Non-believers...

I

imported_Ivan Rajic

New member
How do you guys deal with those clients who simply don't understand the worth of a detail and think it's outrageous when you want to charge $300+ for something they can get for $100-150 at 'another detail shop'?



In my 3 years I've been more than lucky to never come across those who price shop much or those who simply compare me the corner wash places and ask for a detail, but recently had a talk with a friend of a friend and he simply thinks I'm crazy for charging so much.



Just to clarify.. I am not at all intimidated or doubting my skill, prices and services, rather wanted to simply satisfy my curiosity and see how the rest of you react to this.. do you try explaining again or showing the difference, or...?
 
I would give a quick comparison of what you do versus the other guys. If that doesn't work, don't waste your time explaining anymore. Just put your foot down and say "My price is xxx.xx. If you want to go with the other guys OK. If you are unhappy with their service I hope you will consider coming back to me."
 
bert31 said:
I would give a quick comparison of what you do versus the other guys. If that doesn't work, don't waste your time explaining anymore. Just put your foot down and say "My price is xxx.xx. If you want to go with the other guys OK. If you are unhappy with their service I hope you will consider coming back to me."
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yakky said:
How about offering to polish a 1x1 square for them.
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I guess you guys misunderstood me... I do a test spot always so the person can actually see it takes me like 5 mins to polish a quarter of the hood and also to see what difference it makes... I was asking more in terms of what do you do with the client who simply refuses to believe in quality detailing.. do you simply let it go and let him screw up the car elsewhere or try and explain/show it to him again (and again, and again..)



I personally have no issues with these type of clients and once the test spot is done 99% of them understand and schedule the detail... I was simply wondering what the rest are doing, and if someone does try to educate the non-believer further, how do you do it?
 
Many times the best thing to do when faced with a price minded shopper is to stay firm on your ballpark price range after you've confidently trained them on what you're able to offer in terms of steps/processes/packages/choices. Don't ever talk down on your competition, but describe how your services are the best. One of the most important things to do is to obtain their contact info (phone/e-mail) and make sure you stay in touch with them. Follow up with them the next day by e-mail(send them a link to some of your work) and then a few days after by phone asking if they've made any decisions on moving forward with detailing their vehicle. Many people like doing business with someone who's resiliant and follows through to ask for their business by earning it 1st. Hope this makes sence.....
 
You can't... Simply put. If they are set in their ways then there's really nothing at all you can tell them or show them that will make them think what you are doing at the price your doing it is a value to them.
 
Not everybody appreciates a true, swirl free paint job. To the average person, a couple of swirls on the paint job is not that big of a deal. We should respect other's expectations from a vehicle paint surface.



not everybody feels compelled to have a meticulous lawn and garden, not everybody cares about a couple of swirls as long as the car is clean and scratch free.



Imagine how you would feel if some gardener preaches to you about lawn care and tries to put you down by telling you how bad of a condition your lawn actually is?



Just as not everybody needs an award winning lawn, not everybody needs a show quality automotive finish. ;)
 
toyotaguy said:
"I cant speak for what the other guy can or cannot do, only what I am capable of"
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I like that!



Not everyone is your customer. You can buy clothes at Nordstrom and Wal-Mart...
 
seems to be a lot of those type of people around here. Everyone wants a deal of some sort be it free stuff or dirt cheap prices.



Sometimes i am faced with people like that and at times it can be a little tough. As mentioned though Nordstroms & Walmart. You can really only explain and show what you have to offer . . . . if they choose to shop around and go with joe who charges $100 less that is totally up to them.
 
These people are the reason I don't detail anymore... I was faced with competing with quick detail shops charging $80-120 for a full detail... I was even pretty cheap with $150 full exterior details, but still didn't get enough business to make it worth while... I found most people really didn't care for the perfect finish... But it depends on who you cater to... There is another local guy... on this board actually that manages to pull $300+ and has a much better clientel than I could manage to find. I guess lesson is... find your right customer base... or cater to the customer base you have.
 
the_invisible said:
not everybody feels compelled to have a meticulous lawn and garden, not everybody cares about a couple of swirls as long as the car is clean and scratch free.



Imagine how you would feel if some gardener preaches to you about lawn care and tries to put you down by telling you how bad of a condition your lawn actually is?



Just as not everybody needs an award winning lawn, not everybody needs a show quality automotive finish. ;)
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This is excellent. I use it all the time. At first, it was to explain the concept of detailing for the friends & family who couldn't understand how I could possibly enjoy removing carpet stains and running this loud polisher over an entire car time and time again. Since many of these folks enjoyed gardening - some to the extent that they would put me down when talking about my lawn :D - it made for an easy analogy. I quickly realized it was also valuable in demonstrating value to the people who write $150-200 monthly checks to their landscapers. (I pay $70, for the record. I want a nice short green lawn, but beyond that I wouldn't know a geranium from a duodenum...well, except maybe by smell.)



In such situations - and please keep in mind I'm not a busy detailer (by choice, fortunately) - I make a good-natured attempt to relate the value of quality vehicle care and detailing to a point of interest/passion specific to the person across from me. Probably my best was the BMW owner who visited a local car wash every week....right after getting her manicure and pedicure. I asked her if she'd consider a discount in&out joint for her nails. After the resounding, "Of course not!" response, I tossed out the deal closer. "Well, that's what you're doing with your car." The light bulb lit up the entire room, and she got it.



Of course, the simple fact is (at least in my experience) that most folks don't get it. Many folks just accept swirl marks as a fact of life. For those people I try to diplomatically (although I'm not as successful as David, above) thank them for their time and make sure they know where to find me if they change their minds.
 
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