EPIQ: A Guide to getting your classic ready for the road
Expectations:
The good and the gritty:
Everyone has the after picture in their mind and that picture is your expectation. Our first step in this journey is to clearly define your expectations.
One of our customers, a hairdresser, speaks to this in his business. People come in with pictures of celebrities and say “I want that haircut” but what they really want is the face, the body, the lighting, and even the photoshop that went into that picture. When they leave with the same face, body, normal lighting and no photoshop, but the exact haircut, they are disappointed. Why? Expectations. Over the years he has learned how to coach his clients through this phenomenon, otherwise no matter how well he has done his job, everyone is left unsatisfied. We must do the same. Our goal is for you to be thrilled with the finished result.
This requires that you take the time to understand what your expectation is. Summer has arrived and you get to enjoy your classic. What does that entail? The answers could be anything from cruising, car shows, to having a collector piece.
Answering this question and sharing your expectations fully with us creates clarity to the process.
Process:
A journey not a destination:
You’ve decided what you want the end result to be and now we’re headed down the road towards getting your classic to that destination. At Roadmasters we are a little different than many shops we’ve seen. We want you to be a part of this process. You may have handed over the keys, but we still want you to be in the driver’s seat of decision making. Here are things you need to know.
- Bumps: As we work on your classic we will find more issues. Often solving one issue will be what reveals other issues that were compensating for the prior problems. Your classic has been through one thing that affects us all: Time. However, as we find things, we want you to know in detail what we’ve found and how to solve it in a way that lines up with your expectations.
- Detours: Classic cars aren’t like modern cars in many ways, but one of them is in finding parts. This requires some patience and even at times pivoting to find the best option. We’ll bring along our best maps, but in the end you get to pick which way to go!
- Joy-Rides: Almost every one of our customers have wanted to go on the hypothetical joy-ride. What does that mean? Going faster and further than your original expectations. It’s fun in the moment to say you want to put the pedal to the metal, but be cautious of pushing your project further than your budget allows. Once you hit the accelerator, it’s hard to turn back.
Involved:
Interacting with class
Classic cars are full of emotional attachment and memories. One of the most common things we hear from customers are how a car was their first car, their dad’s car, or the car that they always wanted but haven’t been able to have until now.
This means, that the process of getting your car on the road will likely be an emotional one. Yes, logic is involved, and we walk every customer through what their car is currently valued at from fair condition to excellent. However, we feel that it is our obligation to inform our customers that the costs that go into a classic car aren’t generally going to be returned in monetary value, but rather in new-made memories and fulfilment.
Our awareness of how this is generally an emotional endeavor has led us to understand that our interaction with customers is unique for a few reasons.
- Interaction: We will be in communication with you to whatever extent you choose. This can include weekly updates. Pictures and videos of progress. Customer conversations with the team about what’s going on and more. The depth of your involvement is up to your discretion, but we know, more often than not, that this car has special meaning to you, and we want to do our part to make it a great ride from start to finish.
- Respect: We take full responsibility for doing our part in making your expectations line up with the result. We are also aware that this project is a two-lane street and that you also have full responsibility in making your needs heard. If there is anything you have questions about or want clarity on, we are always a phone call, e-mail and even a text away. It is up to all of us to keep our partnership classy and respectful.
Quotes:
An estimate - not a bill
In the era of instant gratification and modernized technology we’ve had to remember that these classics were made in a much different time and require a divergent approach.
A classic, by definition, has already lived through several eras, and even if it’s been kept in the most immaculate of spaces, it’s going to need some TLC.
At Roadmasters you’ll get a free assessment, and we pride ourselves with uncovering as much as we can, but like any good book, there’ll be some surprises along the way.
We promise to do our best to find the highest quality parts for the best price within the time-frame of your hopes.
With this promise we also need you to fully understand that it is not a perfect science. There will be times when part prices change, and more options will be uncovered as we continue to work on your car.
We will do our part to keep you informed as changes occur, but it’s necessary that as a customer at Roadmasters you are aware that the quote is an estimate and not the bill.