I recently finished a full detail on this 2000 Ford Excursion. This truck was a dump, the before pics were taken after the 10 mcdonalds bags were thrown out, oh yeah and the SET MOUSE TRAP, anyways this truck stunk to the point where the window had to be down to drive it. The mice got every where and used this vehicle as toilet, on the carpet under the seats up in seat foam and in the dash, door panels, and the spare tire. I have over 14 hours invested in this vehicle and I could have put more but had to draw the line especially since he wasn't thrilled with my base estimate before I saw or new how bad it was. I should have charged him $100 more than I did but I was being nice. OOPPs, my mistake, I never dealt with the owner but the caretaker called me a couple of days later and told me that the only thing he said was "He could of done better on the rims", that was it. I take a lot of pride in my work and always do more than I should. It's not the money that bothered me but a litttle appreciation would have been nice. What do you guys think?:nixweiss
Can't Please Everybody
- Thread starter jamrin
- Start date
imported_Detailing Technology
New member
I dont like giving people ammunition to shoot me. I go full blast on the car, but I charge.
I just took in a $2,000 job. I let the customer know what I expected the vehicle to look like when I am done. He told me what he wanted. If we dont agree on the final product, we will re-price it.
I just took in a $2,000 job. I let the customer know what I expected the vehicle to look like when I am done. He told me what he wanted. If we dont agree on the final product, we will re-price it.
Car looks great.. did you have a 'before' exterior shot? With a vehicle in that shape.. he should be happy with the interior job alone. But just take the money and be done with it. You are right, not everyone is going to praise the work -- people just don't understand the knowledge and effort it really takes to do the job 'right'. They assume its easy, and yet they don't do it themselves.. Go figure right? Most he's done is probably washed a car,.. maybe added a spray on wax 
-- In his mind a little vacuuming and a wash and wax is all you did. =)
Curious, you don't have to answer,.. how much did you charge him?
-- In his mind a little vacuuming and a wash and wax is all you did. =)Curious, you don't have to answer,.. how much did you charge him?
dmw2692004
New member
jsatek said:
agreed.
Normally, if its more than a quick wash/seal/wax; I will check the car out before I hand out the final price. If I cannot check the car out before, or if its a late notice detail, then I ask the customer to describe the condition of the car over the phone, I also make the customer aware that I will not give him a final price until right before the detail( after I see the car) if they don't like it, then sorry to them.
The car has 60000 miles on it, the exterior was not all that bad, I clayed, 3m compound, polish, and Ultrafina and waxed. no heavy bug & tar. The brush guards are starting to ruin the grill & bumper. I made no promises and reiterated that without looking at it I could not give an exact estimate, but did tell him that the min$ for that size vehicle was $300, and that is all that I charged.
dmw2692004
New member
jamrin said:
How was the brush guard ruining the grill and bumper?
I think you should have let him know that the condition of that car required more work on the inside to get up to an acceptable standard and charged him extra based on what you had to do.
At $300 for a large SUV, with an interior ALONE in that shape.. is a heck of a deal. With the time you put into it, the guy got his money's worth and you were underpaid unfortunately. Your work is worth more than that of course. But you've got to put in whatever time it takes to get it done,.. so sometimes it works out in your favor, others it doesn't. It all evens out in the end, hopefully for the better.
Here are some more pics, none of the exterior before I started, I am not upset just disapointed, I rather hear nothing than comments like that. I know I have done everything I could before the detail, explaining cost and whats involved. I would work again for him, once again making sure all questions are ansawered before I started.
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imported_themightytimmah
New member
Sucks that he treated you like that, but from a pro perspective, you did a damn good job. Especially for 300 - good lord, I would have charged 800+ for that, and I'm on the cheap side down here.
I wouldn't beat yourself up about it. The final product looked great and he did get a heck of a deal.
Also you said you never dealt with the owner. Sometimes it's hard to tell what he was really thinking, or what he really meant when he said what he did. You got the word second hand so who knows what was "lost in translation".
Also you said you never dealt with the owner. Sometimes it's hard to tell what he was really thinking, or what he really meant when he said what he did. You got the word second hand so who knows what was "lost in translation".
The brushguard is rubbing on the bumper which is causing it to rust, and the grill has two strips of faded chrome where the main vertical supports are which I mentioned this to his caretaker, but it is kept out side and needs to be repainted. lt is just dissapointing when we wipe the sweat off our forehead and admire what we just accomplished and have some one say couldn't you have done better. I know I will run into it again.
Setec Astronomy
Well-known member
Set mouse trap...gotta love it!
Saintlysins
New member
Do not let this get to you one bit.
1. Your info came second-hand.
2. Have you EVER known a maid, nanny, or ‘care-taker’ to ever let you feel you were under-appreciated? Never … they’re getting scolded and talked down to all the time … it rubs off … anyone without a ‘superior-status’ job description is going to get all their wrath too.
3. Any one who’d drive around in a vehicle in the condition you showed us along with treating the vehicle like a dumpster long enough they’ve got to put rodent control in place … wouldn’t know or appreciate the job you did.
4. I never deal with anyone other than the owner … EVER! Without the owner to see it’s ‘restored’ condition … how will they ever appreciate the work done? For all you know, the ‘caretaker’ ran several errands to and from the Stable Supply House to the barn 4 trips before the owner saw it … and that could make his comment completely valid.
5. Don’t let anyone else get between your final product and the presentation of the work you provided. Even if you have to drop it off!
Too many variables to make that off-handed comment worthless. For all you know … the ‘caretaker’ pocketed some cash designated for the detail, and by telling you a story, he’s built a wall between you and the owner - now his thievery is secure.
Owner to owner only – never be the puppet for the middleman!
Hope this is a perspective you can use for future smiles and job satisfaction.
1. Your info came second-hand.
2. Have you EVER known a maid, nanny, or ‘care-taker’ to ever let you feel you were under-appreciated? Never … they’re getting scolded and talked down to all the time … it rubs off … anyone without a ‘superior-status’ job description is going to get all their wrath too.
3. Any one who’d drive around in a vehicle in the condition you showed us along with treating the vehicle like a dumpster long enough they’ve got to put rodent control in place … wouldn’t know or appreciate the job you did.
4. I never deal with anyone other than the owner … EVER! Without the owner to see it’s ‘restored’ condition … how will they ever appreciate the work done? For all you know, the ‘caretaker’ ran several errands to and from the Stable Supply House to the barn 4 trips before the owner saw it … and that could make his comment completely valid.
5. Don’t let anyone else get between your final product and the presentation of the work you provided. Even if you have to drop it off!
Too many variables to make that off-handed comment worthless. For all you know … the ‘caretaker’ pocketed some cash designated for the detail, and by telling you a story, he’s built a wall between you and the owner - now his thievery is secure.
Owner to owner only – never be the puppet for the middleman!
Hope this is a perspective you can use for future smiles and job satisfaction.
Been through the same thing. Just gotta know what goes around comes around. If he's that upset at your work, next time he'll take it to someone cheaper and they'll do a typically horrible job. Upon which he'll realize your actual time and effort and come back to you... upon which you can charge more b/c now he's desperate Ahhh karma...
Ahhh karma...Sometimes it seems like karma takes too long to come full circle, though!BuffMe said:Been through the same thing. Just gotta know what goes around comes around. If he's that upset at your work, next time he'll take it to someone cheaper and they'll do a typically horrible job. Upon which he'll realize your actual time and effort and come back to you... upon which you can charge more b/c now he's desperate