That one customer who watched me sand for 20 minutes straight

Had a guy last Wednesday bring in a 2015 F150 with a dented driver side door. I told him it'd be around $600 to fix and repaint. He just stood there in the shop, arms crossed, watching me work the DA sander for like 20 minutes without saying a word. Finally he goes "you know, I thought this was gonna be a rip off but I can see you actually earn your pay." Paid in cash on the spot. That stuck with me because most people just drop the keys and leave. Has anyone else had a customer hang around and actually watch the whole process?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_flores820d ago

Brings back memories of this old guy who watched me buff a scratch on his classic mustang for almost an hour. Kept saying "not bad" over and over. Eventually handed me a fifty and said "you earned it." Never did figure out if he was serious or making fun of my speed.

terry_jones20d ago

Haha, that's a classic old timer move. He was probably dead serious about the slow and steady work, you know? But I bet he also got a kick out of just having someone to talk to about his car while you were at it.

the_sandra20d agoMost Upvoted

24 years of that kind of thing. Early on I had a guy watch me change four tires on his Cadillac. Took forever because the lug nuts were rusted on. He just stood there sipping coffee. Handed me $80 and said "you didn't force anything." I think that's the highest compliment from those old timers. They respect patience more than speed.