Interior Insights: Creating a Plan to Find New Customers
Harry Weimann has never been a big proponent of the notion that if you open the doors they'll come. Hoping and wishing isn't a sound plan, but making a plan is a good way to get started, he says. Here,...
View ArticleInterior Insights: How to Promote Your Upholstery Shop at Car Shows
Ace Eckleberry offers advice on cost-effective ways to represent your shop at car shows. Attending these events puts your shop in front a high concentration of potential customers and gives you the...
View ArticleInterior Insights: Should You Give Estimates Over the Phone?
Here, Harry Weimann discusses the pros and cons of estimating the price of a job over the phone. He also provides tips for giving an accurate estimate when a customer is unable to bring a vehicle into...
View ArticleInterior Insights: How to Provide Great Service to Difficult Customers
Ace Eckleberry discusses how he works with difficult customers at his upholstery shop. He also shares the steps he takes to ensure that he and the customer are both on the same page in regards to how a...
View ArticleInterior Insights: The Importance of the First Impression
Harry Weimann discusses the three things that trim shop owners should focus on in order to make a good first impression on new customers: appearance, professionalism and attitude. Focusing on these...
View ArticleInterior Insights: Was Downsizing a Good Idea?
Last year, Ace Eckleberry dramatically downsized the size of his trim and rod shop. Here, he reflects on that decision and discusses the good and bad aspects of reducing his shop's size.
View ArticleInterior Insights: Preparing for Trade Show Season
Upholstery shop owner Ace Eckleberry discusses ways to make the most of the time you spend at trade shows this year. The Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show marks the beginning of car show season for...
View ArticleInterior Insights: The Importance of Smart Hiring
Harry Weimann discusses the difficulties he's experienced trying to find quality employees for his trim shop, and how finding employees that possess professionalism and business skills is just as...
View ArticleInterior Insights: Fixing Someone Else’s Work
By Harry Weimann As a trim shop owner for many years, fixing someone else’s work was not always an easy task. I had many customers come to me unhappy with the upholstery work they had received from...
View ArticleInterior Insights: Automotive Interior Design
By Harry Weimann In my last article, Hiring Smart (see HRR April 2013), I talked about not only hiring employees with great hard skills (their ability to do the job) but also hiring employees that have...
View ArticleInterior Insights: Choosing Vendors
By Harry Weimann I have found that one of the most difficult decisions a new or established trim shop makes is choosing what to buy and which vendors to use. Finding suppliers who carry the product you...
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