cardaddy
New member
- Nov 20, 2012
- 3,937
- 0
WOW... this topic surely has taken a anfractuous course!
I really don't understand the hatred for all things "selling". That part in and of itself isn't a bad thing. People are selling us stuff every day we don't want, and likely don't even need. Turn on QVC for a few hours and see if your wife doesn't end up buying something if you don't believe me!
We are inundated daily by all sorts of retailers, service providers, food eateries, you name it. It is up to the seller to provide anything and everything they may have, TO THE BUYER, and if the buyer "want's it", then the buyer gets it. Regardless of whether or not the buyer "needs" it. Heck, I looked out on the deck to find some sort of new plants from QVC that are nothing more than STICKS sitting on a new wrought iron plant stand, in brand new ceramic pots! They are "cuttings" from a larger plant, but my wife WANTED them. And obviously we NEEDED them.
Go to your local tire store and they'll have cheap tires and middle range, and if you're lucky.... they just might have the "good stuff". But no matter which ones you buy, they'll try and sell you the "road hazard warranty". Do you NEED it? Probably not. But does that make it a bad thing for them to sell it to you? Absolutely not!
FWIW we're going to be buying another set of tires next week for the wife's Denali, I just looked at some like we have, then a set of Continental's. The Continental's are not even in stock, are more expensive, last longer, AND have a "Manufacturers Road Hazard Warranty". So which one comes out as the better deal then?
The same logic could be applied to detailing. Package A, B, or C. One may be no machine work at all, slosh some spray wax on it and let it go. Where another may be machine work, (although not TOTAL paint correction) but has a proven sealant, and actually CORRECTS & PROTECTS the paint. It could be easily argued that protection without correction isn't worth the effort, and to show the owner, (IE: Educate) them on what can be happening with their paint, (the Post-It always works for me) they quite often go for a package that they didn't *realize* they "needed".
We're not talking about doing show car jobs on every car you do, but upselling is an art, easily as much of an art as (real) detailing itself. If a customer is coming to a specialized "detailer" then they may already know something that their buddies at work don't know. The same buddies that go to the spray and pray wash, or the scrub and club. (As in it'll club the living snot out of your car!)
Think AutoGeek isn't upselling to us all, EVERY FREAKING DAY? Hah!!!!!! :laughing: I've said it before, and will say it a thousand more times, Max is a genius! He saw a need, a niche if you may.... and built a freaking EMPIRE around it! Boutique brands? Seriously? Do we NEED THEM? Or do we WANT them?
rops:
I have a saying I've been telling customers for decades, being as I was in the towing business, and had ONLY rollbacks, (long before I was charging anyone for detailing). "Nothing is expensive if you want it. You just have to quantify your level of want." Be that who you hire to TOW your car, what type of shoes you buy, what, (or in my case) how many guns you buy, and of course who you hire to detail your vehicles.
More importantly than pricing, (with service industry professionals, especially those that want repeat business) are things such as BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. With that, comes trust, with that comes an understanding that what you may be recommending, (while more expensive than they were thinking, the *first time* they saw you) was actually better for them in the long run. Easier to take care of a clean car than a dirty one.
Does that mean you take all the work that comes your way? Maybe not.
Does that mean you do only what you want, when you want? Maybe not.
Does that mean you do only "production work"? I certainly HOPE not.
Do what you like, how you like. Hopefully it's what your customers like. Find your market, period! If you need to pay the bills by detailing, and only detailing, then your services will be different than the guy that has a summer job home from college. Which will also be different than the guy that is a car guy, goes to shows, and caters to car clubs. There is no single ONE "right" answer.
Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware
No stronger words have ever been spoken.
See the big sign at the dealership "Hand Wash $9.95". How much do you think that one wash will end up costing the owner to FIX down the road? Just recently I have 2 new cars that came in, a black Camry Hybrid that was bought with 1500 miles on it, and a black cherry KIA Sportage, both were badly damaged by the dealer. The Camry looked like a 15 year old beater that'd been washed with a Scotchbrite pad!!!! The owner didn't even know it was metallic, couldn't see it through all the clear coat damage! He didn't know he needed a total paint correction, but he knew he needed SOMETHING. It was up to me to show him, give him options, EDUCATE the customer, then let him understand what it took to keep his new pride and joy up, to whatever level he is comfortable with. Just so happened that price point, for that customer, was $650. The KIA wasn't as swirled, but was brand freaking new. It had RIDS so bad, long ones, where you could tell they washed it with a brush on a stick! That one it just turned out to be my daughters new car. She KNOWS what she wants, doesn't have anywhere inside to park it, but knows while it's new that she wanted a coating, and knows how to run a buffer. So off to work we went.
Education was needed in both instances. One was to educate the customer on technique, how it got that way to begin with, and how/and what to expect down the road. That customer wants grit guards now, and bought the proper towels from me to maintain his vehicle. THOSE are the ones you want coming back!
The other one was my daughter trying to educate her husband as to WHY you want to even bother and wash your car. AFAIK he's not ever waxed his, or bothered to touch the exterior (at anywhere other than the spray and pray) since he bought it 2 years ago!
Selling however is the life blood of any business. If you can't sell, you'll not survive. That not withstanding, here on AGO there are many various levels of guys doing the same basic thing. You'll find "car guys" that just enjoy, (and want to know how to better improve) keeping their vehicles up, standing right beside "college kids" that are looking for a summer job, learning from "full timers" that do nothing but production detailing, that are looking across the table (er internet monitor) at "high end" detailers that pick and choose what they want, when they want. No single sales model is going to work in all instances. But if you DO NOT sell, and do not try to UP SELL, whenever you can, you are not helping grow your business. (Whether that be to have your hobby pay it's way, or to put food on the table.)
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
On another note;
What to say to the customer that says they don't like that test spot, (and they are going to sue you), if you don't make it look like the rest of their car. Simple.... take a wheel cleaning brush, (or a Scotchbrite pad) grab some dirty soapy water, give it a few scrubs.... then grab a bath towel, or old rag that's laying on the ground to dry it off. It'll look just like the rest of the vehicle in a matter of seconds. Just like the corner car wash! :laughing:
What's the other saying? Don't hate the player, hate the game! :dblthumb2:
I really don't understand the hatred for all things "selling". That part in and of itself isn't a bad thing. People are selling us stuff every day we don't want, and likely don't even need. Turn on QVC for a few hours and see if your wife doesn't end up buying something if you don't believe me!
We are inundated daily by all sorts of retailers, service providers, food eateries, you name it. It is up to the seller to provide anything and everything they may have, TO THE BUYER, and if the buyer "want's it", then the buyer gets it. Regardless of whether or not the buyer "needs" it. Heck, I looked out on the deck to find some sort of new plants from QVC that are nothing more than STICKS sitting on a new wrought iron plant stand, in brand new ceramic pots! They are "cuttings" from a larger plant, but my wife WANTED them. And obviously we NEEDED them.
Go to your local tire store and they'll have cheap tires and middle range, and if you're lucky.... they just might have the "good stuff". But no matter which ones you buy, they'll try and sell you the "road hazard warranty". Do you NEED it? Probably not. But does that make it a bad thing for them to sell it to you? Absolutely not!
FWIW we're going to be buying another set of tires next week for the wife's Denali, I just looked at some like we have, then a set of Continental's. The Continental's are not even in stock, are more expensive, last longer, AND have a "Manufacturers Road Hazard Warranty". So which one comes out as the better deal then?
The same logic could be applied to detailing. Package A, B, or C. One may be no machine work at all, slosh some spray wax on it and let it go. Where another may be machine work, (although not TOTAL paint correction) but has a proven sealant, and actually CORRECTS & PROTECTS the paint. It could be easily argued that protection without correction isn't worth the effort, and to show the owner, (IE: Educate) them on what can be happening with their paint, (the Post-It always works for me) they quite often go for a package that they didn't *realize* they "needed".
We're not talking about doing show car jobs on every car you do, but upselling is an art, easily as much of an art as (real) detailing itself. If a customer is coming to a specialized "detailer" then they may already know something that their buddies at work don't know. The same buddies that go to the spray and pray wash, or the scrub and club. (As in it'll club the living snot out of your car!)
Think AutoGeek isn't upselling to us all, EVERY FREAKING DAY? Hah!!!!!! :laughing: I've said it before, and will say it a thousand more times, Max is a genius! He saw a need, a niche if you may.... and built a freaking EMPIRE around it! Boutique brands? Seriously? Do we NEED THEM? Or do we WANT them?
rops:I have a saying I've been telling customers for decades, being as I was in the towing business, and had ONLY rollbacks, (long before I was charging anyone for detailing). "Nothing is expensive if you want it. You just have to quantify your level of want." Be that who you hire to TOW your car, what type of shoes you buy, what, (or in my case) how many guns you buy, and of course who you hire to detail your vehicles.
More importantly than pricing, (with service industry professionals, especially those that want repeat business) are things such as BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. With that, comes trust, with that comes an understanding that what you may be recommending, (while more expensive than they were thinking, the *first time* they saw you) was actually better for them in the long run. Easier to take care of a clean car than a dirty one.
Does that mean you take all the work that comes your way? Maybe not.
Does that mean you do only what you want, when you want? Maybe not.
Does that mean you do only "production work"? I certainly HOPE not.
Do what you like, how you like. Hopefully it's what your customers like. Find your market, period! If you need to pay the bills by detailing, and only detailing, then your services will be different than the guy that has a summer job home from college. Which will also be different than the guy that is a car guy, goes to shows, and caters to car clubs. There is no single ONE "right" answer.
Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware
No stronger words have ever been spoken.
See the big sign at the dealership "Hand Wash $9.95". How much do you think that one wash will end up costing the owner to FIX down the road? Just recently I have 2 new cars that came in, a black Camry Hybrid that was bought with 1500 miles on it, and a black cherry KIA Sportage, both were badly damaged by the dealer. The Camry looked like a 15 year old beater that'd been washed with a Scotchbrite pad!!!! The owner didn't even know it was metallic, couldn't see it through all the clear coat damage! He didn't know he needed a total paint correction, but he knew he needed SOMETHING. It was up to me to show him, give him options, EDUCATE the customer, then let him understand what it took to keep his new pride and joy up, to whatever level he is comfortable with. Just so happened that price point, for that customer, was $650. The KIA wasn't as swirled, but was brand freaking new. It had RIDS so bad, long ones, where you could tell they washed it with a brush on a stick! That one it just turned out to be my daughters new car. She KNOWS what she wants, doesn't have anywhere inside to park it, but knows while it's new that she wanted a coating, and knows how to run a buffer. So off to work we went.
Education was needed in both instances. One was to educate the customer on technique, how it got that way to begin with, and how/and what to expect down the road. That customer wants grit guards now, and bought the proper towels from me to maintain his vehicle. THOSE are the ones you want coming back!
The other one was my daughter trying to educate her husband as to WHY you want to even bother and wash your car. AFAIK he's not ever waxed his, or bothered to touch the exterior (at anywhere other than the spray and pray) since he bought it 2 years ago!Selling however is the life blood of any business. If you can't sell, you'll not survive. That not withstanding, here on AGO there are many various levels of guys doing the same basic thing. You'll find "car guys" that just enjoy, (and want to know how to better improve) keeping their vehicles up, standing right beside "college kids" that are looking for a summer job, learning from "full timers" that do nothing but production detailing, that are looking across the table (er internet monitor) at "high end" detailers that pick and choose what they want, when they want. No single sales model is going to work in all instances. But if you DO NOT sell, and do not try to UP SELL, whenever you can, you are not helping grow your business. (Whether that be to have your hobby pay it's way, or to put food on the table.)
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
On another note;
What to say to the customer that says they don't like that test spot, (and they are going to sue you), if you don't make it look like the rest of their car. Simple.... take a wheel cleaning brush, (or a Scotchbrite pad) grab some dirty soapy water, give it a few scrubs.... then grab a bath towel, or old rag that's laying on the ground to dry it off. It'll look just like the rest of the vehicle in a matter of seconds.
Just like the corner car wash! :laughing:What's the other saying? Don't hate the player, hate the game! :dblthumb2:
