How many dreamers?

M

mini1

New member
How many dreamers do you all get? When I'm working in close-knit neighborhoods, I can often times get several people stopping by to get my card and a quick price quote. I normally put up 2 lawn signs, which have paid for themselves 100 times over now. I always ask for the potential clients' card and/or contact info and only get that about 50% of the time. Normally they just say "I'll call you when I'm ready", even when I push them into trying to set a date or just tell me who they are!!



I'd say close to 90-95% of the people who stop and sometimes waste a whole lot of my time, are just dreamers. They have never had actual detail work done in their life and they have no concept of what it costs. They seem to be under the impression that anyone can do it and it should only cost $50 for the entire car. It's amazing how many people stop and I never hear from them or if I do get their contact info and I call them, its always 'we'll call you next month to schedule', and that goes on for ever.
 
Where I'm Out of (south suburbs of chicago), the first time customers just tell me in january, "ya go ahead and just wash it for now" And then they will say " we will schedule for this spring "(full detail, int shampoo) ok we will see how that goes.



Also I see your point in that people are skeptical to give any info out (can You blame them) but I never "annoy" them because thats a good way to loose business.



And another thing, So many customers dont know what a detail is if it smacked them in the face, and they want everything for under $75.



Seems that nobody understants what great pride us detailers put into our work and it would make life alot easier if potential customers would just give me a chance.



sorry for the rant. ; }

Nick M -Owner Nu- Shine Detail Spa
 
Well don't take it personal,I don't think a lot of ppl have respect for all the labor that goes into cleaning,correcting,polishing and protecting a cars paint,doing the interior and engine etc.For some the mindset might be all you have to do is wash it good,throw some OTC on it and shine the tires,yeah that's about $50.00 worth,you re not gonna get me for a $100.00 or more,jus to let it sit around while you tell me you did 3-4 stages of work. I have a friend that all he knows is no soap, putting multiple coats of mothers on his car some megs on the tires keep the interior clean ,because the car doesn't get driven and he's detailed in his opinion,told me no need to do all that stuff I do,its a good thing he refuses to use a computer too.lol
 
For me there is no personal hits taken. Thats what I was trying to get to, all the paint correction( could be 3-4 stages at times) or int shampoos (I've spent 30+ min on one floor mat!!)



And yes the average joe thinks " just throw some meguiars on it, thats the best" and thats supposed to fix haze, swirls, scratches, and chips.



I love what I do and am always looking forward to trommorrow. I find so much pleasure in making somebodys car look new ( its worth just their smile)
 
I get that too, goes with the territory. Still, 9 times out of 10, once I get into a neighborhood, I'll end up detailing someone else's car in that area.
 
toyotaguy said:
you need to break it down and let them know the differences, carry a picture book, and EDUCATE the client!
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was just gonna say that.. anothe mistake detailers i think make are they just show the finished car shining.. or far away before and after pics.. i show customers deep scratches that i get out and it blows them away that this can be fixed and their car can look better than the day they bought it.. in this economy you need to make them know they are getting their moneys worth... people are holding onto their money these days.. and detailing is a luxury to most.. but if you changed their mindset and get them thinking its NEED to make their money go further with that car .. .. just my 2cents



below are the pics i show my customer and they get blown away and usually book the job.



passside.jpg


passafter.jpg


P1040113.jpg


P1040126.jpg
 
As has already been stated, that type of thing is fairly common. Obviously, people are curious as to what you are doing with all your equipment and supplies. In talking to these people, try not to be overly technical when explaining to them what is you do. Also, remember that many car washes now offer 'detailing services'; often times much cheaper than what traditional detailing costs. I am not saying to undercharge, but just keep in mind that people have options, and you can not price yourself out of the market.
 
Yes the car wash is a good point because the car is already there waiting to be washed,and if your gonna make money off additional services the wash is free. From there any detailing is faster since they already have a clean car,ppl in a hurry might go for a 1hr detail and their on their way(I didn't say it had to be a good one)
 
hibble1 said:
Yes the car wash is a good point because the car is already there waiting to be washed,and if your gonna make money off additional services the wash is free. From there any detailing is faster since they already have a clean car,ppl in a hurry might go for a 1hr detail and their on their way(I didn't say it had to be a good one)
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I'd beg to differ on a 1hr detail not being a good one... Get 4 guys doing 1/4 of the car each, vacuuming, vinyl cleaning and dressing, window cleaning and quick shampooing. Throw a tornado dryer in there and no problem, under 1 hour and you've got a completely detailed interior. It's called capacity, and if you have enough of it, you can churn out cars pretty quick.
 
that happened to me...I was doing a car and this guys neighbor came up to me and said where do you get that stuff yoru using...its probably cheaper for me to buy it and just do it myself....i then proceeded to tell him you can't buy it anywere unless your detail :).....just saving myself business because then he finds all of it...then he tells his friends then his friends tell their friends and pretty soon no one needs me
 
Dmurdock101 said:
that happened to me...I was doing a car and this guys neighbor came up to me and said where do you get that stuff yoru using...its probably cheaper for me to buy it and just do it myself....i then proceeded to tell him you can't buy it anywere unless your detail :).....just saving myself business because then he finds all of it...then he tells his friends then his friends tell their friends and pretty soon no one needs me
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I've had several people ask me what I use and where I get it from. I switch the subject to price right away and start talking about how my Wolfgang sealant costs $40 for one bottle and my buffer alone costs more then the entire detail job. They normally start going 'wow..... $40 for one bottle!!'.
 
toyotaguy said:
you need to break it down and let them know the differences, carry a picture book, and EDUCATE the client!
Click to expand...



the picture book will not work in most cases. Normally people are either driving by and roll down their window or they are walking a dog who wants to keep going. They only have 20-30 seconds. I can't say 'wait....let me go all the way to the my car and grab a picture book to show you pictures one-by-one'. It just won't work. With some people, that will work, but those are the people who have nothing better to do and like to waste my time anyway.... they are generally not actually interested in getting any real work done.
 
If I had a dime for every card or " I'll give you a call soon", I'd be loaded. Some people just don't care and they don't understand what goes into a detail. Just get it done. mainly for cheap.
 
mini1 said:
the picture book will not work in most cases. Normally people are either driving by and roll down their window or they are walking a dog who wants to keep going. They only have 20-30 seconds. I can't say 'wait....let me go all the way to the my car and grab a picture book to show you pictures one-by-one'. It just won't work. With some people, that will work, but those are the people who have nothing better to do and like to waste my time anyway.... they are generally not actually interested in getting any real work done.
Click to expand...



I agree with the picture book. Even when I show prospective clients the pictures and such, they just seem to shrug and go straight to pricing and how much something that "extensive" would cost. Normally I refer them to my website at the end of the "talk" or shoot them an e-mail after thanking them for their time and a link to my portfolio/information sections(under construction atm).



If they are showing signs of not really being interested, you just hand them a card and say(something along these lines) "Well, I have to go take care of other business, if you are interested in finding out more, I would be more than happy to figure something out with you."



I've done this a few times and it works pretty well.
 
I have been in business for a long time and have a large number of custmers and am very thankful. treat every potential customer as a customer.Ihave got work by just taking time to talk. a customer has to start some were who knowes a wash job one day could lead detail the next then befoure u know it u have a coustmer for life. also the person u think might be a dreamer could be your next job. People r losing there houses and jobs these days. a car wash used to be a need now it is a luxury. Dont price your self to high. be thankful for the work u have becaus shops r closeing every day
 
Do you ever run into people who seem super interested and will talk to you for like 10-15 minutes, then as soon as it turns to price and they hear your quote they just shut down and give the famous line 'I'll call you when I'm ready'? I ran into a couple people like that this past weekend. Why can't they just be honest and say 'I'll never be ready', because I know they will never call.

On the other hand I had someone come over to me, see my sign, and immediately ask to be booked in. When they heard the price, then didn't even flinch.
 
mini1 said:
Do you ever run into people who seem super interested and will talk to you for like 10-15 minutes, then as soon as it turns to price and they hear your quote they just shut down and give the famous line 'I'll call you when I'm ready'? I ran into a couple people like that this past weekend. Why can't they just be honest and say 'I'll never be ready', because I know they will never call.

On the other hand I had someone come over to me, see my sign, and immediately ask to be booked in. When they heard the price, then didn't even flinch.
Click to expand...



Happens way to often. Just recently I went out to a guy who claimed to be selling some cars at auctions. He had 2 audi A8's, a Maserati, and a Lamborghini. I gave him a run-down of what would go on, pointed out "some problem areas"(heavy marring/hologramming) and explained that a simple glaze wouldn't hide it well enough for it to look respectable under good lighting. He thanked me and told me he would call me when auction time came sooner..



A few weeks later I called and he told me that he took it to a car-washes detail bay and they took care of it for him for a quarter of the price. I thanked him for his time and that was it. It's annoying as this happens pretty often and I think I'm going to have to start being a little tougher on revealing my process and pointing out defects to customers before I have them scheduled for a detail.
 
joe public in general do not know the difference between a splash and dash job and a proper detail, plus the great majority are not bothered about the condition of there

vehicles paint work as long as the car gets from A to B.



:brit
 
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