Strange People

[pampos]

Strange People

Something strange happened today... A third person told me that some of my customers were complaining about my prices, but they are more than 100% happy with the results....

The most strange is that ALL OF THEM are super car owners, and they asked for the job without asking how much it will cost.... My mistake that i didn't tell them how much it will cost, but i they supposed to knew what i am doing and what my prices are....

I have a price list there for every one to check my prices.... That third person suggest me to use an AIO product and some wax because they are not appreciate my job, and to have the full correction as an extra job....

The huge problem is that they were comparing my prices with their ''Detailer's'' cheap job and prices....

Is that happened to any one else before or it is another ONLY IN CYPRUS thing??

What do you suggest me to do?

Also according on what have you seen until now from me,what do you think is a fare price to charge?

Thanks guys....

[Mike Phillips]

Re: strange people

Sounds normal to me...

I've met so many people with really expensive cars, especially in the hot rod world where they've spent years building them and getting everything about the car perfect except the paint which is often times completely swirled out.

Usually the owner doesn't know how to work on paint himself, (which is obvious by the appearance of the paint), but at the same time they don't know who to trust to let touch their baby so they don't let anyone work on the paint.

When you do get a chance to detail the car they don't understand why you charge more than the one hundred or two hundred dollars that other detailers who don't deliver the work you do charge. Besides being spendthrifts, most people don't understand how scratch-sensitive clear coat paints are and they think if they spend a lot of money for a quality buff-out that somehow this also means the show car finish will hold up against anything and that's just not true at all.

High dollar detailing is tough-nut to crack and usually involves investing time into educating the potential customer so they understand what's involved and the reality of what you can do and what you can't do with a show car finish on a modern clear coat.

Not to drone on but we had a gentlemen bring his brand new black Corvette to one of our classes and he was mad at himself for paying a detailer $300.00 to buff the paint out on his Corvette to perfection.

He said it looked great when the detailer was done and the detailer had a great reputation and that's why he hired him in the first place. But now, just a few weeks later the paint on the Corvette was all swirled out again.

He asked me if I though he got ripped off. I asked him, "How do you wash the car?"

He said he takes it to a car wash. He's retired now, the black Corvette was his retirement present to himself. He's older and doesn't want to wash the Corvette he'd rather pay someone else to do it. I explained to him that was the problem, just because a car wash has a sign that says, 100% Hand Car Wash, on the building doesn't automatically mean you're going to get a careful car wash that will not instill swirls into a show car finish.

[RaskyR1]

Re: strange people

When the question of my price vs. other local shops comes up, I simply explain the greater amount of time involved in my work vs. those other local high volume shops. You get what you pay for. If they want a $150 buff job than that is what I will give them.


Well, actually I usually give them more than they pay for because I can't stand to let something like that out my door.

[pampos]

Re: strange people

Thanks guys.....Now the question is: Is it a good idea to offer also a ''cheap detailing'' job or let them to walk away??I know that i have to explain them what is the difference between a $100 and a $300 job but i am more than sure that most of them they will choose the $100 job...I know that i have to get customers to pay my bills etc,but i don't want to be another one of the crowd.....

[RaskyR1]

Re: strange people

Thanks guys.....Now the question is: Is it a good idea to offer also a ''cheap detailing'' job or let them to walk away??I know that i have to explain them what is the difference between a $100 and a $300 job but i am more than sure that most of them they will choose the $100 job...I know that i have to get customers to pay my bills etc,but i don't want to be another one of the crowd.....

I'd say that depends on you. I'm actually in the same boat right now. I'm looking to start doing about a car a week, but I'm not looking for daily drivers or soccer mom minivans. I want to cater to special interest cars for owners who expect perfection. Since I'm not doing this as a full time job I can afford to turn away those other jobs. If this is a full time deal for you, you may want to offer them a cheaper alternative.

Cheers,
Rasky

[pampos]

Re: strange people

I'd say that depends on you. I'm actually in the same boat right now. I'm looking to start doing about a car a week, but I'm not looking for daily drivers or soccer mom minivans. I want to cater to special interest cars for owners who expect perfection. Since I'm not doing this as a full time job I can afford to turn away those other jobs. If this is a full time deal for you, you may want to offer them a cheaper alternative.

Cheers,
Rasky

i agree with you and this was my first thoughts...to keep a high standard service for not daily driven cars....But if those who have the money they don't want to pay,then who is it going to pay??
And from the moment that is a full time job,i have to offer unfortunately the cheap job,and take it slowly slowly to the full correction only job....

[RaskyR1]

Re: strange people

i agree with you and this was my first thoughts...to keep a high standard service for not daily driven cars....But if those who have the money they don't want to pay,then who is it going to pay??
And from the moment that is a full time job,i have to offer unfortunately the cheap job,and take it slowly slowly to the full correction only job....

I don't mind doing the 1-step jobs, but my passion is in the full correction jobs. I would think you can make the same amount of money doing the 1-steppers when you factor in the amount of time vs. cost. Just price you packages using an estimated hourly rate...


lets say a 1-step, 4-6 hours @ $200

Then factor in the additional time needed for each additional buffing step needed for a full correction. I usually tell my customers an extra $100-150 for each step it needs on top of the base price.

Rasky

[pampos]

Re: strange people

I don't mind doing the 1-step jobs, but my passion is in the full correction jobs. I would think you can make the same amount of money doing the 1-steppers when you factor in the amount of time vs. cost. Just price you packages using an estimated hourly rate...


lets say a 1-step, 4-6 hours @ $200

Then factor in the additional time needed for each additional buffing step needed for a full correction. I usually tell my customers an extra $100-150 for each step it needs on top of the base price.

Rasky

This is what i was thinking too...i hate the 1 step jobs,but i have to offer it because most people are happy just to pay less and have there car as clean as possible....

[Heatgain]

Re: strange people

If you're in business, you have to give customers what they want, not what you want. Sure you can/should try to upsell them to a full correction, but if they want a 1-step, and this is how you make your living, do a 1-step for them.
Imagine if you sold computers for a living, and you thought Macs were far better than PCs. A customer comes in and wants a PC, you try and sell him a Mac because you know it's a better machine. Customer doesn't want a Mac, he wants a PC.
Let him walk, empty-handed? Not if you're trying to make a living selling computers.

[pampos]

Re: strange people

If you're in business, you have to give customers what they want, not what you want. Sure you can/should try to upsell them to a full correction, but if they want a 1-step, and this is how you make your living, do a 1-step for them.
Imagine if you sold computers for a living, and you thought Macs were far better than PCs. A customer comes in and wants a PC, you try and sell him a Mac because you know it's a better machine. Customer doesn't want a Mac, he wants a PC.
Let him walk, empty-handed? Not if you're trying to make a living selling computers.

I agree with you 100%,but when a customer wants to remove the swirls,RIDS etc,what that suppose to mean??
Or if he don't ask you from before how much it will cost??
Or if he tell to someone else to tell you to do his car,what are you going to do??
I know that i have my mistakes because i didn't tell them,i will do this and it will cost that,but when i want to buy something,i asking for the price first,except the case that i don't care about the price,so i will buy it anyway....

[Mike Phillips]

Re: strange people

Always evaluate the customer first, and then the paint and/or car.

Do your best to find out what they think they want and if needed, spend some time educating them on the difference between daily drivers and garage queens and hopefully find a way that you can match your services to meet their expectations.

[pampos]

Re: strange people

Always evaluate the customer first, and then the paint and/or car.

Do your best to find out what they think they want and if needed, spend some time educating them on the difference between daily drivers and garage queens and hopefully find a way that you can match your services to meet their expectations.

i will do it from now on...I learn my lesson,unfortunately not in a good way...The problem is that they didn't came to me to ask me why i charged them so much....
Thanks guys all of you once again.....

[Mikejl]

Re: strange people

Pampos,

If you are getting enough work. I wouldn't change or say anything. If they go for a cheaper detail the next time, they will see the difference in quality and be returning to you for a quality job in the future.

Mike

[sstg]

Re: strange people

Pampos,

If you are getting enough work. I wouldn't change or say anything. If they go for a cheaper detail the next time, they will see the difference in quality and be returning to you for a quality job in the future.

Mike

I agree. But I am like Rasky,I have a full time job so I can turn vehicles away. I do perfection nothing else that is where my passion lies. To try and achieve perfection how ever unattainable that may be...COSTS. I'd rather be known for quality not quantity. If that means working a full time job to supplement my income so be it. I've had a couple opportunity's to do car lots and turned them down,know why? Because I didn't want to learn that type of work ethic. That works for some,not me. Choose where you stand.Money or Pride.

[Tuck91]

Re: strange people

I went to a local car show last year and i saw a yellow corvette and while it was clean it was very swirled out and the hood had what appeared to be severe holograms. I wonder if the owner even knows its there?