A day off at Co-op: A few things I’d like to discuss ……..

…..Since this IS a day off for me I’d like to say a few things that’s been on my mind.

Any business is defined the the things they offer to their customers and how they offer them, we are a full service GMC and vintage RV restoration shop.  I do not project ourselves as a DIY parts house.  I do not inventory quantities of parts hoping to sell many parts as a profit center.  We DO offer parts but what we offer are parts we use.  If you are interested to do things we do in our restorations I’m happy to sell you the pieces/parts we use but the selling of parts is not a focus for us.  Other businesses like Applied GMC and Alex Sirum GMC among a few others see themselves as a seller of parts.  If you offer parts you must offer installation instructions, we do not offer comprehensive DIY instruction on things folks purchase from us.  My answer to the question when asked me, “Do you have an instruction manual on parts you sell?”  .  My answer to that is no.  My answer will always be…..call me.  Time and money to create comprehensive instruction manuals does not affect my bottom line because as I said, parts is not a profit center for us.

I realize this is frustrating for all of you out there wanting include some of the things you see us do in your coach.  I have had people down right upset over the fact that we do not offer things like “body-to-frame gussets” or “aluminum radiator conversion like these…..

Oh, btw this is my day off so I have some time to post here…………and you KNOW I’m long winded so strap in!

Remember something, we are a “labor house”, we exist because of our expertise and the profit from the labor using that expertise…..not in selling parts.

This is just as frustrating for me as it is for you who want to do this stuff yourself on your coach.

How do I give away the very thing we pay the light bill with?  All of you know im more than willing to answer questions and help you with your projects……i have no sales motivation for you to treat me like a parts salesman.  See I’m on your side and for those that connect the dots and see that it’s so much more cost effective to have us use that experience to work on your coach than messing with some big projects at home just isn’t cost or end result effective.  Bringing it to us and invest the fuel to have something like that done by us is so much better……even Henry Ford didn’t want his first car I’ll bet!  Your coach won’t have to endure your learning curve.  Most times you learn on the first thing you do but do a much better job on your second effort……problem is you only have 1 coach….most of you.  Think of anything you did for the first time…..you learned so much that the second time doing it is much more successful.  This is the thing my business offers you, not DIY kits.

So how do I try and address this double frustrating issue?  “If you want something we do, call me and I’ll step you thru some basics” can my only answer.  Over 23 years I have picked up tips that make our work the professional approach you would expect if you had someone knowledgeable like us do that work.

From the incredible pushback I got from those self professed gurus on the internet social networks makes me really not want to offer anyone help to do some of the things we do.

The 1 wire alternator, aluminum fuel tanks and the aluminum radiator mod are just 3 examples of things we’ve worked hard at offering in our restorations.  I didn’t come up with these things to piss off folks and be looked upon as a parts sales guy or some guy want to have folks hear me….. Remember I’m on your side.

I did finally offer the aluminum fuel tanks and the 1 wire alternator to those who persisted with me but I made it clear this is not a DIY kit and you need to work directly with me on the install………i cannot be responsible for every aspect of integrating something into your coach by remote or impart upon you the knowledge needed to do the job.  It’s not good for me and for you if I tell folks “anyone can do this” because you may not possess the experience we do in putting some of these things in.

And wouldn’t you rather have me on your side of the table as a helper than a parts guy who takes the heat from all the guys who expect you to make their dreams come true by simply selling a part.  It just cannot happen that way……..guys, I’m on your side!  Don’t shoot!  My life matters too!  I refuse to be looked upon as a parts munger!  And I refuse to take heat for not being able to make your first try at something come out perfect.

So, the 2 ways I can help you……. I can try and step you through the basics to give you a leg up on your discovery or just bring the thing down here………you deal with your “honey do” list and let us do the frustrating thing that you’ve never done and are scared to do.  It will probably come out better and cost less in the long run.

So did all of that still come out like a % parts hocker?  No?  Then you should not frustrate yourself and me…….please go to someone else and yell at them like you’re at McDonald’s and they forgot napkins……….we are not that person or that business.

Are your eyes bleeding yet?  My plunking finger is tired and I hope all this makes some sense.

I have also had troubles with trying to answer the plethora of Emails and social network communications.  My “mailbox” is full, I’m buried with inquires on all kinds of stuff….pricing, availability, shipping, instruction, explanations……….I’m not a parts house!  I do not make income on offering parts for sale!

Does that now make more sense?  I want to help, we make mistakes just like the rest of the world but I will tell you this as a fact…..any issues or anything that does not perfectly suit your expectations did not happen because of profit to me or any intentional abuse of you.  Please do not abuse me.  I was up most of the night and had to stop the world and get all of this out of my head before I could do anything else……so there it is, hope nothing got on ya and you can now deplane by the front door…….. Thanks for putting up with me, you have my support, support me in return and I think maybe we can both survive this……see ya later

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