I can`t believe someone called me about this

**Super** · 01-13-2006, 06:29 AM

Scott if I was you I would talk to him, Give credit where credit is due, He was honest rather then covert. It`s best to keep your enemies close by rather then far away, there is nothing wrong with competition it keeps things healthy and on your toes. When I first got started years ago I did the same thing I went to other Detailing shop to the next town over and told them face to face I`m going to open a Detailing shop and they give me a few tips and ever cents we have been good friends. I wish I had competition gets boring being the only Detailer for miles round.

My ex GF that lives in Waxahachie Tx now and wanted me to move there I said no thanks Scottwax lives there and heÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s to damm good and he would just kick my a##.

**benpocock** · 01-13-2006, 06:32 AM

Scott,

Have you thought about training him up and then if he`s any good, employing him to work for you and expand your business, and if he isn`t, let him go on his own and fold within a year or so?

Ben

**stilez** · 01-13-2006, 06:58 AM

Scott: I slept on it and here is what I think...

You have been looking to grow your business right? You always mention being so busy and have no time (the whole cable modem thing

). You could be doing more for yourself. I would think about hiring him as an apprentice. I would sit down with him and see where his skill level is and go from there. Since he wants to start his own, I would make him pay you for working with you for the first week and learning the ins and outs. After that, I would sit down and go over his thoughts with him. If he is good, offer him a position. He might be younger and not know what hes really getting himself in to. He may love detailing and just want to make some extra loot doing it.

I think this is your golden opportunity; your `calling` if you will. It could be a door opener to a huge business growth. Kick it around for another day before calling him back.

**Flatfour** · 01-13-2006, 07:02 AM

Ok, I understand all the above comments, but how do YOU guys have learned the skills ?

Here in Belgium, detailing is very unknown, so the few people that used my skills were surprised to see how good their car can look.

I learned it when working in a body-shop when 16-17 years old and by doing it myself, just because I like clean cars...

**Anthony O.** · 01-13-2006, 07:28 AM

I have trained a few guys local to me, no big deal really. I am well established and have no worry about others coming in and low balling me out because those are not my type of clients.

Send him my way Scott if you like, he may decline to come out here but you have at least made an attempt to help the guy out.

I am looking into doing more and more training in the future as I can`t do detailing forever. As noted already, training others might be a great way to make some extra cash and also give you something to fall back on in the future.

Anthony

**imported_mirrorfinishman** · 01-13-2006, 07:35 AM

Scott,

Some people see things as they are and say why, while others are busy seeing things as they can be and saying why not.

That my friend is the basic difference between someone who is operating a business and someone who is growing a business. The fact that you are not willing to share your techniques with someone so close by, only indicates that you are not allowing yourself to be open to new business opportunities.

Let me be the first to tell you that everyone in this world is important. Yes, everyone is important! You may consider yourself an expert in the field of detailing, however that does not make you any better than someone who is at the beginning stages of just wanting to learn more about what it takes to get started.

We have all been there. We all started somewhere. And of course there were plenty of good people who helped us along the way. Contrary to what some of us would like to think; we did not do it alone.

You would be smart not to refuse this accommodation.

**Super** · 01-13-2006, 08:50 AM

If someone ask me to train them to open a detailing shop in the same town I do Detailing in I would say that IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m to busy to do so but I would give them a few tips in Detailing also if they need help with something just feel free to call me with any problem that you might have I would be glad to help out.

Come to think about it does take some nerve to call up your competitor and ask to train them but like I said before I like honestly and I will respect them for it and I would find it a honor for them to call me.

**3Dog** · 01-13-2006, 09:29 AM

I still stand with my first post...kinda. If your neighbor asked for help with something thats one thing. This is your livelyhood. Others that want "professional" training pay for it everyday. Other businesses have programs by where they teach you a trade with a contract stating that they must work for you for X amount of time.

With that being said. This is your full time business and AFTER a sit down interview with this person you can better determine if this would be a good fit for you or just more work at less gain.

**imported_topnotch** · 01-13-2006, 02:36 PM

I would explain to him how busy you are Scott and unfortunatly don`t have the time to train him. If you don`t have it in your heart to train someone then you should not, its like when you detail, you do it because you love it. The same goes with training someone, you don`t want to do something that your not going to do perfect because lets face it you are a perfectionist and a master in your field and you would not want him running around using your name and stating he was trained by you and then he goes out and does some half a@@ job and some people out there might be dumb enough to look down on you about this. Ok I will stop now

**JustinR32** · 01-13-2006, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by Super

My ex GF that lives in Waxahachie Tx

"I was born in Philadelphia but I was rasied in Waxahachie Texas!"

"Waxahachie Texas?"

"Yep. I shot a man`s nose of down there once."

"You shot a man`s nose off?"

"Yes. I was walking down the street and I saw a man, and I said, `I`m gonna shoot that man`s nose off.` Bang! I shot it off clean as you could cut it with a buzz saw."

WC Fields

**Scottwax** · 01-13-2006, 06:23 PM

Well (a deep subject for a shallow mind like mine

) I called him today to talk to him. Seems like a nice enough guy. I told him the main problem is the time factor. I don`t mind training him using my car or his but I really can`t train someone on my customer`s cars. Two reasons-one, I don`t know his skill level; and two, I really don`t want to open up my customer base to anyone else.

If I get done earlier enough tomorrow, I told him he could come by and I`d go over some of the techniques (probably buffing) but I`d probably only have a couple of hours. He wants to learn the proper steps and I have a detail on Tuesday for a friend so I said he could come out and watch on that day. Since I know this customer very well, I am not worried that he can be taken.

I also let him know that Meguiars will be having a detailing class on the 18th of February and he would be smart to register there and sign up for the class.

In the end, I decided since he seems determined to start a mobile business regardless whether I help him or not, I`d rather there be a new good detailer than another hack who makes us all look bad. Besides, I am so busy right now, it would be kind of nice to have someone closer to send new people to. Rick Springer (rlspringer) and I do that for each other but I know this side of town is a long drive for him and he is probably as booked as I am. Neither of us can usually work someone in the same day they call. Someone just starting out can and I`d prefer someone I refer a customer to be a quality detailer.

**HomicidalSloth** · 01-14-2006, 01:01 AM

Originally Posted by Scottwax

Well (a deep subject for a shallow mind like mine

) I called him today to talk to him. Seems like a nice enough guy. I told him the main problem is the time factor. I don`t mind training him using my car or his but I really can`t train someone on my customer`s cars. Two reasons-one, I don`t know his skill level; and two, I really don`t want to open up my customer base to anyone else.

If I get done earlier enough tomorrow, I told him he could come by and I`d go over some of the techniques (probably buffing) but I`d probably only have a couple of hours. He wants to learn the proper steps and I have a detail on Tuesday for a friend so I said he could come out and watch on that day. Since I know this customer very well, I am not worried that he can be taken.

I also let him know that Meguiars will be having a detailing class on the 18th of February and he would be smart to register there and sign up for the class.

In the end, I decided since he seems determined to start a mobile business regardless whether I help him or not, I`d rather there be a new good detailer than another hack who makes us all look bad. Besides, I am so busy right now, it would be kind of nice to have someone closer to send new people to. Rick Springer (rlspringer) and I do that for each other but I know this side of town is a long drive for him and he is probably as booked as I am. Neither of us can usually work someone in the same day they call. Someone just starting out can and I`d prefer someone I refer a customer to be a quality detailer.

Sounds like a good plan to me. Just whatever you do, don`t tell him about Autopia!!!

**doged** · 01-14-2006, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by Scottwax

Well (a deep subject for a shallow mind like mine

) I called him today to talk to him. Seems like a nice enough guy. I told him the main problem is the time factor. I don`t mind training him using my car or his but I really can`t train someone on my customer`s cars. Two reasons-one, I don`t know his skill level; and two, I really don`t want to open up my customer base to anyone else.

If I get done earlier enough tomorrow, I told him he could come by and I`d go over some of the techniques (probably buffing) but I`d probably only have a couple of hours. He wants to learn the proper steps and I have a detail on Tuesday for a friend so I said he could come out and watch on that day. Since I know this customer very well, I am not worried that he can be taken.

I also let him know that Meguiars will be having a detailing class on the 18th of February and he would be smart to register there and sign up for the class.

In the end, I decided since he seems determined to start a mobile business regardless whether I help him or not, I`d rather there be a new good detailer than another hack who makes us all look bad. Besides, I am so busy right now, it would be kind of nice to have someone closer to send new people to. Rick Springer (rlspringer) and I do that for each other but I know this side of town is a long drive for him and he is probably as booked as I am. Neither of us can usually work someone in the same day they call. Someone just starting out can and I`d prefer someone I refer a customer to be a quality detailer.

Good Karma Dude!!!

**Scottwax** · 01-14-2006, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by HomicidalSloth

Just whatever you do, don`t tell him about Autopia!!!

How do you think he found me? :lol

**sha4000** · 01-14-2006, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by Scottwax

Well (a deep subject for a shallow mind like mine

) I called him today to talk to him. Seems like a nice enough guy. I told him the main problem is the time factor. I don`t mind training him using my car or his but I really can`t train someone on my customer`s cars. Two reasons-one, I don`t know his skill level; and two, I really don`t want to open up my customer base to anyone else.

If I get done earlier enough tomorrow, I told him he could come by and I`d go over some of the techniques (probably buffing) but I`d probably only have a couple of hours. He wants to learn the proper steps and I have a detail on Tuesday for a friend so I said he could come out and watch on that day. Since I know this customer very well, I am not worried that he can be taken.

I also let him know that Meguiars will be having a detailing class on the 18th of February and he would be smart to register there and sign up for the class.

In the end, I decided since he seems determined to start a mobile business regardless whether I help him or not, I`d rather there be a new good detailer than another hack who makes us all look bad. Besides, I am so busy right now, it would be kind of nice to have someone closer to send new people to. Rick Springer (rlspringer) and I do that for each other but I know this side of town is a long drive for him and he is probably as booked as I am. Neither of us can usually work someone in the same day they call. Someone just starting out can and I`d prefer someone I refer a customer to be a quality detailer.

sounds like good money :2thumbs: