My employee screwed up today

FinishingTouchA

FinishingTouchA

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So I've had my shop for 3 months now after mobile detailing for 2 years. I've never messed up a customers car so today was a first. My first employee of 1 month was wearing a belt with metal inserts in the holes and scratched the rear door and quarter panel on a brand new Kia Soul. When we were drying the car I saw the scratches and went crazy checking my towels and mitts. I checked the before pictures and nothing was there. These scratches were all the way through the clear coat, my fingernail caught on them bad. A few minutes later I noticed the employee's belt and had him stand next to the car and pointed out to him what had happened. After calling the customer and letting him know I will do everything to make it right and pay all the repairs I mentioned that I will try to see if I can buff it out "just in case." So I got the scratches to the point where 99 percent of people wouldn't even see if I pointed it out... but being an autogeek anything less than perfect is still unacceptable even on a Kia. So I hit it one more time and burned through on the body lines. Took it to the body shop and its a $800 repair bill. Fortunately it was going to be a CarPro inside and out job so that will offset the bill a bit but it sucks that its money straight out of my pocket. Needless to say I will be working on an employee handbook including dress code and SOP. I know this guy is a hard worker and wants to learn but sometimes I see that he doesn't have that "awareness" gene. The first 5 times he used the Flex I had to remind him to put the cord over his shoulder.

My questions for you guys...
Any tips on important things to train employees?
Do you send them home with a list of videos? (that's how I learned when I started)
Has anyone else here made or had an employee make a mistake like this?
 
OUCH man, it sounds like something I'd have to really try to do to cause damage like that. Back before I knew better I didn't think about things like metal on belts and zippers. I never did any damage, maybe it was dumb luck. Now? I wear my apron even if all I'm going to do is sit inside and wipe down the dash lol.
 
quebert said:
OUCH man, it sounds like something I'd have to really try to do to cause damage like that. Back before I knew better I didn't think about things like metal on belts and zippers. I never did any damage, maybe it was dumb luck. Now? I wear my apron even if all I'm going to do is sit inside and wipe down the dash lol.
Click to expand...

For $1250 plus airfare you could send them to Stuart for Mikes class. After seeing what you are going through sometimes it costs money to make money.
 
No belt buckles allowed! I had my driver in the shop for a repair and when I picked it up there was a big scratch, just as you say... Where a belt buckle would line up.

Took it back to the shop and they could have cared less.... I spent 3 hours working on it and was able to get the scratch out. I was a novice at the time and just worked with Clear-coat safe OTC compound and Meg's scratch-x 1.0. That's when I learned I'm pretty good at doing this kind of stuff.

Sorry to hear about this.
 
Sorry to hear about this. Hopefully he learns a lesson by seeing what it is costing you.

Maybe this is why I saw a detail shop in south Florida supply hospital scrubs to the employees to wear when working.
 
Employee's are a necessary evil, cant live with them cant grow with out them. Sometimes I still wonder is it easier to just work alone. That is rookie $hit though even a novice weekend warrior knows no zippers no belts no buttons and if you cant dress with out those wear a damn apron. Buy him a nice pink apron with flowers on it that says kiss the chef maybe it will help burn the lesson into his brain.
 
Yips...that hurt!

You get props for being a stand-up businessman!

Back in the day when I was working at a gas station (yea, that was looong ago) the owner always told new hires, "NO BELTS!" There even use to be belt buckles that were covered, made especially for 'mechs' back then.

Bill
 
trashmanssd said:
Employee's are a necessary evil, cant live with them cant grow with out them. Sometimes I still wonder is it easier to just work alone. That is rookie $hit though even a novice weekend warrior knows no zippers no belts no buttons and if you cant dress with out those wear a damn apron. Buy him a nice pink apron with flowers on it that says kiss the chef maybe it will help burn the lesson into his brain.
Click to expand...
I like this guys thinking! Def go with the dunce apron idea..... and take pictures lol!
BillE said:
Yips...that hurt!

You get props for being a stand-up businessman!

Back in the day when I was working at a gas station (yea, that was looong ago) the owner always told new hires, "NO BELTS!" There even use to be belt buckles that were covered, made especially for 'mechs' back then.

Bill
Click to expand...
Second this.... props for taking the hit and making it right. Hurts the pocket but speaks volumes about the way you conduct business.

At least its a unfortunate lesson learned. Now you can move forward and make up a dress code. Or a uniform perhaps. Personally I would go with a uniform. Then that limits potential offensive material, damaging acessories and so on. Also, maybe even do away with rings! Although I always wear mine lol!
 
Although unfortunate, one learns fastest by making their own mistakes. Instead of calling it screwing up, in my industry, we all it "operating experience." We cover OE every day, as to discuss the mistakes and learning experiences of the past so we do not make them again in the future.

If that fails, I'm another vote for the pink, flowered apron.
 
@OP:

Can't hardly excuse your employee's wardrobe malfunction...
But if you get a chance:
You need to re-read your original posting.

IMHO:
•There's at least three detailing blunders listed, therein,
that you committed yourself. Either you were using them as:
-"training exercises" for your employee;
-or you, yourself, need to be enlightened/re-enlightened...
or trained/re-trained.

-If it's the later:
Doesn't set very good examples for any employee
that's being lectured about their wrongdoings.


Bob
 
Ouch. That must have been one heck of a belt buckle.

Put up a sign: "No belts, rings, or other jewelry is to be worn while working on vehicles."
 
Sorry about the mishap but remember your employee is a human being, not a robot. S*it happens. I doubt he intentionally made the mistake. He isn't perfect, nor are you or any of us.

I'm assuming he's a grown adult and if so I don't feel he needs to be lectured further or given a pretty pink apron to belittle him. If he was taught empathy he already feels horrible about it. If you want to be taken seriously as the owner, leave the apron idea alone unless it's a professional detailing apron. Make the appropriate changes to your employee handbook as well as hold a employee meeting to discuss those changes, hold them accountable for future mistakes (by writing them up and documenting), discuss proper work uniforms and be done with it. It's not that hard.
 
Oh Man Sorry to hear about this. I work in an environment that the people have to dress a certain way. If they don't, they get sent home like a little child. Additionally, on the detailing side when I train some teenagers...2 things I let them know before I start training them in the basics.

1 NO CELL PHONE!!

2 They need to wear sweat shorts or sweat pants. The reason why I tell them that no jean shorts no shorts with a button...PERIOD. That way I know for sure they are not going to scratch the car. If they do I will not teach them detailing.

The reason why I am anal is because I don't want a situation like you went through.

Sorry for your situation, however, in a way...thank you for confirming my philosophy. Please do not see this as being a mean gesture. I just do not want to experience what you went through.
 
OP how hard were you working on the stratch to go through the clear, and what were you using?
 
Definitely am learning from this one. Unfortunately I opened the shop in peak season and don't have the time to sit down and train for a day. Maybe this fall I will be able to send him to a class, or at least go to one myself. The reason I never made a proper dress code was just out of ignorance. I've always worn a belt with a metal buckle, but 1, I always have a long shirt on... and 2, I am always 100% aware of my body relative to the paint. Plus I'm tall so I can stretch over a hood or roof without touching the vehicle. It's just something that has been common sense to me my whole life. I would rather not have a strict dress code and no cell phone rules etc because I place a strong value on freedom and enjoying being at work. But after this I may change a few things.

On another note, I wet sanded the scratches then used heavy cut compound with a blue rupes pad on the lhr21. I did this 3 times to get to the point I though was almost acceptable. Again, if I wasn't going for perfection I could have left it and he would have been happy with it.
 
If you go a uniform route for the dress code, consider doing hospital scrubs. They're not terribly expensive, look pretty decent, no zippers/buttons, any color you want and it's like wearing pajamas all day.
 
Funny you mention "Belt Buckle Damage" (BBD) today.
I had a shop owner call me yesterday about just that, BBD happening on a customers new truck yesterday. This guy owns a local oil change shop and one down about 60 miles from us (where the guy lived that brought me his Laguna Blue C7).

Lucky for him this damage wasn't on the paint, but the headlight.
Unlucky for him was that he said it was 3 scratches and the owner wasn't happy about them. Being on the headlight he really doesn't have a way to buff them completely out, (not without removing the oem coating). I told him to text me a few photos and we'd see if we could try and make it 'better' but honestly if it's a new truck the owner will NEVER be happy with it. EVER! The easy part is he can remove and replace the headlight with a few pulls of brackets and a couple of plugs. :)

I'm with those that wear an apron. I just do.... always have. I also wear jeans when it's cool, but I *ALWAYS* wear a longer shirt to cover the front of my jeans. In the summer it's shorts, (just usually not elastic waist ones) so again.... a long t-shirt and if buffing... an apron.

I know of guys that wear nothing year round but moisture wicking material shirts and shorts, sorta' like basketball shorts. Helps stay cool, and takes one less factor away from the 'scratch' chances. ;)
 
There's no way I'm forcing someone to wear scrub pants in 105 degree weather. Dickies and a mechanics belt is just fine and looks much more professional.
 
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