OT: Is a 'themed' shop necessary to a (potential) customer??

[pat in Santa Cruz]

Brent, it depends on the demographic of your customers. I work at a back woods shop in the SF Bay area. We have a reputation for good quality work and attract model A's, Studebakers, V8's, Zephyrs, occasionally a Packard and once in a while a real rarity. Our customers are retired guys, middle class folks, engineers, doctors and lawyers.

A competitor in the Santa Clara Valley had his shop all decorated in era signs, tile floors, etc. He gets the Deusenbergs, Packard Speedsters, Bugattis and Ferraris. He swears that his customer base would go away to another "museum type" shop if he did not have the shop decorated like that. His customers are a few well known, established high end collectors who encouraged him to open shop because they needed one in the area, and the hi tech, new money types.

Another resto shop I visited in Monrovia that has won several firsts at Pebble Beach and Amelia Island has a reception room with a Delahaye and a big classic Lincoln Sedan in it, crystal chandeliers, marble floors, mahogany desks and era correct furniture. The back room is the filthiest shop I have ever seen with spectacular cars crowded so close I would freak out if my car were in there. I assume his customers don't go back there. But his reputation is great. Go figure....

Lastly, another shop I know in LA has a reputation as the best on the West Coast. Its hidden in an industrial area with a nondescript exterior. Inside its a no frills, clean, well equipped shop with a hard working, happy crew that consistently turn out excellent show winning cars. His customers are old school car collectors that have known him for years and people recommended by them. His business is all word of mouth.

[whirnot]

Personally, reputation aside, I tend to look at it as I am the customer and if there are a lot of expensive decorations, I am going to be paying for them. Not something I would care to do. But some like to show a fancy picture and say my car came from there.
I prefer clean, professional, and efficient. that way I get more value for my hard earned money.

Just my one cent. didn't want to pay two.......