Stupid things your customers have asked

I have one but it wasn't a question. A lady told me she like the old color better on her wheels, her car was gold in color and she liked how her dirty wheels matched the car lol except she just thought that was the color of them ...:O
 
I had a small, used car dealer ask of I could buff the paint just long enough to heat it up and move it over to cover scratches.

Do you realize how hard it was to keep from laughing?
 
"This will take what....a couple of hours"? asked by the owner of a full size Range Rover wanting a complete interior & exterior makeover.
 
I actually work with a guy that used to "wheel out cars"...

We chat once in a while about detailing and he tried to argue with me and convince me that buffing doesn't remove paint, but instead melts it down and fills in the scratches.

Same guy also told me that any color except black can be wheeled out and look good but black is impossible to wheel out because it leaves buffer trails. Told me a story of a guy with a black Viper that wanted his car done and he told the guy that black can't be wheeled out yet he insisted he do it anyways. After he was done the guy was mad because it looked like crap. I told him that ALL the cars he was doing no matter what color were full of buffer trails when he was done, he just couldn't see them, once again he basically brushed me off like I don't know anything.


I really do get a kick out of the people that think a complete makeover can be done in a couple hours. Most of my details I spend around 8 - 10 hours on and people have no understanding as to why. I hear all the time about how the detailer in town can do it in a couple hours for half the price.... I tell them the difference between my work and theirs, tell them that I do my work up to a quality not down to a price, then let them decide.
 
Same guy also told me that any color except black can be wheeled out and look good but black is impossible to wheel out because it leaves buffer trails. Told me a story of a guy with a black Viper that wanted his car done and he told the guy that black can't be wheeled out yet he insisted he do it anyways. After he was done the guy was mad because it looked like crap. I told him that ALL the cars he was doing no matter what color were full of buffer trails when he was done, he just couldn't see them, once again he basically brushed me off like I don't know anything.


I had a customer come to me with a dark green Tahoe with buffer trail All over it. I sold her a paint correction and interior detail she came to pic it up the next day and asked why the shiny lines were gone. I explained that's not the proper way to buff a car and that the paint needs to be as level as possible for its best shine. I think I got through to her cuz I she's now one of my best customers.
 
My comment is actually about a detailer. I paid him to detail my black Audi and thought he knew what he was doing. Well he put holograms all through out my car then told me that glaze and wax caused the marks so glaze and wax would be used to remove the holograms. Needless to say I bought my first DA and removed the marks myself and of course now I am addicted!
 
My comment is actually about a detailer. I paid him to detail my black Audi and thought he knew what he was doing. Well he put holograms all through out my car then told me that glaze and wax caused the marks so glaze and wax would be used to remove the holograms. Needless to say I bought my first DA and removed the marks myself and of course now I am addicted!

:xyxthumbs: education is good! Congrats on the save
 
"When you remove the scratches by polishing you wont remove the orange peel will you? I really like the orange peel"

Owner of a brand new, 2012 M3
 
I am just a hobbiest but my neighbors would ask me how much to do take care of thier cars like I cared for my own. Then they would be surprised if I said anything more than $20. I guess the local Car Spa swirl-o-matic in less than an hour was too much money. Me sweating my tail off for 3-4 for a decent interior/ exterior detail was only worth about $10. This is the reason why I will never do detailing as a buisness. Most people do not understand the labor and materials involved to properly take care of a vehicle.

Another neighbor asked me why I cleaned my truck so much. I told them it made it run better and get better mileage. The response I got back was that must be why my car keeps using so much gas. Sadly I am pretty sure they were serious.
 
For weeks, I received a call from a potential customer. Called almost every Friday with, "Questions". It would normaly take me about 15-20 minutes to fully answer his questions. I did so with zero issues, even though they felt redundant.

He explained that he had a 2011 Black Eclipise Spyder (Think I have the correct year), and that another detailer had done work on it. He was happy at first, but in the direct sun it had what he called, "Tiger stripes all over it". Informed him it sounded like holograms, and buffer trails.He said he called the original detailer back and explained the issue, and per the customer, he told him and I quote, "Yup, we see that from time to time, it can be corrected but it will require XXX amount." Needless to say he was smart enough to cut his losses. It's garage kept, and a weekend toy at best. So I don't think we were dealing with much more than just that.

Back to his calls, they came every week almost like clock work, with the conversation being left at, "I will swing in tomorrow so you can look at it and see what steps need to be done." This goes on for 4-5 weeks, and finially on a Saturday, he calls and says he will be by soon. I said ok, see you soon. He comes by, and we take a look. Very well kept car, just has a ton of buffer trails all over it. We pull it in and get it under the lights so we can see, and show the customer what it looks like. Right away, I see there is a white dull film of some sort on the car, and I ask about that. He said yea, "It does that after I wash it." So I had to ask, "How do you wash it." Long story short, he explains to me he only gets about 5 or so washes out of a bottle of car soap he buys localy!!! He said when the car gets well it will sud up at times too, and he didn't understand why????

Needless to say we discuss the options, and I try to lay it out as smoothly as possible on what can be done, and what will fit his needs, etc. We agree what steps to take, and asks, "Can we do a small spot so he can explain the difference to his wife?" I said sure, as this souldn't take much time, (alredy had materials out from last detial) and would allow me to get a better idea on what would work better. He says, "Lets do a section on the hood." We do just thats, and shortly when we are done we have a deep reflection in the center of the hood, about a 2x2 section. He is very pleased and we shake hands and part ways.

...... This was almost a month ago, and I still get my weekly call about how good it looks, and what he wants done, and his friends who want something done. I should get my next call tomorrow ..
 
This is one of the best threads I've seen.

I'm not a detailer by profession but I'll do a friend's car here and there and even I hear most of the stories that are posted. The one that is universal is the "What, you can't do this in an hour?" :laughing:

You try to explain in laymen's terms what happens in a real detail session and they ACT like they understand and still come back in an hour and can't understand why the car isn't done.

I had a friend who wanted me to do her minivan. It was the usual minivan from HE__. Cheerios, spilled milk, food wrappers, junk, goo, unimaginable stuff everywhere and she was surprised when I said I wouldn't do it until she cleaned the interior at least to the point I could at least see the carpet. She wasn't happy with me :argue:. I wasn't going to spend a day cleaning up messes she had left for maybe years.

The other one I get and I'm sure you guys/girls do too. Is that I usually don't charge my friends, or if I do I certainly don't charge them much and even then I get the "I can have so-and-so do it for $50 and that includes interior". My usual response is "take a look at their car and then mine, who do you want to do it?"

In fairness to my friends whom I've done cars for the majority are thrilled and appreciative of the efforts.
 
Hahaha! Too funny! Not really a customer comment but i just can't get enough of the "you can do mine after you've done that one" from passers by. Like its the funniest thing ever & i haven't heard that before! :applause:

What kills me is that even AFTER educating and showing them they still don't believe you.

"This will take what....a couple of hours"? asked by the owner of a full size Range Rover wanting a complete interior & exterior makeover.

I am just a hobbiest but my neighbors would ask me how much to do take care of thier cars like I cared for my own. Then they would be surprised if I said anything more than $20. I guess the local Car Spa swirl-o-matic in less than an hour was too much money. Me sweating my tail off for 3-4 for a decent interior/ exterior detail was only worth about $10. This is the reason why I will never do detailing as a buisness. Most people do not understand the labor and materials involved to properly take care of a vehicle.

Another neighbor asked me why I cleaned my truck so much. I told them it made it run better and get better mileage. The response I got back was that must be why my car keeps using so much gas. Sadly I am pretty sure they were serious.

THis this this and this.

What area do you live in Flamed? i think we have the same neighbors...
 
Hahaha! Too funny! Not really a customer comment but i just can't get enough of the "you can do mine after you've done that one" from passers by. Like its the funniest thing ever & i haven't heard that before! :applause:

so incredibly true

want to know how to shut them down? immediately hand them a business card. instant awkwardness for them (given that they don't actually want to pay to have it done, they just couldn't resist the comedic opportunity). Most of those people try to give the card back to you at that point which for some reason I also find funny
 
I've been accused of painting the customer's car on several occasions.
 
I've been accused of painting the customer's car on several occasions.

Painted with Duragloss!

We have one friends wife who for two straight years has said to us on the first trip to the river for the year "Oh you guys had your jet skis repainted" Yep exact same color, same divots from hitting stuff on the water etc. 0 common sense that one.
 
This story is how I met my girlfriend, I knew her mother but I got a call from her mom and she says "you do detailing right?" I said of course and she tells me her daughters hood is messed up becuase she hit someone. Knowingly she had a cute daughter I was over the even though I knew it was probably a body mans job. So I get to her house the hood is dented and buckled in lol. Im like ahhh I brought my buffer this needs to go to a body shop. "WHAT? I thought you did this stuff you said you detailed." People make me smile :D
 
I had a small, used car dealer ask of I could buff the paint just long enough to heat it up and move it over to cover scratches.

Do you realize how hard it was to keep from laughing?

OMG thats the best one in this thread! lol
 
so incredibly true

want to know how to shut them down? immediately hand them a business card. instant awkwardness for them (given that they don't actually want to pay to have it done, they just couldn't resist the comedic opportunity). Most of those people try to give the card back to you at that point which for some reason I also find funny

Yes, I started to do this too lol Ive done it maybe 10 times. Ive had 1 person call me lol But this guy was actually serious.

I love it though lol,

Hey! when you're done you could do mine!

Why yes... yes I can

Oh hahah ok by!
 
Back
Top