What has been your worst experience with competition?

[backwoods_lex]

Gotta be some good stories here. This seems to be a competitive business with new companies popping up every day. Any shouting matches? Dead fish wrapped in paper or horse's head?

[slicknickis3]

I'm just getting off the ground, so I'd say my worst experience with competition is that they take all my business.




For now......

[MandarinaRacing]

Originally Posted by backwoods_lex

What has been your worst experience with competition?

Price!...always the price...

Alex

[PROServices]

I had a guy come up to me on a dealership account and tell me that he was sick and tired of me taking his business so he was going to do my 150 jobs for 50 and try to price me out. I just wished him good luck and went on with my day, haven't lost business that I can tell...

[Dent's & Details]

Dam Low Ballers.

[toyotaguy]

low price = cheap work...sure i can get it done in 3 hours, but do you really think its going to be the same quality?

[David Fermani]

My landlord of 4 years decided to evict me 2 weeks before I was going on vacation to Italy for 3weeks to get his start into the detail business. He offered sign-on bonuses and raises to all my detailers if they went to work with him. He was hoping my business would fold, but in turn it backfired on him. I found a larger, cheaper and nicer place 1 mile down the road on a main street and all my accounts(dealerships) and employees stayed with me. I ended up suing my X-landlord and he slowly went out of business. HAHA! Hope he dies a slow and painful death.

[SpoiledMan]

Having to remove all the 50 weight oil that they slather all over every piece of trim inside and out.

[PhaRO]

Originally Posted by SpoiledMan

Having to remove all the 50 weight oil that they slather all over every piece of trim inside and out.

Seems some like to use Karo Syrup on the interior lol. Maybe they are try to tan the interior. I've been mobile for 17 years and have met dozens of competitors. Most have been very friendly and some I stop by when I see them to chat or when they see me.

[todd@bsaw]

I have always been friendly with my competitors. Who better to get a referral from than another detailer? If I get in a bind and need some help I always have a few numbers I can call into the shop to help me out and they are just as friendly to do the same.

When I first opened up shop I had a few detailers coming in to see if I knew what I was doing and some of them stop by now just to chat.

I've never bad-mouthed the competition to clients, rather I've backed them up. One new client had their car detailed by a mobile detailer, later came to me for just a wash and asked my opinion on the quality and price. He thought $150 seemed high for an exterior and I defended the price (mostly because it's about the same as my price) and the quality. He's since sent two friends to me.

You'd never expect where some referrals come from.

[SpoiledMan]

Originally Posted by PhaRO

Seems some like to use Karo Syrup on the interior lol. Maybe they are try to tan the interior.

That is the stickiest crap I've ever seen. Tire "dressings" from the local car washes must be formulated on the same bench as Mobile1 as well.

[Jakerooni]

So far the only bad thing I've had happen was a mobil detailer came to one of my dealer lots and offered to show up on the lot and do full details with paint correction for $75 out the door. They asked me to match and I said I couldn't so for now.... I lost that account.