"WHAT DOES the CUSTOMER SEE...?"

[buda]

What a detailer must realize that for many customers, it is not what you do that is important, but what the customer sees.



A large portion of what your business is about is cleaning and polishing and shining. And, you may be among the best in the business in your area, and in some cases, not all that good.



But what is comes down to, what the customers look for when they pick up their vehicle. Watch their eyes, they will take you right to the area of most importance to the customer.



You may have sweat blood to get a flawless finish in that black paint, but the customer checks how clean and streak free the windows are, or how clean you got his 22" alloy wheels.



Or the woman customer who completely ignores the exterior and immediately goes to the interior to check the carpets to see if you got out the stain or the unpleasant odor.



It is best for you to determine what is important to each individual customer when they first come in or drop off the car. That is how you are assurd of satisfying each and every customer. Knowing what is important for them, after all you are catering to their desires not yours.



Far too many detailers spend far too much time on the paint finish to create a flawless finish when the customer is not interest in a flawless finish and would not even appreciate it anyway.



Always alway identify what the customer sees, not what you did.



Regards

Bud Abraham

 

[Scottwax]

A customer once told me "you don't have to make it good enough for your eyes, just good enough for my eyes and they ain't that good". :lol



When deciding with the customer what level of correction is best for them, I try to find out what level of commitment they are willing to put into their car on a weekly basis. If they simply plan on letting the local tunnel swirl-o-matic wash their car each week, a correction is a waste of my time and their money.

 

[Final Touch]

Good thread, I've been becoming more and more aware of this lately. It's starting to change our business as I've some to realise that there are many people out there who never look beyond serious scratches and only ever see swirls etc.. in direct sunlight. Although they want to use us because they like our results they are not coming to see us to get the paintwork perfect and wasting time doing too much of it is actually that... a waste of time.

One of my monthly regulars knows we keep everything else looking great but wants to be assured that we've waxed his rims every month, his rims are his priority.

 

[Junebug]

It's simple - I learned a long time ago back in school. I'd go into a class and other kids would be writing down everything the teacher said, me? I'd be studying him, trying to figure him out and what he was looking to see on papers. Then, I'd try to get on his good side and get along with him instead of acting the fool. I may not have got the laughs and attention, but I got the grades (some times better than I deserved).



The best thing to do when getting a car from a customer is to ask what is expected and then shut up and LISTEN!