One customer in Phoenix taught me more than any class

Back in 2008 I was patching a fender on a beat-up Civic when the owner, an older guy, came out and watched me work for a few minutes. He said "you sand that filler twice as smooth and you won't see it through the paint next summer." I took his advice, wet sanded again, and the final coat came out like glass. That little tip saved me from a comeback repair on a $400 job, and I still use it every week. Anybody else get a game-changer tip from a random customer instead of a shop vet?

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skyler_adams5d ago

That "sand it twice as smooth" tip is pure gold, but I bet the real lesson is that customers see your work under different light than you do. They're not looking at the process, they're looking at the end result months later, which is a totally different perspective. Most shop guys I know are stuck in their own habits, so a fresh set of eyes from someone who's been around can cut through all that.