Detailing Related Warranties

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rwright

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What detailing services do you provide that you back with a warranty? How do you handle the claims and details of the warranty? Do you provide a written warranty or just verbal? Do you just offer short term only or long term warranties for services rendered? We have several different areas that may allow for this service such as headlamp restoration, touch up paint, paintless dent repair (PDR), odor removal, paint sealant application, etc.

With the recent stink people are raising over who charges what for products such as Opti-Coat/Opti-Guard and CQuartz, I'm curious to know if anyone offers a warranty with their application of products?
 
My warranty ends when the customer says they are satisfied
 
I no longer detail for income but when I did this is what I told an unsure customer......."If it doesn't exceed your expectations then it's free". I never once did one for free. Ballsy or confident? A bit of each I reckon. Other than that guarantee there was no implied warranty.
 
Flash Gordon said:
My warranty ends when the customer says they are satisfied
Click to expand...

I'm similar to this. I let all of my customers know that if they find something I missed or something isn't up to par when they leave to call me right away and I'll make it right. Have yet to have a customer actually call me.
 
I don't ever really offer a written warranty, however I let them know when I do headlight restos that if they yellow or get cloudy within 2 years that I will fix them for free (hasn't happened yet thanks to using a UV cured coating).

Now that I sell CQ and OC as a service I tell them how long they SHOULD last with PROPER maintinace, however I don't offer to do anything for free if they fail.

As for regular detailing services (cleaning, polishing, etc.) I don't see how you could really offer a warranty. There is no way really to tell if the customer is abusing their vehicle and just wants to get more work done for free. At least thats how I see it.
 
By any chance was your question directed toward damaging the customer's car?

A detail "shop" located on the bottom floor of my brokers underground parking lot does washed, waxes and a 'decent' detail job.
But as I was leaving the parking lot last year I saw all the employees clustered around a car and wandered over to see what was going on. One of the employees had scraped a customers car on a post while driving it over to the completed car area. It was a LOT of damage. The car was a six month old top of the line Mercedes. The owner, who I had talked to before, said that their insurance would cover it. But it looked like about $18,000 in damage to him. The next time I saw him I asked him about the customer's reaction to the damage. he said he was amazed because the customer didn't seem to care very much. He was more concerned about having to waste time going to a rental agency to get a replacement while his was in the shop.
Must be nice to be able to not go ballistic over something like that.
It turned out that the front fascia, headlight, grill, front fender, and passenger side door were all replaced and that entire side of the car was repainted. He said it looked just like new afterwards. Turned out that the car was leased.
And all I ever worry about is burning through someone's clear.
 
^ That sucks! I was just asking about detailing services, not really insurance. Thanks for sharing though. :)
 
I am with Flash... I tell my customers that get the headlights done that if they start looking yellow or hazy within 6 months then bring it back and I will fix them... that is it as far as the detailing side goes...
 
oldmodman said:
By any chance was your question directed toward damaging the customer's car?

A detail "shop" located on the bottom floor of my brokers underground parking lot does washed, waxes and a 'decent' detail job.
But as I was leaving the parking lot last year I saw all the employees clustered around a car and wandered over to see what was going on. One of the employees had scraped a customers car on a post while driving it over to the completed car area. It was a LOT of damage. The car was a six month old top of the line Mercedes. The owner, who I had talked to before, said that their insurance would cover it. But it looked like about $18,000 in damage to him. The next time I saw him I asked him about the customer's reaction to the damage. he said he was amazed because the customer didn't seem to care very much. He was more concerned about having to waste time going to a rental agency to get a replacement while his was in the shop.
Must be nice to be able to not go ballistic over something like that.
It turned out that the front fascia, headlight, grill, front fender, and passenger side door were all replaced and that entire side of the car was repainted. He said it looked just like new afterwards. Turned out that the car was leased.
And all I ever worry about is burning through someone's clear.
Click to expand...

I ripped the l.r. door off a Mercedes once. Still had the drive out tag on it

This owner too was not upset. He actually laughed about it

Go figure...
 
rwright said:
What detailing services do you provide that you back with a warranty? How do you handle the claims and details of the warranty? Do you provide a written warranty or just verbal? Do you just offer short term only or long term warranties for services rendered? We have several different areas that may allow for this service such as headlamp restoration, touch up paint, paintless dent repair (PDR), odor removal, paint sealant application, etc.

With the recent stink people are raising over who charges what for products such as Opti-Coat/Opti-Guard and CQuartz, I'm curious to know if anyone offers a warranty with their application of products?
Click to expand...

Opti-Guard has an actual warranty coming out soon I heard. Other than that I don't verbalize any type of warranty but if there were a complaint I would do what ever it took to make it right. Things such a odor removal I always say I can improve on it but never guarantee full removal....especially smoke smell. I generally won't do paint touch-ups.
 
When I drop off a vehicle or the customer picks it up, I always tell them if they find something that I may have missed or there is something they are not happy with to please let me know and I will do my best to make it right. Honestly the Opti-Guard and I think Opti-Fabric (not sure about the name) along with Barry Theal's headlight restoration are the items that made me think about warranties. My PDR guy offers a 1 year warranty and my interior repair guy basically tells people that if they experience any issue to let him know and he will take care of it. When it comes to odor removal, like you Rasky I basically tell them I will do the best of my ability. I'm debating this little beast though: Dynabreeze or Jenesco Pro-8
 
rwright said:
When I drop off a vehicle or the customer picks it up, I always tell them if they find something that I may have missed or there is something they are not happy with to please let me know and I will do my best to make it right. Honestly the Opti-Guard and I think Opti-Fabric (not sure about the name) along with Barry Theal's headlight restoration are the items that made me think about warranties. My PDR guy offers a 1 year warranty and my interior repair guy basically tells people that if they experience any issue to let him know and he will take care of it. When it comes to odor removal, like you Rasky I basically tell them I will do the best of my ability. I'm debating this little beast though: Dynabreeze or Jenesco Pro-8
Click to expand...

Ozone Generators are great for odor removal....I don't have enough demand (nor do I want it) to justify the cost. ;)
 
Bumper to Bumper warranty. Once I can no longer see their bumper, the warranty expires.
 
My place of employment simply does a "detailing done on time or you don't pay a dime" deal. Since I've been there, it's not been used, but I recall my boss mentioning he's given out a couple free details because of it. He usually budgets an hour extra in case something comes up.
 
rwright get the dynbreeze ozone machine renny doyle uses that one and had a article about them too
 
I offer an Industry-leading 30/30 warranty!!!





30 feet

or

30 seconds




 
It is almost imposible to say i work 100% all the time / no problem's / no accident while working.

I have work in residential carpet cleaning for over 14 years.
In auto detail like 10 years

i have never done a 100%. Because there is always a 1% to 5% or a higher % where you have a little mistake or accident

my work warranty goes like this. Try to repair the damage / negotiate with the coustomer / if you need to send it to another place to fix something you really can't fix it. Do it

that's the difference between a professional service and a regular service

this is my opinion
 
I had a lady ask me if I warranty my detailing work, I told her only if she brings it to me for every single wash. That ended the conversation and she never had it detailed with me.
 
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