Unfortunately for you, the customer expected a written estimate along with the option to either a; accept the written estimate and agree to the repair costs by SIGNING a work order or b; refuse the written estimate offer to repair and pick up his lawnmower. This is known in the business world as "Generally Accepted Business Practices". His refusal to pay you is his way of punishing you for not following GABP.

According to Joe Girard, the Guiness Book of Record title holder of top car salesman in the world (13,001 cars sold which made him a MILLIONAIRE) and author of "How to Sell Anything to Anybody" the average person knows 250 people who also know 250 people. That is 62,500 people.

Great book, get yourself a copy and read it and reread it.

How to Sell Anything to Anybody: Joe Girard, Stanley H. Brown: 9780743273961: Amazon.com: Books

BAD NEWS TRAVELS TWICE AS FAST AS GOOD NEWS. Your former customer may be out there badmouthing you to his friends, co-workers, neighbors, family, enemies, you name it for not following GABP. And, since negative news tends to stick in people's minds, they, in turn, may be bad mouthing your business to THEIR friends, co-workers, neighbors, family and enemies. Only one problem. You will never know it or hear about it.

These will be people who will vote with their check book and take their small engine repair needs ELSEWHERE. You won't see them at your front door which will make you tend to believe that you don't have a problem. You'll keep reading your adoring fans web testimonials and tell yourself that "all is well". What if this pissed off customer is Joe Nobody but he has friends who are SOMEBODIES in the community and they pick up his negative message about your lack of following GAAP and tell all their wealthy, politically connected friends Joe Nobody's story??

I've seen businesses go BANKRUPT over lack of attention to even smaller details than this; it isn't worth it.

I'd recommend locating a competent small business lawyer and pay to have him/her draw you up a written estimate and job order documents specific to your business needs and then USE THEM. Your customers will then think more highly of you (because you are now following GABP) and reward you by referring more customers. When they pick up their lawnmower, a simple "Thank you for your business" card or note along with a "10% discount on your next repair" coupon WORKS WONDERS. Don't be afraid to ask them to refer their friends, neighbors and family to you. Send out Holiday greeting cards in December. Set up a free coffee machine in your lobby for your customers. People will NOT forget it and will keep coming back and throw money at you. People literally vote with their check book.

Today and as in everyday, the choice is yours to make.

IDK, a lot of my business (and small business in this area in general) works based on verbal contracts. Interestingly, this goes even more for contracts between attorneys, since they know better than others that they're worth the paper they're written on and no more.

And to be clear, GAAP is "Generally Accepted ACCOUNTING Practices" -- mostly relevant when dealing with the IRS or stockholders of a public firm.

Depends on the business; the repair field tends to be a cost sensitive area for most consumers and most of them want to know repair costs IN ADVANCE before making a "go or no go" decision. By memorializing the estimate and job order in writing, both parties are on the same page. This tends to reduce misunderstandings between parties.

My bad, I went back and changed the post to "GABP" (Generally Accepted Business Practices). Everyday, I run into a small business owner who doesn't understand it or get it. I see them literally running people off and into the arms of their competitors DAILY. People will generally not tell you what you are doing wrong in business, they will simply take their business elsewhere. I'm the same exact way, I don't say a word to the business owner; I simply take my business down the street to someone else who both follows GABP and most importantly, APPRECIATES my business.

I am amazed at how people seem to think that they rate some sort of freebies in life. They think that they can CONSISTENTLY find cases where someone gives them a $100 item for $10. I am a skeptic when something is too good to be true. Sure, the item is worth $100 but I get it for $80. HOWEVER, when you are willing to sell it for $30, I tend to get suspicious as to why you are trying to be so good to me.
\
What I have learned is that you can assume that nothing good is cheap and for the most part, you will be fine. Obviously, once in a while you might run into someone who truly doesn't know the value of the merchandise. However, in my experience, most of the time, it turns out to be "A deal that wasn't a deal". I usually find I have a POS on my hands and it either nickle and dimes me to death or it blows up soon after and costs me a wad of cash.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Benhogan If this happens to you again I can give you some advice. This is how I handled these jerks. It didn't help get me paid but it helped me mentally. Tell them to give you some time and you will put it back the way it was but don't do it. Then make out a work order with a list of what was wrong and what parts it needed, and that the customer refused work. Call him and tell him to pick it up ASAP. He probably will take it somewhere else and ask them to install parts you listed be replaced. At least now you have the satisfaction the jerk finally had to pay, even if it wasn't you. I personally wouldn't even discuss work with him again. I had customers (?) that would come to find out what was wrong and just say they couldn't afford it and would have to same up some money and be back. The next time I would see the car, it was fixed but had another problem that they couldn't afford and would have to save up for it. Next time (number 3) I would check the car and tell them I didn't now what was needed, then say "Now take it where ever it is you get if fixed and they can take car of it for you." They usually won't come back. One man would just want an estimate but never let me do the work. I finally told him when he wanted an estimate I just said "About twice what who ever does you work will charge." He never came back.
Boy it is fun working for the public some times. Spend your time with the good customers that appreciate what you do for them.

Paul

__________________
84 500 SEL (307,xxx miles)

^^^

Yup......bigtime!

good point. i'll give him that. funny because the other 99.5% of the customers never asked for an estimate.

__________________
Ben
1987 190d 2.5Turbo

that is because the other 99.5% are certified morons. An estimate is just that, an estimate of repair costs plus or minus. Without a written estimate and SIGNED IN WET BLUE INK work order on record, you could call the guy back and tell him yes, you repaired his lawnmower and his repair bill is $10,562 and will that be check, cash or credit card?

Geez, what kind of idiot fails to ask for a written estimate?

why are you applying fortune 500 business practices to benhogans side lawnmower business?

you are sitting here preaching about stuff with no real idea of what his business is and involves. If he says that 99% of his customers don't request a written estimate, then the expert in his field happens to be him, not you.

Honestly, if I were looking to get my lawnmower repaired and knew a guy like benhogan that did it as a hobby or a small side thing for the season, Id walk in, say what was happening with the machine, ask Mr. benhogan what he thought it was going to be ballpark, shake hands and leave. Id consider it ridiculous to request a written estimate for repairs to my lawnmower, this is not a car, or overly expensive, and he isn't running a multi million dollar business.

we don't know how this business is run or how many mowers he fixes, how can you presume to tell him how to run his business and that his customers are idiots without that important information? What if its a hobby he's just sharing with other people? you want him to register with the secretary of state and start paying into unemployment and commercial tax brackets if he makes a few hundred a week fixing 2 or 3 mowers?
You want him to run up an official letterhead and involve lawyers ect?

under a certain size and price, a written estimate is a joke. He's dealing with a jerk customer, he was really nice to the guy and gave him free stuff. If it were me, id tell the guy to GTF off my property and not come back, and make sure to tell all his friends that I prefer not to deal with deadbeats, and money talks. Benhogan seems to be nicer than I.

__________________
This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

Now my mechanic did recommend another Christian Brother's shop in Fayetteville, GA, but that was because the lead mechanic was a guy that he trained from no knowledge of cars to being on his level or above his level in many areas. But yes I agree, many companies that use religion to promote their business are not very trustworthy.
And yes I think Tony is a great mechanic. My father has been taking his cars to him exclusively for over 15 years and never has he felt cheated and has always been satisfied with the work done. His shop receives the best imports in the area and most everyone is satisfied. Some believe he charges too much but you really do get what you pay for. We are his favorite customers because of our loyalty so he many times has gone out of his way to do the work for us for less than he would normally charge, sometimes even charging nothing for labor. When our cars come in, they are always his first priority. When we took in our Sprinter to the dealership for recall work (which was rather extensive engine and manifold work), he went to the dealership and worked on it with the dealership's master mechanic to make sure it was done correctly.

__________________
Current: 1975 450SEL, 83 300D, 88 Yugo GVX, 90 300D OM603 swap, 91 F150 4.6 4v swap, 93 190E Sportline LE 3.0L M104 swap, 93 190E Sportline LE Megasquirt, 03 Sprinter, 06 E500 4Matic wagon.

Well now, do you feel better that you got that off your chest? In this big 'ole world we both share, isn't it nice to know that you can choose to do things your way and I can choose to do things my way? As for me, I don't care if a man is fixing and repairing gum ball machines or repairing commercial jets for a living, I expect him to carry on in a professional manner. Amateur hour is for amateurs and a business man who carries on his affairs like an amateur will never be taken seriously by his customers.

Next.

.........checkmate.........

How would a written estimate work with a mechanic anyway? Normally, you drop off the car, he diagnoses, and quotes a price over the phone after he knows what's wrong ... having to show up at the shop a second time to sign for an estimate or wait for a fax/email would be damned annoying. I just take the mechanic at his word and have not been disappointed thus far (at least not pricewise).

You have part of it right; the quote over the phone IS one type of estimate. Although I prefer an estimate in writing and yes, he can fax it over it me so that I can see with my own two eyes in black and white exactly what he is proposing. Think of a written estimate as a proposal. Next step in the process is one of two options:

Option A: Customer declines the estimate (proposal) by saying something like "That is too much money right now, I'm going to have to decline your offer - I'll be over this afternoon to pick up my car".

Option B: Customer accepts the estimate (proposal) by saying "Yes, that sounds agreeable to me. You: Great! All I need before beginning work is your OK on a signed work order. I can either fax it, email it or you can come by the shop and sign it. What would be most convenient for you?

By issuing an offer (estimate or proposal) and then asking the customer to first sign a work order (authorization to begin repairs), both the shop and the customer are on the same page. Misunderstandings are kept to a minimum.

What if you as the customer or the shop owner chooses not to follow protocol by following the estimate/signed work order process? I know of some shady transmission shops who operate this way. Customer drops the car off telling the shop that "he is experiencing problems with the transmission". Shop tells him that they will "road test" the car and get back to him. He calls later that day and the shop then informs the customer that the transmission is in need of a total rebuild and will cost $3000. Customer says, "I cannot afford that right now, I'll just swing by and pick up my car" to which the transmission shop says, "Unfortunately, we have pulled the transmission from your car and it is lying in pieces on our work bench and is awaiting your approval for work to begin".

All of my negotiations with shops have been over the phone. I've never had one charge me more than we agreed upon verbally -- then again, I don't go to random shops without either looking them up online, or ideally being referred by a friend who has worked with them in the past.

I doubt that would continue for very long. Shop owner shafts the wrong customer (or the spouse of the same), ends up face-up in Newark Bay if you know what I mean.