VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Member services

This seems underutilized? If members are offering services they probably expect to get some compensation? Then they couldn't post here as it would be advertising which seems to be prohibited?

Maybe others can post how great VCCA members who provide services to others really are? I will not blow my own horn but welcome others that will do it instead.

Just thinking that some members seem to be providing essential services like carb rebuilding and electro-lock rebuilding at reasonable prices and they should be encouraged to post in something like this forum so other members can find them easily. I am not thinking of full time parts vendors and such just the little guys trying to offer helpful services to help keep others cars running.

Some of members that offer various rebuilding or parts services do have monthly ads running in the classified section of the G&D, which is available to all VCCA members.

Skipper, As you know many who visit this site are not VCCA members. It would be nice if they all felt that the assistance or knowledge or entertainment they receive is well worth spending $ 40 on a VCCA membership.

However, there are those that will suck the well dry and then complain that they can't get any more free water.

Also, several of us don't feel completely comfortable commenting on our services and skills even we feel we are the best at what we do. There is no better endorsement than is received from satisfied customer. Part of our "payment" is knowing we are helping to keep a few more Chevies on the road.

"However, there are those that will suck the well dry and then complain that they can't get any more free water."

"Also, several of us don't feel completely comfortable commenting on our services and skills even we feel we are the best at what we do."

I agree.

It would be great if everyone on this site was a VCCA member. Maybe, this site should be for VCCA members only?

Perhaps listing services in the "Members Only " section would be OK, and maybe that would entice non members to join. There are in my opinion many benefits that are free for non members that do not encourage non members to join.

Great to see you guys talking about it. I believe it may be in the interest of the club to endorse some of these providers when they have proven themselves in a way that is beneficial to the club and restorers. I am lucky and can handle most everything myself but I feel that some people find the restoration process difficult and lacking in resources so they either give up or sell out to those not interested in preservation or restoration. Not looking to open the flood gates for the non membership but have something to really assist the new and potential.

"There are in my opinion many benefits that are free for non members that do not encourage non members to join."

I agree!

The "site" (or Discussion Board) is open to the public.

This "forum" is ONLY available to VCCA members. It is somewhat similar to the Member Services that are posting in the G&D. But it is DIFFERENT in that another VCCA member (ie. Customer) can ALSO post here and give recognition to a member-vendor.

Again, only VCCA members can see this forum. This is not intended to be used by the General Public nor to be used for promotional purposes.

Instead of having to look through hundreds (thousands?) of other postings, all members can come here and look through a much shorter listing of Members who provide Services.

The icons and quotes features seem to be working in this forum now.

I don't see members posting their services here? I wasn't thinking of the public or of promotional use.

I have a monthly ad running in the G&D under the "Services" section of the classified ads. That ad gives me plenty of advertising.

I read all the postings under Services. Here are my observations:

• There are only ten postings since this category was started
• Only one of the threads has the name of the company in the subject line (as per the instructions)
• Only two of the threads seem to discuss services offered by members
• 80% of the threads could easily fit elsewhere on this site (in the technical threads covering a particular year vehicle)
• The description at the top of this category is more of a club disclaimer, not really a description of what kind of thread should be posted

I suspect that this category is not used as intended.

I suggest that the intention should be clearly stated at the top of this category (for example, 'This is the place to list the services that you, as a member, offer').

Not sure that anything needs to be done (other than coming up with a better category banner), but it looks like this set of threads isn't need much.

My two cents. Dean

Dean. No argument here. I just added your suggested text to the top of the Forum description.

Not all forums are a bell-ringer. Some of them sit here for months (years?) and then one-day spring to life.

The elephant in the room is that I've been obligated for the past 15 years to "hold back" and not let CHEVY CHATTER "take over" the topics that are primary in the G&D. In the past, certain club people were very concerned that CHAT was going to undermine the G&D. And this concern is predicated on the idea that "if the G&D looses it's position as the primary communication focal for the club, then the (VCCA) club will rapidly transition to it's demise". So I've always thought that I needed to walk a tightrope and slowly throttle the new online electronic features that have been built and offered.

[The above paragraph are MY WORDS summarizing what I have felt were my spoken, and unspoken, direction from various club officers over the past decade and a half.]

Now.... having said that, one could also say that in 2017 "times are a changing". I suspect that you'll see more changes in the next few years than we've had in double that time in the past.

The trick is going to see whether the positive changes out-weigh the negative impacts.

Now -- this discussion is really OFF-TOPIC for this forum, so I might need to move it all to the MEMBER GENERAL DISCUSSIONS. Let's see if it stops or continues being discussed. If I need to move it, I'll leave a pointer here for a week.

One last question then. I am a member and can provide services (namely re-wooding of bodies but not wood kits) for of course some recompense. Can I post here or would that be considered advertising?

I have the same question as Cabboy. If we post what we do and put the name of our business in the header, would that be advertising? Or, is this forum a place where we would mention someone's business and comment on them? Kind of like "word of mouth" advertising? Then, could the owner of the mentioned business comment?

In example; I had skip do my speedo and was very happy with his work. I would post about his work and make a comment like " I don't know of all the services he provides ". Can Skip then post a comment stating what he actually does? I also agree that this information should only be available after joining the vcca and members could hopefully learn to refer all newbies to joining and getting their services from thos listed members. I assume if we did post this that the G&D might suffer. How about letting those like Skip who already pay for an add also have a posting in this section as part of that same fee? I bet that would increase revenue to the G&D as I would probably put an add in to. I say probably as I haven't discussed this with the wife and she's become something of a "garage widow " with me working on all these cars. She's not always happy about my little hobby!

Maybe better to ask forgiveness then to ask permission?