What type of 'fine print' do you use in your contract??

[C. Charles Hahn]

What all do you guys put into your contracts to 'cover your butt' in detailing. I am revising my forms and want to see what all I should include, since times are changing and I dont want to end up getting sued.

 

[Blue52]

First of all... CYB... Cover-You-Butt!!! #1: INSURANCE!!! You may want to think about incorporating your business, which will leave the business liable, not YOU (The detailer)! A walk through (w) customer for inspection of vehicle (Prior to detailing) and marking any irregularities on a ready-made document that shows an outline of a vehicle. Take pictures! Possibly video-taping the vehicle: before and after. If you can swing it... A complete money back guarantee! (?) For me... If the customer is not satisfied... I'll come back and do it until they are!

There are many stipulations you can provide. Do your own research! As long as you have covered all your bases... An easy solution can be provided that will satisfy both parties. And if you don't do your homework and properly protect yourself... Once the damage is done... You’re SCREWED!!! Don't let this happen to you! Like I've stated... DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!

Take the necessary steps in providing your customer with a professional service. Whether you detail for a company or yourself, the customer only sees the person who is doing the work on their vehicle! So as long as you provide them with exceptional work... You should have them as your client for some time to come! There may be instances where you run into unsatisfied customers... So just cover all your bases legally!

Have everything that you provide as well as the services you have just rendered... On paper! Try to stay away from that... So called... FINE PRINT! No tricks up my sleeves! So you shouldn't have any either! Everything should be clear and legible! Trust... Is a big part of this business! They are placing their Pride and Joy in your hands! So... CYB!!! Because there is nothing like going in front of a judge... UNPREPARED!!!



Take Care!!! :xyxthumbs



OMT: You may want to speak to a qualified attorney on intellectual property. Intellectual property is legally protecting you and your business from the competition! Such as a technique you may use or your expertise. So if you go the corporation route and want to protect your intellectual property (Although quite expensive), in the long run... It will be well worth it!!!

 

[Detailing NY]

Here are the steps I use.

I never use small print, everything with the customer is upfront.

I do a walk around with the customer with my vehicle work sheet. This has a drawing of a car on it and i can mark down and damage it has on it.

I look inside and mark down any damage to it, tears, cuts, burns.

check the tires for any cracks, check the rims around the edges for parking marks

After i walk around the complete vehcicle inside & out, i have the owner sign the work order which allows me to start the detail job and informs the owner of all the damage that was on the vehicle prior to briging it to me. This is a real good thing to do and it really does cover your butt.

The one thing i make sure that all my customers know is that i am not a miracle worker, I am a detailer. There is only so much you can do to car, before it has to be painted. I also have on the vehicle sheet a note to the customer that the vehicle will not be released until the job is paid in full and that i do not take credit cards.

If you want to see some of the forms i use, let me know i can email them to you or any one else looking for some help.

 

[riprath]

i got a question about doing a walk around. i understand that it does cover your butt most of the time. what i was wondering is if anyone has run into the problem of missing something while they were inspecting the car and not puting it on there sheet. then the customer saying you did the damage. what happens then. i mean you dont have much to say then. if you wrote down all the damage and missed something the customer can easily blame the damage on you.



i have been very lucky in this department, customers saying i broke something or did damage to ther vehivle. only 2 in the last year and a half. one was a customer with aluminum wheels. said i made them look dull and scratched. told him no way and even went as far as spraying wheel cleaner on the wheels right in front of him and it did nothing. the whole thing about it was he told me to be careful with them before i started the trk. because his brother just got a brand new set out of a car dealer because they messed his up. well when he came and tried the same thing with me i knew what was going on. even after i showed him my wheel cleaner (non acid based) didnt do the damage he still said i did and said he was takeing me to court. by then i had lost my temper and it may have not been the right thing to but i just pointed in the direction of the court house and said see ya there. i never herd another word out of him. normally i would not have ever done that with a customer but i know he was just trying to get a free set of rims out of me.



sean

 

[Detailing NY]

yes, this did happen to me. only once.

I was detailing a 2000 mercury cougar and went over the vehicle with the customer and he signed off on the job. The job came out great. When he came to pick up the vehicle he said that i caused minor damage to the left side 1/4 panel. I went over to the car and noticed that there was damage to it. I started to look at the damage, and could not believe that i missed this damage. He had a good dent in the 1/4 panel. I could not see how this was done in my shop, as we detailed the vehicle right where he left it. I started to look at the damages and noticed that there was dark colored rust on the 1/4 panel near the light.

This showed me that the damage has been on the vehicle for some time now. It was only minor paint chipping that rusted out.

With damage to sheetmetal, the darker color the rust, the longer it has been on the vehicle and exposed to air & water. If it would have had no rust on it, i don't know what i would have done. Rust does not happen right away with the new cars. After i explained this to him, he called his wife, who said someone backed into the car about 2 months ago. The owner appoligized to me and to this day he still takes his car's to me.

 

[socarecon]

I agree with the damage inspection, at some of the auto dealers I work with, do this prior to doing any service to the vehicle! I don't know how many times they were blamed for a scratch or bumper suff inwhich they did't do. At times this insults a cust. but it protects their rear end. But if missed what a mess!!!