A customer in Phoenix tried to push me to skip the primer on a quarter panel job

He kept saying, 'Just scuff it and shoot the base, it's fine,' because he wanted his truck back a day early. I had to explain that skipping the epoxy primer on bare metal near the weld seam would mean rust bubbling through in under a year, guaranteed. Has anyone else had to really hold the line on a repair step a customer didn't understand?

3 comments

3 Comments

luna_clark381mo ago

Honestly, what is it with people trying to cut corners on bare metal? Tbh that guy would be the first one screaming when the rust comes back. Like, do they think we add steps just for fun? Ngl, explaining that you're actually saving their truck feels like talking to a brick wall sometimes. Good on you for not caving, because that repair would have been back on your lift in no time.

morgan_butler1mo ago

Seriously, it's the same with home repairs or even cooking (like skipping the prep work). People just don't get that some steps are there for a reason, not to waste time.

lilycraig16d ago

And it's not just body work either, it's like every trade has that one step people think is optional just because they can't see the problem yet. I've got a buddy who's a mechanic and he says customers argue about skipping oil changes all the time, same logic like it's fine until the engine seizes. People just don't get that cutting corners on prep or maintenance is borrowing time from the future, and they always act shocked when it comes back to bite them. It's like how my sister tries to bake cookies and skips chilling the dough because she's impatient, then wonders why they come out flat. Why do so many folks think every shortcut saves money instead of just moving the cost to later?