Facts About Waxing Part.3

Educating my customers.

I like to talk. (perhaps that comes through in the writing.) It seems my customers like to talk also. Customers constantly ask me about different models of cars they see or are thinking of buying or leasing. I happily give my opinions and tell the person inquiring as much as I know, including my honest opinion of a 88 particular car. the key in these conversations is building trust with customers and constantly educating them on what may be a good choice for them. I explain why black is a difficult and more challenging color choice to take car of, and why a light interior may not be practical for the customer with three kids and a dog. They appreciate this advice, and these conversations give me a opportunity to educate and explain a little about paint and the care it needs. These conversation build trust. I become the person who they believe when it comes to their cars paint and how to take care of it. This is very important when there is misinformation being given by a dealership or anyone else who steers a customer in the wrong direction.

Vomits! Yuck! Feses! ehhh!

Over the past years that I have been detailing cars I have ran across certain situations/jobs that I tend to turn down. Why you ask? Simple…cleaning up vomit its a bio- hazard! It’s a stomach fluid. WebMd says “ Vomiting is the forcible voluntary or involuntary emptying (“throwing up”) of stomach contents through the mouth. What does that mean for a detailer? It’s not a job we “do” or “give away in promotions” or “for $50.”

Today as I sat on my couch deciding what today’s blog was going to be about my phone rang.  It was a potential customer who had a “minor accident” on the back seat passengers side and “all over the back seats.” When someone vomits it is never pretty or small or as my geometry teacher would say “acute.” It’s ugly, smelly and….well just horrific to smell or even see. When I decided to be a vehicle reconditioner vomit was not on the top of the list of fun thing I would want to do. There is a certain procedure that I must do in order to clean a vehicle with vomit:

1. Wear a full body suit with goggles and gloves up to the elbows.
2. Spray the vehicle with disinfectant.
3. Pick up all the chunks of what ever that person had for dinner.
4. Shampoo all carpets seats, seat belts, and mats.
5. Do a whole “Crime Scene Investigation” with my little flashlight.
6. Place the ozone machine inside the car which takes 2 hours to run.

After everything was explained and every step broken down to this person, I was cut off by her saying ” well I only have $50 to spend on this procedure.. he he.. sorry.” SERIOUSLY! SERIOUSLY!!!! I don’t know if that person or whoever it was that vomited has HIV or the Noravirus (look it up) for me to jump in to my car, drive for 45 min, spend 3 hours cleaning up and detailing your car PROPERLY FOR $50.  But I am pretty sure this caller called around after I got off the phone with her and found someone who desperately needed money, or doesn’t know what they were getting themselves into so they gladly accepted (and probably would do it for $45) because you (the caller) sounded so nice over the phone.

Bio-hazard is govern by-law: Right to a safe workplace free of dangerous conditions, toxic substances, and other potential safety hazards. If this person who went out to clean the vomit was to get sick you, the person that hired you, are held responsible for his health.

So next time you have an accident like this in the back seats,  just ask yourself Would you would put your kids and your family in that back seat if the job was just done with only shampoo, a vacuum and rags for $50?