Cheap customers make me laugh

Tex Star Detail

Tex Star Detail

Formerly TexasTB
So I finished a little job today, and headed to a quick lube place to shoot the breeze with the owners. One of the owners/ friend pulls up to have his oil changed, and we striked up a conversation. Seems he is a hunting guide on the military base here, so his truck was filthy. He drives a black and silver 4dr F150 Harley Davidson edition Ford. ALL black interior. Let me tell you, I HAVE NEVER, EVER seen a truck this dirty inside and out. Not one inch was clean. The outside had scratches all down the side from branches. From the front to back. He asked how much to just do the inside......AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I said.......I would probably charge about 100 for the inside, but since I seen he knew the owner, I would do it for $60. WAY LOW. It would take a full 9 hour day to do it if not more. He said the guy that did/does his truck, only charged $60 for a full detail. I told him to take it to him, because I would not do a full detail on the truck for less than $225. It was AT LEAST a full 2 day detail. FULL!

I have an appointment to look at his wifes Explorer. He said they are trading it in and need it cleaned up. By looking at his truck, I told him I NEEDED to see it before I gave him a quote. So tomorrow, I go see it. I told him if I detail it, he will most likely get more out of it. We'll see. If it is as dirty as his, well he will get one of these :nutkick



Chris
 
BLACKWRX said:
just give him a 60 dollar job......a quick wash wax and vac:lmfao
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If he did that guy wouldn't be happy,probably would nit pick the whole job.Then bash his work. un less your dying to bust your balls let him take a hike.
 
joe.p said:
If he did that guy wouldn't be happy,probably would nit pick the whole job.Then bash his work. un less your dying to bust your balls let him take a hike.
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I WANT to do the job, sounds dumb, but I won't if the money isn't right. I just like the satisfaction of the end of a hard detail. It all pays off in the end. In this case....It may not pay at all.... LOL:)
 
do what you want to do its you buisiness. But if the moneys not right thats the time to do a wicked job (as always) and show him why your worth 200. I did a porshe for my dads freind and my dad was paying me to do it for this guy casue he stored my dads car. My dad asked me how much an di said 150 (it was a caynne and was in rouigh shape.. alot of time when into it) my dad thought i was mad so i was like w.e hes my dad ill do it for free (which i was orginaly gonna do but he wouldnt let me) ao i did the job and he ened up paying me 160 cause of the job i did. now after ive stolen the thread the mroal of the story is sometimes the need to see the time, effort adn final job to see that its worth it
 
I know only to well how a detail can get cheaper when someone knows someone or owes someone. So you make concessions. Not being a professional detailer I can do that. I just hope that you are careful with your concessions. Soon the word will get out that you did it for this amount for him...Why not me?

Just be careful. Good luck as well!!!
 
cwcad said:
I know only to well how a detail can get cheaper when someone knows someone or owes someone. So you make concessions. Not being a professional detailer I can do that. I just hope that you are careful with your concessions. Soon the word will get out that you did it for this amount for him...Why not me?

Just be careful. Good luck as well!!!
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Agreed. I have to be VERY careful who I quote what prices to; and usually I let my closest friends who I do work cheap for that they are NOT to tell anyone what I charge them, even when referring people to me. Otherwise, they get charged full price from then on out. I haven't had one tattle tale yet!! :howdy
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
Agreed. I have to be VERY careful who I quote what prices to; and usually I let my closest friends who I do work cheap for that they are NOT to tell anyone what I charge them, even when referring people to me. Otherwise, they get charged full price from then on out. I haven't had one tattle tale yet!! :howdy
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Agreed also. I tell a select few on how much I will do a job for and tell them to keep it to themselves.

CalgaryDetail said:
do what you want to do its you buisiness. But if the moneys not right thats the time to do a wicked job (as always) and show him why your worth 200. I did a porshe for my dads freind and my dad was paying me to do it for this guy casue he stored my dads car. My dad asked me how much an di said 150 (it was a caynne and was in rouigh shape.. alot of time when into it) my dad thought i was mad so i was like w.e hes my dad ill do it for free (which i was orginaly gonna do but he wouldnt let me) ao i did the job and he ened up paying me 160 cause of the job i did. now after ive stolen the thread the mroal of the story is sometimes the need to see the time, effort adn final job to see that its worth it
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If the truck was in half good shape, then I may do it for my going price. Justto show him up. But, there is a line for me. I will not give up 15 hours of detailing for 60 bucks. That comes out around 4 bucks an hour. And I do not want to do a top notch job and HOPE I get paid more at the end. Lie I said though, if it were in better shape and he would pay my entry asking price, then why not. I am always up to a challange.
 
Why bother looking at the Explorer if the guy has someone that will do it for $60? Or is he just full of s***?

You always should ask people like that this question, "Are you comfortable paying me more than double the $60 you are already paying to clean it?"
Now you know if you should go see it.

$60 for 9 hours of work and materials is beyond slave labor in any part of the country.
 
jsatek said:
Why bother looking at the Explorer if the guy has someone that will do it for $60? Or is he just full of s***?

You always should ask people like that this question, "Are you comfortable paying me more than double the $60 you are already paying to clean it?"
Now you know if you should go see it.

$60 for 9 hours of work and materials is beyond slave labor in any part of the country.
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I'd actually modify that question a bit: "You're paying $60 now to clean it? Are you prepared to pay me more than twice that to DETAIL it?" :D
 
I will look at the explorer. I'm not sure if he wants it just cleaned up or detailed, but I will be talking with him about the benifits of my service compared to the other so called detailers around here. He said they were trading in the Explorer, so I will try to talk him into a detail, and tell him he will be able to get more if the truck is in tip-top shape and look like it has been pampered. It won't hurt to find out. As far as his truck. I do not think there is a point in detailing it, since he is a hunting guide, and his truck will look the same within the same week.
 
jsatek said:
Why bother looking at the Explorer if the guy has someone that will do it for $60? Or is he just full of s***?

You always should ask people like that this question, "Are you comfortable paying me more than double the $60 you are already paying to clean it?"
Now you know if you should go see it.

$60 for 9 hours of work and materials is beyond slave labor in any part of the country.
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I couldn't agree more with this....I worked on a 1 ton flat bed this weekend...its a steady customers work truck...this thing was a pig BIG TIME....I only pressured washed the frame the bed was covered with a tarp not to worry about...then the cab in and out...I worked 6 hours on the truck....and charged him $250.00 this was a lot of work and I got the truck back to life but.....Chris you can't give yourself away...you only cheapen your service...look for those that are willing to pay for you not the ones that are going to beat you to death.
 
Beemerboy said:
I couldn't agree more with this....I worked on a 1 ton flat bed this weekend...its a steady customers work truck...this thing was a pig BIG TIME....I only pressured washed the frame the bed was covered with a tarp not to worry about...then the cab in and out...I worked 6 hours on the truck....and charged him $250.00 this was a lot of work and I got the truck back to life but.....Chris you can't give yourself away...you only cheapen your service...look for those that are willing to pay for you not the ones that are going to beat you to death.
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:bigups You bet. When he askes again about his truck, I will give him my price. All he has to do is say no and I'll be on the road.
 
TexasTB said:
:bigups You bet. When he askes again about his truck, I will give him my price. All he has to do is say no and I'll be on the road.
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Good Man!!

I think also there is a point of return with people like this.

1 they don't see the swirls or really care about them
2 the 60 buck job fills their requirements for the high end cleaning
3 are going to go back out and thrash the car /truck again anyway
 
Tell him you will give him 60.00 just to get that horrible looking truck away from the TB. You wouldnt want his POS bringing down the value of your TB. HAHAHAHA
 
Went to look at the explorer and the f150 again. The explorer was traded off already. Seems they got a brand new Ford Five Hundred.

Pics will be uploaded in a few minutes.
 
$60 doesn't even pay enough for me to turn the lights on, fire up the air compressor, power washer and vacuum for 9 hours.

For an Explorer in decent/fair shape, I charge $225. Labor, utilities, taxes, L & I, supplies, etc... Some people don't take into consideration what it really takes to run a business. For a vehicle in the condition you've described, I'd charge one $20 fee for the outside and one for the inside. That covers the extra 2 hours I'll spend on the nasty parts.

I say let him take it to the 17 yr old down the street who'll take $60 for it.
He'll get a semi-clean vehicle and the kid will get to take his gal on a date.

If I can't work a job out to pay me between $15-20/hour AFTER expenses, I won't do it. Sometimes that means scheduling a bunch of jobs I don't want to do on a Saturday and bringing in two employees for 1 day. I let them clean it all up for min. wage, then I take what's left. That makes the nasty cars passive income for the business.
 
TexasTB stick to your guns. This guy seems to want something for nothing. I personally don't bother to deal with customers like him.
 
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