people ....and people

CosminTX

CosminTX

ProReflection
i have a feel that i have been screen for the last week ,

like 3 calls , with same direction...

just basic questions of how do i charge , operate , and some stupid situations to see how i deal with it and my prices, even if are listed black and white on my website.



once i answer a call i kind of know if people are interested or they just waist my time.

and serious now.. people don`t know the value of their time?



if you open a shop or u are mobile detailer in my area , than value your own time and quality , don`t waist my time with your bs questions like : do you charge fees if you have to drive xx miles , even if i choose the more expensive package (and the car is all trash in and out and super size) ,if over my mileage limit, yes i do charge! is not just about miles, is about the time i have to drive to get there and back! ....

sorry guys... just i have to say it!
 
I get this all the time while working in parking lots.



"you detail cars?" followed by "you actually come out to where the car is?"



Makes me think that if breathing wasn't a reflex action they would have suffocated at birth.
 
Scottwax said:
I get this all the time while working in parking lots.



"you detail cars?" followed by "you actually come out to where the car is?"



Makes me think that if breathing wasn't a reflex action they would have suffocated at birth.
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LOL! I have a lifelong friend who is a cabinet maker. People who visit his shop to see his work frequently ask him, did you make that?!
 
Mush-Mouth said:
Probably your competitors scoping out how you run your business.
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Agreed... when I started of I did the EXACT same thing.. I educated myself on what people were offering around me, how much they were charging etc. I even asked to see some of thier work.
 
It is fairly standard practice in any industry to know what your competition is doing, how there doing it and and what cost.



It is all about market research.



However that does not mean that people don't get frustrated by the calls.





Daniel
 
Reminds me of Bill Engval's - here's your sign:

Two guys walking by with fishing poles and a bucket full of large mouth bass, guy asked - ya'll catch dem fish? No, talked them into giving up..........Here's your sign (Stupid)
 
The problem with calls like this is the assumption you have nothing but time on your hands....................I get calls like this almost everyday and at my old shop I had a guy come by with a Mustang from a shop in Brentwood CA acting like a customer, I KNEW it was B.S. right away and he went to Sharkwerks after that to OFFER detailing to them................the balls.



I usually chuckle as the calls come in and I google the number as I am talking with them or spokeo the number as well.........................one guy was so blatant I played around with him with CIA like disinformation for 20 minutes then dropped the hammer with "So I see you guys specialize in Subaru's...............nice Stoptech's on your WRX wagon in the gallery section".........reply "Whaaaat" deception will only get you the door in my book and readers of this thread be warned your B.S. call might be returned with even more B.S.............................also restricted numbers never get answered..........................ever.



I am sorry............a website is enough for the foundational information needed to check on a service you compete with and if they do not have a site......................what's the worry then?, this is what is wrong with most guys is the focus on everything but themselves pertaining to strong points or weakness in certain areas and to call someone and waste thier time is just wrong, any REAL potential client will set up a estimate appointment anyway and here is a shocker when a call comes from the midwest somewhere I am going to jump in the truck and head right out...................2,000 miles away .......................uhm no.
 
Auto Concierge said:
I am sorry............a website is enough for the foundational information needed to check on a service you compete with and if they do not have a site......................what's the worry then?, this is what is wrong with most guys is the focus on everything but themselves pertaining to strong points or weakness in certain areas and to call someone and waste thier time is just wrong, any REAL potential client will set up a estimate appointment anyway and here is a shocker when a call comes from the midwest somewhere I am going to jump in the truck and head right out...................2,000 miles away .......................uhm no.
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I can only assume the above comments were directed at me since I am from the Midwest and since I openly admitted to investigating what my presumed competition would be (keep in mind this was at start up) which is pretty basic business 101 stuff.



I find it interesting that business publications/books I have read all note "knowing your competition" as being a smart business move. In fact, many VERY successful business people have told me the same thing.



Interesting how you disagree with them.



Additionally, doing an initial "go see" to determine what your potential competition does is a far cry from as you put it "this is what is wrong with most guys is the focus on everything but themselves pertaining to strong points or weakness in certain areas"
 
Deep Gloss Auto Salon said:
I can only assume the above comments were directed at me since I am from the Midwest and since I openly admitted to investigating what my presumed competition would be (keep in mind this was at start up) which is pretty basic business 101 stuff.



I find it interesting that business publications/books I have read all note "knowing your competition" as being a smart business move. In fact, many VERY successful business people have told me the same thing.



Interesting how you disagree with them.



Additionally, doing an initial "go see" to determine what your potential competition does is a far cry from as you put it "this is what is wrong with most guys is the focus on everything but themselves pertaining to strong points or weakness in certain areas"
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Jason,



This was no directed at you believe me, although I disagree with you on calling someone to "Feel out" the competition as I think to impersonate a potential client is wrong case closed. Now as anyone here knows I will "Walk it like I talk it" and if I have a problem I do not hide behind comments in most cases.



As for the midwest angle I will elaborate, got a call from a service in St Louis and the guy told me he had a Denali and a lifted 4x4 which are vehicles I do not service as said as much....................... but the guy acting like a customer(Mind you at this time I have looked up the number) goes on to ask why blah, blah, blah.......and I told him in a polite way that I specialize in European exotics and have since the 90's, then he changes course and says "What WOULD you charge if you did it?" and what products and wait for it process I utilized in paint correction................. which I say "Wow that is terminology that pro detail services use and it's funny you would coin that phrase......................"



Of course I was and am still busy and I repeated as such and said I need to get back to work and the guy says "Well I JUST have a FEW more questions............" so as Cosmin pointed out as the OP in the thread it is wrong and it waists time, and Jason not to flare stuff up but what is your time worth?.
 
Auto Concierge said:
Jason,



This was no directed at you believe me, although I disagree with you on calling someone to "Feel out" the competition as I think to impersonate a potential client is wrong case closed. Now as anyone here knows I will "Walk it like I talk it" and if I have a problem I do not hide behind comments in most cases.



As for the midwest angle I will elaborate, got a call from a service in St Louis and the guy told me he had a Denali and a lifted 4x4 which are vehicles I do not service as said as much....................... but the guy acting like a customer(Mind you at this time I have looked up the number) goes on to ask why blah, blah, blah.......and I told him in a polite way that I specialize in European exotics and have since the 90's, then he changes course and says "What WOULD you charge if you did it?" and what products and wait for it process I utilized in paint correction................. which I say "Wow that is terminology that pro detail services use and it's funny you would coin that phrase......................"



Of course I was and am still busy and I repeated as such and said I need to get back to work and the guy says "Well I JUST have a FEW more questions............" so as Cosmin pointed out as the OP in the thread it is wrong and it waists time, and Jason not to flare stuff up but what is your time worth?.
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Thanks for clarifying if your post was directed at me!



I see your side of the coin, trust me I do! But in my opinion it comes as a "cost of doing business". Would I prefer that there were other ways to feel out the competition in a way that did not waste a persons time? I sure would but we are not furtune 500 companies with oodles of public information at our disposal which, makes aquiring some of the data impossible by other means other than a phone call or visit.
 
Auto Concierge said:
As for the midwest angle I will elaborate, got a call from a service in St Louis and the guy told me he had a Denali and a lifted 4x4 which are vehicles I do not service as said as much....................... but the guy acting like a customer(Mind you at this time I have looked up the number) goes on to ask why blah, blah, blah.......and I told him in a polite way that I specialize in European exotics and have since the 90's, then he changes course and says "What WOULD you charge if you did it?" and what products and wait for it process I utilized in paint correction................. which I say "Wow that is terminology that pro detail services use and it's funny you would coin that phrase......................"



Of course I was and am still busy and I repeated as such and said I need to get back to work and the guy says "Well I JUST have a FEW more questions............" so as Cosmin pointed out as the OP in the thread it is wrong and it waists time, and Jason not to flare stuff up but what is your time worth?.
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You know, Bob, if you want to cut those type of people off at the knees real quick all you'd have to do is say "Before we continue can I ask you to give me your credit card number so I can process my $100/hour consultation fee? Please keep in mind there is a minimum charge of 3 hours and I do reserve the right to withhold proprietary information."



See how fast they hang up the phone then :lol:
 
Deep Gloss Auto Salon said:
Thanks for clarifying if your post was directed at me!



I see your side of the coin, trust me I do! But in my opinion it comes as a "cost of doing business". Would I prefer that there were other ways to feel out the competition in a way that did not waste a persons time? I sure would but we are not furtune 500 companies with oodles of public information at our disposal which, makes aquiring some of the data impossible by other means other than a phone call or visit.
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Jason, remember "Doing the right thing when you can get away with the wrong thing" is what makes a man a person of "Respect and honor" allowing oneself to do "Little things" only adds up to "Big things" in total and there is always a price to pay someday .....................................someone who was close to me found this out the hard way recently.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
You know, Bob, if you want to cut those type of people off at the knees real quick all you'd have to do is say "Before we continue can I ask you to give me your credit card number so I can process my $100/hour consultation fee? Please keep in mind there is a minimum charge of 3 hours and I do reserve the right to withhold proprietary information."



See how fast they hang up the phone then :lol:
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Charlie it sounds good to me!, but the reality is people think thier time is worth more than your time................................. and have no shame in asking for freebies all day every day. I worry about my clients and the vehicle I am working on at that moment as getting really good at the craft is the foundational element ....................................the rest will take care of itself in due time if the motivation to be better is there.
 
Auto Concierge said:
Jason, remember "Doing the right thing when you can get away with the wrong thing" is what makes a man a person of "Respect and honor" allowing oneself to do "Little things" only adds up to "Big things" in total and there is always a price to pay someday .....................................someone who was close to me found this out the hard way recently.
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I 100% agree with that philosophy - Kind of like doing the right thing is easy when everyone is watching but a true measure of ones character is if they do the right thing when no one is watching.



I suppose it comes down to perspective as I do not see this as something that is inherently "wrong"... At most I think it may be a nuisance and again, I feel as though is comes as a cost of doing business. I think it also is how you approach the situation, rude and arrogant vs courteous and respectful...



By the way, I’ve been calling you for the past hour, stop hanging up on me…





























I kid, I kid….
 
Auto Concierge said:
Charlie it sounds good to me!, but the reality is people think thier time is worth more than your time................................. and have no shame in asking for freebies all day every day. I worry about my clients and the vehicle I am working on at that moment as getting really good at the craft is the foundational element ....................................the rest will take care of itself in due time if the motivation to be better is there.
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I think that's often very true, but there's also a flip-side to that which I've seen, and it accounts for a big reason why so many small business start-ups fail early on: people are actually under-valuing their own time, and probably assume that others are as well (because they have no concept of what someone's time can and should be worth, especially when dealing with someone at a high level of skill) so they push for their own agenda not realizing it is a major faux pas of business ethics to do so.



That's why one of the first things I ask when calling someone to "talk shop" without the intention of becoming a customer is "Hi, I'm doing _____ (market research, etc.) do you have a few minutes, or would there be a better time to talk?" If they say that they're too busy to field calls or typically charge for consultation of that nature at that point, fine. Better to be transparent and put the choice in their court since I'm the one soliciting them. Of course there's also a certain level of camaraderie with others in the same industry as well, but that rapport doesn't typically happen immediately from cold-calling.
 
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