How do people run a business like this?

shoeless89

shoeless89

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:rant: So a couple of months ago a detail shop opened out down the street from my moms. I've been meaning to stop in for a while now and today I finally did. I really just wanted to talk to the guy about detailing. Like most of us, I'm an enthusiest and I detail for profit. Well anyway I walk in and he said "Can I help you?" in way like I was hastling him. I replied "I really just wanted to see what you guys are all about, I like to detail" then he pretty much just had a snarky grin and turned his back to me. I don't know, I guess I just try to be as friendly to every person I meet especially people that give me their money! Its not like I'm gonna be bringing any business to this guy but he doesn't know that. But even if I was I for sure wouldn't now just because of his attitude. And the worst part is, they seem to be doing half way decent. It makes me want to open a shop and show people what true customer appreciation is. Sorry for the rant just hand to vent to some people who understand! :buffing:
 
No offense, but I probably would have done the same thing. You stated " I like to detail", meaning, I am not a paying customer.
 
I would give him another chance. He's probally had more then one detailer (you) drop in to "check out" his operation. This can get annoying because most times its someone coming in trying to tell you how you should be running your business

Go back up there and be friendly
 
Had a guy that runs a local do-all shop treat me similarly. I had him do the tint on my car. He goes in about how detail oriented he was, and I'm thinking "great, if this turns out nicely, maybe I'll see about having him do some paint correction" Well the guy isn't happy about his own tint job, so he has me come back 3 separate times for him to redo the driver's side window. Leaving the 3rd time (all his idea for me to come back again) he says "I can't keep tinting this little car every other day."

So somehow his idea to keep having me come back to redo it became my idea?? Anyway, not only did he not get anymore business from me on the next 2 cars I had tinted. I have expressly NOT recommended him to my friends and local car forum members.
 
I gotta agree with the guys here.

When you said that he either thought of you as a competitor or as some guy who thinks he is a "know it all".

If his method works for him, than let it be. You wouldn't want other detailers coming to your shop or garage to inspect your work or see "what YOU are all about"... I mean who does that. He probably thought you were nosy too. I would have.
 
Yeah I can't really blame him. If you went in the and said you like to detail he could assume you were just going to chit chat and waste his time. Time is money. While I wouldn't have turned my back on you I would have made it clear I don't have time to chew the fat with someone who could potentially be my competition.
 
I would've hired you and worked you like a gov't mule for a few days to see how much you really like detailing









J/K Shoeless. You seem like a decent enough guy
 
shoeless89 said:
I don't know, I guess I just try to be as friendly to every person I meet
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____________________________________________________________________________________________________
shoeless89
Senior Member

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Union, KY*
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Some folks just don't have, or know how to reciprocate, your: *Southern Hospitality!



:)

Bob
 
A lot of these supposed "detail" shops are anything but true car care. They provide a quick wash to those that don't really care about their cars. The service they provide is slightly better than hiring someone to knock mud off your car with a brick. The employees working for him were more than likely not there last week and will not be there next week, know nothing about car care, have almost no training and certainly no enthusiasm. It's sad, but that is what you get for the money they are charging.

A good car cleaning (even a no frills one) will cost more than the $9.99 these guys charge. You really can't blame the shop. After all, they are only providing the level of service that most people want to pay. So many people do not truly understand the professionalism and knowledge required to make their vehicles truly shine.

I am sure that many guys who provide the level of service that Mike Phillips teaches has heard on more than one occasion from potential customers about how these other shops charge so little and how can they justify charging the prices they want just to clean my car...blah blah blah.

The fact is, the service these "kwikky klean" places provide and the guys that really know what they are doing and who have a true passion and pride in car care, are entirely different...and it shows. Not just in the outcome of the detail, but in the attitude of the person.

Be happy that this guy acts this way. It only goes to make all of the real car detailers out there look better. I guess he doesn't understand that when you sell a service, you are selling yourself, and a poor attitude does not sell well. Why he needs to be rude, whether you are a paying customer or not, makes no sense. Maybe he has more customers than he knows what to do with...but I doubt it. Businesses run by guys like this don't last long.
 
Yeah I understand what you guys are saying. Maybe it was just my PERCEPTION but even before I said anything he didn't seem like he wanted much to do with me. I understand time is money but this guy wasn't doing anything when I walked in and he wasn't doing anything when I walked out. Maybe I'm just used to guys like us on this forum but if I had a shop and someone wanted to talk detailing, you bet! I guess you guys have just spoiled me on detailing friendliness lol
 
shoeless89 said:
Yeah I understand what you guys are saying. Maybe it was just my PERCEPTION but even before I said anything he didn't seem like he wanted much to do with me. I understand time is money but this guy wasn't doing anything when I walked in and he wasn't doing anything when I walked out. Maybe I'm just used to guys like us on this forum but if I had a shop and someone wanted to talk detailing, you bet! I guess you guys have just spoiled me on detailing friendliness lol
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The real world of detailing is nothing like forum detailing. First time I stumbled onto a forum I couldn't believe how friendly everyone was to each other, then I figured out that the forum detailers weren't actually detailers at all :/

Its just not normal for any business to reveal every trade secret they have
 
Dude could've just gotten off the phone with one of his Used Car lot acct's. That always use to get me in a piss poor attitude
 
I guess I feel a little different. I'm mobile and people are always stopping to talk with me. It's always where my next customer comes from. If I turned my back on everyone that stopped to say hi or ask a question I guess I would be out of business pretty fast. I don't see any harm in talking shop with another detailer.
 
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