Estimates vs. The Final Repair

Now that you’ve had your second or third cup of coffee, and the spike-horn killers have given you a moment or two for relaxation and reflection, your thoughts might turn to that customer who left your shop in an outrage because his gun cost him $20 more than you estimated. He still isn’t convinced that you aren’t ripping him off; after all, you’re the one who estimated that it would cost approximately so much’and, lo and behold, it cost more. No explanation will satisfy this bird, so don’t try.

To help avoid this situation, when you give an estimate you should mark on your Brownells repair card "Estimate Only" in bold letters. Or, if you’re sophisticated enough to have one of those little order machines, make sure the copy you give the customer says the same thing. A lot of people don’t understand the English language, let alone repair talk. They think an estimate is a price cast in stone.

If you attempt to explain to him that an estimate is just that, you’ll only convince him that you give low estimates just so you can bump the final price up later. So, again, don’t try to reason with someone who is unreasonable. Keep one thing in mind: You’re only a gunsmith with dirty hands and Ian honest heart. And neither of these will do anything to protect you from idiots who can’t be pleased. You show me the gunsmith who can please everyone and I want him to take his shirt off and show me his wings.

Of course, a gunsmith has to please his customers, but at the same time he has to protect himself. Here’s how I suggest you do that. In a typical case, a gun comes in, usually attached to a customer. You’re busy but you listen to his complaint and write it up. He asks for an estimate and you give him one’based on what he tells you is wrong with the gun. No problem so far. The problem arises after you start on the gun and find other things that are wrong with it, and it’s obviously a larger job than you figured.

You may have already put an hour into the gun and used up the labor charge you built into your estimate. Stop. Don’t do anything else. Figure out what it will actually take to fix the gun and come up with a price you’re happy with. Make notes on the repair card and leave the gun disassembled. Now you want to contact your customer. Get him back in your shop and explain what you’ve found and what it will take to repair the problem properly.

If he dwells on the estimated price and tells you that you should have been able to tell right off the bat what it would take to fix the gun, you can quietly tell him you are not Superman and you don’t have X-ray vision. Patiently explain that the problem with the gun was not evident from an external inspection and that you were simply basing your estimate on what he told you was wrong.

Explain that your estimate for that particular repair is still good, but you can’t guarantee a proper repair unless the real problem is fixed. If this turkey is a really nasty S. O. B., give him his gun (disassembled) and tell him that you’ve used up the estimated labor charge. Ask him what he wants you to do. Put the decision on him. He’s going to be looking at a disassembled gun’one that still does not work’along with a lot of screws and springs and parts he can’t identify.

If he refuses to pay more that the original estimate, tell him you will gladly put his gun back together but he will have to sign a release stating there is still work to be done. This hold-harmless statement is required for your protection and indicates that you offer no guarantee that the gun is safe to use. This can keep you out of small-claims court, where it’s all too easy to sue someone. If the customer is reasonable and you’ve convinced him of your honesty, he’ll let you go ahead and do it right.

If not, tell him when to comeback to pick up his gun and how much he owes you. Now you may say: "This doesn’t happen to me." My answer to that would be: "It will, sooner or later." And being a good former Boy Scout, you should be prepared. The bottom line is to be careful of estimates, and always be sure you make it clear that an estimate is just that, an estimate, and it’s based on what the customer tells you is wrong’not necessarily on what you find when you disassemble the gun.

And then stop once you’ve identified the problem; call the customer and explain. Get his approval for continuing or stop work altogether. Don’t work for nothing if continuing on the job is going to cost you money out of pocket. So, once again, understand that, as unfortunate as these situations are, you will run into them. Having an established policy regarding estimates and explaining it clearly will help to avoid misunderstandings and dissatisfied customers.

AMGFW08 AG DBI – Spread Ad – New (coming directly from Belvoir)

AMGFW08 AG DBI – Spread Ad – New (coming directly from Belvoir)