What now?

[Mike lambert]

So what do you do after being in business for 18 years and the phone just stops? Without sounding to self serving, we have developed a pretty good reputation as one the top shops around. However I have absolutely no work after the middle of June. We advertise and sponsor events but to no avail. I think I am going to have to look for a real job! We are thankful that we are able to still pay the bills but that only lasts so long. I don`t have a clue as to why it just stopped? We have been booked up to a year in advance for 16 years!
Any ideas?
Thanks, just had to vent!

[Ronkh]

oUCH

Sorry Mike.

Don`t know what to say.

[TheMeanGreen]

So what do you do after being in business for 18 years and the phone just stops? Without sounding to self serving, we have developed a pretty good reputation as one the top shops around. However I have absolutely no work after the middle of June. We advertise and sponsor events but to no avail. I think I am going to have to look for a real job! We are thankful that we are able to still pay the bills but that only lasts so long. I don`t have a clue as to why it just stopped? We have been booked up to a year in advance for 16 years!
Any ideas?
Thanks, just had to vent!

I completely understand your pain. I am still in school and I need another job that will be super flexible during the summers and school year, detailing makes sense. However, all over the place I see "$100 Details", full details for $100 (Wash, wax, deep interior cleanse). Any craftsmen, as we on this forum are, are worth much more for a `full detail`, but for the average joe they cannot comprehend how we are different than the $100 guy, they flood the market and significantly devalue quality, ethical, and *perfectionists* work.

I am sorry for your tough times.

[Sizzle Chest]

Mike, hate to hear this. No rhyme of reason as to why this has happened. Could be so many factors...not on your end, but from an economic/social/regional type snafu.

Hope it picks up for you soon!

[Swanicyouth]

I don`t know what to say, other than it takes major balls to post something like this. We are are all literally one step away from loosing a job, our significant other (not really forum friendly, but I`m going through this one right now) , our health, etc... You just never know. Bad stuff happens to good people.

What I do know is people like you somehow always figure something out and survive. My guess is it will soon blow over and you will super booked and and laugh about this post....

[donbeezy]

your work is awesome, things will pick back up! i use my down time to gather myself and prepare for the next wave of cars

[Wing Commander]

If my customers knew my choice for politics I would have 80% less work. I do not comment no matter what they say to me.Also no bumper stickers. It may be time to call your repeat customers that have not repeated and ask them to be honest why they have not repeated. I had a foreman that was starting his own company under my nose years ago. I caught it but not before losing some customers that I believed were loyal. People do strange things for money,as little as five dollars.

[JSFM35X]

Mike

I am a sales person and when the phone slows down it makes me nuts. It`s happened on and off again and it`s quite unsettling. I hope for you it`s just a timing issue and that you will soon be swamped. What I do during the Luls is call past customers to stay in touch, look for new ines and try to put together some type of special deal to get some I may have lost back into the rotation.

Your work is top notch and I have come to know you as one heck of a nice human being. I sure hope you book July- October today !

All the best,

Jeff

[xspwrstang]

Something similar happened to me about a year ago. I used to work on some of my neighbors cars in my neighborhood. Slowly, they simply didn`t call anymore so I decided to ask one of them which I considered more than just a customer. He told me he had joined a new carwash called Blue Wave Express. I didn`t get what "joined" meant so I asked him what it was. Apparently, this new swirl-o-matic charges a monthly fee and you can take your car in for unlimited washes. When I drive past it on the weekends the lines are out into the street! So to the average person, well I can`t compete with that. I have a M-F job and do this part-time so I`m not in your situation but I do hope things turn around for you....18yrs sounds like you`ve been doing great work. Hopefully, summer will get you more customers.

[The Driver]

Do you use any SEO? If so check to see if anyone is outbidding you. When we had a sudden drop like this at my old job, it was a lot of the time attributed to someone outbidding us in Google Adwords or another platform.

[Don]

However, all over the place I see "$100 Details", full details for $100 (Wash, wax, deep interior cleanse). Any craftsmen, as we on this forum are, are worth much more for a `full detail`, but for the average joe they cannot comprehend how we are different than the $100 guy, they flood the market and significantly devalue quality, ethical, and *perfectionists* work.

I am sorry for your tough times.

Advertise that you can FIX those $100 details. I tell potential customers who bring up those bottom feeder details that they are more than welcome to go to one, it`s their prerogative, but that once they do, they can always come to me and have me `fix` the damage that was done. That`s when "Before & After" pics, or even a real life example, can come in really handy.

[JustJesus]

Sorry to hear that, Mike.

I can`t imagine being booked one year in advance, and even less so, having the phone calls suddenly stop.

Hope things pick up again.