It sounds like you don't want (or don't have time) to spend too long doing a walk around with each customer; and, you want to prevent customers from having unrealistic expectations. Here is my idea for how I would probably deal with this.
Create a detailing menu that is very pic heavy. Walk your customers through the process of a typical wash/wax (or whatever your hot seller is) and then have "the extras" priced out accordingly as add-ons and show the before and afters to justify the extra services.
For example the first page or two could be the car wash and detailing packages. The next page could be your glass restorative service (with before and after of heavy water spot removal) with a price for that specific add on. There could be other pages for paint decon and trim restoration, etc.
You wouldn't even need to be in front of the vehicle to do this (in some cases you just can't tell due to how dirty/neglected the vehicle is anyway). You would just go through the menu together with your customer. Each page would be a "yes/no" equation depending on if the vehicle needs it and if the customer wants to remedy that specific problem.
In framing your services from the perspective of providing a solution for a customer's specific problem it might reduce the amount of misconceptions and align their expectations appropriately. Also, I think the pictures would help people understand what can and can't be taken care of with a simple car wash vs a full restorative detailing service. Having them see these differences up front in the form of pictures (as opposed to trying to explain it to people) would allow you to quickly make sure you are taking care of the customer's pre-existing needs and concerns. Heck, it might even help you sell more add-ons. In fact, the more I think about this I'm going to do the same thing for my business!
Best of luck!
First, I apoligize guys if I missed something here, I started reading, clicked multiple replies to address and then hit on this one. THIS is dead on the point!
To the OP, I understand you are working on volume, got it. But if you're doing volume you need to
make yourself a checklist and use it with every car that comes in. :xyxthumbs:
When I did dealer transfers I'd spend 15 minutes going over every square inch and make them sign off on it before the car left the lot, then give a copy of it to the dealer on the other end when I got there.
It is much better to under promise and
over perform than give them what (YOU KNOW) they are paying for and have them feel you
under performed. Unhappy customers will blab to 100 different people about how they got ripped off where a happy customer may not tell anyone, but that is far better than 100 people hearing what a crook you are.
Nick is dead on with hitting the problem areas! You mentioned making a new "menu".
This is the time to make a menue that spells out your services on one side and do your 'upsale' items say in the middle, then on the right side put a column for 'typical problems'.
Take photos of
before and after for everything that you KNOW you are prepared to, and have the equipment to FIX.
If you cannot fix it then and there, put it in the cannot fix list.
Your upsell list should show what happens if they elect to pay for the services.
- Swirls a plenty - PRESTO No More Swirls
- Black and nasty exhaust with dull stainless - PRESTO Shines Like New
- Waterspots - PRESTO Glass so slick bugs won't stick to it
- Dirty nasty carpet - PRESTO Clean as new
- Wheels with caked on crud in the barrel's - PRESTO Clean front and back (Remember to show the difference in a photo of a washed tire/wheel with some shine sprayed on it, and a DETAILED wheel.)
Remember, they don't know the difference!
If you can fix it, show them you can. If they don't want to pay you for your time to do so, CHECK THE LIST.
As for the stuff that you can't fix.
Take photos of everything you've ever seen that "don't buff out".
- Road Rash
- Wheel Damage
- Cracked lower air dams
- Foggy window tint
- Loose or missing trim
- Cracked glass
- Clear coat failure
- Damaged or missing interior pieces, etc.
When walking them through what they (think they) want make sure to point out possible problem areas on your menu. Tell them UP FRONT that if these problems exist you can either 'fix' them (
based on your before and after shots) or they cannot be fixed (
based on your photos of known unfixable problems).
Make a check list like going to a sushi place where you check of what you want. Let them go over it while you are explaining it and pointing it out on your wall menu.
There is simply no reason for an owner to expect you to "
repair" a car when they didn't pay for that repair. Note I said "repair" as in the case of chrome pitting and flaking off there is nothing you can do, short of installing new wheels.
It seems like the most of it is communication with the customers. They want something in-and-out quick and figure it's better than them doing it on their own. Thing is,
and you've picked up on it, is when you say "Wash and Wax" it puts a picture in their mind of something that just isn't possible with a quick once over. Taking the extra 5 minutes will likely reward you the benefit of happy customers (or at least not complaints) and a higher average sale as well.
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