Customer's Working Along Side You

kuji

kuji

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Hey boys and girls, want to get everybody's opinions on this subject. Yesterday I did an AIO detail on a 1969 Camaro Z28 using D151 as that's all his budget would allow unfortunately; took most of the day as I had lots to do like engine interior wheel and chrome polishing etc. I would have loved to do a full on paint correction, but my hands were tied as I was working with his budget.
The gentlemen I did the work for is a friend of mine, and when I was working he was either hovering over me as I work, or doing some of the work himself. For example he wanted the Z28's 302 engine cleaned up, and I was going to do it myself but he wanted to do it with me. Or he was polishing a piece of chrome or whatever. He's an old school guy so I taught him some of the new ways eg what microfiber is lol.
It is his car so I'm obviously not going to stop him working on it, but he was doing stuff that I was going to do and was charging him for. I have zero problem with people watching me as I work, but I felt bad because I was charging him for work that he was doing himself.
What is your opinion? Discuss.

Cheers
Phil
 
This is a tough one. If it's my closest friends I do not charge. In fact I let them know they will be the guinea pig for new product or technique. Usually, I will say just buy me dinner or cook me something.

As for people (even close friends) hovering over me; I usually tell them to go away. The only exception is my goddaughter who is 11. I will show her what to do in detailing even waxing. She's not ready for the DA..yet. I tell the parents they need to pay her $20 for helping me. She has gotten so good that she can Rinseless Wash the car without my supervision and she makes some money.

BTW, beautiful work on the ride!
 
All customers must leave.

One they're not insured in case of accident or injury. Secondly, once they jump in, they don't have the technique or skill set that we have. The odds increase on mistakes being made and an over abundance of product wasted.

They have no idea how much we pay for product and materials. I once had someone grab my bottle of Pinnacle Crystal Mist and go to town on their vehicle. I had to remind them that was a $30.00 of liquid caranuba/polymer base wax they were working with. I got the once "full" bottle back with 1/4 left in it. Not to mention a dozen MF towels used.

Honestly, if it's a friend, your either taking the car and doing it for them (your decision to charge). Product and time is worth something, so with me, everyone gets charged and no one is allowed to stay with the car. If it's a friend or family I offer for them to take my car for the day, but they must leave.

Now if it's a case where you did something wrong, and they're bringing back to be fixed and want to be present, I'm all for that. My car came back from the body shop swirled out (went into the shop in show-car condition). It has to go back for some follow up work, but I INSISTED that I would sign a waiver of liability and be present during the installation of the clear-bra. The manager stated that was fine. Of course I'm not going to hound the installer, I may ask him some questions before and after, but I will not disturb him unless he's about to screw it up.
 
If its a real '69 Z28, I wouldn't leave it either. But I don't mind at all if someone watches. I haven't had any customer start using stuff while I was working on their car. I did my buddies new silverado and he helped polishing and removing the coating. If he didn't help he would have got a nice bill
 
I can't believe a customer would start helping out (if they were not a good friend). You should jokingly say there's a 20% fee if they help.
 
I really want to get this sign once I have a shop
image1561.jpg
 
Kamakaz1961 said:
As for people (even close friends) hovering over me; I usually tell them to go away.
BTW, beautiful work on the ride!
Click to expand...


i am with you on this, i don't like being watched or hovered over.

with that being said i'd like any of us to try and tell an old schooler with a cool old car that he can't touch/work on/hover while you are working! with it being a friend i would have handled it the same way. don't think of it as you charging him to work on his own car, think of it as him paying you to educate him in the new school proper car care techniques!
 
Friends I'll put their asses to works on things "I think" they're capable of doing with instructions like "drop the towel/applicator just stop and get another". Customers get a friendly elbow hint that they're in my way... most get the message and leave.
 
I dont really care for people watching me, friend/family or not. That being said I have a friend who wants his 4th gen SS Camaro washed Saturday and he doesnt have a ride to drop it off, I told him it makes me uncomfortable when people watch but he can take a chair from the garage and sit on my deck out the door if he wants.

That sign is funny!
 
I don't do this for a living, but I could never have someone watch me work on their car. I need that time to focus and keep my process in check.
 
Maybe friend isn't the right word, I've known the guy and his wife for years as they are friends with my boss, and he recommended them to me. He also have a red 68 corvette ill be doing work on aswell.
If he was some stranger that I didn't know beforehand, then I would have told him to p**s off LOL, but he loves his car and babies it and he didn't have anything to do. I'll bet if I was him I would have done the same thing.
All in all I wasn't annoyed that he was either watching or helping, I just felt bad charging him for work that he did himself. Again they were very minor things but still. For example if he wanted to polish the car himself I would have charged less. He really liked the spray wax I was using (Megs D156) and I was going to order him some that he can but I found out it's been discontinued, and I'm hording my reserve :p
My point is that he really likes his car and enjoys working on it, so he took it upon himself to work beside me here and there. It wasn't like he was doing it the whole time, just sometimes, he's retired so he got bored I guess.

Here is a few pics of the car since a few people asked, and yes its a real Z28. In the second pic you can seen my crown vic in the backround lol Im the MAN
And man those mag wheels were a PAIN to polish holy. Good thing I had IronX on standby cuz the standard wheel cleaner I use is acid base and it would have turned the rims chalk white.

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Cheers
Phil
 
You shouldn't feel bad about charging him for things he did. If you would have asked him to do something that would be different. I'll bet the guy never even thought about you charging him less. Sounds like he was just tinkering.

Nice ride and nice work!
 
There are a few people I will let help with their own cars, but I've been doing their cars for years now.

I've had a couple random people ask I could help them.....nope!

I've also had a few people ask if they could apprentice under me. I've always let people watch and explain things to them. They do have to pay a small amount because it's costing me extra time and the car owner needs to be OK with another person watching. I feel l like I need to give back a little, several years back I asked someone (from this forum) if I could apprentice under them and they said no and didn't give me an option to watch them, that sucked and I told myself at that point I would never do that to someone who wanted to learn.
 
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