When does meticulous turn into rediculous?

**Scottwax** · 09-16-2006, 07:52 PM

You have more patience than I do. If someone was hovering over me like that, I probably would have packed up and told them to do it themselves. I have to agree with the other comment about them trolling for a reason to request a discount. I`d think long and hard if this client is worth working for again. I can understand them wanting the car to be as close to perfect as possible for a photoshoot but pestering the detailer is not the way to get the best way to go about it.

I do like Joe`s suggestion about letting them know if you keep having to stop working to address their questions you will charge by the hour.

**tustah** · 09-16-2006, 07:53 PM

I thought the last vehicle I did was bad until I read your story Sean. I don`t mind answering questions along the way, but it does take up a lot of your time if they ask you questions constantly. If they do ask, it`s possible that they`re trying to learn from you so they can take care of their car themselves.

Sometimes, I wonder if I would do the same as well. They`re spending a lot more money for a detailing job compared to a $5 car wash down the street. I can understand their concerns and curiosity, but there comes a point where they need to stop and let you do your work.

BTW, the last car I did was just a wash/wax for a 2004 black lancer evolution, but it took me almost 3 hours! He was there the whole time I was working on the car and kept firing questions at me. Not to mention, his friends were also there as well.

I charged him $40, he gave me $100 but I only had $56 in my wallet. He told me I can give it back to him later or just subtract the $4 on the next detail. Come on now... !!

**Thomas Dekany** · 09-16-2006, 09:37 PM

I am on your side100% Sean. There is no excuse to be treated like that. BTW, if these people are such perfectionists, how come the car needed buffing? Thank god there are not too many a holes like these. Sorry that you had to put up with nonsense today.

**Tasty** · 09-16-2006, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by Grouse

This is a toughy, How do you adress someone that is just looking out for their best intrest. Back in my carpet days i had a very similar customer who demanded absolute perfection of of my work. 1000 times more than was nessisary. She hounded me on what should have been a 2 hour job for 8. About 1/2 an hour into this job seeing my dissimissal tactic was not going to appease her. I switched gears. I started to address her concerns process wide. Yeah it took me an extra 6 hours, yes it was very personally and professionaly degrading. The result was a customer who questioned nothing for the next 6 years i worked there.

My very second job was a set of silk, yes silk, sofa`s love seat/chair. at 1100 a seating section. Total value of the silk furnature was just over 300g. I was working in her hous 3-6 times a year with bills ranging from 300usd to 7 grand. All from a painstaking emotional 250 dollar clean. The issue is eccentric customers demand perfection under all conditions. They will push you to your limits professionally and mentally. Writing them off as a PIA in my exp is the wrong way to go about it. Eccentric customers that have rattified your skills and vetted your work though fire will rarely ever question your bills. To them your commitment to excelence is paramount compared to the steep bill.

From this point g-35 I would call in a week maybe two. And say. "I am going to be in your area on x day. I will have about 4-6 hours. I thought i might come back if you have found anything you want me to address. " Make the offer, dump the time into the customer you never know who, where or what he will send your way 5 years from now.

mw2ciawo20db

I don`t think it`s worth it. If they wanted the car that perfect and stood around like they knew what to do better, then THEY should have done the damn job themselves. Sounds like they need something to do. What kind of car was this anyway?

**wannafbody** · 09-16-2006, 11:03 PM

was this a daily driver or a show car? if it`s a daily driver I`d raise the price if he ever calls you again.

**skoles** · 09-16-2006, 11:39 PM

Sounds like a guy I used to work for (doing graphic design). Real anal ***** about stuff that had to add his 2Ã‚¢ to anything just to say he was a major contributor to the project.

2hrs would`ve brought you up to his neck of the woods if you came to Mass. Was his name Peter by chance?

**DaGonz** · 09-17-2006, 01:02 PM

My auto repair shop of choice has a sign in their office that states their labor rates. On the sign it also says...

Observation of work: Add $5 an hour.

Asking questions: Add $10 an hour.

Telling us how to do the job: Add $20 an hour.

**Corey Bit Spank** · 09-17-2006, 04:32 PM

There is no e in ridiculous.

**imported_CkretAjint** · 09-17-2006, 04:39 PM

I had a similar experience.

I detailed this chicks car (a friend) and she did the same thing... While I am vacuming the drivers side she says. "the passengers side still looks dirty, whats up with that?" my response "i would hope so, i didn`t start to vaccum that side yet" she did that THE ENTIRE detail....

Worth it in the end, cause I charged her $200, and she paid it without batting and eye...

**playinJ30** · 09-18-2006, 05:15 AM

there is absolutely nothing wrong w/ a discerning customer who wants a job done right....

but the reality is, if they hire you to do a job... they hired you because they had done their research or at least approved of your reputation. Their hiring you was an affirmation in their confidence in you to handle this one job, they could make their decision as to whether they should hire you again based on your work. After your job was done they had every right to go over the car w/ you and point out some problems that they had observed, and if they are discerning enough, then they deserve to have any mistakes or imperfections perfected and corrected. But this is supposed to be AFTER the job is done. This sounds like a very strange and frustrating situation, i would have snapped.

I think it should always be that a detailer should guarantee their work, especially at some of the prices i have heard. Your guarantee shoudl state that if a the customer is not satisfied w/ the job, you will do everything in your reasonable power to rectify the situation. But the most important part of this is that a job is only a job once the job is finished.

i think you just gotta politely tell them, after a point, that you will be happy to go over the whole car w/ them when you are finished and that some things may not appear to be done duirng the process because the process isn`t finished.

They sound like republicans

**cdmc** · 09-18-2006, 12:13 PM

Just my two cents as an outsider. Next time you have a customer like this you might try a couple of the following comments:

1) I would love to discuss the entire detail process with you, but when I talk, I can`t concentrate as well on what I am doing, and hence cannot do as good of a job as if I focus on the project undisturbed.

2) I prefer that customers look over the car once it is completed as detailing involves numerous steps and how the car looks during the process does not reflect how it will appear when finished. I would love to closely look over the car with you when it is complete. If you have any concerns/issues at that time I will be happy to address/correct them then.

3) I understand you concern about your car, I feel the same way about mine. I treat every customer`s car, including yours, as if it were my own. Since you have trusted me enough to detail your car, please let me focus on my work without being interupted so I can do the quality of job I would like to.