Before I chose to get a different set of wheels for my 2026 Mazda MX-5, the plan was to powder-coat the stock black 17-inch wheels in silver. The frugal person in me who grew up in poverty can’t in good conscience swap out a brand new set of wheels and tires just because I wanted a different look. The compromise in the middle is to change the color. Black colored wheels on cars is so not the business.
To the Yelp pages!
I’m the type of person who prefer to communicate using email. There’s a freedom of time, and it allows me to tailor my words to be as precise as possible. Specifically to cars, it’s easier to spell everything out in writing. For example, the power-coat color I want is a particular Porsche silver. In an email I can include a link to the manufacturer of the exact color, no ambiguities.
But it seems automotive shops prefer communicating over phone. At least when it comes to wheel repair. I emailed a few local wheel refinishing shops for quotes. One blew me off completely. Another took two days to respond. The one that did timely respond did not follow up, even when I wrote back inquiring how should we proceed to the next step.
I’ve done some sales back in the day, so it’s wild to me that these shops can ignore an entire channel of lead generation. In the year of our lord 2026, email communication is table stakes! The only logical explanation is that business is so good for these wheel repair companies that they absolutely don’t need email leads.
In my stubborn refusal to pick up the phone (changing the wheel color is more of a want, not a need), I pivoted to swapping out the wheels instead. No ragrets.
Mobile gym.