I have a dilemma... please help

[imported_topnotch]

This weekend I have a few cars to detail, I am a part time business (I work weekends and 1 late night a week) and have very little help for this matter. The help that I do have my brother and cousin are both leaving for college this week thus leaving me with 4 details on Saterday to do on my own. Here is the question. My finacee offerred to help, she has detailed cars with me before but not a customers car. She is great for interior work(very detail oriented, and she actually browses this site from time to time). Would it look bad image wise to have a girl come with me on a mobile detail? Would this take away from people taking me serious? At first I laughed at her when she said that she would come but as the week goes by and I am getting very run down I am starting to consider her. Please help me and let me know what you guys think. Thanks in advance for any help. I know I have not been around for a while but its because my primary job has becoming much more demanding lately and detailing has consumed whatever free time I had left.

[Flexin]

I don`t see how having a woman working with you could give you a bad image. By the looks of it you have 2 choices. One is to take her (you already said she was good) and get the work done or do 4 cars by yourself. I know what I would do.



James

[imported_topnotch]

I would not think it myself that its a bad thing to bring her, but here in NY I deal with a great deal of snobs and I want to be taken seriously. I think thats my concern (and prior post does not detail this). I have clients in very affluent areas and all they look at is how I am dressed, my car/suv, and other materialistic things. Some may think that detailing is not a girls job and I don`t think that personally. I guess I am looking for the communities support.

[the other pc]

...Would it look bad image wise to have a girl come with me on a mobile detail?...

Hmm, a plethora of terribly sexist and socially unacceptable images just ran through my head...



Errr.. anyway, back to business.



As long as both of you present yourselves to the customer as a professional and cohesive team (both behaviorally and visually) you`ve got nothing to worry about.





PC.

[AutoCadillac]

I not only think you should take your gf with you, but I also think you should charge more especially if your male clients want to watch.

[quamen]

4 details if they are full isnt happening with her or without her, but as long as she is good at the job not need to worry about her being a girl.

[imported_topnotch]

well all 4 details are not in 1 day. I have 1 on friday and 3 on Saterday. I feel a lot more comfortable now taking her. Honestly she does a really good job or else I would not even consider her, she is always handling my scheduling and accounting so I guess it was a matter of time until I took her out in the field with me. She has been asking for so long. And PC I am not sexist in anyway, but I do admit my choice of wording was poor in my first post (due to rushing it because I am at work) and I apologize if I mistakenly insulted anyone. Thanks again for your all your opinions.

[magictouch24]

I had a similar dilemma to this a while back. Earlier in the summer before I moved to my new shop, a friend of mine (a chick) was so bored that she wanted to work for me. After I showed her the ropes she became *very* good at it. When I moved to my new shop (I rent out 2.5 bays from a big used car dealership, and inside my garage there is also a mechanic with 2 bays and a tranny shop with 4 bays) I was worried that the guys would think I was bringing a woman into a "man`s domain" (note that I personally didn`t care) so I didn`t use her for the longest time. Long story short, I missed out on much better help because of that. Like the other pc said, if you both present yourselves professionally and work well, everything will go fine.

[imported_ajbarnes]

Don`t feel awkward at all. My wife comes out with me alot on jobs. I see nothing wrong with a woman working in this industry and neither does she. Similar to your situation, she is a pro with the interior work, which is why I love it when she comes out (I hate interiors ). She`ll only be going out with me until maybe around the fall, and I`ll then be doing it myself. On the other hand, business is really picking up tremendously and I may have to start hiring some help.

[JasonD]

When you hire a plumber or electrician and he comes with his helpers, do you think less of him?? Of course not. I say bring her along. It sounds like you need her help, and if she`s willing to give it, you are a very lucky man. The only time I can get my fiance to help detail is if it`s on her own car, and then she just magically disappears. :think:

[Skotter]

My fiance helps me on all my details, she too works wonders with the interior...



I`d have to agree with PC...

[Scottwax]

My kids have been helping me out for the past few years. Now at 16 and 18, they are competent enough I could trust them to do a detail without me. I have a lot of high end clients and none of them have minded my kids helping me work. In fact, a few have complimented me on what hard workers my kids are.

[Superior Shine]

Use it to your advantage. Dress her in short shorts and a bikini top!!!

[JJ_]

When you hire a plumber or electrician and he comes with his helpers, do you think less of him?? Of course not. I say bring her along. It sounds like you need her help, and if she`s willing to give it, you are a very lucky man. The only time I can get my fiance to help detail is if it`s on her own car, and then she just magically disappears. :think:

lol so true! Does she have a wee MF and then just wipes a few areas and then dissapears?

[imported_krsjuan]

Would it look bad image wise to have a girl come with me on a mobile detail? Would this take away from people taking me serious?

Not unless you have a time machine and are going back to the 30`s for the detail job.