Shorted Money on a Detail

Sorry to hear about that. The extra $20 might not be worth your time. It would piss me off but it would be a pain in the *** to get. I had it happen a different way. I was giving to much and I feel like I'm being tested.



I hate counting money in front of people as well. I dropped off a Volvo to a doctor one day and he said here is $100 then started counting the rest of the money he owed me. I counted it this time and told him he gave me $120. So he counted out the more and gave it to me. I decided to count this again. $220. I told him he gave me $20 to much and he said thats for you. Thanks.



I had woman at the hospital give me money and I just put it in my pocket. As I drove away I counted the money and seen that she gave me to much money. I felt bad because I didn't want her to think we ripped her off. So I called her and she said the rest was a tip.



James
 
When people joke with me about short changing me, I always remind them that whilst my buffers can make their paint look better than new, it can also destroy it quicker than they care to imagine.



Just hope he brings his car back to you and then "detail" it with a sandy pad or something!



Ben
 
I would call him out on it if you discussed price up front.



If he's bold enough to short change you, then I'd be bold enough to call him to discuss it (respectfully). It's really not about the $20, it's more about the principle.



What do you think any given buiness would do if you short changed them on an invoice?



This persons action (or lack of) will show you what type of person he is and help you decide if you want to do business with him moving forward.
 
Well Speaking as one of the first persons who found out I was appaled. I have gotten to know sean and his work and I'm happy that I can help him in any way. But when he called me up and told me this man there was a pit in my stomach. Some people have no class and never will. Sean is a good freind and a great detailer. I can only hope the gods of detailing will deal a hard blow to this jerk.
 
holland_patrick said:
Well Speaking as one of the first persons who found out I was appaled. I have gotten to know sean and his work and I'm happy that I can help him in any way. But when he called me up and told me this man there was a pit in my stomach. Some people have no class and never will. Sean is a good freind and a great detailer. I can only hope the gods of detailing will deal a hard blow to this jerk.
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I always try to look at it in this way: "what comes around goes around". Old saying but I have always found it to be so true. If you are a miserable person and treat people badly then it will eventually come back to you tenfold. This jerk may not get his tomorrow or the next day but when he does it will be bad. I hope screwing someone out of $20 was worth it.
 
I had a guy tell me he was going to pay me by check so he could write it off on his business. He said he "ran out of checks" so I said cash would be fine. I quoted him $120 and only got $100 because he was short on cash. The way I see it is I was shorted over $20 because a tip is generally given with detailing. I don't expect a tip, but I also don't expect many people to not include a tip either. He knew exactly how much I charged before I arrived, so he should have had funds available. He even left in one of his other cars during the detail so he had an opportunity to hit the ATM.



I even drove 40 miles to his location (one way) and felt very short changed. I went home and emailed him the next day if he could mail me the remaining amout due. He said if I wanted it I would have to drive down and get it. He also told me he had 2 other cars for me to do. I declined him and said keep the money, you lost your detailer.
 
Oh, and since then, he has tried to publicly bash me on a local car forum that I belong to stating that "I am a flake and can not be depended on." After I posted his emails and explained why I chose not to detail his other cars, he shut up. People like him are not the norm so it won't hurt me to drop an unappreciative and stingy customer.
 
Yeah I know the felling, I had a guy that won 2 certificates I gave to an auction for $50 each. He brought 2 cars that both were crap for me to wash and wax. I thought after paying only $25 for $100 worth of work he might have the decency to tip- NOPE.



Pisses me off...so I sent him an educational e-mail to let him know that most patrons when receiving free or discounted services will usually leave a tip to show their appreciation. I don't give a damn if he likes it or not. Cheapskate.
 
GSRstilez,



Why don't you just string this guy up by his neck? what we do is to hard, too hot, too precise to be cheated, post his telephone # on the forum and that will teach him. I'll certainly call.
 
AutoNova said:
GSRstilez,



Why don't you just string this guy up by his neck? what we do is to hard, too hot, too precise to be cheated, post his telephone # on the forum and that will teach him. I'll certainly call.
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Not a good idea. Let's remember it's $20. If that is the worst thing that happens to someone then you'll be pretty lucky in life.
 
why didnt you file "theft of services" on him? That is what I would have done. The simple fact is...



1) he agreed on the price before the detail

2) even if he doesnt nessacarily like the work performed, he should still pay. If he is extremely unsatisfied, then he should exercise his right to choose someone else for the work.
 
Once he put the money out of sight he accepted it. After that, there's no "theft of services" or anything. It's over.



I sometimes take in multiple thousands of dollars, often as hundred dollar bills. I have to count them and check for counterfeits right there, in front of the customer; once I leave the customer's sight with the cash, there's no walking back in and saying it's short, or one's a fake. Who's to say I didn't switch one, or palm one? That's the classic "taxicab con" perpetrated on tourists. Give the driver a 20, he drops it to the seat and shows you that you only gave him a 10.



Once he took it without counting it, it was his, done deal.





Tom
 
Its a buisness I count the money right there. They should not feel offended its what gets done. You dont see a store not marking $100 bills in front of you because they would feel bad checking if it was fake..why shouldn't I count to make sure its all there? People do make mistakes sometimes and mistcount. I'd send him a letter stating that he paid $120 not the $140 and ask for him to send a check. Unless you have a pre quote and it signed you cant legally hold him to the amount but hope he sends it being good willed. Always get everything in writting you run a buisness its needed.
 
Sorry to hear of your unfortunate encounter. I think all of us have a couple bad deals like yours every year.......That twenty you lost will come back to you tenfold with your skill and integrity with clients.....Forget about it....... :up
 
In the beginning I did not like to count in front of the customer either. But after being shorted I got over it fast. Also customers really appreciate it when they give you to much by mistake and you give it right back. A few times I have been over paid aswell. If you put it in your pocket and they realize when they get home they gave to much they feel bad. It's part of doing business. I always count it in front of them and I always say the same thing. "Better count this because the last guy paid me to much" Then it looks like you are doing it for them aswell and not just you. Also try and go over the job with the customer first mabe let him know that some might not come out. And always get the price worked out before the detail. After is a bad recipe waiting to explode.



Clinton
 
Being a nice has gotten me burned a few times. So

I politely do my count in front of clients. If it's a regular

customer who's short, I give them the benefit of

the doubt, and let them slide. New folks who don't

have it all have to go and pick up the remaining cash

while I keep the car.
 
Sean,



I totally feel you on the not counting money in front of the customer. As if to say you don't trust them. The way I look at it, you lost $20 bucks and you came out the bigger man by leaving it alone. No sense in lowering yourself to the standards of this guy.



The last detail I did was for a friend of a friend. She handed me the money and went on her way. I counted it later and she had given me a $30 tip. So then I kind of feel bad that I didn;t get a chance to thank her for the tip. SO I guess there is a fine line as far as coutning the money. But I would like to error on the side of not offending the customer, as opposed to risking it and upsetting the customer.



Maybe you could come up with a way of counting it so it's not so obvious!! Maybe like just putting the bills so they face the same way, kind of like when you go to the bank and they put your deposit money away!!



All in all Sean, I don't think you could have done it better, just go on about your life. Just be thankful you have Liz and Buckley, and $20 is pointless when you have so much to be happy about!!
 
So why did he need to ask you the price after you had finished? I always agree on price before I begin work.



And, yes, if they pay in cash I count it in front of the them. I also count my money in front of the teller at a back when I cash a check.



It's just good business.
 
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