OT: Is a 'themed' shop necessary to a (potential) customer??

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Russell in Tulsa

Brent, you mentioned an area for the customers wife and spouse to sleep. Do your customers ever arrive in a motor home pulling a trailer with the A on it? And want to wait for a quick service or whatever? For minimal cost have a sewer and water and electric connection available within the fenced area and well lit for their piece of mind, if insurance would allow it that is. Free hook-up of course but watch out if Tom W. or Bill (the Guru) come to "visit" as your utilities may skyrocket!
Just a thought.

Yeah, funny that you mention that. Our own RockHillWill did just that. Brought his motorhome and his work clothes, ...and stayed a few weeks while we painted a truck for him (--err, actually his wife!!)

A few pix are HERE...

Yes, we have had several that have stopped and we threw a shore cord out for them to plug in to.

[jdfinch22]

to me it doesn't matter what it looks like but a clean shop shows pride. if you have pride in a clean shop you have pride in your work

[racer32]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

OK, thanks for your thoughts. A question is 'would you as a customer be willing to pay for that'?

Why I ask is, a themed interior and exterior will likely add 10% to the total price of construction. In other words, that comes in at $80k - $100k of additional expense. So if I am to add that amount into my overhead, that probably equates to $1,000 to $2,000 extra cost per car we restore just to cover those architectural & decor costs. If that is the case, is the extra costs in restoring your car still worth the ambience?

Not no, but hell no. I'd rather see a clean, organized shop with bare walls than one that looked like an antique store. Organization and cleanliness mean more than all the pretty antiques hanging on the wall or the outside of the building. Clutter means lost time. Grungy shop means work and parts will probably be grungy, too. If your shop isn't a disaster area and you do good work, word of mouth and repeats will keep you in business.

[Roadster62]

My favorite TV "Car Show" is "Graveyard Cars", it looks as clean as any hospital and they turn out first class restorations IMO, even though post WWII cars are a walk by for me at shows. A "Clean Roon" for final assemble can have a few vintage signs and what not for a vintage effect. I want to see clutter free dirty work area, well lit body prep area that has a sanding area that keeps all the dust away from the rest of the shop. Keeping your work staff happy with the wall decorations is more important the visiting customers. Bob

[Fred K-OR]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

I sincerely thank each & everyone for taking the time to post their thoughts!!

What Mr. White has said about marketing in these times is some of what I am hearing from the 'Outsiders' which has made me question this. It seems flamboyant first-impressions are often what makes many consumers decide if a business is for them. While I typically feel/felt like I am not impressed by ambience, when it was explained to me I began to realize I am more influenced than I thought I was. If you think about Disney Land/World, Dollywood, et/al who have spent mega-dollars on moods & ambience, it makes sense how they see a larger annual attendance than a Six-Flags amusement park does. The same thing with Cracker Barrel restaurant which has a nice décor inside however those items hanging from the ceiling really does not make the food taste any better than the restaurant next door. When you look around, there are huge sums of money spent on ambience of businesses, ...and even home garages are being transformed from places where automotive work takes place to a thing called a 'man cave' where folks just want to feel the mood.

So, ...I guess the frugal side of me wants to take the less-expensive road with regard to building architecture & ambience. What has made this a little unnerving for me is I feel our clientele is slightly changing as we are seeing other marques of vehicles pass through our doors. Yes, we have/use all of the specialty equipment & tools many speak about, yet is it enough? I guess time will tell. I think many have given me a peace about what direction I should plan for ...at least for now. Thanks again everyone!!

Brent it would seem like maybe the concern for what to do with your business in the future is to take a look at what type of customer are you going to be working with in the future. It is my understanding that your company primarily restores the Model A Ford. It also seems like most of the people that have Model A Fords are the "older" crowd of people-in other words old characters like me. Also a person that wants to restore a Model A has to have the financial ability to pay for the restoration of a Model A.

So the question is: What does a person like this "expect" from the vendor that is going to restore their Model A? It would seem like you would be dealing with an older person, one that has the financial ability to restore their car and thus what does this type of person want from you? My guess is that they would not want the " flamboyant first-impressions" but rather want someone like mentioned above that can get the job done for them and get it done well. Also have some reasonable "taking care" of them while they are in your operation such as a number of the reasonable features mentioned above.

Just my old judgment coming out again. As you realize you do not have an easy decision to make. But good luck with your judgment and your future business.

[BlueSunoco]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by Russell in Tulsa

Brent, you mentioned an area for the customers wife and spouse to sleep. Do your customers ever arrive in a motor home pulling a trailer with the A on it? And want to wait for a quick service or whatever? For minimal cost have a sewer and water and electric connection available within the fenced area and well lit for their piece of mind, if insurance would allow it that is. .

I think Mr. Terry has indicated that this has happened before, like in that dude from overseas that 'moved in' that one time to 'help and learn' about Model A Ford restoration, got kinda in the way and what not.

Sometimes that can be a bad thing. I know I don't like people looking over my shoulder when I'm working

[larrys40]

Originally Posted by CarlG

On the outside, make it look like a 30's Ford dealership, complete with the red brick facing. (kinda like the Museum).

Carl,
There is one of those right here in st. Louis... it's the original Sunset Ford building.... I always thought it would make an awesome facility....

Larry Shepard

[Lycoming-8]

If anyone here has ever visited the ex-pickle factory in Broken Arrow, Ok where Glenn Pray worked his magic restoring Auburns, Cords, and Duesies, then they will know that none of the fancy stuff is really required except skill and reputation!!!

Glenn even found a way to produce those Reproduction Auburns there at the same facility, and drew customers from around the world.

Nuff said.......

[ronn]

Lyco,
one of the finest restoration facilities is 30 minutes from me.............
has been turning out Mercers, Thomas, Simplex, etc for over 40 years- they are the finest restorations, and win everywhere
all takes place in a beat up old Quonset hut....... the equipment is old and nothing elaborate there. Everyone knows their reputation-nuff said.

[Synchro909]

Brent, you'll never please all the people any of the time. I suggest a tastefully done middle of the road facility for the customers and a top of the line workshop.
I figure it's more important to have a good workshop facility - one that a tour of will impress a new customer and give him confidence in your ability to do the job right. That will make your job easier too. The rest is just glitz.

[RockHillWill]

Brent, you know I am with Vince on this, as we have talked at length about it, and you know my viewpoint is that money and time spent in planning should lean towards material and work flow patterns and organized tooling at appropriate work stations. I'm glad to see you start this venture and wish you the BEST of luck. I think it is a wise decision.

[rwiegand]

Who do you want or expect your customers to be? What are they looking for?

I expect if your primary interest is in selling good quality, high value restoration work to Model A owning cheapskates (I'd count myself in aspiring to become part of that group), then the advice above is excellent. Clean, organized, looks like a place I'd like to work, but not excessive except to the extent that there's interesting stuff that's accumulated over time.

If you are aspiring to sell million dollar restorations to folks who will fly private jets in to tour your facility then it probably needs to go suitably upscale.

It really comes down to what business you want to be in with this new facility and who you are trying to sell to.

[todd3131]

Brent,
I don't think you are looking at this the correct way, it isn't about the stuff or the architecture, it is about what are you trying to say about your company. I tell each of my clients is to think about what they want their customer to think when they turn and walk away. To illustrate my point most banks were constructed of brick and granite the reason was to give the impression that the customers money was in a safe and secure bank. Lawyers offices are generally finished in high end materials this says that they must be good lawyers or they couldn't afford these offices. What this is called is experiential design and it is a way of thinking about how to express your brand and values to not only your external client base but also to your internal employees.

I am pretty well versed in this since this is how I make my living. I think old signs and gas pumps are great I love them but what do they say about you and your mission and vision of your business.

I always believe that branding is the most important thing that can be done for a business to grow them from a local to a regional or national markets, which is what I assume you want to do.

A hundred K sounds like a lot, you might look at some alternatives that would do more for you and cost way less. If you want some examples or want to look at a web site
try this one p-egd.com many examples.

There was a previous post that talks about a fancy restaurant that has lots of stuff in it
and is interesting to look at but the food is lousy and the other is a plain old dinner but the food is to die for. If you were to combine the food and the ambiance they would be extremely successful.

Todd

[Tinbasher]

First Impressions is what it's all about. Clean, Tidy, not to fancy, Let the shop reflect on what you do. I have a fancy shop near me, it looks amazing, great cars in the show room (None of them restored there) Lots of old signs etc. etc. Worse place you could get a car restored. Just worried about the money!! Nuff said.

The Old Tinbasher

[Steve Wastler]

Not sure how in depth you've gone into pricing a commercial build out, and I'm sure things are done differently in the hollers of of Tenn, but 800k-1m is rather light for total construction cost on TWO commercial buildings to house a FULL restoration facility you're thinking of.

Here's a link www.wastlerautoservice.com (with a great aerial view) to a commercial buildout of a modern repair shop with 14 bays, offices, parts room, waiting area, etc., Seven years ago this improvement to the property cost north of 3m, from ground breaking to occupancy.

A good shop needs no gimmicks, just the best quality of workmanship for a fair price point.

[mleder]

Brent: You have a strong reputation on this forum as well as a history of excellent restoration work. You always stress to fix things correctly and not use band aids or temporary solutions. Please just follow your own advise and work directly on the projects on hand devoting your money and time to pleasing the customer by turning out excellent work at a reasonable cost with the best tools and equipment you can use. You think your work will be topped by someone else with slick decorations? . Not going to happen if they do not have the skills, experience and equipment. Just do what you do best.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Steve Wastler

Not sure how in depth you've gone into pricing a commercial build out, and I'm sure things are done differently in the hollers of of Tenn, but 800k-1m is rather light for total construction cost on TWO commercial buildings to house a FULL restoration facility you're thinking of.

Here's a link www.wastlerautoservice.com (with a great aerial view) to a commercial buildout of a modern repair shop with 14 bays, offices, parts room, waiting area, etc., Seven years ago this improvement to the property cost north of 3m, from ground breaking to occupancy.

A good shop needs no gimmicks, just the best quality of workmanship for a fair price point.

No doubt that is a super nice facility however my business will not support that type of structure, ...especially with a $3M price tag. Even a $1M facility with a 5% interest rate spread over 20 years carries over a $6,500 a month note which does not include taxes/insurance/utilities/upkeep! Fortunately everything inside my shop (equipment, lifts, spray booth, compressor, etc.) is mine and paid for. Most of that will just transfer over. Right now I have 7,400 square foot and I am looking to expand to 12,000', with the majority just to be used as more workspace and storage. I would probably only add one, --or maybe two more employees.

Originally Posted by mleder

Brent: You have a strong reputation on this forum as well as a history of excellent restoration work. You always stress to fix things correctly and not use band aids or temporary solutions. Please just follow your own advise and work directly on the projects on hand devoting your money and time to pleasing the customer by turning out excellent work at a reasonable cost with the best tools and equipment you can use. You think your work will be topped by someone else with slick decorations? . Not going to happen if they do not have the skills, experience and equipment. Just do what you do best.

Your point is well taken. I realize there will always be shops out there that can provide less quality at a cheaper price. Sometimes we are guilty of being too frugal with our thoughts, ...which is why I appreciate the opportunity to bounce this question off of folks here.

Now I guess I need to post a few pictures of the proposed floor plan for some thoughts & critiquing.

[J Franklin]

Here is a simple front that doesn't look extravagant.

[Cool Hand Lurker]

Brent, your business mostly involves cars made before 1932. Your customers are tuned in to things from those years. If you want to attract customers who feel comfortable when surrounded by things from that era then your building décor should reflect that period.

The façade should be like a 1930’s Ford dealer or repair shop front. Inside décor does not have to be expensive or flashy. It could have photos of the ‘30s with lots of Model A or Model T cars in natural settings, not posed. A restored car or speedster could be in the showroom area. The floor could be wood plank, NOT black and white checkerboard. That says “STREET ROD” to me and I would walk back out the door.

A clean, organized shop says a lot about the work and builds confidence in the customer.

Don’t waste the money on bling. Don’t overdo the décor. Make the customer comfortable with the surroundings, the period nostalgia and the work being done.

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by J Franklin

Here is a simple front that doesn't look extravagant.

Love that Merc parked out front
(Post #79)