customer wants a one year sealant warrantied
- Thread starter fredcandetail
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fredcandetail
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- Jan 5, 2011
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- #43
Hey guys sorry for not updating the thread last week... We did the three step without an express of implied warranty as I informed the client there was no way I was going to warranty any services unless he agreed to sign a service agreement for $150 a month for weekly washes and he quickly understood the rationale...
The truck took to compounding very nicely with wool and 105 and polishing as well with 205 on the Flex with a white pad. In good faith I gave him two coats of PowerLock (for his piece of mind) and agreed to give him 30% off in 6 months for his next mini detail which would probably be reapplying PL and/or a AiO. We'll see in the winter what this truck looks like!
The truck took to compounding very nicely with wool and 105 and polishing as well with 205 on the Flex with a white pad. In good faith I gave him two coats of PowerLock (for his piece of mind) and agreed to give him 30% off in 6 months for his next mini detail which would probably be reapplying PL and/or a AiO. We'll see in the winter what this truck looks like!
Kristopher1129
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- Jan 3, 2011
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Nice...definitely the right approach to that. Guaranteeing anything would have just made a headache for you. Nice touch throwing the 30% off in there too...now he'll be back for sure. :dblthumb2:
-Longhorn-
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- Mar 13, 2010
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Yep Id pass him right out the door telling him to eff off on the way out. Its a con.
Flash Gordon
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- Feb 6, 2010
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The only gaurantee I offer is that their car will get dirty again 
mwoolfso
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- Jul 18, 2011
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When your customer goes and gets an eye exam and corrective lenses does the Optometrist guarantee the lenses will last one year and eyesight prescription won't need to change? I think not. That's the level of variability we are talking about here.
Service agreements for automobile cover failures of the equipment under normal wear-and-tear conditions. These terms are well defined in the industry. Large companies where product and services go hand-in-hand (automobiles, computers, etc...) have such agreements. Insurance-wise, the statistical risk is very low that the company will not be profitable even if 10-15% of the products come in for service; in in situations that are considered grey-areas where it can go either way. Even then, the insurer purchases insurance in the event an error or omission (defect) enters their product line, so in the worst case they can still be made whole.
You need to ask yourself a few questions and with your business-mind screwed on.
1- Does this customer have your implicit trust relative to maintain his side of the agreement?
2- Can you accept the financial risk of entering into an agreement?
3- Can you accept the brand risk (reputation) of entering into an agreement like this?
4- What precedent does acceptance set for you and your business and how does it impact your support model?
Personally speaking, if you can generate a lot of repeat business (or grow your business by being offering a unique service warranty) then the risks may be less compared to the reward. If not, then you need to state "policy" to the customer; explain that services and experience are being purchased. You can control how the products will perform under normal-use conditions but support for the stuff your products rest on (metal, plastic and cloth) rests primarily with the owner of the vehicle; not the guy who spends 0.001% of the year with the car performing a 3-step. You can still keep a repeat customer here; just be black and white with your explanation and position; say your piece, then shut up and listen to the customer as the final decision is made.
For my small IT business my clients pay for labor all of the time (discounted or fully loaded depending on the service). I choose products that carry good manufacturer warranties and state to my customers they are purchasing my services and experience (recommendations), as well as the products I choose since I didn't manufacture them. Manufacturer warranties are explicitly stated in my agreements as a primary method of support in the event of failure or defect of any kind. If a failure is due to my service; I do the right thing and do not charge for labor to remediate the problem. If the device fails and I am reasonably certain it was not due to a labor component of the service; I leverage the manufacturer warranty "on behalf" of the owner.
kimtyson
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- Aug 12, 2011
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Wow, Mwolfso. I am an IT guy too and I'm not sure I understand you. Are you sure you aren't a lawyer? Maybe follow your own advice, "just be black and white with your explanation and position". I think you had some good things to say but it was definately lost on me. Sorry.
I understood it as it was very well written and spot on when dealing with any type of warranty.
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C. Charles Hahn
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- Aug 27, 2007
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:iagree: I can't believe someone is being given a hard time for providing thorough, helpful, and spot-on advice!
This has me thinking that Twitter and Facebook are destroying our culture -- if the point isn't gotten across within 140 characters or less it's evidently useless and offensive :nomore:
mwoolfso
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- Jul 18, 2011
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Nah, not a lawyer but I do have experience negotiating contracts and contract disputes. There is a lot of nuances in my explanation covering a number areas any business person needs to consider on a regular basis. Not everyone is as methodical as I am. Could I have provided a shorter response? Yep. But not this time.
Flash Gordon
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- Feb 6, 2010
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I think you did an excellent job laying it all out. FWIW
mwoolfso
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- Jul 18, 2011
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Excellent approach, sound customer mindset. Glad everything worked out. Win-win for all involved! Jeff Bezos said this awhile ago on an interview; shocked me. He said one of the things they found out at Amazon was that customers have little idea what it will take to make them truly satisfied. You found it for this client. Good job.
mwoolfso
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- Jul 18, 2011
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I didn't take the comment as a negative in any way. If my explanations are too wordy for someone, they can stop reading and move on. It's that simple.
I didn't take the comment as a negative in any way. If my explanations are too wordy for someone, they can stop reading and move on. It's that simple.
I agree- no one forced you to read it.