A detailers worst nightmare... A question for discussion.

[Nth Degree]

I`m sure there are a lot of nightmare situations, but the other day I had that sinking, sick-to-the-stomach feeling when I noticed burn through on a ridge of a car.

When I had met with the owner to assess and quote the car I was informed a little about the history. The car is 14 years old and he is the third owner and has had it about 6 months. The previous owner had the car detailed, full correction.

Long story short; one area I made worse before discovering it. I went back to the video I took as I took paint measurements and, sure enough, can see (barely) that the damage existed before. I hadn`t noticed because my lighting all reflected off that ridge, so it looked like just reflection. As I went along I discovered other areas where paint had been burned through or clear was thin. Some areas had been touched up, some areas had blending from repairs, etc. I`m not sure whether the owner was previously aware of these areas.

My question is: How do you approach a customer about issues found with their car that they were likely not aware of? How do you handle the skepticism as to whether you are responsible or it was pre-existing if you didn`t notice or document it prior?

[mrclean81]

I know exactly the sick feeling you describe. Anyone whos done this for a while has made mistake somewhere. These things happen and is the reason I strongly suggest carrying insurance. Ive luckily had enough practice on wholesale vehicles over the years that I rarely make a bad judgement call on a clients car. That being said, accidents that are out of your control, or in your case things that were already there that you will be blamed for are inevitable. Ive yet to figure out exactly how to tell them. It seems most people appreciate honesty and being straight forward with them. Worst case scenerio would be them blaming you and making you pay for the repairs. If it was me that happened to, I would rather file a claim and see to it that the client was happy than have them tell people I burned their paint..especially if I didnt even do it.

[Concours.John]

I`m working on a 89 Mercedes that has been hammered with a wool pad then glazed. It has severe RIDS and etching along with pitting. It is SS paint. Already noticed some previous burn through (documented). The paint is so thin it is scary based on some deep RIDS. He wants it to look good for resale. The longer your in this it is expected to be encountered.
These are tough conversations only because we all try to do our best. Ultimately it is how the client accepts the news. Being honest and a full explanation on how this happens may be sufficient. It just doesn`t need to sound like an excuse. Lay the ball in their court and options you can do to make it look better. This is where a paint gauge doesn`t help. I get many poor finished or over finished vehicles and the risk is always high. You can never really tell on an edge what is left especially if you get a repaint or overdone previous correction.

[Bunky]

I have no idea but what is your goal: customer satisfaction, want to avoid paying money, etc?

You could state the problem then offer to pay for it since you missed it, state the problem and tell them you cannot be responsible for this, or other?

[Nth Degree]

The last time I had something like this happen I told the owner immediately, showed it to him and offered to take care of the repair. I kept in contact for more than a year trying to make it right and he never took me up on it. I believe the owner of this one will be understanding, and even if I end up paying for a repair, so be it. I`m more concerned about reputation, so I`ll do what is necessary to satisfy the customer. I am more disappointed in myself for not noticing the problem before making it worse. I just thought it posed an interesting scenario for discussion. I deliver the car on Saturday.