how to ease my nerves

Checklists are great, I even wrote one down so my other half could help. I wrote what products to use, even the applicator to use. Now when a car shows up she walks around and says did you see this, did you see that, can you fix that! After I am done she gets the final inspection and i walk around with the customer. Sometimes they notice things that were repaired and even say, oh you got that out! that feels good deep inside. I also tell them, if I missed anything or something isn't right, let me know and I will fix it!
 
Just to clarify, asking the client to check for missed areas is a completely different ball of wax to doing a walk around with a client when they come to collect it. The car should be finished, checked over and ready to go by the time the client sees it IMO. A walk round is your chance to show off, it should not be an opportunity for a client to pick holes.
 
Also what I do when and if the customer is there to pick up the car when I am there as well.

I tell them to have a look around the car inside and out and while I am still there I can take care of anything that they might find or arise for them while I am still there. Seems to work since it shows them that I do care about there car and my work.

Do you guys think that's good or bad to do?
 
Niblick said:
Just to clarify, asking the client to check for missed areas is a completely different ball of wax to doing a walk around with a client when they come to collect it. The car should be finished, checked over and ready to go by the time the client sees it IMO. A walk round is your chance to show off, it should not be an opportunity for a client to pick holes.
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The thing is that you don`t directly ask them to point out anything that you missed. You want them to point out things that catch their eye. In essence, most owners have a reason for getting a professional detail. They know what looked bad on the paint and the nasty areas that caught their attention on the interior. So they are going to look for improvement in these areas in the first place. But while they are looking for these things, they may see that you missed a bit of dirt here or wax there that you and someone else that looked over it missed as well. 99% of the time, they shouldnt see anything, but its that 1% of the time where....sh*t happens.
 
Any customer I am getting ready to do work for, I ask them if there any specific areas they want me to target(it can help in up-selling). I would write it down(before i heard of a VIF). When I was done I did a final inspection with them and showed them the target areas. If they needed a up grade and did not choose to get it I was up front on what to expect(and over delivered a little). I would ask if there were any concerns and never had anyone point something out.
 
Absolutely spot on Tux. If there are problem areas that the client wants improved then that should be discussed upfront, a possible level of improvement established and a price agreed. The last thing you want is a customer saying "I was hoping you'd have made a better job of X". That's also why you have someone else check it over before the client sees it. Obviously, that's not always gonna be possible, but it's a great idea if you can :xyxthumbs:
 
One wheel at a time, one panel at a time, one seat at a time, one section of floor at a time and so on and so on.
 
Niblick said:
Absolutely spot on Tux. If there are problem areas that the client wants improved then that should be discussed upfront, a possible level of improvement established and a price agreed. The last thing you want is a customer saying "I was hoping you'd have made a better job of X". That's also why you have someone else check it over before the client sees it. Obviously, that's not always gonna be possible, but it's a great idea if you can :xyxthumbs:
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Thank you for the compliment.
 
@Bob....
You're killing me here dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:laughing:
:wave:

Who'd ever thunk it? Lawrence Welk, toking over the line! Im the MAN


I agree with doing the walk around with the customer when the vehicle arrives. You will know THEN what they want addressed. From there you make sure you handle those areas, then throw in a few of your own. Upon delivery you do a "walk around" and show them the areas they were concerned with, asking if that meets their expectations, (and of course show them other's that you took care of along the way). :props:

I used to do check/punch lists for show trucks 15~25 years ago. Never knew what all would be done by whom, so it was easy when I wasn't there for others to take on areas that needed doing. These days however I already know what I'm doing, what I've done, and more or less everything gets done to any vehicle we address. I do agree however that the professionalism of seeing a detailed, perhaps 3 column check list is a selling point. Perhaps a section for the basic items, then other sections for items that come within a given package/price structure. :dunno:

These days I do the VIF with *everyone*. They (customers) need to know when the vehicle arrives that we go over it, top to bottom, front to back. Broken switches, cracked windshields, loose trim, swirls, RIDS, you name it. Had a BMW before my back surgery that came in for a overall cleanup prior to trading in at CARMAX. It was BEAT UP inside something TERRIBLE. Outside wasn't great, but inside had all sorts of broken stuff. In the inspection we noticed a small stone chip at the top of the windshield, (with a small 3"crack starting). Had the owner sign off on it all before she left. By the time it'd sat in the sun on the (slanted) drive the crack more than doubled (and then some) in size. Needless to say she loved the car when she arrived, but was less than pleased about the crack in the glass. That's where the VIF came into play, with her signature. :)

Owners tend to think that anything and everything that happens to a vehicle is YOUR FAULT. Yet if you do a search on "windshield cracked for no reason" you'll get 193,000 results!!!!!!!!! :eek: That car wasn't worth $3000.00 yet she spent $250 cleaning it up to trade it, and from 10' away it shined like glass. That money might have been good on a vehicle she was selling, or even trading to a BMW specific store, but.....
Had she told me she was trading with CARMAX I'd told her not to waste her money, (I used to tow for them, all three of them in Atlanta actually) and they will not give you JACK for your vehicle if it's perfect.... take it in with broken switches, seats that don't recline, headliner falling down, wheels with curb rash, and a 15 year old car at that and well..... you get the idea.

Bottom line is the VIF, and by extension a "in progress checklist" can both be a useful tool in the age old adage of CYA. :props:
 
To respone to the OP's original question...

I do a 10 minute final inspection on every vehicle. Every single vehicle. No matter whether I see anything quickly or not, I spend the full 10 minutes. It is a way to force yourself to be thorough and look over and over.

Also... that feeling will always be there at times. However, if you miss something, life goes on. If the client calls and complains apologize and make it right. It's not worth ever losing sleep over an IF.
 
VP Mark said:
To respone to the OP's original question...

I do a 10 minute final inspection on every vehicle. Every single vehicle. No matter whether I see anything quickly or not, I spend the full 10 minutes. It is a way to force yourself to be thorough and look over and over.

Also... that feeling will always be there at times. However, if you miss something, life goes on. If the client calls and complains apologize and make it right. It's not worth ever losing sleep over an IF.
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great advise mark:)
 
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