[bashton]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SS427</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I disagree with the distance thing Sam. I tell my customers that first and foremost, find a shop that is an expert in the type of car you own. How a shop can restore a VW in one corner, a Duesenberg in the next and a COPO in the third is beyond me. They can make them all pretty but I doubt they are all, if any one, concours correct. Also, if I were to walk into a shop that I wanted to have restore my 69 Camaro or 70 Chevelle as an example and they had several crash and burn insurance jobs on newer cars in the shop I would also turn tail and run unless this shop has two seperate businesses within the business as well as employees. In my 30 years of restoring cars, less then 10 have come from the same state I live/ed in and most were on one or the other coasts.

In order to be successful a shop needs to keep the client well informed, up to date with billing and photographs and continual progress. Make them a part of the restoration process. I have learned some valuable and hard learned lessons in that department recently but needless to say, communication is key. You can give your client their car back that they are 100% happy with but if you have not made the venture pleasurable for them getting there than you have ultimately lost in the end. In todays day and age it is not that hard to 'drop in' on a shop even if located far away especially with business people who are always traveling. Finding an expert on your type of car is more inportant than the convenience fact but that is just my opinion. </div></div>

This sums it up. Reputationa and communication, along with customer referrals is the absolute key to having a great experience.

But, at this point, the thing to do is get your cars out of there asap!

Bashton
MCACN Managing Member