This is stretching my patience....
Discussion
A few months ago someone reversed into the Exige, but all is well because their insurance company is fixing it.
Whilst the car was in the body shop and having half the car painted, I took the plunge and decided to have a full re-spray, and colour change.
However the car went in 5 weeks ago and I'm still not going to have it back until Friday at the earliest. It's been promise after promise but there is always something stalling it.
Today I was supposed to collect it but they have noticed a few paint issues they need to sort out (re-paint bits) and to re-align the front clam.
I'm pleased they are trying to make it perfect for me rather than give it back with issues, but holy crap it's getting ridiculous now, surely these things should have been picked up at least a week ago when the car was already mostly assembled.
I am so looking forward to getting the car back, it's going to be so amazing, yet it's overshadowed by this huge wait...I feel like I don't even have an exige anymore
I haven't got arsey with them up until now, I know I can be a right pain at times and wanted to keep them on-side, and I didn't want the job rushed either so that they would make a great job of it.
I am now stuck without a car as I gave the insurance car back before I went to le Mans, on the premise that I'd be picking up the car yesterday, then today, then Friday, and I'm sceptical about that being realistic. They have offered me an Auris which I have turned my nose up at and asked them for something better, like for like preferably, although it's still not the same as your own. I derserve it right??
How long really should it take for a full re-spray?? Originally I was quoted 9 days for the rear clam, and the full respray wouldn't stretch it out that much more....hmph!
Am I being reasonable/unreasonable/Doormat...?
I can already hear numerous 'I told you so's' ringing in my ears. But I really believed this decision would work for me this time...shame, especially when spending a lot of money. Seems I was wrong
I was hoping to take the car to Le Mans - FAIL
I am hoping to take the car to a wedding Friday - FAIL
Oh, the car by the way has gone Kawasaki Lime Green and it looks F****ing amazing!!
Whilst the car was in the body shop and having half the car painted, I took the plunge and decided to have a full re-spray, and colour change.
However the car went in 5 weeks ago and I'm still not going to have it back until Friday at the earliest. It's been promise after promise but there is always something stalling it.
Today I was supposed to collect it but they have noticed a few paint issues they need to sort out (re-paint bits) and to re-align the front clam.
I'm pleased they are trying to make it perfect for me rather than give it back with issues, but holy crap it's getting ridiculous now, surely these things should have been picked up at least a week ago when the car was already mostly assembled.
I am so looking forward to getting the car back, it's going to be so amazing, yet it's overshadowed by this huge wait...I feel like I don't even have an exige anymore
I haven't got arsey with them up until now, I know I can be a right pain at times and wanted to keep them on-side, and I didn't want the job rushed either so that they would make a great job of it.
I am now stuck without a car as I gave the insurance car back before I went to le Mans, on the premise that I'd be picking up the car yesterday, then today, then Friday, and I'm sceptical about that being realistic. They have offered me an Auris which I have turned my nose up at and asked them for something better, like for like preferably, although it's still not the same as your own. I derserve it right??
How long really should it take for a full re-spray?? Originally I was quoted 9 days for the rear clam, and the full respray wouldn't stretch it out that much more....hmph!
Am I being reasonable/unreasonable/Doormat...?
I can already hear numerous 'I told you so's' ringing in my ears. But I really believed this decision would work for me this time...shame, especially when spending a lot of money. Seems I was wrong
I was hoping to take the car to Le Mans - FAIL
I am hoping to take the car to a wedding Friday - FAIL
Oh, the car by the way has gone Kawasaki Lime Green and it looks F****ing amazing!!
MiniDiva said:
yet it's overshadowed by this huge wait...I feel like I don't even have an exige anymore
Pah! 5 weeks? Amateur! Mine was supposed to be about 6 months, 2 years ago.I'd hang fire on blasting them just yet. If it's close, it's close. Just be thankful that you've got someone who's enough pride in their work to demand perfection before the car's delivered back to you.
Feel free to kick up a fuss if it comes back and it's less than perfect though
get down there and give them a blast of MiniDiva anger!
or.....
keep them on side, and as previously posted make sure its perfect before agreeing to take it away and pay.
also - i think its fair for you to ask for a decent courtesy car, they're over running on the work, which they had said wasn't meant to make much difference to a 9 day turnaround!!
want to borrow the elise? or the mini?
or.....
keep them on side, and as previously posted make sure its perfect before agreeing to take it away and pay.
also - i think its fair for you to ask for a decent courtesy car, they're over running on the work, which they had said wasn't meant to make much difference to a 9 day turnaround!!
want to borrow the elise? or the mini?
Edited by King SuPah on Wednesday 16th June 15:30
MiniDiva said:
A few months ago someone reversed into the Exige, but all is well because their insurance company is fixing it.
Whilst the car was in the body shop and having half the car painted, I took the plunge and decided to have a full re-spray, and colour change.
However the car went in 5 weeks ago and I'm still not going to have it back until Friday at the earliest. It's been promise after promise but there is always something stalling it.
Today I was supposed to collect it but they have noticed a few paint issues they need to sort out (re-paint bits) and to re-align the front clam.
I'm pleased they are trying to make it perfect for me rather than give it back with issues, but holy crap it's getting ridiculous now, surely these things should have been picked up at least a week ago when the car was already mostly assembled.
I am so looking forward to getting the car back, it's going to be so amazing, yet it's overshadowed by this huge wait...I feel like I don't even have an exige anymore
I haven't got arsey with them up until now, I know I can be a right pain at times and wanted to keep them on-side, and I didn't want the job rushed either so that they would make a great job of it.
I am now stuck without a car as I gave the insurance car back before I went to le Mans, on the premise that I'd be picking up the car yesterday, then today, then Friday, and I'm sceptical about that being realistic. They have offered me an Auris which I have turned my nose up at and asked them for something better, like for like preferably, although it's still not the same as your own. I derserve it right??
How long really should it take for a full re-spray?? Originally I was quoted 9 days for the rear clam, and the full respray wouldn't stretch it out that much more....hmph!
Am I being reasonable/unreasonable/Doormat...?
I can already hear numerous 'I told you so's' ringing in my ears. But I really believed this decision would work for me this time...shame, especially when spending a lot of money. Seems I was wrong
I was hoping to take the car to Le Mans - FAIL
I am hoping to take the car to a wedding Friday - FAIL
Oh, the car by the way has gone Kawasaki Lime Green and it looks F****ing amazing!!
Crumbs, really difficult especially if they have your pride and joy, I'd get them to agree a timescale and incur some sort of fine if they don't meet the deadline?Whilst the car was in the body shop and having half the car painted, I took the plunge and decided to have a full re-spray, and colour change.
However the car went in 5 weeks ago and I'm still not going to have it back until Friday at the earliest. It's been promise after promise but there is always something stalling it.
Today I was supposed to collect it but they have noticed a few paint issues they need to sort out (re-paint bits) and to re-align the front clam.
I'm pleased they are trying to make it perfect for me rather than give it back with issues, but holy crap it's getting ridiculous now, surely these things should have been picked up at least a week ago when the car was already mostly assembled.
I am so looking forward to getting the car back, it's going to be so amazing, yet it's overshadowed by this huge wait...I feel like I don't even have an exige anymore
I haven't got arsey with them up until now, I know I can be a right pain at times and wanted to keep them on-side, and I didn't want the job rushed either so that they would make a great job of it.
I am now stuck without a car as I gave the insurance car back before I went to le Mans, on the premise that I'd be picking up the car yesterday, then today, then Friday, and I'm sceptical about that being realistic. They have offered me an Auris which I have turned my nose up at and asked them for something better, like for like preferably, although it's still not the same as your own. I derserve it right??
How long really should it take for a full re-spray?? Originally I was quoted 9 days for the rear clam, and the full respray wouldn't stretch it out that much more....hmph!
Am I being reasonable/unreasonable/Doormat...?
I can already hear numerous 'I told you so's' ringing in my ears. But I really believed this decision would work for me this time...shame, especially when spending a lot of money. Seems I was wrong
I was hoping to take the car to Le Mans - FAIL
I am hoping to take the car to a wedding Friday - FAIL
Oh, the car by the way has gone Kawasaki Lime Green and it looks F****ing amazing!!
Paint really can be a pain in the rear end thou, hope it get’s resolved shortly for you
Boggy
Auris!!!! Lucky you. I'm spending my birthday in a Yaris 
Count yourself lucky.
I've also now been waiting 8 days for a quote from said same repairers! I still don't know whether it will be written off....
.. be (somewhat) thankful for small mercies..... It's nearly there....
Count yourself lucky. I've also now been waiting 8 days for a quote from said same repairers! I still don't know whether it will be written off....
.. be (somewhat) thankful for small mercies..... It's nearly there....
Edited by Grinnders on Wednesday 16th June 16:52
There's an article in this month's bodyshop magazine, which mentions the industry average amount of time a car will be away from its owner if it needs 16 hours of work.
26 days.
What other industry would get away with 2 working days of work being strung out to over a working month?
Exceptions exist, but generally, the organisation and workflow management is appalling - a car will typically only have an hour and a half of work carried out on it in any one day. The rest is wasted time.
26 days.
What other industry would get away with 2 working days of work being strung out to over a working month?
Exceptions exist, but generally, the organisation and workflow management is appalling - a car will typically only have an hour and a half of work carried out on it in any one day. The rest is wasted time.
Anatol said:
There's an article in this month's bodyshop magazine, which mentions the industry average amount of time a car will be away from its owner if it needs 16 hours of work.
26 days.
What other industry would get away with 2 working days of work being strung out to over a working month?
Exceptions exist, but generally, the organisation and workflow management is appalling - a car will typically only have an hour and a half of work carried out on it in any one day. The rest is wasted time.
You can't just do the 16hours of work all in one go. For example, say you apply the primer then you need to wait for it to cure before painting. So 16 hours of work can actually be substantually longer in actual duration.26 days.
What other industry would get away with 2 working days of work being strung out to over a working month?
Exceptions exist, but generally, the organisation and workflow management is appalling - a car will typically only have an hour and a half of work carried out on it in any one day. The rest is wasted time.
Although granted 26 days is a bit much.
ads_green said:
For example, say you apply the primer then you need to wait for it to cure before painting.
Only half true. The primer cure can be much quicker than the 8 hours it might take in a worst case scenario - but primers that cure more quickly and behave well, or investing in forced-curing technology that speeds things up without compromising on durability - these have cost implications.At the moment, if it's a choice between customer service and margins, too many bodyshops don't care about the experience of the owner-driver. Possibly because almost all of them actually rely on insurance companies for the majority of their work, so they have no real commercial driver to care too much about vehicle owners.
In bodyshop parlance, they don't even talk about customers. It's 'work providers' - code for insurance companies - that they focus on.
Anatol said:
ads_green said:
For example, say you apply the primer then you need to wait for it to cure before painting.
Only half true. The primer cure can be much quicker than the 8 hours it might take in a worst case scenario - but primers that cure more quickly and behave well, or investing in forced-curing technology that speeds things up without compromising on durability - these have cost implications.At the moment, if it's a choice between customer service and margins, too many bodyshops don't care about the experience of the owner-driver. Possibly because almost all of them actually rely on insurance companies for the majority of their work, so they have no real commercial driver to care too much about vehicle owners.
In bodyshop parlance, they don't even talk about customers. It's 'work providers' - code for insurance companies - that they focus on.
For example, you prime a piece of bodywork and lets say for arguments sake that this takes 1 hour to cure. You can't have the employee sitting twiddling thumbs for an hour so they go onto other work. It's highly likely that this work won't take exactly one hour so say it takes two. This is how delays can quickly add up from the actual effort being different from the duration.
It's not as if you can stop one job half way through to resume another as the end results would be frankly awful.
You can't compare it to say something like a car service esp manufacturers that utilise menu prices and standard times. These you can plan precisely as you know how long each job will take.
That being said I'm sure bodyshop places do take more work on they they can manage and possibly don't manage it as well as they could but it's not a problem isolated to them.
I have a reasonable insight into how bodyshops work - I own one
If you have your process line just right, it is possible to keep a vehicle moving forward at almost all times - while curing times are the biggest roadblock in this, investment in the most modern forms of curing technology all but eliminate the bottlenecks.
Certainly it would be possible for a car needing 16 hours of work to be turned around in vastly less than the current - but for those bodyshops who are focussed on insurance work, there's little incentive to bother with delays that only annoy owner-drivers.
If you have your process line just right, it is possible to keep a vehicle moving forward at almost all times - while curing times are the biggest roadblock in this, investment in the most modern forms of curing technology all but eliminate the bottlenecks.
Certainly it would be possible for a car needing 16 hours of work to be turned around in vastly less than the current - but for those bodyshops who are focussed on insurance work, there's little incentive to bother with delays that only annoy owner-drivers.
Be aware of my favourites from our favourite body shop.
1) Non adjusted headlights, it was dark when I turned them on and they were pointing at the floor 2ft in front of the car.... that was fun. I was also 100miles from home.... on B roads!
2) didnt re fill the coolent system leading to the kind of temps that would make the space shuttle blush.
1) Non adjusted headlights, it was dark when I turned them on and they were pointing at the floor 2ft in front of the car.... that was fun. I was also 100miles from home.... on B roads!
2) didnt re fill the coolent system leading to the kind of temps that would make the space shuttle blush.
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