Lying cheating detailers

[jaybs02]

I think that people like that will find themselves out of business within a year, they are in it for the quick buck and not true detailers or true businessmen.
I doubt that they will recieve much return business or word of mouth, and if they do it will be negative.
Like Jared said it`s not just in detailing but in all sorts of service based occupations.
Someone will look to take a few shortcuts or underbid someone else and not realize what it is to keep a customer happy, and they WILL fail. The honest businessman who bids accordingly will be the one that you can go back to year after year.
It`s just a matter of understanding that it`s not only getting the best price, but what you are getting for that price.

JMHO
"J"

[LikeaRock]

I undercharge all the time (in my opinion, but not by much...), but I also think that it will work to my advantage. Do a kick-ass job and make the car look great, don`t charge the customer an arm and a leg, you`ve got yourself a 95% chance of that client returning as well as who knows how many referrals. I don`t say I`m the best because I know I`m not, but I feel confident that I do one helluva job and as far as I know all my clients agree.

Then I see/hear about people like this and I ask myself "Why?"

I started working for a local mobile detailer here almost 2 years ago, needless to say he was a joke. The first day of work I already knew I knew more than him (Who hits a swirled up black G35 with rough paint with a PC on speed 6, Race Glaze polish/Sealant with a RED Megs pad???)

One time we were out doing washes at a real estate office with "regular clients". I was cleaning some coffee spots off the seat of a Lexus we were washing and my boss tells me "Don`t do that, he didn`t pay for that"
He washed a black BMW X5 with a dirty old wash mitt, no bucket, no soap, just the pressure washer and his mitt...
We used DIRTY microfibers for EVERYTHING
We used WATER to clay, when and IF we did clay
We "spot cleaned" windows if they looked "clean"
He used ACETONE to remove some oil spots on an Acura...Let`s just forget about the clearcoat failure we`re applying the Acetone to.........

I could go on, and on...and on....and....on.......but I think you guys get the picture. And sadly he ran his life pretty much the same way.

Those of us on this forum go into greater detail for a quick wash than a lot of "detailers" do during a detail

It`s going to be this way, there`s a new kid on the block every day and there`s already a line of suckers 3 blocks long waiting for him

Dolan

[PhaRO]

I did an SUV last year that was done by another detailer a month before, They didn`t clean or do anything to the roof of the SUV....LOL

The guy asked me do you wax the roof, I said that if its attached to the car then yes

My first customer 16 years ago drove a Jeep Cherokee. The person that was cleaning it for her before never washed the roof. They just sprayed it off (no drying).

[TrueDetailer]

I agree there are alot of hack detailers out there that cut way to many corners to make an extra buck. But this is a business to most, not a hobby. Sometimes you can get away with not having to clean all the windows, example being a suv i wash every week. most times i don`t even have to touch the rear windows on the inside. Not saying i leave them dirty, i do look. Having a good eye will save you some time. And in the end time is money.

Let me ask all of you that are saying you do it anyways because the customer is paying for it. When vacuuming, if the rear seats were not sat in since the last time you cleaned it. Would you still spend a minute or too vacuuming nothing? This is the same concept as cleaning windows that just don`t need it.

[xtremeclean]

I`ve had a few of those customers, they ask me about a million questions. I tell them this, I will do the car for free if you can point out to me why you are not happy with the results. I`ve never had to give my details away

I have also done and still do this and have not had to give any of my details away either. This type of person is usually the ones that you get the most reaction out of when they see what a "REAL" detail is.

[JaredPointer]

Let me ask all of you that are saying you do it anyways because the customer is paying for it. When vacuuming, if the rear seats were not sat in since the last time you cleaned it. Would you still spend a minute or too vacuuming nothing? This is the same concept as cleaning windows that just don`t need it.

If the customer has paid for something, and they are under the impression that they are going to get it, then yes, I would go ahead and perform whatever service they believe they are going to get. I don`t do detailing for a living like some, but I do work in a field that the client may not always be able to tangibly see what service it is that they are paying me to perform - i.e. they only see a finished product. Does that relieve me of providng the services that I have implied that I am going to give them for they money? No. It`s that simple to me. If you say you are going to do something, then do it. If you feel that the seats don`t need to be vacuumed each week, explain that to the customer. It would be better for them to know on the front end rather than finding out someway later and thinking you are ripping them off.

[kbbiii]

I have to agree that there are some people out there that are just in it to make some money and get out. For them it is not a legitimate business and what I mean about that is they don`t have a license, insurance and pay taxes on that business.

This is my full time gig (3 years now) and my intention is for it to go to the next level within 2 years to a full shop with mobile service.

I have a guy around town (another so called detailer) that every time he sees me he calls me to see what I charge for washing. I tell him and he always tells me that he charges more and that he gets its all the time and that I should raise my prices because it is better for all of us. Not sure what his return client business is like but I am not into gouging my customers to make money I am in it to have them call me back or use my services from week to week or whatever they are comfortable with.

My feeling is that I do the best job that I can on each and every vehicle and for my return clients I am always throwing something extra in just to keep them coming back.

Kenny

[Big Leegr]

Back to the original post about the windows and "hack," might it be possible that he was trying to "get some dirt" on you? Maybe he was hoping that you`d say "yeah" and he`d be able to use that to gain future customers from you. Also, maybe he doesn`t skip the windows, has clients that he`s "proven" to, and is looking to see if you say that to other customers, so he can deny it "and verify" with these other customers. Just throwing an alternate possibility out there.

[Tex Star Detail]

Back to the original post about the windows and "hack," might it be possible that he was trying to "get some dirt" on you? Maybe he was hoping that you`d say "yeah" and he`d be able to use that to gain future customers from you. Also, maybe he doesn`t skip the windows, has clients that he`s "proven" to, and is looking to see if you say that to other customers, so he can deny it "and verify" with these other customers. Just throwing an alternate possibility out there.

you can never tell these days....lol

[audiboy]

If the customer has paid for something, and they are under the impression that they are going to get it, then yes, I would go ahead and perform whatever service they believe they are going to get. I don`t do detailing for a living like some, but I do work in a field that the client may not always be able to tangibly see what service it is that they are paying me to perform - i.e. they only see a finished product. Does that relieve me of providng the services that I have implied that I am going to give them for they money? No. It`s that simple to me. If you say you are going to do something, then do it. If you feel that the seats don`t need to be vacuumed each week, explain that to the customer. It would be better for them to know on the front end rather than finding out someway later and thinking you are ripping them off.

I couldn`t agree with this post more! If the area that they requested is clean, I would either let them know beforehand or discount them with an explination afterwards. I would be furious if I knew that I was paying for something that wasn`t being done. The first core value in the US Air Force is integrity. I`ve found it beneficial to use it in civilian life as well.

[cwcad]

I couldn`t agree with this post more! The first core value in the US Air Force is integrity. I`ve found it beneficial to use it in civilian life as well.

I could not agree more with your statement. Hence my signature saying.

[MagicCity33]

Amen to that. I consider myself to be of a dieing breed. many people say that chilvary & integrity is dead and I think of myself as that knight in shining armor who fights for what is right. I even tell my customers the name of the products that I am using. (If they ask) I`m not in this just to make money I am into detailing because it is were I take refuge from the troubles of the world. I am at piece while I work on someone`s vehicle or my on. I take my time and make sure that everything is done right. The only problem is I have a hard time not doing anything extra, so I try and talk my customer`s into regular maintainence plans instead of the one detail then they wash and do whatever else.

Integrity is everything to me!

[Mr. Clean]

If the customer has paid for something, and they are under the impression that they are going to get it, then yes, I would go ahead and perform whatever service they believe they are going to get. I don`t do detailing for a living like some, ... If you say you are going to do something, then do it. If you feel that the seats don`t need to be vacuumed each week, explain that to the customer. It would be better for them to know on the front end rather than finding out someway later and thinking you are ripping them off.

I couldn`t agree with this post more! If the area that they requested is clean, I would either let them know beforehand or discount them with an explination afterwards. I would be furious if I knew that I was paying for something that wasn`t being done. The first core value in the US Air Force is integrity. I`ve found it beneficial to use it in civilian life as well.

I`m not going to argue with you on what you do, but I am going to offer a different perspective. Take it FWIW.

Given the example cited, I am going to be in the backseat checking the seats, floorboards, package tray. I`m going to have my hose nozzle in hand while I do this. I`m also normally doing at least a damp wipe of the seats/panels etc. as well. If a thorough "deep" vaccuming of the area is not warranted, I`m not going to offer a discount for the maybe 10 or so minutes that I don`t spend. Likewise if I have to spend an extra 10-20 minutes doing extra vacuuming (or other undetected touch ups) I`m not going to bill my customer an upcharge. As I`m certain most pros here, my fees are time based, yet rarely do I hit those estimated times exactly, so if it takes me a little less time that`s good and if it takes me a little more time that`s OK as well.

The first core value in the US Air Force is integrity. I`ve found it beneficial to use it in civilian life as well.

I`m sure you posted this with good intentions, but this came off as more than just a bit preachy and way too dramatic for the example cited.

[jaybs02]

I am going to speak out of the box.

Forget that this was a detailer, what if it was someone that you contracted to clean your home, and they were payed to clean your windows and vaccum your carpets, and they failed to to one or the other.
How fast would you say something and how much longer would they stay in your employ or how fast would you look to recomend them to a friend who was looking to have similar work done.

One has nothing to do with the other, even if the carpet is clean you give it a "token" go over for no other reason other than you are being paid for it.

JMHO
"J"

[audiboy]

I`m sure you posted this with good intentions, but this came off as more than just a bit preachy and way too dramatic for the example cited.

The simple definition of integrity is doing the right thing even though no one is looking. Preachy or not, I think it directly relates to the issue at hand.