it says "dont let them hang outin the lobby or come by to say whats up". Random people hanging around cars is retarded, people hanging around in the lobby and staying in contact is called customer appreciation.


That is one of the reasons I say you fail. There are many other reasons but I'm not here to bash your thread. I gave you a few ideas but too much is still going far over your head. Like I said, good luck.

 

Honostly you dont know anything about how this shop is going to work. Tell me I will fail, And I will continue to suprise you. Thanks

 

You aren't a business major are you?

People that hang out at Starbucks typically buy the same amount of drinks as people who are in and out...one. While many people love to stay at Starbucks for hours, this does not translate into increased revenues for the business. Ask me how I know.

The same will be true for a performance shop. Someone hanging out there is not going to spend more money than the person that is there for 5 minutes to drop-off/pick-up their car. And in my experience, most of the people that show up to just hang out at a shop try to get work done for free.

Trust/comfort are essential for a shop to have, but having people hanging around the shop all the time is not the way to get it.

 

I'm not saying it translates to increased money... right then. It makes it a place where people feel comfortable going to hang out and purchase on a regular basis, as opposed to a one time customer. I can tell you for a fact that if I felt any of my shops didn't want me hanging around that I would not be spending thousands of dollars with them. Shit, sometimes I used to pop into S&R in the mornings and bring them a few dozen donuts just because that is the kind of place I felt I could do that. If they weren't then they would not have gotten any business from me. Sorry, maybe I am old fashioned but I think that is how a shop should operate.

 

if i bring boobs i get free shit

 

i say make it a nice place for customers to wait for their vehicle to be finished. A TV with cable, a vending machine, and maybe a closed circuit TV to watch the dyno...

but people cannot loiter in your place of business unless they are scantily clad females. Basically if your not spending money or promoting the shop you shouldn't be there, end of story.

 

Stock a shitload of front o2 sensors for an 06 STI, I bet I can keep you in business with just those!

 

I understand your thought process. But a performance shop's core benefit is providing a better performing car to its customers. A shop that focuses on encouraging people to hang out with free wi-fi is deviating from its core benefit. Do you want this to be a shop or a hangout spot? A place that tries to be both is going to convey a mixed message to its customers and lose some because of it (something that Starbucks is also guilty of).

Oh and, a business' first priority is to be sustainably profitable. Making decisions that dont "translate to increased money" on a long-term basis is a good way to end up like Driven Concepts.

 

When I left them, they were.

A shop should be about your abilities, not your amenities. You have to decide if you want to have a shop based on your work or a shop based on retail. Either can work but like that nose trimmer that's also a flash light, ratchet wrench, toaster oven and garden rake, you can't be everything to everyone and excel at it.

Personally, retail is much easier but the overhead is much more. Sit on your ass in the A/C and peddle parts seems like a great idea to me.

 

Keep the shop/lobby/parking area clean, and keep people that aren't customers/promoting the business out. Also, ask people who have their cars in for extensive work if you can display pictures of the work being done in the lobby, and if possible have a shop-sponsored/project car to display how awesome your shop is at building up a car.

I guess other than that I don't have much to add, other than if people come in for fluid changes don't hassle them if they bring their own fluids. Good luck, and I hope you succeed because I need a shop that I trust to bring my Subie to.