What is your response when neighbors ask if you can wash their car?

[Calendyr]

People who ask that are usually joking. I would not expect any business to come from something like this. But if you want to give it a shot, offer them your business card.

 

[07gtcs]

I tell them to take a # and I might get to it next year.

 

[Dereksdtail]

No problem, pay me

 

[LSNAutoDetailingLSNAutoDetailing is verified member.]

Give them a business card, and I ask when they would like an appointment.

 

[silverfox]

Depends on what she looks like.

 

[parshooter]

I tell them I only have the time and energy to do one car a day (it's the truth, at least the energy part).

 

[Chris Thomas]

Cash or Credit?

 

[damaged442]

I've done a few neighbors cars here and there. I don't do it professionally, so to me it's just sharin the love. They might have a ladder I might need to borrow someday. You never know.

One neighbor picked up an 87 Monte SS that needed some love, so I took about three hours and cleaned her up. He and his wife were pretty happy at the results.

I can't find pics, but it was white with tan interior, with 60K original. I think the dirt I took off was 60K original too!

 

[LSNAutoDetailingLSNAutoDetailing is verified member.]

I've done a few neighbors cars here and there. I don't do it professionally, so to me it's just sharin the love. They might have a ladder I might need to borrow someday. You never know.

One neighbor picked up an 87 Monte SS that needed some love, so I took about three hours and cleaned her up. He and his wife were pretty happy at the results.

I can't find pics, but it was white with tan interior, with 60K original. I think the dirt I took off was 60K original too!

I actually flyered my neighborhood and got not only a customer, but repeat customer from it. She was a habitual car wash offender, loads of scratches.... After I returned her car looking new she's booked with me for a maintenance package.

 

[TacoRun]

I actually flyered my neighborhood and got not only a customer, but repeat customer from it. She was a habitual car wash offender, loads of scratches.... After I returned her car looking new she's booked with me for a maintenance package.

that's awesome!!

 

[DogRescuer]

I actually flyered my neighborhood and got not only a customer, but repeat customer from it. She was a habitual car wash offender, loads of scratches.... After I returned her car looking new she's booked with me for a maintenance package.

How did you sell her a corrextion let alone a wash?

 

[runrun411]

Here's a funny story. The husband of my wife's friend asked me one day to give him a tutorial on how to properly wash his car. So I said okay come by tomorrow (early Saturday morning) and I'll show you a short version. He seemed really eager and knowledge starved. :hungry: I showed him a 2BM wash. He said that he loves keeping his car clean and he wants to go into the detailing business :xyxthumbs: I said wow that's great if, that's your passion go for it. :dblthumb2: So I pulled out all the stuff needed power washer, brushes, buckets hoses, etc. (just a few items, not everything for a really detailed wash). So we start at the wheels and tires with the brushes than went on to the pre soak with the foam gun. By then he's getting a little tired. So I said "dude it's only been an hour, we're just getting started don't sit down yet" He gives me this look like a deer caught in the headlight and says okay. So on we went with the 2BM panel by panel and using the soft brush to get to the nooks and crannies at the windows, trims and between the lights. Around the license plates (remember this is the short version so I didn't take the plates off), also at the name badges and around the sunroof seal. As we're doing this I'm also explaining the what, why, how and because of the whole process and he looks at me with a face that says "really?!?". So after about the second hour I start to feel a little sorry for him as he's getting a little worn out I told him sit down and take a break and I'll explain as we move on. So we or I should say I move on to rinse after which I pull out a Nanoskin mitt to do a brief clay job using the remaining soap in the bucket he looks at me and says "dude what are you doing now" so I explain the whole bonded contaminated thing to him. By now you can clearly see his frustration as his face is saying "Your going to wash it again?" I didn't even bother to explain that normally I dry it off and use a detail spray and then wash it again. That may have been too much for him and I didn't want to turn him off. But I think I already did. After claying (or in this case Nanoskining) and drying I realized that I may be OCDing on his car a little too much and then just used a spray wax (some V07 or Megs QW I don't remember) and told him there you have it. He looked at me as if he just ran a marathon and said "I don't have the patience for all that, :dunno: I just like to see my car clean". Now remember this is the same guy who said he wanted go into the detailing business :doh: I dared not tell him about using clay, Iron-X, taking the wheels off, 2 or 3 step polishing and well you get the idea.

That was the last time he ever spoke to me about detailing.
I don't think he'll be coming back.

:nomore:

 

[LSNAutoDetailingLSNAutoDetailing is verified member.]

How did you sell her a corrextion let alone a wash?

They were walking their dog, and saw a car I had just finished and loved how it came out. She loves her car, and I showed her what the carwash was was doing to it. After I corrected it, she refuses to go to anyone else, including the car wash.

that's awesome!!

Thanks, actually while walking my dogs yesterday, she actually booked a winter package for Saturday. Neighbors can be some of your best clients. I bought my Garage Queen from a Neighbor. He's a sales guy at the local Ford shop and takes cars home. Again, while walking the dogs I looked and; There it was, sitting in his driveway... I had to have it....

 

[GSKR]

Here's a funny story. The husband of my wife's friend asked me one day to give him a tutorial on how to properly wash his car. So I said okay come by tomorrow (early Saturday morning) and I'll show you a short version. He seemed really eager and knowledge starved. :hungry: I showed him a 2BM wash. He said that he loves keeping his car clean and he wants to go into the detailing business :xyxthumbs: I said wow that's great if, that's your passion go for it. :dblthumb2: So I pulled out all the stuff needed power washer, brushes, buckets hoses, etc. (just a few items, not everything for a really detailed wash). So we start at the wheels and tires with the brushes than went on to the pre soak with the foam gun. By then he's getting a little tired. So I said "dude it's only been an hour, we're just getting started don't sit down yet" He gives me this look like a deer caught in the headlight and says okay. So on we went with the 2BM panel by panel and using the soft brush to get to the nooks and crannies at the windows, trims and between the lights. Around the license plates (remember this is the short version so I didn't take the plates off), also at the name badges and around the sunroof seal. As we're doing this I'm also explaining the what, why, how and because of the whole process and he looks at me with a face that says "really?!?". So after about the second hour I start to feel a little sorry for him as he's getting a little worn out I told him sit down and take a break and I'll explain as we move on. So we or I should say I move on to rinse after which I pull out a Nanoskin mitt to do a brief clay job using the remaining soap in the bucket he looks at me and says "dude what are you doing now" so I explain the whole bonded contaminated thing to him. By now you can clearly see his frustration as his face is saying "Your going to wash it again?" I didn't even bother to explain that normally I dry it off and use a detail spray and then wash it again. That may have been too much for him and I didn't want to turn him off. But I think I already did. After claying (or in this case Nanoskining) and drying I realized that I may be OCDing on his car a little too much and then just used a spray wax (some V07 or Megs QW I don't remember) and told him there you have it. He looked at me as if he just ran a marathon and said "I don't have the patience for all that, :dunno: I just like to see my car clean". Now remember this is the same guy who said he wanted go into the detailing business :doh: I dared not tell him about using clay, Iron-X, taking the wheels off, 2 or 3 step polishing and well you get the idea.

That was the last time he ever spoke to me about detailing.
I don't think he'll be coming back.

:nomore:

Thats funny,if we could show the rest of the population what it takes to do a proper detail this industry wouldn't be so undervalued.I always do a test spot with a little chatting about the process and it never fails.you will close 9 out 10 potential jobs detailing is a educational process for the public.

 

[runrun411]

Thats funny,if we could show the rest of the population what it takes to do a proper detail this industry wouldn't be so undervalued.I always do a test spot with a little chatting about the process and it never fails.you will close 9 out 10 potential jobs detailing is a educational process for the public.

What's even funnier is when I was washing the car the areas under the doors and the painted areas of the wheel wells were really dirty. As if these areas haven't been washed since he brought the car. That was the absolute cleanest that car has been in a long time. Because he's been doing it himself the lower areas haven't been cleaned. The touch less car wash would have done it better.

 

[Gary Sword]

I get that a lot and I usually tell them they couldn't afford to have me wash their car.

 

[RFrommann]

i had a neighbor ask me how much for an interior detail, i told him i'd have to see it to give an accurate price, he said he didnt have the time and was leaving. so i told him anywhere from $100-200 for most, unless there were stains or pet hair, it'd be 300+ .

well, never heard back from him