost, every customer is treated the same way: with respect. I stand behind my services and have build a great name amongst the universities in the cities surrounding me. Every customer signs a waiver and gets a quote before I start working on it. I've been burned too often.
The best advice I was given when I was very young and I managed a large shop was to never try to do a customer a favor. It’ll backfire every time and they won’t appreciate it anyway. This is SO true as I learned painfully! Trying to save a customer by cutting corners will ALWAYS bite you in your rear! Sounds harsh perhaps but people can turn on you in an instant!
Small claims: if the respondent doesn't show, you win. Winning small claims means you have a piece of paper saying your owed the money. You still have to collect it. Then you have to pay someone to research and garnish their pay, if garnishable.
You do not owe an "Apology" to anyone. It is your money and it should be in your pocket. By not paying you, equals to me, them sticking their hands in your cash drawer and stealing the amount owed.I used to fall for all the sad stories in the world " I am a single Mother, I can pay you when i get my refund check, I am expecting a large sum of money on such and such date, etc. etc. " Bull crap, pick up your item once we are settled 100%. I hate thieves with a passion. Good on you and congrats that you keep documentation ! Bulldog
Rule 1. Don't trust anyone. Rule 2. Don't run a business like a charity. Rule 3. Do it in writing. Rule 4. Over Communicate. Rule 5. Don't be an a hole.
I deal with this daily as I have my own shop. I had to write off 30k this yr with a ton of customers not paying and the covid 19 pandemic. It's tough I'm usually not nice once you take from my family. Stay positive you'll do great!
This is why there aren’t many nice people anymore because you try to someone nice and people see it as some kind of weaknesses and try to take advantage of you takes a strong character to be able and still help people after these things happen stay strong because we need the strong to help the weak lol
You have a great heart. Just highly recommend going with e-contracts, have them fill everything out prior to work. Any changes orders, must be in writing. Years as a contractor and being forgiving/ trusting is great at customer relations, but I’ve lost a ton of money because we had a “verbal” agreement
This is another reason to save up for a shop. When its within the shops property, you can keep it until paid in full. People will always give you a sad story then go buy a beer and cigarettes with the money they owe you. Being a mobile mechanic is a means to an end for you to get your own shop. I respect cause your paying your dues but you'll be 1000% better off financially saving gas, time, energy plus no more chasing money.
Instant subscribe just because we have a similar mindset and I love to see someone who prefers kindness to vindictive action. That said, we could both learn how to be a bit firmer or even meaner, hahaha. Glad you do you best to take care of yourself though and some good tips here.
I was in your situation for 20+ years and I figured several things out. One of them was you can either go to University and spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to get a business degree, or go into small business and loose about the same amount of money and time to get the practical version of a degree. Another was giving credit, which means not getting paid in full by completion of job. If you let the person take their vehicle away expecting they come back tomorrow to pay you have given credit and now it is up to you to collect, not for them to pay. The onus is upon you. Credit cripples and kills more small business than any other reason. Scammers know this system and they rely on the fact the collection process is so hard it discourages you from going through it. If you do go through it and succeed there will be nothing to collect because by then they will have declared bankruptcy, the vehicle can't be found, the people can't be found, the work wan't authorized or complete or acceptable etc. The vehicle burned in a mysterious fire or the fire was your fault and this is a reason for not paying you. Now you have to fight with an insurance company with unlimited resources to not pay you. The people who don't pay are experts at not paying, they know way more about not paying than you do about collecting. Or anything else legal. If you persevere through all this you will become a wiser man and wonder why you trusted your fellow human beings in the first place. I almost forgot, the "Guilt Trip". You mentioned the guy who says he can't get to work, prime ploy. He could walk, he could take a bus or taxi or ride from a co-worker. Except he/she doesn't have a job. Cunning males/females/family all pull that trip You as a valid business: get a merchant credit card account accepting Visa/MC . If the new customer has neither card or cash to pay tell them you are over booked. You can take risky jobs on if you are prepared to take them on as "Charity Jobs" . Do not expect any reward, but it may come.
TLDR there’s no such thing as an IOU. An IOU is a check or a police report. I had one customer who I wrote an estimate for and had it approved. Once the machine was operating. His Dough mixer for a pizza place so basically the most important machine in the building. He wouldn’t pay because he thought we were marking up the parts too much. Which is fine before the machine is fixed he could have rejected the estimate or haggled at that time. As he was arguing with me I started moving closer and closer to the dining room so his customers could hear how cheap their post was. He kept insisting on giving me an IOU. I said he can give me a check and I’ll cash it next week or however long he needs..… But eventually the line that got him to pay was “There’s no such thing as an IOU. And I oweyou is a check or a police report“
The worst/funniest customers are the ones who have a warn out smoking engine that "just needs" this or that to fix it.....for only 40£ right? I say I'm a mechanic not a magician!
I hate the idiots that arrive with engine or trans on last leg and request an oil service so they can turn around and blame the shop for "RUINING THEIR TRANSMISSION (or ENGINE)." Some scammers will go around the corner and remove the drain plug to finish engine off, then claim that the shop must have failed to tighten it. They have nothing to lose, and everything to gain trying.
I have a neighbor that I've been schlepping along with during the lockdown helping pull parts. Boy does he know how to junkyard pick the wrong parts for vehicles. Fortunately not for my vehicles only his own but it shows me why mechanics are reputed to hate customers bringing their own replacement parts.
One thing I learned is it's OK to turn a dishonest or rude customer away. *Not all money is good money.* I wish I lived in Utah; I would definitely trust you to work on my car.🔧👍 Greetings from California!😎
I've watched some of your videos now and I gotta say one thing, and trust me, you'll be much happier for making this switch. *Dont position yourself on price.* Dont advertise your services as "cheaper because..." find a reason to tell people why you're better than other mechanics (like simply how good you are at mobile repairs and you come to them) or something to that effect. Low prices tend to attract low quality customers. They attract the cheats, the complainers, and the sue happy. It's not all of the customers you'll have, but you'd do well to purposely avoid those kinds of customers.
Owning and operating a business with integrity is incredibly difficult at times. I’d be more than happy to pay you for your services. Great video, keep them coming!
Hey man really enjoy your helpful videos. Just found your channel, you are very honest and trustworthy with your clients. I personally don't trust some local mechanics because I feel like they rip a lot of people off. I had an auto shop cut my windshield wiper blades and claim i needed to buy a new pair or else they would fail my inspection. Anyways, thank you for being an awesome mobile mechanic I really hope these previous non paying customers have a change of heart and pay you what they owe you.
I completely understand you on situation to dealing with certain customers. I was in business of repairing equipment on paint sprayers and pressure washers. Just a warning of high stress dealing with the dishonest customer's. I've heard all the excuses. After a while you end up getting burned out. I internalised it and it really built up on me. All I was doing was being real honest and doing my best job for each customer. There are some customers that target you to get the cheapest job ever and you just can not please everyone. I see a lot of you in me and at first you spend so much time tracking that bad customer and it will affect you. Sounds like you have it down dealing with them but there always those few that have done the same thing to other shops. Keep you mind clear and maybe have someone else track them down to dealing with them. Best of luck you are a great michanic.!! Thank you!
no money for rent but they have money for hotels? Aren't the hotels at least $60 a night if not more i know around here where i live the local quality inn is at least $100.
What did I learn in exchange for my time watching this? Take names when working for people, this has got me many resolutions when trying to resolve an issue, especially when dealing with medical insurance providers when they don't want to pay.
This brings back memories I did mobile mechanic work, I worked and lived in south Fl. I had someone who I did work for ask me could I please put a clutch in an late 70s Nissan truck he needed it right away. I was glad I got the parts money up front, he picked it up and did not have the full amount he still owes me $70.00. I called him he was never home after that!
You're too nice bro. I will never give a person access to their vehicle unless they have paid me the full cost of the repair. I rather have the vehicle which can be sold to recoup my losses than hope they will pay me even though they have a judgment against them. I kept a person vehicle before and was able to sell it to recoup my loss plus some due to the storage fees I charge. You have to treat it just like your local repair shops and dealerships. I pay for everything upfront so I expect to get all mine when it is done.
Would’ve never heard about such stories if I had not encountered this algorithm or whatever. Lots of court related stuff too. Very detailed you are with doing business! That’s powerful.
I have learned a couple of tough lessons in my life. 1. Never do a favor by cutting corners on a job to save them money. It’ll backfire EVERY time and your “favor” won’t be appreciated. 2. GET THE MONEY! If you do get burned, get over it and move on. These may sound harsh but they are absolutely for real!
There’s a good old man in my city that does mechanic jobs mainly engine installing, him and I always been on a no contract ordeal, I hire him to do engine work and he tells me pay him when I can. I always pay the guy because I cannot be like the people you describe in this video, it would make me feel like a terrible person. Turns out this guy tried doing this with many other people and they’ve done him so dirty to the point where he’s almost losing his house. Please do contracts but also receive a deposit as well!
Just found you tonight. You are a straight up guy. I had a small, short term shop in a small rural town. I'm a lot like you. I like to go by my word. I expect people to have good intentions, but as I have learned...and you have learned, some people don't have those same intentions. Sometimes you just can't deal with people. At the same time, i've had far more people that were good and straight forward. I have taken payments on services and on vehicles. Every once in a while, this style will burn you. In terms of the $100, you just have to let it slide. Think of it in terms of time wasted just fighting the guy. Say you went to civil court, you'd waste a whole day.....hours that you could spend making far more money. I may not be religious or believe in much, but I absolutely believe in Karma. It'll get them. It's burned me on really small petty things when I was younger. Best example is I found keys at a store, the store was busy and I searched until I found a girl looking on the ground. Obviously she was looking for her keys and was so thrilled when I gave them to her. It gave me +1 in the Karma chart. Literally one day later, I'm shopping at HF. For some dumb reason I set my wallet down....which I have never done. It had some money in it (I was more worried about the cards and other info). I retrace my steps and nothing. Go to the front and holy crap someone turned it in. The person who found it didn't take the money or anything. I was going to give the person a $20 just for that, but he was already gone. At the end of the day, you can fight the small battle or save your time and energy for the big ones. Anyway, I'll be watching more of your vids. Been debating on doing some mobile mechanic work. I don't think I'd do engine swaps, but maybe. Good luck with the business.
I usually just let it go when I get burned. My phone is always blowing up with work. On to the next. I've even had people rip me off then ask me to help them later... I've only had a couple instances of that. I make $75/hr and I get 190 flat rate for a 4 wheel brake/rotor job so if someone rips me for 100 here and there it's not worth my time to chase them. I'd rather chase good customers. It's rare that someone burns me tho. There have been a handful tho. It hasn't been for more than 100 - 150 tho. Big jobs I take 50% up front. No exceptions.
Damn thats good money, what do you do for a living just curious, 20 years old here and really into vehicles. Mechanic work looks a bit scary especially harnesses IMO but i am willing to learn where did you start
I had a lawn service that included some rather nasty jobs . One of those jobs was a man arranged for me to mow his ladyfriend's overgrown lawn . He said he left the money with her to pay me . When I finished and went to collect , she claimed she didn't have it . I went back close to 14 times to collect .Finally , " Sugardaddy" got word ,apologized ,and paid me the $160 . In hindsight , I could have done easily several more jobs in the time I spent trying to collect for that amount and been ahead ,had I known the hassle I would go through . Life has it's occasional losses . The folks that succeed don't brood - they just get busy ,learn a little wisdom from it , and keep moving forward . (of course , there are times to go after justice . The problem often is that nobody wins most of those disputes but the lawyers and judges)
@@bobby2pistolz854 I'm just a mobile mechanic, but I live in connecticut where a lot of people drive german cars, and the dealerships charge closer to 180/hr, so they're happy to pay 75. I've been working on cars for over 15 years so it's not something I went to school for or learned overnight. Also it's a lot more expensive to live here than most other places in the country so while it sounds great it's really not what you might think.
@@edwhite8473 yeah I learned my lesson on an alternator job on a v6 hyundai sonata. She didnt ask the price which should have been an indicator.. and I told her it was going to be about a 3 hour job and told her what the hourly rate was. Had to remove the axle and all that to remove.the alternator and when I was done she only had $80 for me and a sob story about how she was being evicted and had no money. So I was persistent and she told me to come back. I think she figured I would go away but I was just starting and needed the money so I kept having to message her and show up at her door until she finally paid me. But it took me like a month to get paid and like 2 or 3 trips out to her house which was 20 mins away. So that's like 1.5 hours I wasted collecting just in time. Not to mention gas.. 3 trips about $10 per trip in fuel.. for a job that I think I got $65 per hour, so 195 total, - $95 for the time lost collecting - 30 for the fuel leaves me with like $70... so I actually would have made more money by not collecting. These people you just block.them and move on unless it was a real sum like 500-600 or whatever.. even 200-300 I'd probably put some effort.into collecting but I wouldnt make it my priority.
Hey Dude I’m a Handyman in Australia so you need to tell them the rules of the game eg you need a deposit cash or card before you start and by the way there are great apps so you can easily take a credit card payment before handing back the keys. You are not a bank. Keep up the great work Paul ex Mechanic a long time ago 👍
I contact the customer three time all by registered letters demanding payment, after that it goes to a collection agency, yes you lose a small percentage but you can claim this lose on your taxes, and the customer gets hounded like the dog they are.
I dont understand how people have the fkn nerve to do this to someone. Its soooo frustrating. Goodluck with everything bud. Wish we had honest mechanics in my area.
Авто/Мото
Sometimes being a good person can ruin your business.
haha true. there is a reason succesful buisnessmen are rude haha. luckily its only been a few things and havent risked any ruining yet but ive learned my lesson!
no sometimes, its always
@@RoadsideRescue Karma comes around to everyone , it will all come back to you somehow. Keep the good attitude.
People will take advantage if you're too nice.. for 1st time customers there needs to be clear expectations for payment that both parties agree to.
@Chris S real talk
15 years in service industry taught me one thing... how to say "NO" to people with no guilt. Fool me once, shame on you.. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Chao Lee my elementary teacher told me that
Ye i need some of dat
“Fool me one time shame on you
Fool me twice, can't put the blame on you
Fool me three times, f*ck the peace signs
Load the chopper, let it rain on you”
There's an old saying in Tennessee, I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee, that says, fool me once… shame on… shame on you. Fool me, you can't get fooled again
@@bobert5480 dreams are where wings take flight
My dad found that if he went to the people's home during their Thanks Giving Dinner when their relatives are there, that was a good time to collect. They don't want to look like a deadbeat in front of the In-laws.
Ha ha! Best idea ever!
Great idea until they call the police and say you are harassing them.
@@MrMikey1273 just make sure you document what you did. and if they call the cops, explain to them whats going on and remain calm and away from front door.
....yes public humiliation......
@@MrMikey1273 it isn't illegal to knock on someone's door to collect a bill. If they ask you to leave you have to leave, then you sue them.
I had a mobile marine business for many years, I got so tired of people not paying for the work I did. I started out being nice, I learned that the nicer I was the more I was taken advantage of. Best thing I did was start to require a credit card number and charge a deposit based on my estimate, I would send a bill payable in 7 business days or I would charge the credit card PLUS 8% for the credit card processing fee. All my problems went away, the people who refused were usually the ones who were going to stiff me anyway. I was always polite but stop being "Nice"
It’s so disrespectful that they don’t pay when it’s a emergency you’re doing them a massive favor and they are tbat greedy
NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED...Murphy's law...
It's the nature of the job. A mechanic's lien is one of the most powerful laws there is because of deadbeats. Been there done that. I never lost a case with a mechanic's lien, the judge's hands are tied, you don't pay, you don't get the car back until you pay in full. Period. You get the car back when and only when you pay the bill in full. If you don't pay I have every right to sell the car and keep all the money. Trust no one, lose nothing was my policy. I wasn't a charity. It's how I fed and housed my family. Pay to play or walk away. Didn't matter to me if your car got sold to pay the bill.
@@HolmWrecker Amen. You had the right mindset from the get-go!
@@HolmWrecker
how do you handle that if its a mobile job. having a shop you have the advantage to storage it indoors
@@godbluffvdgg ^ not Murphy's law, or even close.
Moral of the story, people are trash. Please stop being overly nice and trusting. You will get screwed, 100% guaranteed. Be professional and polite, never trusting. Otherwise keep up the amazing job 💪
I’m soooooo glad i did loads of sales and door to door jobs and learned very quickly that I can’t trust anything anyone says, I put everything on paper. People can be so selfish it’s ridiculous. Especially when this guy, just like I do.. has a general love for HELPING people. But they will just rob you blind and not care.
My dad is broke now after being nice to the world. If you can’t manage your own business go work for someone that does.
Big cooperation Mechanic shops doesn't work like that, they want their full payment or the car is not going anywhere a long with a contract that has to be signed before work they can begin working on their car. There's a lot of scammers in this world, then there are honest people. Just like there are more evil people, then there are Good people. As being a private Mechanic, people's cars should be held hostage if they refused to pay the remaining of the payment or as a matter of fact ask for the full payment before working on their car. This way nobody gets Ripped off.
It's amazing how shitty people can be.
"Some" people are trash...Most people are decent actually; 30 year business owner, contracting, in philly... I've had plenty of pieces of shit but; the good FAR outweighs the bad...But; you're right. Trust must be earned...
If I owe a friend $5 it eats at me until I can pay him back. Dunnno how people cant stiff you for $100s and live with themselves.
Trump entire history of litigation by those entering business with him ...over 3000 civil suit for breach of contract....that why he had his own lawyer on retainer
some people have no pride and honour dam con artists
Different species.
@@robkitchen5344 Where the fuckdid that come from.
@@pod9363 TDS, pretty common these days. He probably lost and people are still seething about him
Worked in a tree business for a while, if someone didn’t pay we would deliver the tree back to them usually blocking off their driveway. (These were not small trees)
haha this reminds me of a job me n my cousin did back in the day, the job was to dig up an area for a pool, you can only imagine what we did with all that dirt
Had a buddy do HVACR, would occasionally leave a tool in persons basement near job, furnace, etc, if didnt pay...would call to swing back to get "tool forgot there"...then would take shit he fixed off of furnace, etc.
Excellent Ending!! 👍
@@russmode lmao gg
Thats only fair, it's still their tree at that point.
You need to have people pay there bill first in full before giving their keys back to them. People will mistake your kindness for weakness.
Unfortunately, being too nice can be a big disadvantage as a business owner. There will always be dickbags out there so don't let your guard down with anybody..anybody
what i do is don't let them get their key back untill paid in full and lock their car in my home garage (where i do the work)then when they pay i open the garage and they get there car. so far never had a problem of under paying , many leave great tips
@@startingtech3900 then you hope they don't vandalize your home later. It's risky to expose your home or family in a dispute. At least mobile gives you some distance to that stuff.
Yea,rite...too many drug addicts just take your money n leave...I chased down one and whooped his ass after he tried. Lol I went in to go take a piss and the kid literally tried running away through the backyards hahaha I seen him n took chase
Just pull the starter relay till they pay then put it back on the car after lol
Worst part is when someone calls you few days later after the job and tells you oh my car overheats and it wasnt doing that before. When all you did was brakes and struts.
@@CaptainVillanueva1 Crazy. People just have no clue on how stuff works. Thats like going to dentist to get a filling and then coming back saying your ankle hurts and it wasnt hurting before. 🤦♂️
I've not had one of them yet. I've been doing it for 4 years. I screen my customers tho
Exactly! I always use the analogy of "you hire an electrician to come fix your living room fan, that same day your bathroom sink starts leaking" they are in no way related in any way shape or form it is just a terrible coincidence.
@@ANDRIY_H awesome analogy!!!
Thats very true that’s worse part of having your own mobile auto mechanic business people don’t take you too serious . But with the major shop that really don’t have that problem
My father owned his own mechanic shop for almost 30 years, transmission repair specifically. He was overly nice and trusting, and his business failed in the end because of it. Way too many people owing him money and not paying.
Personally if someone is $30 short I’ll let it slide but they will be forever paying an extra $30 for every bill they get after that.
same, you might get me once, but if you come back, I am getting whats owed
😂 they gonna be short $60 next
This^
Let us know your business name so we can all avoid you please.
@@spinmyhead1667 if you’re the type of person to think my work is a favour and to short change for jobs I wouldn’t want your business.
Integrity is everything to me . I just can't imagine how someone can block a number , and not even care about screwing someone over .
Dude for real! I just sold a phone like 2 hours ago. Obviously it worked and everything, but I'm sitting there thinking. I hope it doesn't fail soon. I hate ripping people off.
😕
Weech0 is the phone still holding up?
Mofos on self preservation all bout themselves...
Yeah it's good. It was basically mint condition
Since I work in phone repair I have a given of 50-100 working phones around me at all time, they would have to change their number not just block me..
I've done motor swaps for people like that before. I don't let anyone provide the engine anymore under any circumstances.
I feel your pain man,i went through the same with many of my clients.
One guy agreed on my fee to rebuild his motor,once completed and running (at 8 :30 pm the same day) he then tried to back out on the payment telling me all his problems. I straight away opened the bonnet and started stripping the engine and told him i would take the parts and sell them online to recoup the money.
He paid in full on the spot.
I had a guy that wouldn't pay me for clearing a lot. I had been trying to collect for over a year. Well, I was working in his area hauling off debris from another job a few minutes from his now completed house. His house set off the road about 300 feet with one driveway. One way in and one way out. I backed my dump truck into his driveway and dumped my load. Went back to the job and loaded another and dumped it there too. The very next day his wife called my office, which my wife runs and made arrangements to pay her the next day in cash. Never mentioned the mess and not being able to get in their driveway untill it was cleaned up. I bet the person they hired to clean it up got his money on the spot. True story, I will collect my money. By the way, it was nearly $6000.00 owed to me. Sad I had to resort to those tactics but I will do it again if needed.
I had a customer not pay me $30 for an oil change I did on their driveway. Went back the same night and drained their engine oil without saying anything. Who knows what happened, but I hope it ruined their engine.
God bless you man. For looking at it like that. Your a very humble person!
Don't fill his head with your loser , weakness way of thinking . He has a family to take care of , clearly , unlike you .
Strate Shooter hahahahaha
Strate Shooter 😂waaaaaat. Dude did you not listen to him. He’s saying you waste more time and effort in courts and money getting back your money. Learn from your mistakes and move on. Your a bigger man if you do.
You can't eat humility. He needs to be more ruthless. Only way to run a business. I hate when good mechanics get taken advantage of.
@@strateshooter1402 get out of here with that. People who bless people are always blessed, because they bless people!!
I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a water pump today.🍔
NICE I am what I am
@@TheSnowsurfer7 where you located at
You are dating yourself, man. That is what Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons said, "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." He mooched hamburgers.
An old adage comes to mind: "No good deed ever goes unpunished".
Explain!
Thanks
You, young man, are a treasure, you must have had very special parents or someone in your formative years that helped lay the foundation that had created and grown the fine man you are today. I have never heard or seen you blog before now but, I wish I knew you and wish there were more people like you in this upside down world we live in today. - Gary Mitchell, Phoenix Arizona.
Yes, thank you. My mother was very clear about how one should behave in life! :) I try and follow her guidance!
Being a fine and nice person won't pay your bills nor will it get you anywhere. Biggest scumbags get all and nice people end up screwed.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that financially yes being nice you can take a hit here and there. But the life experience, and going through it makes this guy the guy he is today. A very good honest person. And that is worth more than any job that someone stiffed you on cus word will spread how good of guy and business he does, this guy is going places I promise you!
Honestly, I would just rather work as a fleet mechanic. I tried being a mobile mechanic. Too many sketchy people and cons.
If the people can't pay for a tow truck to get it to a shop and them fix it, they don't have the money to pay for my time and then a luxury charge the "mobile" part. Seems like it would be better to call it concierge and only work with wealthy people and require payment in full up front.
If there is a ups hub by you apply. Its the best mechanic job . I'm glad I stopped being a mobile mechanic.
Requiring payment either full or half now half when the job is done is the best way to do things however just because someone doesnt want to pay for the tow and shop rates doesnt mean they are a con or sketchy. The book time for most repairs is far greater than the actual time it takes to do most repairs. The shops are most of the time are the real cons charging double what it should be.
@@SuperReviews4you sir with all do respect it takes experience and knowledge to do the job faster than book time. Charging by flat rate is not a rip off or a con, those times are studied and verified but trained professional's doing the work exactly by the manufacturer's directions. Me charging 6 hrs book time and getting it done in four is because I have work around or have enough experience to efficiently do the job. It's a fair way to charge for work and it ensures that shop's are not overcharging for work. Most customer's are in the dark when it comes to the repairs done on their vehicles, but can easily search for the published labor times.
@@greasemonky74 exactly . I work in health care and have been doing 1 specific test for 14 years. I can do this test in half the booked time, and that’s by the book. But people always get suspicious and I understand but they need to understand hey I’ve don’t thousands of these tests literally. I can do these in my sleep with handcuffs on.
@@tristangoodall8583 are you a ups mechanic? I've been trying to get hired there but no luck yet.
You can put a lien on peoples homes cars boats... lol it doesn’t really guarantee they will pay you but at least they can’t legally sell anything without giving your cut haha nice you mention it :)
Yes in New Jersey at earns 22% every year, I'm a landscaper I'll put a lien on your house for $10
tylersinger2 which states, that doesnt sound right, if i do 2k of repairs and you dont pay, guess what bud that car is mine now
tylersinger2 Name one, I’ll wait.
A mechanic's lien is typical, but expensive and time consuming... not worth the hassle for most small debts. Smalls claims/conciliation courts is an option for most small business owners, it's also affordable and requires little effort.
Just sell their car if they dont pay. Hopefully it's worth at least the cost of the repair.
Word of advice.
Don't be so nice, we all have to make money so make sure you charge the right amount even for friends. Always contract, in my contracts customers give up their rights to their vehicle until they pay. Had a customer who didn't pay, took it to court and I ended up with their vehicle.
Only person who hasn't payed in the 12 years I've been a mechanic
This is one of the reasons a lot of guys won’t do engine swaps. It’s a never ending saga. At least your learning and improving your process. I hope you have insurance liability that is.
Never trust ANYONE! I have done it on two occasions and both times I have been burned. One time a guy was supposed to come do some yard work for me, take out some shrubs and lay some pine straw. I leave work early and come home and of course he's an hour late so I message him and he claims he is having "car trouble". Well he finally shows up 4 hours late with his truck barely running and smoking and did part of the job until it got dark. I was going to pay him for the work he did and he asked if I would be willing to pay him the full amount so he could get his truck fixed and make it back the next day. Me thinking this guy did all he could to make it and even risked ruining his truck to show up, I did. Well, from then on I was ghosted and he never came back to finish the job and took the extra $300. No one gets the benefit of the doubt anymore, EVER! You have a business to run and bills to pay, you're not in business to do folks favors!
yeah. its tough...
Like the Old saying "Gas, Grass, or Ass." Got tired of acquaintances constantly asking for rides, so i started to charged basically 2X the gas cost to me and charged it up front, Haven't been asked for a ride by acquaintances in months, X family is a another story, but that one in particular finally got the brunt of the message when i dumped her at the casino when she tried to pull shit on me the last time.
Ive been a mobile mechanic for 15+ years i always require money for parts up front no exceptions plus half of labor up front if they dont agree i kindly decline the job but most of my customers have been with me for 15 years and they pay me full price up front because ive built that trust
Im not one to pay anyone before the jobs done, that being said. If i find a good mechanic/tow/dentist any amazing services im willing to bend my rules of not paying upfront to build a relationship.
That’s a good idea but not all states permit that
No doubt in my mind that technicians in most fields don't get the respect they deserve.
Angel HC ....you are correct.......anyone who/which uses THEIR HANDS...creatively, carpenters, plumbrers, electricians, drywall/painters/.....etc etc....mechs...etc.... usually get shafted by the 'SUITS' ...........probly 'cause they are ' holier ' than thou..........oldtech.....
I learned quick that “no” is your best friend sometimes, I’m real nice too but when you do one nice thing they want to see how far they can take it.
If you ever give a ‘discount’ that person will always expect a discount.
@@fomoco300k Never give discounts . It only complicates things.
Rule of thumb dont ever give the keys back until you get paid.
@Bones McGill
Lololol
Never install customer supplied parts, and stay away from engine swaps. Engine swaps eat up days and profit and when the engine doesn't run right or things don't line up right , guess who gets the blame. Yeah and people don't pay that happens in a lot of businesses.
I pretty much only install customer supplied parts and have had no issues. It saves me a lot of work on ordering and tracking down parts, and allows the customer to feel like they were a smart shopper in the deal by saving some money. And I just let them.know that they are paying for labor only and if the part is bad they have to pay me to install it. I've had no issues so far in 4 years. But I agree I dont do engines or transmissions.
@@sjm98126 It's always AutoZone junk. No way in hell will I ever install that crap. You're going to lose money on every electronic part and everything else will fail in a year or two and guess who gets the bad rep.
I actually do a lot of engine and transmission replacements with a lot of good luck. I can get an engine in and Out same day
Trans 1/2-full day
@@SLAutoRepair it really depends on what kind of car you're working with
@@SLAutoRepair In Denver by chance ?
My mom is an attorney, the one piece of information she ALWAYS beat into me and that I really use and understand the importance of is to ALWAYS document, document, document everything. It has not steered me wrong!
Just curious... why take his word on parts interchangeability when he's not even capable of doing his own work? if he can't do the job, he can't possibly have any experience to validate what he's telling you.
I can relate. Early 90`s 4.3 blazer, needed an engine. Got the engine, rebuilt it, went to put it in and it had a late 90`s trans. Now it still needs an engine or a different trans. Nightmare job, ended up with no bill paid and a crappy blazer in my shop. I did recoup some though... sold the rebuilt engine.
i probably would have trusted to a point and pulled the engine...looked at things between the engines and STOPPED for him to get me the correct engine....would not be my job to make provisions for the wrong engine (computer and differing fuel systems can be a nightmare) . Job over...if you want the original engine back in car...need to pay me to get it back in.
Correct, this will be the main argument against his case in court.
@@120alaska Like even doing a bit of my own work and helping friends out with jobs, I've seen a few funny ones. One that came to mind was one of my friends had an XJ 4.0 I6, crank, no start. No ignition signal, and it was OBDI, but we were able to get a key cycle code which read the code for a bad cam sensor. Ended up, that for the vehicle that it was the sensor in the distributor, forgot what it was called. Zipped to the parts store and picked one up before tearing the distributor apart. Went to put it on and the distributor was very different, and the sensor wasn't even accessible. Ran the numbers engraved into the distributor, and it was actually off of a 1992 V6 Dakota. You can't make this shit up. Luckily my friend's uncle had an XJ distributor laying around, which we put the new sensor on, and put that in the vehicle.
Most customers cant even change their own oil. I just let anything they tell me about their so called "experience" go in one ear and out the other.
im a plumber from the uk.. in my area there are alot of pakistani's and they never pay!! nobody works for them.. ive been stung a few times by them and never again!
Can’t judge a whole nation by a few rotten apples but respect your stance non the same
Wow, your country or should I say Europe in general is being overthrown by refugees.
@@user-te1le7ck6b he wasn't
Is it true that the polish are like the Mexicans of Europe? In the usa my tow truck driver (a guy from Germany) said the polish leave Poland and work really hard jobs nobody else wants too do
Man I hate that they try and haggle at the end with payment at the end when the car is done I dont care if its 10$ less we agreed on a set payment in the beginning I keep my gun on me at all times never had to threaten that far but I'm a pretty nice guy and I feel yes they see that and take advantage.
The word "quote" should never be used! You give estimates! That way they can't hold you to it. You cannot predict what you'll run into repairing vehicles. Been repairing for 30+ years and I still get taken here and there. Best to get money down to cover all expenses, especially if you don't know them well. And one thing that saved me many times is taking credit cards. I use square, it's super easy! Plus when using the card you add 3% tip to cover the card usage.
Thanks fot the ideas! Ill start doing that! haha!
Best advice! He must be following me lol
Be sure you have a wide variety of payment methods... Do not give them the choice to pay later... Unless of course it's a regular. New customers pay upfront for their parts that I quote them. I buy the parts at a discounted price. If they choose to stiff me then at least I would have made money off the parts and we'll see the rest in court....
About the texts, yes even text your own wife for future reference lol
to be exact a preliminary estimate. you never know what you will find or run into. it should say that on the top of your prelim and final bill on the last bill
Don't use a third party payment processors or you will be subject to their loose charge back terms which vary according to whoever you are dealing with, get your own bank based merchant facility from your own business bank, they wont stitch you up you because you have your business accounts at their bank..
Always be sure to have the owner sign the invoice when they go to pay you, that is proof they have accepted the work.
If they are paying over the phone (only allow this for regulars) be sure you use an SMS and or Email audit trail of the customer confirming they have accepted the job.
You can avoid all that headache,don’t let the car leave with out getting payed period.This type of customer will put your business under fast.
I used to work for a guy hauling cars. He taught me not to remove the car from the trailer or hand the keys over to the customer until I have payment in my hand. Got screwed a couple times so you learn from your mistakes.
I mean that works to an extent but u can't physically stop someone from taking their car then you would be in legal trouble.
Self-employed my entire adult life. Every cheat I ever met was REALLY nice. Goes with the personality.
"No good deed goes unpunished" True till this day
The long story short he hunts them down and breaks their kneecaps.
I like watching ppl have there kneecaps broken
Hire Paulie walnuts from sopranos. You’ll get your money for sure.
Indeed one trip to the biker bar and have them pay the person a visit!
Send Furio!!!
We don't need bloodshed.
I took a side job to restore this guys '68 Mustang. When it was done, he stiffed me for half. I quit taking side jobs after that!
Holy hell I could not imagine scamming the man that helps me
DON'T LET PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH NOT PAYING BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE WILL TELL OTHER PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH NOT PAYING. IM LIKE YOU PAY ME OR I WILL TAKE THE PARTS OFF AND MAYBE MORE PARTS. JUST TELL THEM YOU WILL CALL THE POLICE. YOU WORK HARD SO YOU DESERVE TO GET PAID.
Oh , the police show up and will tell you it is a civil matter and refer you to small claims court. They allow the small guy to be robbed but you steal from Wal Mart your going to jail.
Exactly why I left the automotive industry. I crossed over to heavy industry and never looked back. Unfortunately, unless you only target high end communities, you wont run in to as many of these problems. But the heavy industry pays very well. I have made over 130k a year consistantly with out working to hard. I always stick to "never say never" but, I will avoid the automotive industry as long as I can!!!!!
This is not a true statement. Don’t get stressed about the non payers. They are very few and far between. I have been doing this for 15 years and trust fully everyone. It’s so much less stressful, just don’t worry about it. Just consider it cost of doing business.
@@justinacase2623 have a written and signed woel order and by law you can hold the keys until paid. And if you get a good cop he'll press them for "theft of services" and lean on them with arrest.
Thank you now my eardrums are blown out from you yelling
My mechanic in Franklin, TN does great work, BUT he always gets his money, or he has a new vehicle. He doesn’t release the vehicle until it is paid.
Years ago I had a guy come to me for a tune up. When he picked it up he said he doesn't have the money but he will pay me next Friday. Months went by and he stopped answering the phone. I was out one night and saw his car, so I swapped 2 plug wires and he was calling me the next day. I got paid and fixed his car. Sneaky? Yes but effective.
How did you get those plugs? Was the hood open?
I used to be a tool truck franchise owner, you have never seen so many non-paying customers..horrible. Is there anything worse than a deadbeat customer that won't pay? After 2 years of chasing techs around, I got out..horrible
Sold mobile tools for 7 years...most people are deadbeats..some really good customers, just not enough of them
that's why you get the debt collection on to them. then their credit takes a dive and they can't buy shit.
I'm a car hauler and I always leave the car half way out from the trailer, customer knows exactly how much they owe me at delivery and its usually COD cash on delivery, if they dont got the money I threaten to put car back on trailer and tell them if I leave a mile and you change your mind, then u owe me double what the first one was, they always make sure to pay me once that's heard. Always have some kind of back up threat, not a death threat but I call it a business threat. Works every time.
I have a computer repair shop, it is small but I specialize in the more difficult repairs such as micro soldering, motherboard replacements and so on. I clearly state the work and there are always variables I need to take into account. First and foremost, every customer is treated the same way: with respect. I stand behind my services and have build a great name amongst the universities in the cities surrounding me. Every customer signs a waiver and gets a quote before I start working on it. I've been burned too often.
What town do you live in ! ??
The best advice I was given when I was very young and I managed a large shop was to never try to do a customer a favor. It’ll backfire every time and they won’t appreciate it anyway. This is SO true as I learned painfully! Trying to save a customer by cutting corners will ALWAYS bite you in your rear! Sounds harsh perhaps but people can turn on you in an instant!
Small claims: if the respondent doesn't show, you win.
Winning small claims means you have a piece of paper saying your owed the money. You still have to collect it.
Then you have to pay someone to research and garnish their pay, if garnishable.
But is 100$ really worth time spent in small claims? That time is money too
@@beans4269 Not to mention you can be countersued, especially if the person has money and is a douchebag
@@user-tb7rn1il3q You have to be culpable of wrong doing for them to prevail. I would take my chances vs being overly concerned about a counter suit.
Gosh, you are so gold hearted and hardworking man, trying to make your american dream come true. You are a hero we all need but do not deserve...
Have someone that "collects" your money is the best.
You do not owe an "Apology" to anyone. It is your money and it should be in your pocket. By not paying you, equals to me, them sticking their hands in your cash drawer and stealing the amount owed.I used to fall for all the sad stories in the world " I am a single Mother, I can pay you when i get my refund check, I am expecting a large sum of money on such and such date, etc. etc. " Bull crap, pick up your item once we are settled 100%. I hate thieves with a passion. Good on you and congrats that you keep documentation ! Bulldog
God bless you man, I don’t trust people at all, specially with money.
Rule 1. Don't trust anyone. Rule 2. Don't run a business like a charity. Rule 3. Do it in writing. Rule 4. Over Communicate. Rule 5. Don't be an a hole.
I deal with this daily as I have my own shop. I had to write off 30k this yr with a ton of customers not paying and the covid 19 pandemic. It's tough I'm usually not nice once you take from my family. Stay positive you'll do great!
This is why there aren’t many nice people anymore because you try to someone nice and people see it as some kind of weaknesses and try to take advantage of you takes a strong character to be able and still help people after these things happen stay strong because we need the strong to help the weak lol
The good ol pulling some fuses to disable the vehicle always worked for me, when the situation called for it.
Your crazy for coming out of pocket. I never use my money. Trust no one when it comes to this line of work. In my eyes everybody lies
You have a great heart. Just highly recommend going with e-contracts, have them fill everything out prior to work. Any changes orders, must be in writing. Years as a contractor and being forgiving/ trusting is great at customer relations, but I’ve lost a ton of money because we had a “verbal” agreement
I love the typewriter!
I hate dealing with public in general. Nice guys always end last.
This is another reason to save up for a shop. When its within the shops property, you can keep it until paid in full. People will always give you a sad story then go buy a beer and cigarettes with the money they owe you. Being a mobile mechanic is a means to an end for you to get your own shop. I respect cause your paying your dues but you'll be 1000% better off financially saving gas, time, energy plus no more chasing money.
Instant subscribe just because we have a similar mindset and I love to see someone who prefers kindness to vindictive action. That said, we could both learn how to be a bit firmer or even meaner, hahaha. Glad you do you best to take care of yourself though and some good tips here.
Hey bro your a good man don’t ever worry about getting screwed over by helping someone out because god will always bless u for who u are .
I was in your situation for 20+ years and I figured several things out.
One of them was you can either go to University and spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to get a business degree, or go into small business and loose about the same amount of money and time to get the practical version of a degree.
Another was giving credit, which means not getting paid in full by completion of job. If you let the person take their vehicle away expecting they come back tomorrow to pay you have given credit and now it is up to you to collect, not for them to pay. The onus is upon you.
Credit cripples and kills more small business than any other reason.
Scammers know this system and they rely on the fact the collection process is so hard it discourages you from going through it. If you do go through it and succeed there will be nothing to collect because by then they will have declared bankruptcy, the vehicle can't be found, the people can't be found, the work wan't authorized or complete or acceptable etc. The vehicle burned in a mysterious fire or the fire was your fault and this is a reason for not paying you. Now you have to fight with an insurance company with unlimited resources to not pay you.
The people who don't pay are experts at not paying, they know way more about not paying than you do about collecting. Or anything else legal.
If you persevere through all this you will become a wiser man and wonder why you trusted your fellow human beings in the first place.
I almost forgot, the "Guilt Trip". You mentioned the guy who says he can't get to work, prime ploy.
He could walk, he could take a bus or taxi or ride from a co-worker. Except he/she doesn't have a job.
Cunning males/females/family all pull that trip
You as a valid business: get a merchant credit card account accepting Visa/MC .
If the new customer has neither card or cash to pay tell them you are over booked.
You can take risky jobs on if you are prepared to take them on as "Charity Jobs" . Do not expect any reward, but it may come.
TLDR there’s no such thing as an IOU. An IOU is a check or a police report.
I had one customer who I wrote an estimate for and had it approved. Once the machine was operating. His Dough mixer for a pizza place so basically the most important machine in the building. He wouldn’t pay because he thought we were marking up the parts too much. Which is fine before the machine is fixed he could have rejected the estimate or haggled at that time. As he was arguing with me I started moving closer and closer to the dining room so his customers could hear how cheap their post was. He kept insisting on giving me an IOU. I said he can give me a check and I’ll cash it next week or however long he needs..… But eventually the line that got him to pay was “There’s no such thing as an IOU. And I oweyou is a check or a police report“
The worst/funniest customers are the ones who have a warn out smoking engine that "just needs" this or that to fix it.....for only 40£ right? I say I'm a mechanic not a magician!
I hate the idiots that arrive with engine or trans on last leg and request an oil service so they can turn around and blame the shop for "RUINING THEIR TRANSMISSION (or ENGINE)." Some scammers will go around the corner and remove the drain plug to finish engine off, then claim that the shop must have failed to tighten it. They have nothing to lose, and everything to gain trying.
You are a bad ass man. I hate working on my back, I dislike working with dummies, and you are keep your cool waaaay better than I would. Good job bro.
I have a neighbor that I've been schlepping along with during the lockdown helping pull parts.
Boy does he know how to junkyard pick the wrong parts for vehicles.
Fortunately not for my vehicles only his own but it shows me why mechanics are reputed to hate customers bringing their own replacement parts.
haha.
All the cash. Period. Or I take my parts and leave the car in pieces.
its easier to be shady when people have a screen between you and them and thats just how things are these days in EVERY aspect of life sadly
This man seems so nice. I just can't get my head around how people can be so heartless.
Grow up then .
One thing I learned is it's OK to turn a dishonest or rude customer away. *Not all money is good money.*
I wish I lived in Utah; I would definitely trust you to work on my car.🔧👍 Greetings from California!😎
I've watched some of your videos now and I gotta say one thing, and trust me, you'll be much happier for making this switch. *Dont position yourself on price.*
Dont advertise your services as "cheaper because..." find a reason to tell people why you're better than other mechanics (like simply how good you are at mobile repairs and you come to them) or something to that effect. Low prices tend to attract low quality customers. They attract the cheats, the complainers, and the sue happy. It's not all of the customers you'll have, but you'd do well to purposely avoid those kinds of customers.
Or just stop undercutting so we can all make the pay we deserve
Yup, the rule at poker is "You trust everyone at the table but you STILL cut the deck."
Always put it in writing my g. Always.
Owning and operating a business with integrity is incredibly difficult at times. I’d be more than happy to pay you for your services. Great video, keep them coming!
Hey man really enjoy your helpful videos. Just found your channel, you are very honest and trustworthy with your clients. I personally don't trust some local mechanics because I feel like they rip a lot of people off. I had an auto shop cut my windshield wiper blades and claim i needed to buy a new pair or else they would fail my inspection. Anyways, thank you for being an awesome mobile mechanic I really hope these previous non paying customers have a change of heart and pay you what they owe you.
I completely understand you on situation to dealing with certain customers. I was in business of repairing equipment on paint sprayers and pressure washers. Just a warning of high stress dealing with the dishonest customer's. I've heard all the excuses. After a while you end up getting burned out. I internalised it and it really built up on me. All I was doing was being real honest and doing my best job for each customer. There are some customers that target you to get the cheapest job ever and you just can not please everyone. I see a lot of you in me and at first you spend so much time tracking that bad customer and it will affect you. Sounds like you have it down dealing with them but there always those few that have done the same thing to other shops. Keep you mind clear and maybe have someone else track them down to dealing with them. Best of luck you are a great michanic.!! Thank you!
well said i appreciate the support. its tough but luckily ive had few bad experiences.
The lady who got evicted was not a good bet!
yeah... haha
@@RoadsideRescue The fact that you gave them the chance is amazing though. I wish you the best of luck!
@@RoadsideRescue I would have told her to pay me and she can sleep in her car.
no money for rent but they have money for hotels? Aren't the hotels at least $60 a night if not more i know around here where i live the local quality inn is at least $100.
@@NPAMike: Yup. Just living life day-to-day, one scam at a time.
What did I learn in exchange for my time watching this?
Take names when working for people, this has got me many resolutions when trying to resolve an issue, especially when dealing with medical insurance providers when they don't want to pay.
Good for you, man. Keep that heart of gold. Guys like you know what we're here to do.
This brings back memories I did mobile mechanic work, I worked and lived in south Fl. I had someone who I did work for ask me could I please put a clutch in an late 70s Nissan truck he needed it right away. I was glad I got the parts money up front, he picked it up and did not have the full amount he still owes me $70.00. I called him he was never home after that!
this is why up north mechanics typically work out of garages, you bring the vehicle to them. if it won't drive it gets towed end of story.
god south florida must have been AWFUL!
Invest in a wheel boot id put it on before I started working on it
you don't need a boot. just pull a couple of relays to disable the car. that will do it.
You are a real nice guy. Glad I found your channel it's great. Enjoyed loads of your videos over the last few days. Thanks mate. 👍
As an engineer, I learned 25 years ago to require it all up front. Good Luck, Rick
I remove their valve cores. Go ahead and find a Schrader valve sitting around in a convenient spot.
Ha ! I do this as well ! It’s funny once they struggle to find a way to put air in the tire just to figure out it won’t hold air 😂😂
Great idea! Thanks yall
You're too nice bro. I will never give a person access to their vehicle unless they have paid me the full cost of the repair. I rather have the vehicle which can be sold to recoup my losses than hope they will pay me even though they have a judgment against them. I kept a person vehicle before and was able to sell it to recoup my loss plus some due to the storage fees I charge. You have to treat it just like your local repair shops and dealerships. I pay for everything upfront so I expect to get all mine when it is done.
Would’ve never heard about such stories if I had not encountered this algorithm or whatever. Lots of court related stuff too. Very detailed you are with doing business! That’s powerful.
I have learned a couple of tough lessons in my life. 1. Never do a favor by cutting corners on a job to save them money. It’ll backfire EVERY time and your “favor” won’t be appreciated.
2. GET THE MONEY! If you do get burned, get over it and move on.
These may sound harsh but they are absolutely for real!
There’s a good old man in my city that does mechanic jobs mainly engine installing, him and I always been on a no contract ordeal, I hire him to do engine work and he tells me pay him when I can. I always pay the guy because I cannot be like the people you describe in this video, it would make me feel like a terrible person. Turns out this guy tried doing this with many other people and they’ve done him so dirty to the point where he’s almost losing his house. Please do contracts but also receive a deposit as well!
I wish you the best and hope u make back the loss a million times more through ur RUclips channel
Thank you!
Just found you tonight. You are a straight up guy. I had a small, short term shop in a small rural town. I'm a lot like you. I like to go by my word. I expect people to have good intentions, but as I have learned...and you have learned, some people don't have those same intentions. Sometimes you just can't deal with people. At the same time, i've had far more people that were good and straight forward. I have taken payments on services and on vehicles. Every once in a while, this style will burn you.
In terms of the $100, you just have to let it slide. Think of it in terms of time wasted just fighting the guy. Say you went to civil court, you'd waste a whole day.....hours that you could spend making far more money. I may not be religious or believe in much, but I absolutely believe in Karma. It'll get them. It's burned me on really small petty things when I was younger. Best example is I found keys at a store, the store was busy and I searched until I found a girl looking on the ground. Obviously she was looking for her keys and was so thrilled when I gave them to her. It gave me +1 in the Karma chart. Literally one day later, I'm shopping at HF. For some dumb reason I set my wallet down....which I have never done. It had some money in it (I was more worried about the cards and other info). I retrace my steps and nothing. Go to the front and holy crap someone turned it in. The person who found it didn't take the money or anything. I was going to give the person a $20 just for that, but he was already gone.
At the end of the day, you can fight the small battle or save your time and energy for the big ones. Anyway, I'll be watching more of your vids. Been debating on doing some mobile mechanic work. I don't think I'd do engine swaps, but maybe. Good luck with the business.
I love the positive attitude! It sucks to eat a job. You have every right to be angry but you chose to be gracious to the lady living in the hotel.
I'd like to know how that case turned out. Having a big heart can get you in trouble sometime I know I'm the same way.
I usually just let it go when I get burned. My phone is always blowing up with work. On to the next. I've even had people rip me off then ask me to help them later... I've only had a couple instances of that. I make $75/hr and I get 190 flat rate for a 4 wheel brake/rotor job so if someone rips me for 100 here and there it's not worth my time to chase them. I'd rather chase good customers. It's rare that someone burns me tho. There have been a handful tho. It hasn't been for more than 100 - 150 tho. Big jobs I take 50% up front. No exceptions.
Damn thats good money, what do you do for a living just curious, 20 years old here and really into vehicles. Mechanic work looks a bit scary especially harnesses IMO but i am willing to learn where did you start
I had a lawn service that included some rather nasty jobs . One of those jobs was a man arranged for me to mow his ladyfriend's overgrown lawn . He said he left the money with her to pay me . When I finished and went to collect , she claimed she didn't have it . I went back close to 14 times to collect .Finally ,
" Sugardaddy" got word ,apologized ,and paid me the $160 . In hindsight , I could have done easily several more jobs in the time I spent trying to collect for that amount and been ahead ,had I known the hassle I would go through . Life has it's occasional losses . The folks that succeed don't brood - they just get busy ,learn a little wisdom from it , and keep moving forward . (of course , there are times to go after justice . The problem often is that nobody wins most of those disputes but the lawyers and judges)
@@bobby2pistolz854 I'm just a mobile mechanic, but I live in connecticut where a lot of people drive german cars, and the dealerships charge closer to 180/hr, so they're happy to pay 75. I've been working on cars for over 15 years so it's not something I went to school for or learned overnight. Also it's a lot more expensive to live here than most other places in the country so while it sounds great it's really not what you might think.
@@edwhite8473 yeah I learned my lesson on an alternator job on a v6 hyundai sonata. She didnt ask the price which should have been an indicator.. and I told her it was going to be about a 3 hour job and told her what the hourly rate was. Had to remove the axle and all that to remove.the alternator and when I was done she only had $80 for me and a sob story about how she was being evicted and had no money. So I was persistent and she told me to come back. I think she figured I would go away but I was just starting and needed the money so I kept having to message her and show up at her door until she finally paid me. But it took me like a month to get paid and like 2 or 3 trips out to her house which was 20 mins away. So that's like 1.5 hours I wasted collecting just in time. Not to mention gas.. 3 trips about $10 per trip in fuel.. for a job that I think I got $65 per hour, so 195 total, - $95 for the time lost collecting - 30 for the fuel leaves me with like $70... so I actually would have made more money by not collecting. These people you just block.them and move on unless it was a real sum like 500-600 or whatever.. even 200-300 I'd probably put some effort.into collecting but I wouldnt make it my priority.
parts up front always
The world needs more people like you. Keep up the good work.
Hey Dude I’m a Handyman in Australia so you need to tell them the rules of the game eg you need a deposit cash or card before you start and by the way there are great apps so you can easily take a credit card payment before handing back the keys. You are not a bank. Keep up the great work Paul ex Mechanic a long time ago 👍
I contact the customer three time all by registered letters
demanding payment, after that it goes to a collection agency, yes you lose a
small percentage but you can claim this lose on your taxes, and the customer
gets hounded like the dog they are.
A: Get everything in writing, get cash, don't trust people unless you have something they need..
I dont understand how people have the fkn nerve to do this to someone. Its soooo frustrating. Goodluck with everything bud. Wish we had honest mechanics in my area.
Thanks for the info I’m been doing a side mechanic business in NV now I know what to ask for before working on someone’s car.before a get ripped off