I turned down a customer and I don't care....

Here is another take on this. I inspected a car last summer that was in horrible shape. I'm not talking just dirty and stained, but had lots of body damage, rust, clear coat missing. The inside had parts of the upholstery missing and coming apart and severely stained. It was clear I couldn't take the car. It could have caused damage to my equipment, and would not have been worth the $$$. Moreover, (like Jim Rockford never gets paid) she didn't have the money to pay me or my rate.

For just this purpose, I had a meet and greet with the local car-wash owner and cultivated a cross-referral business. He is a great guy and agreed we do not compete with each other. He puts a car through the tunnel, hand dries it, then 4 guys go to town with vacuums and PC's with brushes on them for carpets and seats, wipe down dash and glass, spritz the tires... They're done in one hour or less for $140.00

In this case I referred her to the local car wash.

My point is, if I have to turn someone away (for such reason as above) I always try to make them leave happy by giving them an alternative. I hand them the Car Wash guys card, and say call my buddy "name". He can do what your looking for at a great rate.

Always have a backout plan to make the customer feel good, and help your fellow local business owners. Like I said in another thread, competition is good, cultivating relationships is even better.
 
ducksfan said:
So, I just finished reading this whole thread and it sounds like ten others I've read here before - guys talking down on people who don't see the value of their work. What I don't see is my prospective. So, I'll put it out there and see how it takes.

Car detailing is like a hockey game (or any other seating event). Everybody sees the same game. They just see it from a different place.

I'll use the Anaheim Ducks pricing as an example (spoiler alert - some of you who live in the 'real' hockey areas are going to be upset at what I get to enjoy 'your' sport for). For a typical game, I could sit in good seats for $20-30, or $40-60, or I know where the good $100-200 seats are. They're all good value for what you pay. There are also OK seats in these price ranges and less desirable seats. I presently sit in the good $40-60 seats. I use to sit in the good $20-30 seats. I have sat in the OK $100 seats.

For me, it's not about being cheap or not seeing the value in better seats. It's about the value of money. A $100 bill has a certain value to me based on what it takes for me to acquire it. Right now, $40-60 dollars is what a game is worth to me. You could do a great job of explaining how good your $100-200 seats are. But, your wasting your time because I already know. It's just that a hockey game isn't worth that kind of money to me.

Car detailing is the same way for the consumer. There are people who, for financial reasons, are in the car wash area, the AIO area, or the various areas of detailing. There are also people who for various reasons are not in the area they belong (cheap, uninformed, unable to locate a good source for the right area).

You can move the uniformed and unable to locate people up if they have the financial means to see value in a higher level of quality. If they're not there financially, they're not necessarily cheap or unable to see the value in your work. They just have other ways their money is better spent

So, I've been multitasking while I write this and I just got work and have to get going. I hope it's more coherent then I think.

My point in writing it was: just because someone won't buy your services, doesn't mean they're cheap or misinformed. They just might not be the right financial match.

How many of Mike's clients do you think stock groceries at the local market?
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I see your points! From a consumers point of view that may be the case. However, you know with higher costing seats youll get a better view. Its on you to decide whether that view is worth the money or your happy with nose bleeds etc since youll see it no matter what.

But, haf you not been educated on those higher priced seats and been new to the game, arena and etc you might not know the benefits of those seats. Once your educated its on you to decide whether those seats are worth it to YOU or your happy just to watch the game.

Much like detailing people that dont know what you actually do wont see value in your services. If you educate them, they may see the value. Whether they can afford it or care to go to that quality is up to them. They can go the cheaper route but they will more than likely get the nose bleeds of detailing services. Which may be ok to them, and some go wanting, needing, or repairing!

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Great thread!

I can quickly evaluate a potential customers perspective and go from there. There is usually a huge difference in the customer who is referred to me by another cutomer who has already spoken a bit about my level of service to them. If they call me they most likely are looking to get a better service, even if they don't understand how it is specifically obtained. And above them are the very very few clients i have who do understand my expertise, the time it takes to get what they want AND the results. On the other end of the spectrum are the folks inquiring after a drive by as in the OP's post above. This group of folks still get a very polite exchange and enough courteous explanation of what i do to understand that when they hear my rates they aren't as surprised. Time permitting, they hear the proper methods of obtaining what they want.

In the case of my potential customer at the NYE party i shared above, i had the time to talk with him for maybe 20 mins. After the first 5 i figured out he wasn't interested in paying me what i was worth to him. I then spent the next 10-15 talking to him about his car...a gorgeous '85 powder blue MB 500SL with original paint. I gained a new friend and he introduced me to few people at the party (none of which i talked to about detailing). My point...

I talk to everyone, potential client or not, with respect, interest and attention to what they are saying. Who knows...this guy may be at work and someone asks him if he knows a good pro detailer! He'll probably answer with who he uses (not me) but may...just may...suggest my name because we had an amicable exchange the other night.

With all that said i will add that i do get "drive by" inquiries and they certainly don't get the time this gentleman got at the party. Heck, i'm busy on a job and on the clock. They STILL get an amicable exchange and when they leave they have my card and understand what i do. Maybe they'll call, maybe they won't but i hope they think they just met a good guy with a good handshake.
 
Eldorado2k said:
Wow what kind of pads do that?! Please share the secrets😜😂lol.
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I know, I know, by the time I went back to fix my typing it wouldn't let me :doh:
They are magical pads made by unicorns :laughing:
 
ducksfan said:
For me, it's not about being cheap or not seeing the value in better seats. It's about the value of money. A $100 bill has a certain value to me based on what it takes for me to acquire it. Right now, $40-60 dollars is what a game is worth to me. You could do a great job of explaining how good your $100-200 seats are. But, your wasting your time because I already know. It's just that a hockey game isn't worth that kind of money to me.
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A very good point. With that being said, a good detail would be something like I always say about real estate.

It's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

However detailing is pretty much like anything else. You get what you pay for. For the most part anyways.
 
You did the right thing.

Here are some quotes from the social media universe.
- If it is not a win/win proposition for the customer and the auto detailer, walk away.
- You will come across entry level customers.
- The economy will determine who wins the price point negotiation.

Aside from that, there may be a time and place to take less money.
- Bad weather.
- Slow season.
- Trading max profits for steady volume from a single customer.
- Etc...
 
I know this is a dumb obvious question but how do you find out what the market is in your area. Do you just stop by some shops and ask for their prices
 
frankprozzoly said:
I know this is a dumb obvious question but how do you find out what the market is in your area. Do you just stop by some shops and ask for their prices
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Yup

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frankprozzoly said:
I know this is a dumb obvious question but how do you find out what the market is in your area. Do you just stop by some shops and ask for their prices
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I've been wondering the same thing for some time now. In my area it doesn't seem like such a great market. You have a good number of car shows in my county but most people are DIYers. I'm pretty sure like a lot of people these enthusiast don't have a full knowledge but again, it's a matter of getting people to understand the value of your knowledge and know how.
 
frankprozzoly said:
I know this is a dumb obvious question but how do you find out what the market is in your area. Do you just stop by some shops and ask for their prices
Click to expand...

onsite said:
Yup

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That is a good question.
There is not a one sentence answer for that.
More like, a complete assessment of the over-all market, and then a focus on higher clientele.

The service is worth whatever someone is willing to pay.
The condition and size of the vehicle have a lot to do with price point.
Some will pay more than others, some will never pay.
 
8511e20df7f6c03626f76191565bbb89.jpg



www.JaxDetails.com
www.facebook.com/DentsAndDetails
I may be slow, but I do poor work.
 
vanev said:
That is a good question.
There is not a one sentence answer for that.
More like, a complete assessment of the over-all market, and then a focus on higher clientele.

The service is worth whatever someone is willing to pay.
The condition and size of the vehicle have a lot to do with price point.
Some will pay more than others, some will never pay.
Click to expand...
Which can easily be assessed by successful businesses that youd be on the same level with

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My .02 cents, some people have low standards. I washed a neighbors biiiiig FX4 a few months ago. His normal go to is a mobile detail lady who does the outside and inside for $30 I asked if he was happy with the work, he said yep. He let me wash it because she was gone for a few months. I don't think I could do a fast enough crappy job to make it worth washing for $30. I charged him $45 and I was regretting it 15 minutes in lol. I thought for sure though I'd knock it out of the ball park and after he saw it he would be converted and jump to using me and have no problem with my normal rate. Nope, he went straight back to her lol. Hack "detailers" or not, I'm impressed that every 2 weeks she washes it for $30. I can't see it taking less than 1.5 hours to do the outside and inside of a raised FX4 even with crappy rushed techniques.

Even more impressive was he said he's always been happy with her work. I Tuf Shined the tires until pure white came off (7-8 applications a tire) Dub Wheel Cleaner cleaned the wheels and used Blackfire Tire & Trim and all he could do was shrug. Thankfully there are people who care and notice and are willing to pay a proper amount of money to get quality work done.
 
Hate to say this, quebert, but you made her job easier next time. I would have done the exact same thing you did and i agree with your approach...try to win a new customer with better service.
 
As a long time businessman I have fired many customers. People who hurt your business or your profits need to go elsewhere.
 
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