Listen buddy, you came here and basically said you feel like giving up. You are saying this to people that have had worse customers then some one who doesnt return...
Hell when i was first starting out I first made a craiglist ad and used a picture off of google to show headlight restoration. I didnt have any yet but i could do a headlight restoration like a mofo so i figured "what the hell no one will know its not mine and i could do similar work if not better". I had some guy call me up saying im a fraud and he emailed the company who actually did that headlight restoration job and then he posted an ad on craiglist to warn others about me... Frankly i couldnt believe it as all the other pictures were mine and only the headlight one wasnt. I was extremely discouraged and embarrassed. But i kept going forward and didnt let that stop me.
Then my first job i undercharged and over delivered. He just wanted a wash and wax with a vacuum. I figured i would do such an amazing job that he would be so impressed he would tell everyone. So i polished the heck out of the car and shampooed the interior leaving no stone unturned. Well after i complete the job i get home feeling like a million bucks i thought to my self "finally things are looking up. Today was my first of many details! Hes going to be so happy with the turn around on his car and refer me to every one!" unfortunately that wasnt the case... I get an email from him saying that "the mexicans" at the car wash down the street charge a fraction of the price and clean the trunk. He then told me he feels robbed and i should be ashamed of my self for taking advantage of him... For one the trunk was never discussed and i went over everything i was going to do on the car before hand and the trunk was never mentioned by him or my self... But still it was a major kick to the nuts and i learned from it.
Basically what im saying bud is you cant let something as little as a non returning customer and pollen discourage you to the point of wanting to give up. With any business it requires a certain mind set and dedication. There are hurttles, problems, and downfalls. But without risk there is no reward. If owning a business was easy every one would do it.
With that said man you either need to buck up and keep moving forward or give up and work for some one else. You will deal with a$$holes in any business. You got to understand a bunch of people see what we do as washing a car and put it up next to mowing lawns. Personally those arent the customers you want but they do come around. You gotta be ready for it and not let it discourage you if you truly do want to own a detailing business. The thing is there are 2 types of people who do this for a living. There are people who love owning their own detailing business and there are people who are in love with the idea of owning a detailing business. Just because you can detail the hell out of your own car doesnt mean you should go out and make a business out of it.
So if the comments in here are bothering you, even after you asked for "a kick in the pants", maybe detailing as a hobby is better suited. Just my .02
