have you ever damaged a customers car while detailing?

BigAl3 · 06-23-07, 08:06

have YOU ever damaged a customers car (please explain what it was), and what did you do to resolve the situation? also, what did you learn from it on further details?...

PhaRO · 06-23-07, 10:14

Twice

First time I pushed on a rainguard for a sunroof to let trapped water out and it cracked in half. Second I notice a spot on piece of interior trim that I had been using rubbing alcohol around. I didn't notice it before and my trigger was leaking a little so I thought I messed it up. It was a brand new vehicle so I tried to fix it. In doing so I wore the finish of the the trim piece a little. Wasn't until a few weeks later I figured out I didn't spot the trim. It was from soda. Same problem happened to a piece in rear seating area and the can of soda was there along with dried up soda. In both cases I notified the customers and agreed to pay for the damage. Fortunately both were long time regular customers. The first took the sunshield off saying it was 8 years old anyway and for not to worry about it. I cleaned the car for a year or so more and they retired. The second didn't think the spot was a big deal and not to worry. I wanted them to fix it anyways but they still haven't. I still clean their vehicles weekly.

I've had a few mishaps that didn't leave damage but required me to fix them. I have had rearview mirrors come off on me several times. I keep a repair kit with me just for that. I haven't had one come off in years. I just put them back on and tell the customer what happened. None have even had a problem with it. Another time an emblem on a 30 year old car feel off while I was polishing. The vibration set it free. I had some adhesive that worked fine.

I figure after over 20,000 cars cleaned I'm doing pretty good.

BigAl3 · 06-24-07, 01:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhaRO

Twice

First time I pushed on a rainguard for a sunroof to let trapped water out and it cracked in half. Second I notice a spot on piece of interior trim that I had been using rubbing alcohol around. I didn't notice it before and my trigger was leaking a little so I thought I messed it up. It was a brand new vehicle so I tried to fix it. In doing so I wore the finish of the the trim piece a little. Wasn't until a few weeks later I figured out I didn't spot the trim. It was from soda. Same problem happened to a piece in rear seating area and the can of soda was there along with dried up soda. In both cases I notified the customers and agreed to pay for the damage. Fortunately both were long time regular customers. The first took the sunshield off saying it was 8 years old anyway and for not to worry about it. I cleaned the car for a year or so more and they retired. The second didn't think the spot was a big deal and not to worry. I wanted them to fix it anyways but they still haven't. I still clean their vehicles weekly.

I've had a few mishaps that didn't leave damage but required me to fix them. I have had rearview mirrors come off on me several times. I keep a repair kit with me just for that. I haven't had one come off in years. I just put them back on and tell the customer what happened. None have even had a problem with it. Another time an emblem on a 30 year old car feel off while I was polishing. The vibration set it free. I had some adhesive that worked fine.

I figure after over 20,000 cars cleaned I'm doing pretty good.

thanks for the reply! one of the points of this thread is... to educate each of us so we don't make the same mistake...

DavidJ021 · 06-24-07, 01:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhaRO

Twice

I figure after over 20,000 cars cleaned I'm doing pretty good.

How long have you been detailing for?

awahl63 · 06-24-07, 02:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidJ021

How long have you been detailing for?

17 years or more

PhaRO · 06-24-07, 05:37

Keep in mind a vast, vast majority of them are just washes. I don't do the numbers of cars that I once did as detailing is a second income for me now. For the 8-10 years that I worked full time I was doing 40-60 cars a week. Now I'm doing 20-25. I would expect to have more problems if I were only doing details. My biggest worries are something happening that I have no control over but get blamed. Something like starting a car to move it out of the garage or across a parking lot and the timing chain breaks or moving a power seat and it stops. I actually had a seat do that on me stopping in the full forward position but I jiggled and poked around and then it worked just fine.

Bigpoppa3346 · 06-24-07, 08:21

Never anything serious, broke one of those little key fob things(hehe, sorry can't remember the name, it's the thing that has the lock/unlock/alarm buttons on it) because I was just careless and tossed it to my father. Took about 2 mins to put back together, worked fine after.

Not really damage, but as I was QDing a car to remove polish dust, I realized I picked up the Megs Hyper Dressing bottle, and noticed just after I coated half the roof in the stuff. Didn't take too much effort to remove though.

CkretAjint · 06-27-07, 11:58

apparently 409 cleaner takes paint right off the car on the rear hatch of newer Mini Coopers! (thank my roommate for that one)