A question for all

[BASSMEKANIK89 10+ year member]

Hey all, I just wanted to hear some thoughts on what is a touchy subject in my industry so hear goes.

Why is it ok to go to a local shop and take time to have them help you with install design, picking product and overcoming obstacles to attain your goal and then you take all that information and go to another shop/internet because they were cheaper?

This is not a personal attack towards anyone, I am just curious to hear honest answers. Thanks for your time!

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[T.I.K. 10+ year member]

It depends on if you paid them for their advice. If you paid for their help, then no, I don't see a problem with that.

If you didn't pay, then I kind of see myself obligated to stay and give them the business they earned.

 

[BASSMEKANIK89 10+ year member]

I can't beleive only one person responded to this???? Is it too personal a question?

 

[TheUnderFighter 10+ year member]

I agree with above. I'm a pretty loyal guy, so I wouldn't be comfortable developing a relationship with that shop and then just screwing them. Maybe if you paid for advice I suppose you could then do what you want.

But if I go in for advice, and they help me out of their own goodness, I would totally expect to come back there.

 

[Chriszle 10+ year member]

I am not condoning this behavior, but people do want the best value for their money, especially in these econonic times. If I can spend 1/2 what dealer charges online, on something that is used like new I am probably going to go that route. If I find myself in the position where I for some reason do need to go to a shop, I am more then willing to pay for their time helping me, but when it comes to future purchases I will continue to save my money. Whereas if I get help for free, I can make sure I will be doing business with them down the road, and also spread word of mouth.

 

[dragonrage 10+ year member]

Why is it ok to go to a local shop and take time to have them help you with install design, picking product and overcoming obstacles to attain your goal and then you take all that information and go to another shop/internet because they were cheaper?

I generally don't let anyone else touch my car, unless I'm getting work done under warranty... but this is true for lots of industries... car repair... computer repair... A lot of times people will try and get a free diagnosis and then fix it themselves or have a friend do it or whatever... It's fine with having someone else do the diagnosis or whatever, but pay them for their time if you never intended to have them do the work.

Some people are just dishonest in general, and that will probably never change.

 

[BASSMEKANIK89 10+ year member]

I figured I would ask this question because it is so **** frustrating to spend 30-60 minutes to help someone acheive their dream install and then see there car at another shop getting my install(design and everything) completed because they beat my price by $100, or they just buy from the internet without even giving me a chance to match/come close or even beat the internet pricing. Thanks for all that have posted.

 

[Slayerx 10+ year member]

While the practice of doing that is wrong in my eyes, dont give someone your time, plans, designs etc away for free. If someone is serious they can at least place a deposit with you, part of which could be non-refundable.

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

Are you just starting out owning your own shop or working for them?

Just wondering because if there for awhile most would be like I can help you design something, but I charge X amount of dollars. Saves you time if they dont want to pay or if they are serious, they will pay. I can tell a lot from a good shop and a bad shop just by going in and having a look around and seeing how their CS is.

Anymore though, I do my own research and just do it myself....local 12v are fading out big time, especially around here.

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

The only thing I dont do myself is enclosures and thats simply because I dont have the space in my apartment for them. I get the box specs here and I call around to get prices. Who ever is cheapest I usually take to my local shop and have them match the price so I dont have to drive 45 minutes for an enclosure.

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

The only thing I dont do myself is enclosures and thats simply because I dont have the space in my apartment for them. I get the box specs here and I call around to get prices. Who ever is cheapest I usually take to my local shop and have them match the price so I dont have to drive 45 minutes for an enclosure.

With all the amazing box builders on this site and some others. I would give them my business over a local shop......I have had some shady work on boxes from Local shops and charge a fortune for them.

It is cheaper off a site like this to get specs, build it, ship it than to go to a local shop. In today's world, I will go with price/quality over being ripped off/shody work.

Plus feedback on sites like this is awesome. Can see pics of boxes they have done to get a good idea of their craftmanship...

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

I know the owner of the local shop personally. I went to school with him. I paid $125 for my 4.5 net cube box tuned at 32Hz for my DC Level 4 15". That was build with 1/2" MDF, carpeted, wired, everything. I dropped the sub off and picked it up next day ready to get installed.

 

[BASSMEKANIK89 10+ year member]

The challenge that you will run into if all of the local 12v shops go away is going to be testing of product, quaility designs of product and most of all price. Most of the stuff bought online is from a shop selling it sideways(not allowed and with no warranty). This only happens because the manu. force you to carry more product than you really want to to get better prices. Very few shops operate like I did when I had mine, I never was on terms with anyone. Everything I owned was paid in full before it shipped to me. So most shops have to unload product to try and get money to pay the bill thats in the mail. The other main thing that is lost when the local 12v shops go away is quality of work. No matter what anyone here says if the shops had more people walking in the doors that showed a "little" more loyalty people installers would get paid a fair wage and not have to worry about doing side jobs to make a living. Most of the cool ideas that po=eople use today were all developed by a installer busting his *** for his passion. Hell even Best Buy got rid of the top payed employees to trim cost and now they are a complete joke of the industry(I took home 53k last year at BB 2001). The internet is a GREAT thing, but it is just causing a race to ZERO for the car audio industry. Sorry for that rant and thansk for all of your input.

 

[djarmy2004 10+ year member]

There is alot of that in this industry. There are always going to be those people who want to try and ask 3-4 different shops for advise.. Alot of times these people will go with the lowest shop and get exactly what they pay, shotty work at best. Its come from my experience if you find a good shop sometimes its worth the extra money to pay a good shop. Alot of the times when paying X amount to a reputable shop will save you from not having to redo the shotty work from a cheaper place in the end.