apg39
New member
- Dec 7, 2010
- 34
- 0
Feed back please
Where I operate my workshop, detailing is not a big 'thing'. Where I am originally raised & schooled it is much the same. I get referred to as a 'car wash' pretty much daily even though the customer knows I don't just splash & dash, they know I do detailing but refer to it as taking it to the car wash. Not really how the public perceive what you do, just what they call it...similar to how a Mercedes owner would feel if someone referred to their car as a Toyota.
While it might seem a little trivial, it is somewhat annoying. Not being mean to car washes but what detailers do is an art & not just a minor chore like mowing the lawns. I've worked extremely hard these last 12 months to bring the business back to a more professional/respectable position than it was with the previous owner. He seemed happy for others to downplay what he did & was suprised when people wanted quotes then shocked by his price because it's "only a car wash".
Plus I'm a pretty proud guy, I'm not dumb & think I'm pretty well respected by all of my friends/family...but when I hear my parents say I own a car wash I can tell straight away the other person is unimpressed or even disappointed that I've settled for the simple life.
I know the obvious answer is to educate the public, but it's a pretty big task & I don't really have the bank balance to be putting editorial in the newspaper or doing a brochure drop. I will be doing this in the future but just want to see if it's only me or if anyone else has had success in changing the public's perception.
The other idea which I used in a previous occupation as a property manager was to change the wording of my occupation. No one loves a 'property manager', hardly any respect at all...but an 'investment portfolio manager' impresses people. Bit like Subway's sandwich artists. I have thrown around ideas of changing it to 'automotive restoration' or 'automotive enhancement' since essentially thats what we do.
So do any other workshop owners felt the same? Do you cringe when the public or even friends/family refer to you as a car wash? Does it make you feel like you're doing all this hard work just to be referred to as a quick/dodgey/cheap/basic service?
Where I operate my workshop, detailing is not a big 'thing'. Where I am originally raised & schooled it is much the same. I get referred to as a 'car wash' pretty much daily even though the customer knows I don't just splash & dash, they know I do detailing but refer to it as taking it to the car wash. Not really how the public perceive what you do, just what they call it...similar to how a Mercedes owner would feel if someone referred to their car as a Toyota.
While it might seem a little trivial, it is somewhat annoying. Not being mean to car washes but what detailers do is an art & not just a minor chore like mowing the lawns. I've worked extremely hard these last 12 months to bring the business back to a more professional/respectable position than it was with the previous owner. He seemed happy for others to downplay what he did & was suprised when people wanted quotes then shocked by his price because it's "only a car wash".
Plus I'm a pretty proud guy, I'm not dumb & think I'm pretty well respected by all of my friends/family...but when I hear my parents say I own a car wash I can tell straight away the other person is unimpressed or even disappointed that I've settled for the simple life.
I know the obvious answer is to educate the public, but it's a pretty big task & I don't really have the bank balance to be putting editorial in the newspaper or doing a brochure drop. I will be doing this in the future but just want to see if it's only me or if anyone else has had success in changing the public's perception.
The other idea which I used in a previous occupation as a property manager was to change the wording of my occupation. No one loves a 'property manager', hardly any respect at all...but an 'investment portfolio manager' impresses people. Bit like Subway's sandwich artists. I have thrown around ideas of changing it to 'automotive restoration' or 'automotive enhancement' since essentially thats what we do.
So do any other workshop owners felt the same? Do you cringe when the public or even friends/family refer to you as a car wash? Does it make you feel like you're doing all this hard work just to be referred to as a quick/dodgey/cheap/basic service?
rops:
