Got a call and cussed out...

Tex Star Detail

Tex Star Detail

Formerly TexasTB
Forgot to post this.....

While I was out of state, I received a call. Being on vacation, I did not answer my phone. Just let them leave a message, and I'd call back that evening when I wasn't doing anything.

So I get a call from an older guy, and he leaves a message. Said he has 3 cars he needs Fully detailed. I called him back that evening to talk things over. Here is what he had:
198? Mitsubushi
1995 Pontiac
and a 200? suv

I told him that I would need to see them in person to give a true estimate. He insisted on a ball park price, so I told him $150 and up per vehicle.
I think he $h!t his pants. He said he was not interested at all, and I was $100 too much per car..... Then he went on saying he gets his cars detailed for 60 bucks all day for any type of vehicle at a local place here in town. You know, the production shops. The ones where the scratch wash it, slap some oil on the tires, and grease everything up, then top it with a nice :rofl quality wax...... In and out in an hour....
I tried to say something, but he cut me off swearing, and said he was not f-ing interested, then hung up.

Being an ass, I called him back. Politely though. I wanted to explain that their "detail" is my "Wash and wax" package. Again, before I could get out what I wanted to say, he decided to cut me back off with a few choice words...... He said to not call him back..blah blah blah..... Before he hung up on me again, lol, I asked why he bothered calling me. I told him I am the most expensive in town and cater to the higher end clients who care about their automobiles. And if "so and so" down the road does it so cheap, why did he bother calling me and putting me in a sour mood. He said nothing but a few more choice words.....:lol2: I told him to have a nice day and he hung up on me.

You know, I try to be professional, but it's hard sometimes. There are always "those" types of people who want everything for nothing. But what got me, is I think he was trying to get a better deal than the $60 place down the road.
I am too good for people like that.:D Damn grumpy people......
I should have told him I don't do any car older than 2 years old, and don't get out of bed for anything less than $200 a day...... :crazy2: :crazy2:

end rant:)
 
:lmfao :lmfao :lmfao Thats a good one. I wish you could show people why you charge that price. But the only way that they will see that is if you get the chance to do there car. O well there is much better clients out there for you to do. Thanks for sharing :bigups
 
Chris

Let it go you can't educate everyone...some only hear $$$ and thats it....I've found that you can talk about your process and how much better the car will look but all these people hear are $$$$

Your better off without him

and that's another reason I don't quote over the phone much...there is no value in it for them
 
About half of the people I talk to on the phone, I can give them a ball park price and they gasp when they hear it. I say.. "my prices start at $XXX and UP."

Once I tell them what is involved, you either have to folks that truly care about the service and how the vehicle benefits from it, or you get the, "eh.....waxing is all the same, you're too high" and drive trash trucks...... I book over half of the calls I get after I talk to them for a minute.... But like you said, you can only do so much by talking on a phone...
 
Just a thought...

Next time tell the person you can go to McDonald's and eat dinner for $5 or you can go to "insert local nicer place" and eat for more. You will leave both of them not hungry anymore but there is a difference in food and service. Tell them if they would like higher end service you are the place to go, and if they would like the lesser then there are other places they can go. If they ever decide to try you, they won't regret it.

Might work, might not. Hopefully it will make them think.

TexasTB, I love your sig line... "Process, NOT Product"
 
Just a thought but one way to preface your answer once you've found out year, make and model is: I would expect that a job of this nature would run me on the average "X" number of hours and cost approximately "Z" dollars. They may not like hearing your price any better but it might sink in that your job is a 3 or 4 hour job as opposed to a 20 minute job down the street. At the very least they may stop and think what am I missing with the job I've been paying for. When they factor the $60 dollars into a 20 minute job and figure an hourly rate you'll sound like a bargain. You probably still wouldn't sell a guy like this but at least he won't cut you off before you've said something to justify your position.
 
eh, he cut me off before I could inhale. LOL
Don't think I'd want to detail and 1980 something mitsu. or a 90 something either....
 
Just a thought but one way to preface your answer once you've found out year, make and model is: I would expect that a job of this nature would run me on the average "X" number of hours and cost approximately "Z" dollars. They may not like hearing your price any better but it might sink in that your job is a 3 or 4 hour job as opposed to a 20 minute job down the street. Go into some detail about what you do and how long it really takes before throwing out a price. Tell them that you guarantee their satisfaction. If they have a reservation on price ask them if they are satisfied with their $60 job? If they are ask them why they are still looking. Be polite and never let them know they're making you angry. At the very least they may stop and think what am I missing with the $60 job? When they factor the $60 dollars into a 20 minute job and figure an hourly rate you'll sound like a bargain. You probably still wouldn't sell a guy like this but at least he won't cut you off before you've said something to justify your position.
 
I get one of these types a day. Nothing you can do, they'll never understand no matter how you put it. I just tell them theres a car wash around the corner from me that will wash you car with dish soap and a bath towel for 10 bucks if thats what you want, i even offer the number lol. I've gone as far as to give a few choice words of my own to some deserving callers.
 
I've never been cussed at over the phone from a price shopper but it is kind of funny when you get the "oh my" or you hear them gasp after they hear the price. I used to let that bother me and would offer a discount if they were willing to have it done on a certain day.

Now I just let them go. I don't even try to go into detail as to why I'm more expensive. I want customers who already know what a good detail is. Life is too short and I have plenty of good paying customers. This is why it is so important that you become very good at what you do and you exhibit confidence in yourself. That's what the good customers are looking for and what they are willing to pay good money for.

I still fall into crappy discounted work from time to time. I did a couple nasty trucks on Saturday that I under-priced. I also just let go of an account that I was trying to keep happy by offering them quantity discounted pricing. I found with that type of account I was running into a lot of uncared for cars and they weren't ever getting the full-service detail even though their cars really needed it. So I found myself doing express details on abused cars. That's a quick way to ruin a good reputation. The cars don't look their best when your done and you most often do more than you were payed to do.

Bottom line is target nice, wealthy customers and put them on repeat schedules.;)
 
He is mental. He is one of those types who thinks the world owes them something and if they don't get it their way it's the world's, or the other guy's fault. Let him not get to you.:crazy2:
Just because it fits: my wife smokes unfortunately. A few days ago she visited her old grandfather in the nursing home. He is blind and complained that he was bored. He said: "I am so bored, I think I'll take up smoking. How much is a pack nowadays? 50 cents I reckon?" At which point my wife had to inform him that it was rather in the area of 4 bucks. His eyes grew big and he snarled: " NO WAY! If that's what they charge, I 'll not start smoking after all!"
 
you get what you pay for.

you can get a full service "detail" at AutoBell (local carwash chain) for ~$20. This includes a conveyor scrub down (usually without any soap in the machines), then a dirt rag wipe down of all interior and exterior surfaces, and a generous slathering of armor all on the tires and interior pieces.

Most people cant even tell the difference between this and an actual quality, 6+ hour detail.
 
BlueZero said:
Just a thought...

Next time tell the person you can go to McDonald's and eat dinner for $5 or you can go to "insert local nicer place" and eat for more. You will leave both of them not hungry anymore but there is a difference in food and service. Tell them if they would like higher end service you are the place to go, and if they would like the lesser then there are other places they can go. If they ever decide to try you, they won't regret it.

Might work, might not. Hopefully it will make them think.

TexasTB, I love your sig line... "Process, NOT Product"
Click to expand...


Nice analogy!
 
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