A $10 Light Bulb

If you are a regular Joe that understands why I do what I do, you don’t really need to read further. If I sent you a link to this in an email, I didn’t like the way you treated me when I did nothing disrespectful to you and I’m guessing your Mommy didn’t teach you manners when you were a kid. I can tell you this post is full of vitriol because I’m frustrated with the way my employees and I are treated by some people. “Well that’s what happens when you’re in business.” You are exactly right. And I know that, but it doesn’t make it right. Still, to maintain some sense of sanity, I’ve decided to vent. Just don’t read any further, I warn you.

Why is Ford Motor Company in business? There is one correct answer. Now, I want you to seriously get an answer in your head . . . . OK, the correct answer is, “to make money.” If you answered anything else, well, we may have difficulties in our relationship – and you need to take a course in Business 101.

Recently, I went to have my Mustang’s oil and filter changed. The lad doing the work mentioned that one of my license plate lamps was burned out and would I like to have it replaced. I said, “Yes.” It added $10 to the bill.

I’m writing this mostly to vent. Now, mind you, I’m not venting about the $10 light bulb (which I could buy at the local AutoZone for a quarter and replace myself in under 2 minutes. You see, I understand business (see paragraph one), but more and more I’m seeing too many people who don’t. Of course it didn’t cost the repair shop $10 to replace that bulb. In fact, they paid less than a quarter for it. But I recognize that they are in business to make money, not to make me a smoking deal. They have overhead costs, they have to stock the item, someone has to program the computer to tell them what bulbs to put where. So, although I don’t like paying $10, I understand I have a simple choice to make – pay $10 and be done with it or make a special trip to the AutoZone, look up the correct bulb number, buy it, drive home, get out the screwdriver, yada, yada.

Now this is where I start venting. I’ve been in business for over a quarter century. I have worked to develop a reputation for being honest and caring about the hobby. I have a motto, “Concourse Quality, Hobbyist Price.” Most of the products I sell I have never raised the price on! You read that right – You pay today what someone paid in 1983 for the same item. Name me ANY other car business that can boast that. And I’m getting a little damn tired of listening to whiners who complain about my prices or that I won’t give them some info for free because they have, “been a customer for a very long time.”

Let me give you an example: I have been told by Steve Davis, the VP of Barrett-Jackson, that our Marti Reports have singlehandedly raised the value of Ford vehicles at auction 10%. So if you are driving a Ford, its worth more because of what I have made available. In the June 2009 issue of Mustang and Ford on page 28, it states that a Marti Report adds 10%+ to the value of your car. Now, if your car has a value of $20,000, according to the experts, I’ve helped add $2,000 to the value. So the next time you order a $40 report and find that your vehicle has an added worth of thousands of dollars, don’t tell me my report costs to much. Fair enough? In fact, how about cutting me a check for some of your profit when you go to sell the car, huh?

I bought the invoices that Lois Eminger had. She didn’t pay anything for them, but I had to pay her a lot to get them. In the time that I’ve had possession of them, the value of some of these vehicles has quintupled, yet my price is the same. Do you know, I could charge $1,000 for a Boss 429 invoice and there are people that would pay that. But I don’t do that. Am I looking for a pat on the back? No, but I expect respect for being a hobbyist and don’t need crap about the price. Daily I’m trying not to become cynical, but some people make it pretty hard.

Our website contains virtually all information necessary to understand and place an order for our reports or parts. Yet, people email me asking what the lead time is on a report. I dash off a quick email that info is on the website (that’s part of the reason for having the website!). But, they can’t be bothered (I guess they are royalty). They email an insult back about my (lack of) manhood or my incompetence. Guess what, buddy. I don’t do this to be insulted. Grow up or go away. I want to devote my business time to nice people. I work with troubled people during my volunteer time.

A customer returned a battery cable to us he bought three years ago. He said he just took it out of the bag. Uh, huh. “OK, why does it have installation marks on it?” This is the point in time where we get the speech that he has been a long time customer. I get it, because you have been a long time customer, I’m supposed to give you free stuff when you wreck something. Now I know a lot of businesses don’t want to deal with something like this so their procedure is to give the customer another one and then just pass the cost on to other customers. Its called good business PR. Its easier to make the customer go away by giving him what he wants. It reminds me of the parenting style I see in the grocery store. The kid screams at his Mom that he wants the candy. Instead of saying, “No,” she gives in so he’ll quit screaming. And people wonder why there’s so much crap going on now.

I call it rewarding bad behavior and punishing good. You see, he didn’t deserve to get another cable from us. IF we had made a defective cable, I would have been apologizing and getting him another cable out right away. But he lied. And he expected others to pay for his mistake. I live in a world that increasingly views things in terms of, “I don’t want to pay the consequences for my actions.” Well, to the extent I can, I’m not enabling that behavior.

I did some customized research for someone who has a very special car. He decided he didn’t want to pay for all my work. I’ll not make that mistake again. Ditto with the person who figured since I ran a report for a car before, I should sell another copy for some discounted price. Dude, let me tell you, if you think I leave copies of these reports laying around on the theory that some day you may leave yours out in the rain, misplace it, let the dog eat it, or the previous owner won’t give you his copy, you seriously don’t understand what it means to keep track of 120 MILLION records. Grow up and accept responsbility. That’s what my Mom taught me.

Someone who has bought a lot of Marti Reports from me thought that I should give him a discount because of that. Tell you what – call Ford up and ask them to give me a discount on the royalties I pay them because you’ve bought a lot from me. I mean really, do you think I charge too much (see paragraph five)?

I guess I should play the game some other businesses do. Raise my prices 20% and then every few months have a 20% off sale or a coupon discount code. I don’t play those games, OK?

When you buy something from me, you didn’t pay me to be the Shell Answer Man (don’t know who that was, Google it – don’t ask me!). I did a report on a man’s truck. His truck came with optional heavy duty rear springs. The report listed the spring rate for them. He wrote me and asked me what the standard spring rate was (What, are you serious, man?). I told him he’d have to pay me to research that. He basically let me know I’m an ass. Now, do I have to explain what a buffoon this person is? It is not my job to answer any question someone can dream up. Just because you bought something from me doesn’t mean I owe you bigtime. Here’s how it works, you pay me for a service, I provide the service. We’re all settled up. There is no quid pro quo that I still owe you more. Incidentally, that is why I really don’t expect you to share some of the profit with me when you sell your car!

Comments were made about me acting like “God.” If you knew my personal spiritual beliefs, you would know how very offensive that is to me. I’d rather you say I act like the Devil. I suppose since I have the access I do to data, someone is going to be jealous, offended, outraged, ______ (fill in your favorite perjorative adjective). Get over it. I have what I have, I sell it at a reasonable price regardless of race, religion, creed, color, sexual orientation, car brand preference, whether or not you pick your nose, believe the earth is flat, or that this is all an existential illusion. You can buy it or not buy it. It really is a free country (for the socialists and lawyers, please note this means the choice, not the cost of the goods).

This all happened on one day. Its wrong. Now, mind you, if you have a legitimate problem, if I made a mistake, I will take care of it. But I will not reward bad behavior. You jerk me around, I’ll push back. I’ve had to change policies and devote less time to good customers because of the 2% that have a problem with narcissism. Thanks for ruining it for everyone else. My wife and I have talked about this. We try to be nice to others. Especially if you’ve met Shelli, you know she wants to please everybody. But we’ve decided we are not going to let your self-inflicted problems become our problems. Threaten me, tell me how you’re going to announce to the whole world what an ass I am, post on every forum not to do business with me. In the end, you only prove my point – you didn’t learn manners.

Ah, I feel better!