The Art of Saying NO!! Detailing Jobs i Declined.

 

One of the most difficult lessons of the detailing business is that you’re better off turning some jobs away. It’s a skill you learn in the transition from busy to profitable. Here are 3 Memorable examples.

 

1. Wholesale car Auctions or Dealers

I received a call from the manager of a local auction requesting that we begin reconditioning wholesale cars for them ASAP as they had heard good things about us from a mutual business contact. I met with the manager and from the get go it was obvious we were on a completely different page about pricing and turnaround time. He claimed he had 100 cars a month for us but these cars were in poor condition. He requested our best effort but understood the cars wouldn’t get the treatment that our retail customers received. He told me that whatever I could not “buff out” the “cherry wax’ would fix. ( Read our facts about waxing blog)  His budget and expectations did not intersect. Add to that a 30-60 day wait for payment, and this quickly became a big fish i had to tossed back in the sea.

2. “Here’s my budget. Do the best you can.”

These customers always forget to add ” Do the best you can to meet my expectations of 100%”. I had a lady call in and inquire about our services for her badly neglected ford focus. After having a look together at her car and suggesting either a full interior shampoo or full detail due to the amount of time it would require to properly detail the car she assented that she didn’t what to spend more money, and this was merely a treat for her car as she hadn’t cleaned it in 5 years. Looking at our services list she picked our cheapest service and exclaimed I’ll take that one. The service  she was requesting included nowhere near the work it would require to even give her interior a proper vacuum and wipe down let alone leaving energy for the car wash. This scenario is a no win situation. You either do a great job and eat the significant extra time and effort free of charge or try and whip through the job within the time constraint of what she is willing to pay and try and make it presentable. I know from experience that never works because despite a customers assurance of do the best you can for x amount of dollars they rarely are and where the #1 source of complaints for me early on at my business when we would try and do what the customer’s wanted. I will usually either offer the correct service and if they dont want it or cant afford it I’ll refer them to the local drive through car wash that will tackle jobs at a volume over quality mantra. and avoid the headaches for myself. Example the 3 1star reviews on yelp. thank you Groupon!! Bottom line 2 Adults rearly agree on the meaning of do the best you can!!

3. NO experience necessary”

I have at times been asked to do jobs that i really didn’t have the experience or training to properly handle. In these cases you might be able to turn out an acceptable result but most likely will spend an unacceptable amount of time for what you are being paid. Worse yet, you can damage your reputation by failing on an overly ambitious project. Customers will respect that you won’t tackle something you aren’t equipped or trained to handle and if the opportunity continues to present itself you can take the time to get training and proper equipment to ensure a satisfactory result. to illustrate this, I recently had to completely wet sand and polish a vehicle that had been improperly sanded by a body shop. The customer was furious and tarnishing the reputation of this place by the awful experience he had with them. Lesson learned is don’t tackle jobs you shouldn’t be doing without proper training and experience.

 

There is a subtle art to delivering these words, especially in the midst of any critical negotiation with a new or long term client. Be sincere, and remember that this will not be the last opportunity you will receive if your conversation goes will.

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.

Facts About Waxing Part.2

Our MINI was built-in early December and delivered to us December 31. I clayed, polished, and waxed it the very next day with absolutely no fear of hurting the paint. Incidentally, it rain a week later and the car was full of salt and road grime. As bad as it looked, I knew I had already taken care of the paint and had no fear that the salt and harshness of winter would hurt it.

The MINI also arrived at the dealership with a protective plastic wrap on the top surfaces of the car to protect against atmospheric pollution and the elements during transit, and the short time it is at the dealer before it gets derived. MINI, or any other car manufacturer, would never use a plastic wrap suck as this if the paint were still in the process of drying,

Some cars do not have plastic wrap. Or the wrap may have been removed after its expiration date. Sometimes cars sit on a dealer’s lot for a very long time if they are in low demand or if the dealer is overstocked. I have seen cars sit on a dealer’s lot for four, six and eight Months or longer. These cars sit out there unwaxed and unprotected against the elements. They are rarely salesman tell a customer not to wax his car for another six months to a year. How much damage could be done to the paint surface over the period of time indicated in this scenario?

Also, it is important to consider how a customer takes care of his new car? Is it garage? Is it parked outside in the hot summer sun? Does he let the car sit with rad salt all over it for weeks? Does he wash it often? I know what you are thinking. This “New car” is going to need some serious paint correction when it is a year old. Not a simple “Wax Job”.

Do the Math

Customers as much as they dislike dealerships and sometimes their practices, will still believe a salesman when he tells them no to wax their car for six months to a year. then when you finally see their “new” car, it may need some serious work, If you do that serious work and want to be paid accordingly, You look like the bad guy for charging such a steep price for servicing a  ”new” car.

Let’s say a customer is driving a “Brand new” 2011 model. As you are reading this article, it is sometime in November 2011. He tells you it’s a 2011, so how bad can it be? However, you look at the production date and find that the car was built-in October of 2010. He finally decides to get it waxed in November of 2011, so, in reality, it’s not so new. This Brand new car is 13 months old! If this car was never waxed when it was delved, do you think it would need more than a simple wax job at this point? I bet it does, and I am sure you see this all the time. Unfortunately, the customer who was actually trying to protect his car against damage by not getting it waxed was doing exactly the opposite more harm than good!

Clear coat is not bulletproof

Many customers think that the term “clear Coat” means that they have some kind of protective coating or special paint on their cars. They think this is what allows them never to wax their car. They assume there is some kind of bulletproof shield on their vehicle. Clear coat is simply the final step in the factory paint stage paints of 20 years ago; it still needs to be cared for. Customers must always be informed of this fact. Today’s cars still need to be waxed and, If they are not, paint damage is likely to occur. This will result in the overall value of the vehicle being greatly reduced.

Christmas 2011 Birth of a New Tradition

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(Author unknown)
Autodetailingnetwork.net

As the holidays approach, the giant asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American Labor. This year will be different. This Year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that , At gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by Americans hands. Yes there is!

Its time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? Everyone– yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Local Cross-Fit  membership? its appropriate for all ages who are thinking about heath improvement.

Who wouldnt appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant giver who think nothing of plunking down the benjamins on a Chinese made flat screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn-mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants all offering gift certificates. aAnd if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort, what about a half-dozen breakfast at the local breakfast joint. Remember folk this isn’t about big national chains– this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the american working guy?

My computer could use a tune-up, and i know i can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

Ok, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make Jewelry and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outing at local, Owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, How about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too. So find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, People, do you really need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the House? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community, if you have those kinds of bucks to burn leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice Big tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American Pockets so that China can build another glittering city, Christmas Is now about caring about US, Encouraging american small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And , when we care about other americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn’t imagine.

This is the new American christmas tradition. Forward this to everyone on your Mailing list– post it to discussion groups– Thow up a post on Craigslist in the rants and raves section in your city– send it to your local paper and radio stations, and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other, and isn’t that what Christmas is about?