What "little extras" do you throw in?

SameGuy

SameGuy

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Part of successfully marketing yourself and opening the door to repeat business is setting yourself apart, going above and beyond... but at as little cost to your business as possible.

I've read here that many of you do little extras to show your clients you take pride in what you do, and that you care. Things like throwing a couple of dollar store QD wipes in the cup holder, or spiffing up the interior even though they weren't expecting it.

So what "little extras" do you do to make that lasting impression?
 
I keep a fairly good selection of stainless steel bolts and screws on hand, collected over the years from various projects. I've found that swapping out a couple of rusty license plate screws for shiny new SS ones can be a really eye-catching little bonus for the client. I mean, I've got the plates or frames off anyway, and the screws cost me maybe 15¢ each...
 
I never do the same thing for every client, it's all situational and that works best for me.

For example, I text my customer after dropping the vehicle off because EVERY personal item was out of the vehicle making my life easier. I thanked her and took $10 off the detail.

She was a first time customer. When she came to pick up her vehicle, she booked her parents and will be back in the spring. I didn't earn $10, and got more business. Did this act get the additional business? I'm not sure, but it sure didn't hurt.

I notice a lot of people FOCUSED on low prices and not spending money on the forum lately. Cost and value are not related, keep track of your return on "investment", not oh I might get business because I put less than $2 of detailing products and business cards the customer will never use in their vehicle. Maybe your market is different than mine, but I think spontaneous "extras" are the ones the customer will really remember and value.
 
Example... I did a one step polish and sealant, exterior only on a car yesterday. Noticed that the interior windshield was filthy. Gave it a quick cleaning. Dropped the car off when the client was gone but I'm sure it was appreciated since it was a nuisance and it being cleaned was unexpected.
 
1. I include free do not wash mirror hanger with all coating jobs.
2. For the enthusiasts that I know want to learn to take care of their car properly after detailed, I take an hour to show them proper wash, dry, etc techniques. I also include alush MF towel with a small bottle of QD.
3. Free wash with interior detail jobs.

Just a few off the top of my head.
 
If you use a foam cannon, you text a picture of their car all foamed up to them. You never know how many people they might show that picture to.
 
SYMAWD said:
If you use a foam cannon, you text a picture of their car all foamed up to them. You never know how many people they might show that picture to.
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That's a really great idea, especially since the average person out there probably has little-to-no idea what a foam cannon is or what it does. :props::props:
 
SYMAWD said:
If you use a foam cannon, you text a picture of their car all foamed up to them. You never know how many people they might show that picture to.
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I like that!!
 
I like that, too! Watermark it with your name and number or logo and it's better than a business card... It's viral marketing!

If I'm a bit pressed for time I run a damp MF (water, no product) thought the interior, even if no interior detail was requested. Just picking up that layer of dust is a subliminal little extra.

For a different client, I made a small care package with sample sizes of ONR and Hyper Dressing, two decent MFs and a printed instruction sheet that suggested where he could buy more products. I made more than my normal hourly rate in that job, and the guy left a tip that more than paid for the extras! He was my first (friend-of-a-friend) referral, so I'm pretty sure he's coming back in the spring and has been mentioning me.
 
I'll probably check tire pressure, put on tire valves if missing, check wiper fluid and fill. Good idea on the license plate bolts!
 
Dean407 said:
I'll probably check tire pressure, put on tire valves if missing, check wiper fluid and fill. Good idea on the license plate bolts!
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Personally, I wouldn't mess with people's tire pressure.
 
I have a customer who I do a lot for short of changing his oil. Sometimes he'll tell me that the car he wants detailed has low tire pressure so I'll fill it up, do an extra step without charging him, or show him how to use a waterless wash, stuff like that. I have another customer who I'll go through their entire garage and wipe fingerprints off of their show cars after I get done just so they always look good.
 
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