A job in Bellingham made me stop using filler on every small dent

I was fixing a door on a ten year old Subaru and the owner asked me to just pull the dent and leave the paint as is. He said he'd rather see the small marks than a patch that might fail later. I did it his way, and honestly, the car looked fine for its age. Now I ask every customer about their plans for the vehicle before I grab the filler. Has anyone else had a client push back on a standard repair like that?

4 comments

4 Comments

wendy1313mo ago

Every dent had a story" is why I always ask now.

max_torres441mo ago

Notice the same thing with old furniture, @wendy131. A friend refinished a beat up farm table and the new owner actually asked if he could put the dents back. Guess we're all learning that perfection isn't always the best goal.

michaeld483mo ago

Totally get that. I had a guy with an old farm truck tell me the same thing. He said every dent had a story and he didn't want them erased. Makes you rethink the default process for sure.

michaeltorres3mo ago

My neighbor's classic Mustang lost half its value after a full body restoration. Some stories are better left as scars.