When does meticulous turn into rediculous?

**stilez** · 09-16-2006, 12:10 PM

I recently detailed for a client who I thought stepped into the "rediculous" sector. Maybe I`m acting up a bit much, but here`s how it went.

I was scheduled to show up at 8:30am for this detail which was about 90 mins from me. It was raining all morning but he needed the car done for a photoshoot. Being far away (I told him), I gave a "8:30ish" estimate. At 8:30, only 5 mins away according to my navigation, he calls and asks where I am. I told him "just a few minutes out, sorry the rain is slowing me down". "How many minutes exactly?" "My navigation reads 5 mins, see you then".

Ok, I am 99% of the time on-time or early. The weather slowed me down and if I thought I was going to be more than 5 minutes late, I would`ve phoned him.

I arrive to a car in the garage covered in post-it notes. There were about 4 dozen yellow post it notes on the car highlighting areas he wanted me to address, from the hood, to doors, to doorjams.

Anyway, I start with the interior. I do my usual routine of cleaning out any clutter and mats, then vacuuming, dusting, cleaning everything with Z9, dressing with Z10, windows, cleaning the carpets/mats, etc. When I shut the door, I got "why didn`t you shampoo the mats/rugs". I explained to him how I always take the least aggressive methods possible. Since his carpets and mats were in such nice shape, a simple spot cleaning sufficed to a 99% result. He still didn`t seemed convinced.

Next was the exterior, he backed it into the rain so that I could wash/clay the car along with the wheels, tires, wells. Under the microscope again, him and his father (btw, client was about 20) followed me to each wheel/tire/well and watched as I washed/clayed. He then questioned how I was going to clean his undercarriage. I expressed to him how it consisted of pressure washing, misting with degreaser, then pressure washing again. Still not very enthused...

He pulled the car back into the garage and I dried it off. He asked why the jams weren`t cleaned yet. I expressed to him how if the jams are in rough shape I degrease them when doing the interior, but if in nice shape, I QD them at the end. Three more times over the course of the detail, he asked.

I began doing wetsanding and ultimately moved to compounding. Breathing down my neck, he kept asking "what`s this, what`s that". After each panel I completed, him and his father looked it over as if they were shaving with the paint. Halogen lights and fluorescents littered the ceiling with plenty of overall light. They checked the surface from many different angles and then talked about how it looked and if there were problems in their eyes. I kind of brushed it off and addressed these areas later.

Not to bore you with more details, but throughout the entire day, it seemed like I was under a microscope and that the work I was doing was not good enough. The ending of it all really bothered me.

On the phone before the detail, we discussed the job and how I would remove 95% of the swirl marks. He walked around the car with the halogen again and my Brinkmann (which I did not give him permission to use) and he noted 1-3 light marrs or swirls per panel. The car was easily 95%+, probably more like 98%+. Him and his dad almost seemed upset and they spoke loudly about their concerns yet never addressed them with me.

As I wiped down the LAST section of the car and prepared to pack up and shoot some pictures, they were now on the car like white on rice. In a tucked area of the door jam, the client found a spot of sticky residue that was smaller than a dime. I cleaned it and continued to pack. Then, they eyed the hood closely. To my missing, I missed a couple of minor tracer marks from sanding with 2400 grit. Only under the closest scrutiny with fluorescents could you see this. I hit it with compound by hand, then polish, then sealed. Then, THREE MORE TIMES they found utter tiny areas where their was a hairline marr or blended scratch that they wanted fixed.

I fixed them all and in this time the father took off. I shot pictures, packed up quick, and got out of there. Never did I hear even a "looks good". He paid me and I left. I know I left some details out, but you get the idea.

I have a couple ideas as to where I`m going from here as far as disclaimers and service offerings.

Thoughts and feelings are appreciated.

**a.k.a. Patrick** · 09-16-2006, 01:16 PM

"It was a pleasure to have done business with you sir."

**FidoAUTO** · 09-16-2006, 01:49 PM

wow.... I hope it was worth it.

**imported_themightytimmah** · 09-16-2006, 01:56 PM

Lol I`m too tempramental to deal with that, I think I woulda either walked away or said "ok, i`ll hit that marr for ya with a wool pad at 3000"

**DSVWGLI** · 09-16-2006, 02:22 PM

Some people you just can`t satisfy. I`ve had some picky customers but none that bad. Just bush it off.

**imported_paradigm** · 09-16-2006, 02:33 PM

they were probably trolling for a discount or reason to cut the payment...sounds like they have more than a few issues socially, mentally, financially, etc. if they do contact you for further work, i`d make sure to be booked solid whenever they call.

**Superior Shine** · 09-16-2006, 02:54 PM

The client is NEVER to know about the Brinkmann!!!!!!!!!!

I tell clients like that, that they are slowing me down with all the questions. If they insist -they can stay and ask away but I will charge them hourly.

We will have plenty of time to go over the job when I am completed.

That always works.

**imported_GregCavi** · 09-16-2006, 03:08 PM

Wow Sean, The guy must have been a complete A-hole to question your work. I like superior fine`s suggestion of telling the client that the talk is slowing you down and that you would be happy to field questions when you are finished. It bugs me to when someone comes up mid detail to show me a spec of polish or something that is obviously going to be removed prior to finishing. It floors me how inconsiderate the client was on this detail; furthermore, I would hesitate to do business with him again. You wont have to worry about him bad mouthing you though, because once everyone sees the work you did on the car they will know that your client was full if it.

Sorry to hear about that bad situation Sean, he was obviously nuts.

Greg

**BigAl3** · 09-16-2006, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by a.k.a. Patrick

"It was a pleasure to have done business with you sir."

exactly, people like that are never going to be satisifed...

**BigAl3** · 09-16-2006, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by Superior Fine

I tell clients like that, that they are slowing me down with all the questions. If they insist -they can stay and ask away but I will charge them hourly.

We will have plenty of time to go over the job when I am completed.

That always works.

joe, good call! i may have to use that someday...

**imported_Grouse** · 09-16-2006, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by G35stilez

I recently detailed for a client who I thought stepped into the "rediculous" sector. Maybe I`m acting up a bit much, but here`s how it went.

I was scheduled to show up at 8:30am for this detail which was about 90 mins from me. It was raining all morning but he needed the car done for a photoshoot. Being far away (I told him), I gave a "8:30ish" estimate. At 8:30, only 5 mins away according to my navigation, he calls and asks where I am. I told him "just a few minutes out, sorry the rain is slowing me down". "How many minutes exactly?" "My navigation reads 5 mins, see you then".

Ok, I am 99% of the time on-time or early. The weather slowed me down and if I thought I was going to be more than 5 minutes late, I would`ve phoned him.

I arrive to a car in the garage covered in post-it notes. There were about 4 dozen yellow post it notes on the car highlighting areas he wanted me to address, from the hood, to doors, to doorjams.

Anyway, I start with the interior. I do my usual routine of cleaning out any clutter and mats, then vacuuming, dusting, cleaning everything with Z9, dressing with Z10, windows, cleaning the carpets/mats, etc. When I shut the door, I got "why didn`t you shampoo the mats/rugs". I explained to him how I always take the least aggressive methods possible. Since his carpets and mats were in such nice shape, a simple spot cleaning sufficed to a 99% result. He still didn`t seemed convinced.

Next was the exterior, he backed it into the rain so that I could wash/clay the car along with the wheels, tires, wells. Under the microscope again, him and his father (btw, client was about 20) followed me to each wheel/tire/well and watched as I washed/clayed. He then questioned how I was going to clean his undercarriage. I expressed to him how it consisted of pressure washing, misting with degreaser, then pressure washing again. Still not very enthused...

He pulled the car back into the garage and I dried it off. He asked why the jams weren`t cleaned yet. I expressed to him how if the jams are in rough shape I degrease them when doing the interior, but if in nice shape, I QD them at the end. Three more times over the course of the detail, he asked.

I began doing wetsanding and ultimately moved to compounding. Breathing down my neck, he kept asking "what`s this, what`s that". After each panel I completed, him and his father looked it over as if they were shaving with the paint. Halogen lights and fluorescents littered the ceiling with plenty of overall light. They checked the surface from many different angles and then talked about how it looked and if there were problems in their eyes. I kind of brushed it off and addressed these areas later.

Not to bore you with more details, but throughout the entire day, it seemed like I was under a microscope and that the work I was doing was not good enough. The ending of it all really bothered me.

On the phone before the detail, we discussed the job and how I would remove 95% of the swirl marks. He walked around the car with the halogen again and my Brinkmann (which I did not give him permission to use) and he noted 1-3 light marrs or swirls per panel. The car was easily 95%+, probably more like 98%+. Him and his dad almost seemed upset and they spoke loudly about their concerns yet never addressed them with me.

As I wiped down the LAST section of the car and prepared to pack up and shoot some pictures, they were now on the car like white on rice. In a tucked area of the door jam, the client found a spot of sticky residue that was smaller than a dime. I cleaned it and continued to pack. Then, they eyed the hood closely. To my missing, I missed a couple of minor tracer marks from sanding with 2400 grit. Only under the closest scrutiny with fluorescents could you see this. I hit it with compound by hand, then polish, then sealed. Then, THREE MORE TIMES they found utter tiny areas where their was a hairline marr or blended scratch that they wanted fixed.

I fixed them all and in this time the father took off. I shot pictures, packed up quick, and got out of there. Never did I hear even a "looks good". He paid me and I left. I know I left some details out, but you get the idea.

I have a couple ideas as to where I`m going from here as far as disclaimers and service offerings.

Thoughts and feelings are appreciated.

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

**Rayc777** · 09-16-2006, 04:06 PM

I personally think the client was looking at your process so closely to see if he could copy it. Don`t be surprised if he becomes a detailer in his part of the woods.

Derrick

**imported_Grouse** · 09-16-2006, 04:08 PM

that could be a possibility too.

**rollman** · 09-16-2006, 04:18 PM

I hope it was worth it . I probably woulda turned around when he started in about being 5 mins late .

**RTexasF** · 09-16-2006, 07:23 PM

I agree with grouse:

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

They could have been burned before you never know. Follow up as you would with any customer but allow enough time for the absurd.