Staying Profitable For People Wanting Freebies

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k20trick

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AG,

Do you guys get any business that want freebies? People coming around all the time wanting free spit shine, free wax, etc..

This is not the family and friend, simply the neighbors car that you beautified and didnt charge an arm and a leg for, but worked on it for the whole day adding hundreds if not thousands in value.

How do you deal with that? I dont want to make enemies, but I dont want to work for free either using products I invested in and/or utilizing the little free time I have. Certainly any professional working like this would go out of business.
 
There is one quick and simple answer to this question. I tell them," You get what you pay for" "If you don't want to pay then go away". This isn't about making enemies it's about your time and investment and expertise. The last time I went to the Doctors office I didn't want to pay either but I did and none of them are riding around on a Smart car.
 
I'm not even a professional and I don't give my services away for free. Well maybe to family and very close friends but strangers umm no.
 
I smile and give them the name of a high end detailing shop that I know charges a great amount for excellent work.
 
Always charge! My momma even pays me!


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I don't charge her but she understands I'm running a business, I'll say she tips well, I'll hook my family and friends up and charge $60-$80


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bill walsh said:
I love people who say it will only take 2 minutes
Click to expand...

Yeah, and I get a lot of "it's not that bad" calls. I cringe every time I hear that phase because from my experience, it usually is that bad. Mostly for interiors obviously. Guy called me a couple of weeks ago and told me over the phone that his car interior was pretty dirty, but he was joking that "it probably isn't the worst you have seen". He was right, it was the 2nd worst I had seen. Nasty.
 
I'm no professional, but folks at work see how I keep my truck, and know I'm into detailing. Every once in a while, someone shows me a scratch or scuff, and asks if I can fix it. If I can, my reply is "Sure...that won't take long....probably won't cost that much". I rarely hear from them again, and when I see their car, the scratch or scuff is still there. When I was a landscaper, people used to ask for free stuff all the time. I'd always tell them..."If it's not on our contract, it will cost you more". That's where the conversation typically ended.
 
I have gotten it before, had a potential of doing a decent amount of work for a well known person and was giving them a fair price. They kept saying I dont have that much, keep lowering it or some other excuse, I eventually walked. It was not going to be alot and or have to be but they made it troublesome

For friends and family, I sometimes get paid, but usually free. Neighbors that do things for us such as repairs, snow removal or other things do get a cheaper but not by much rate.
 
You are really having an issues with this?

I don't detail for profit, but have had people come up to me and ask me "what I'd charge" to "do" their car.

My answer is always the same: 7 thousand dollars.

Dunno where I came up with that number, but that is what it costs to hire me.

So far - no takers.

Anyone interested can PM me.
 
k20trick said:
AG,

Do you guys get any business that want freebies?
People coming around all the time wanting
free spit shine, free wax, etc..

This is not the family and friend, simply the
neighbors car that you beautified and didnt
charge an arm and a leg for, but worked on
it for the whole day adding hundreds if not
thousands in value.

How do you deal with that?
I dont want to make enemies,
but I dont want to work for free either
using products I invested in and/or utilizing
the little free time I have. Certainly any
professional working like this would go out of business.
Click to expand...

:idea:

You could invite the Freeloaders
over for a sing-a-long:


IMG_21131.JPG

​



Bob
 
k20trick said:
AG,

Do you guys get any business that want freebies? People coming around all the time wanting free spit shine, free wax, etc..

This is not the family and friend, simply the neighbors car that you beautified and didnt charge an arm and a leg for, but worked on it for the whole day adding hundreds if not thousands in value.

How do you deal with that? I dont want to make enemies, but I dont want to work for free either using products I invested in and/or utilizing the little free time I have. Certainly any professional working like this would go out of business.
Click to expand...

i wouldn't do anything free unless you want to not the other person. i don't know how you guys make any money anyway it takes me forever to do a whole car. what do you guys charge an hour? how long does it take you to do a full correction
 
Doctors will halt chemo cause you owe 40.00 imagine that
 
I think the usual mentality is you don't want to offend anyone because they may be a potential customer one day.

I would tell them I would offer them a free wax (or something not too significant on the side) for their next appointment/visit. That way they have paid for two details from you and it's less of a loss since they are now returning customers.
 
i dont know how u guys make money my car is like a never ending project its never done, i know people aren't paying enough to work on thier cars for three days. how much time do you spend on each car for a full detail?
 
When I was a flight instructor, I constantly had people asking me for a free flight. It drove me nuts. As a result, the only friends who have a trade/profession that I ask to help with something on their free time are those that do side work, or I know I can return the favor to. If they're not going to accept money, I'm going to at least return the favor by making dinner, filling their fridge with beer, or helping them with something.

I think "freebies" in any profession set a bad precedent. They're probably never going to be willing to pay what your time is worth. Adding an extra service to a long-standing customer as a way of saying thanks is a different story, as is a discount to a neighbor or friend.
 
"That would bump you up to the silver package, but it also includes....xyz"
 
If asked, there will never be a freebie. That said, for my long standing customers, I have done a couple of "throw ins" such as dressing some trim or cleaning a carpet spot. I have a regular customer who called me because of paint transfer on her bumper and asked if I could give her an estimate to clear it up. I drove to her office and fixed it on the spot. Took me all of 5 minutes. She didn't even know I was there until I sent her photos. She always tips nicely and gives me regular work so I didn't even feel like it was a "freebie". The way I see it is if you are a good customer and aren't actually asking for something for free, I may just take care of it anyway....
 
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