Guaranteeing your work , what do you think?

6

6']['9

New member
My ? is i come across vehicles from time to time and after inspection i can honestly say if i do this vehicle i can guarantee your satisfied with it. Now i know that may seem arrogant but i honestly have come across a car where i have told them you know i dont think i can rejuvenate this paint but i will try my hardest. So with thatbeing the case if you inspect a vehicle would you guarantee the quality of the work?

Ive had a couple of skeptical customers with high end cars seem like as if "hey heres this guy trying to sell me a detail". Well i dont have a portfolio and i usually dont keep any pics with me. I have gotten to the point and said "look i can tell you this, if your not happy with my work i wont charge you". I know thats a big step to take but i wonder if anyone feels their work is worth that much to them to do it. We all know not all surface imperfections dont always come out but the outcome is always better than when it started especially from Autopians.



So would you guarantee your work? Not against water beading or anything like that but against the fact that the customer will be pleased with your service?



thanks
 
I would love to be able to do this, but because of my age, I really can't.



It would be too easy for people to think "Hm, he's just akid. I don't think he'll be that surprised if I tell him I'm not satisfied". To easy to be taken advantage of. :(
 
All my work is 100% guaranteed. One time I had a guy who I detailed a 1998 Olds Bravado and it took me 9 hours. I've never seen so much dog hair in my life! It had to be one of the nastiest vehicles I've ever done. When I dropped off the vehicle, he was very happy. I showed him all the areas I couldn't get perfect and he said no problem. One week later I stopped in to say hi and he started telling me how he had to bring it to another detailer to get the job "done right". I asked him what the problems were and he came up with some sorry reasons for why he wasn't happy. To make a long story short, I apologized for not meeting his expectations (which the week before I did) and gave him ALL his money back. He looked at me like I was crazy! I simply asked him not to bad mouth my business and please don't call me in the future. We will always come across a bad apple once in a while and I look at it as part of doing business. At least the guy can't bad mouth me. Maybe I'll even get some referrals from him.
 
I guarantee that if they aren't pleased with the work then I will take whatever it takes to make sure that they are. I have had to go fix work that my employee's have done poorly but after I'm done the customer is very pleased.
 
Mark Waldron said:
We will always come across a bad apple once in a while.
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Yeah i know theres some out there. But i think most autopians offer more of a deal as far as detailing goes as opposed to some carwashes or detail shops. i guess thats where the customer gets screwed. They charge for everylittle thing (dressing, leather lotion, and such) i dont i just do it, thats cause i like doing it not cause i want to charge for every little thing.





thanks guys these are some of the answers i was looking for.
 
6']['9 said:
My ? is i come across vehicles from time to time and after inspection i can honestly say if i do this vehicle i can guarantee your satisfied with it. Now i know that may seem arrogant but i honestly have come across a car where i have told them you know i dont think i can rejuvenate this paint but i will try my hardest. So with thatbeing the case if you inspect a vehicle would you guarantee the quality of the work?

Ive had a couple of skeptical customers with high end cars seem like as if "hey heres this guy trying to sell me a detail". Well i dont have a portfolio and i usually dont keep any pics with me. I have gotten to the point and said "look i can tell you this, if your not happy with my work i wont charge you". I know thats a big step to take but i wonder if anyone feels their work is worth that much to them to do it. We all know not all surface imperfections dont always come out but the outcome is always better than when it started especially from Autopians.



So would you guarantee your work? Not against water beading or anything like that but against the fact that the customer will be pleased with your service?



thanks
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I put on my printed materials "100% Guarantee" which to me means that if they're not happy for any reason I'll work until they are or refund all or part(usually part) of their money.

Notice that i DON'T use "100% SATISFACTION Guarantee". Including this statement I think would open a whole new can of worms which is better left closed. :p
 
My business cards contain a closing statement stating a guarantee on all work done and in over two years I have not had one person even bring into question the guarantee. I try to talk to the customer first for a while learning what they expect of the service, I also explain that I will do all that I possibly can to improve their vehicle. However some stains/scratches need to be reupholstered/bodyshopped by a professional. I try to give my customers a no BS assessment of what can be done and try to exceed their expectations. I would say you are safe to back up your work with a guarantee but that "one" type of person will try to steal a freebie, luckily I have avioded him so far.
 
6']['9 said:
i honestly have come across a car where i have told them you know i dont think i can rejuvenate this paint but i will try my hardest. So with thatbeing the case if you inspect a vehicle would you guarantee the quality of the work?
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ABSOLUTELY NOT. Frankly, if I get a car in for inspection that I KNOW can't be brought up to within my "acceptable standards" range, I'll quote it high just to try and drive the customer off. There's no sense in doing work on something you don't feel 100% comfortable with, and then give the customer a satisfaction guarantee. The way I see it, even though any of us here are 1000x more nit-picky than our customers usually are, if WE aren't satisfied, there's a good chance the customer won't be either. Why risk it?
 
I think a pre-inspection of a vehicle is critical with your client right beside you as you explain your process and you point out problems with the paint and make sure your client understands it. Just like in my carpet cleaning business, I walk thru every yard of carpet with my client BEFORE the job starts. If there are problem areas, I simply tell them I cant promise you this will come out, but I will try...Always underpromise and overdeliver....Hey, just like poker you need to know when to hold em know when to fold em..A couple times a year I'll walk into a house to pre-inspect for carpet cleaning and turn down the job. I just tell them your best option is to replace the carpet. Rare, but I have turned down jobs that were not worth the headache..



As far as your guarantee, you need to offer a BOLD one..In marketing its called risk reversal..For example, in my carpet cleaning business I offer this guarantee "If its not the best carpet cleaning you have ever had you don't owe me a dime." Risk reversal at work. The client assumes no risk whatsoever so they will be inclined to do business with you. They don't know you, they are skeptical, they want peace of mind, they want to know they will not get scammed. Of course I better be good at what I do to offer this and I can back it up. Ive never had someone ask for there money back..ever...Your guarantee is one of your best marketing tools.



Again, if your run into a car thats in bad shape, you need to tell them upfront all the problems with the paint and you can't promise to remove all defects...PRESINSPECT.



One thing I will do on potentially problem carpets is tell my cleint this..."Tell you what Im going to do. I will clean any room you want so you can see the results, if you don't like it you owe me nothing and I'll be on my way"..Same principle applies to cars, If your not sure offer to do a quarter panel so they can see what to expect, let them decide if its worth it. That way you don't waste your time on the whole car.
 
I don't really offer any guarantees. I do a thorough inspection of the vehicle beforehand and let the owner know if there are any problems areas that I might not be able to bring back to like new condition. I think if you are honest up front with the customer about what can and what cannot be corrected, when you finish with the work they will be satisfied.



I also ask the customer to completely inspect the vehicle when I finish so if I missed anything, I can take care of it before I leave. I've only had one instance in more than 10 years full time where someone wanted their money back...and I should have known he was trouble when I first talked to him.
 
I offer a guarantee to my work as well, but I thoroughly go over each car with the customer first and ask thier expectations as well. I have detailed some nice vehicles and a couple not so nice but even the ones with deep swirls which could not be completely removed the customer was very happy with the results. You can't promise perfection with these ones and as long as the customer understands that, they should be satisfied with your service.
 
Look at the converse of the question:



"I don't guarantee my work." You wouldn't advertise that, would you?



It is all about meeting the realistic customer expectations. In that regard, you simply work until they are happy...



Jim
 
I tend to feel the customer out, when they say what they are looking to get done to it. You can just sense sometimes if the customer wants a micracle performed on a older car then i just bump the price up high to scare them away. Im sick of tired of dealing with customers who think im not just a detailer, but a body man, seat repair, dash repair guy etc.



I always guarentee my work and walk around the vehicle with a checksheet with the customer. I tell them certain things that i do not think will come out or ill be able to remove, and initial it and have them sign it. What i do to just be on the safe side i may say oh some of those might not come out saying more than less, then when im done i actually got alot more out making them happy.



I always put the time in and never limit myself. If i only charge say 140 for a car I do whatever it takes no matter how long it takes to get that car back to best as possible. Just one time where a customer got his vehcile messed up the avalanche trim by the dealer and I tried to fix it, i couldnt. It was so bad and faded from all the wax i tried everything with no good sucess. I didnt charge him , but he seemed kinda annoyed but i hate fixing other mistakes bring it back to where they f uped in the first place and let them do it not me!
 
Jimmy Buffit said:




It is all about meeting the realistic customer expectations. In that regard, you simply work until they are happy...



Jim
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Right. I don't think you need to offer a guarantee specificially if you are willing to make thing right and the customer understands that. The walk through upon completion is every bit as important as the initial walk through. Let the customer really look over the car, don't rush them. Once they are satisfied, then the job is done.



Like I said, I don't advertise a 'guarantee' for my work but if a customers asks, I will tell them if they have any problems with my work, I will correct it. When I was first starting out I did to help put people's minds at ease. Since the vast majority of my new business is referrals, the fact that I will make it right is already understood.
 
Jimmy Buffit said:
Look at the converse of the question:



"I don't guarantee my work." You wouldn't advertise that, would you?



It is all about meeting the realistic customer expectations. In that regard, you simply work until they are happy...



Jim
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Jimmy Buffit is a smart man. Listen closely to what Jim is saying. The key here is understanding the realistic expectations of your customers. It is not that difficult to understand. It is basic marketing, plain and simple.



Think about how you would answer the following questions:



1- What are the realities of your customers?



2- Exactly what do your customers value?



3- How much do you really know about your customers?



Of course, if you are like Jim then you can easily answer these questions because you have probably taken the time to put together a marketing plan that clearly defines the purpose and mission of your business. That is how successful detailing business owners go about setting clear and realistic goals.



Also included in a marketing plan is a mission statement that will help you to define the basic concept of the business. This will give you a clearer picture of your business and help to identify its specific strengths and distinctive competencies. For example; do you want to be in the re-conditioning end of the detailing business or would you rather deal with top end vehicles on a regular basis?



Let's face it. If you consider yourself a top end detailer, why in the world would you be doing vehicles that are trashed, where you really have no idea if you are capable of getting acceptable results. Hey, you probably wouldn't be happy with the outcome of your work either. Now if you are in the re-conditioning end of things then you have got to be able to deal with whatever comes along. That is the nature of re-conditioning detailing.



Try to think about how a simple marketing plan can make a difference when it comes to operating your own detailing business. 'Find A Need And Fill It' and then simply meet the needs of each and every customer.
 
For example; do you want to be in the re-conditioning end of the detailing business or would you rather deal with top end vehicles on a regular basis?
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id rather re-condition, i think that despite how many wonderful detailers that are out there do a bit of both. I dont see the point in detailing a 2005 lexus it, i mean i would do it but id rather be doing something like a 98 explorer. Despite the fact that the lexus owner may or may not pay more. In the end the result is what matters to me the $$ comes 2nd. But i dont mind doing a newer vechicle from time to time, its not that theyre not as messed up as some other brand vehicles. So either way id like to recondition despite of market. It just doesnt make sense to me when i see some one detail an 05 mustang when its new. That seems more like "hey i just waxed it."



Let's face it. If you consider yourself a top end detailer, why in the world would you be doing vehicles that are trashed, where you really have no idea if you are capable of getting acceptable results. Hey, you probably wouldn't be happy with the outcome of your work either. Now if you are in the re-conditioning end of things then you have got to be able to deal with whatever comes along. That is the nature of re-conditioning detailing
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i dont consider myself a top end detailer but i dont think i suck. the point of doing vehicles are trashed are more of a testing the limits kinda thing for me. Its not that i dont have an idea on my capability of doing things, but i always set my goals a little higher than someone may expect. i wouldnt do a car that i dont think i cant make looke better or new. I guess id like to read more into this re-conditioning kind of thing. It seems more interesting even though its pretty much the same thing.



Try to think about how a simple marketing plan can make a difference when it comes to operating your own detailing business. 'Find A Need And Fill It' and then simply meet the needs of each and every customer.
Click to expand...



I try not to think of marketing too much since i have a job that pays very well. Its more of a relaxing kinda thing. Even now ive detailed a couple of cars just for pizza & beer. Its not that i cant make $$ but if i see that someone cant afford it ill work with'em.



I appreciate your feedback.... This is definately the kinda answer i was looking for. i didnt mean to come off as (-) in any of those comments... It seems like im coming from a different area on this topic.



Thanks Again.



:)
 
mirrorfinishman said:




Let's face it. If you consider yourself a top end detailer, why in the world would you be doing vehicles that are trashed, where you really have no idea if you are capable of getting acceptable results. Hey, you probably wouldn't be happy with the outcome of your work either. Now if you are in the re-conditioning end of things then you have got to be able to deal with whatever comes along. That is the nature of re-conditioning detailing.



Click to expand...



Frank-just curious. If a regular customer refers someone to you whose vehicle is trashed, do you refuse to do the work?
 
Hey Scott,



So far, I have not had any referrals that have been trashed. However, if I did get a referral that was trashed and I didn't think I would be happy with the outcome of my work, then yes, I would refuse to do the work.
 
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