My first actual customer...detailing their 740iL....pretty nervous

S

ScrampaTeg03

New member
Well, at 1:30 today I go and pick up her car and bring it over to my house so I can detail it. It's a Black '00 BMW 740iL that gets run through the automatic car washes once every one or two weeks. I'm pretty nervous actually, I know I can do a good job but anxiety is taking over (I have an anxiety disorder).



I saw her earlier in the morning around 10am as I was heading off to a doctors appointment. She told me to bring a flier over for her to see because she would like her car detailed (she lives across the street but I don't know her since she is new to the neighborhood). Right after I got home from the doctors office I grabbed a flier and went across the street to her house. She said she would like the full Interior and Exterior detail (A grand total of $120). She asked if I could possibly do it today and I said yes. We agreed that I would do the exterior today and the interior tommorrow. I'm nervous as heck right now and do not know why!



Can anyone offer me any tips mainly for the full interior detail that will take place tommorrow? I do not have a hot water extractor so I will have to use a spray upholestery cleaner. Any suggestions are welcome and hopefully they will help calm my nerves. Thanks!



-Brian
 
One other thing; she had to buy new tires for her car and the people set them in the back of her seat and rubber came off onto the leather. Now there is an outline of a tire sidewall...any suggestions on how to get this off?
 
I was pretty nervous when I detailed my first customers car too, (actualluy it was a 2000 Black 750iL... lol) I am mobile, so I went to his house to detail.



Here are some mistakes I made --



1) If it has "holy" leather seats (the kind that allows air to flow through little holes in the leather) DONT use a cream leather conditioner.... unless you plan on staying for an hour trying to get it all out.... ughh



2) Since it is her first time using you, worry about EVERY detail. Lay down on the ground and inspect every little crevice, clean the wheel wells, and spray a protectant on them, polish the exhaust, and every visible piece on the car. Clean and shine tires, polish rims, wax lights, grilles, and bumpers.



What products are you using?



Be careful waxing with the trim on those cars, it stains easily.



Don't be nervous, you will do great and if everything looks good to you, the customer should be very satisfied!



Good Luck!! :wavey
 
About the tire thing... I don't see why a good leather cleaner wouldnt take it out.



If it wont budge, just use some soap and hot water, then be sure and condition afterwards.
 
Good luck!:xyxthumbs

I wish someone on our neighborhood would come up and ask me to do their car!:p



Oh well, when I do interiors, I vacuum all the carpet, deep clean it with shampoo, clean and condition the seats(if leather), then treat all the vinyl/plastic to Meguiars #40. I also do the interior windows with a Dawn/water mix(it works great and doesn't leave streaks!) and an MF!



Hope this helps!:xyxthumbs

BTW, what are you gonna do for the outside??



:wavey
 
Just relax, no need to be nervous. Let your skills do the work. If you work at the level you are capable of you don't need to worry about the final result, everything will be fine.



Good Luck!
 
The fact she put tires in the back seat and does the automatic car wash routine both indicate she isn't as picky as you may assume she'll be ( possibly the reason for your panic ? ). Just do your level best.



I always do a pre-inspection on a car and talk with any new customer on what they can expect to happen in regard to paint, carpet stains etc. You have to both be on the same page, or they will wonder, for example, why all the "marks" on their front bumper they thought were bug remains, are still there after you're all done. Most folks don't know to remove the bugs in a timely manner so the acids don't etch the paint, so they leave them there forever, till they call a detailer - and they think it will all come off like new! NOT! Then they get upset when you tell them the bumper needs to be repainted, lol. This is just a case-in-point, but it's important to discuss stuff so they don't assume things.





Most human beings are reasonable people, and they know who's done honest, quality work, for a fair price, and don't expect miracles for things that are beyond cleaning/repair... In the event you bump into someone (happens to all of us eventually) that is totally unreasonable, you just have to remind yourself you did everything you could, with the proper knowledge and products and skills, and that some people will just never be satisfied. Fortunately, they are the exception. Good luck, you'll do fine.
 
Thanks for the Reassurance!



My plan for the exterior:

Dawn wash to help get a lot of grime off

Clay with Mothers claybar

3M-SMR w/ Yellow Pad from CMA

Platinum Ultimate Paint Pre Cleaner (it's the only paint cleaner I have as of now so I'm stuck using it)

Either Meguairs #26 liquid wax or 3M Show Car paste wax



How does this sound?
 
I would say that you're doing overkill if you're going to use SMR over the whole car and then use the paint cleaner. I would just go straight to the paste wax from the SMR. Of if you have some #7 or IHG, then use that before the wax.
 
2wheelsx2 said:
I would say that you're doing overkill if you're going to use SMR over the whole car and then use the paint cleaner. I would just go straight to the paste wax from the SMR. Of if you have some #7 or IHG, then use that before the wax.
Click to expand...



Ok, I'll use the IHG I have then. Thanks
 
ShowroomLincoln said:
Just relax, no need to be nervous. Let your skills do the work. If you work at the level you are capable of you don't need to worry about the final result, everything will be fine.



Good Luck!
Click to expand...



Yep what he said~
 
NYDetailer mentioned in a post to use Lava rags that he buys from Home Depot to remove tire stains from seats. Try a search. I will try a search and edit if I find the post.



NYDetailer "

go to home depot and get a product called LAVA rags for cleaning. IT will remove the stains right off the leather, but be sure to condition the leather right after you are done "

NYD





__________________
 
Best of luck! That's a pretty tall order to complete in an afternoon, hopefully it isn't a neglecated vehicle. Being your first customer, I'm sure you'll go the extra mile and give her a great looking vehicle.



Suggestion: Perhaps you would like to take before and after photo's. Your first is always special :cool: If you have a business card, make sure to leave in plain site in the vehicle.



The wash and clay should take a good 1hr.

Then getting all the bugs, tar, sap, road grime etc. Another 1hr to 2hrs.

SMR entire vehicle. Another 1hr as you'll probably need to do 2 passes to get 80% of the lighter swirls out.

The IHG - another 1/2 by PC or 1.5hr by hand

Wax - 20mins.

Cleaning wax residue in the crevices - 1/2hr.



Are you going to detail the wheels and tires? If so, you'll need to do that first and it'll add to the timing issue.



Per wheel - at 10mins if you do a quick job. Full wheel removal will take at least 30mins per wheel.



By the way- CONGRATULATIONS on your first customer!!! Pretty exciting eh.



Paco
 
Oh yeah, I forget to add, that if you don't have an extractor, make sure you give the carpet a good brushing to raise the nap. Wipe down and brush out the interior prior to vacuuming, so that you are not raising the dust again. The brushing will save you a lot of time and make the carpet cleaner, even before you shampoo it with chemicals. And do the glass last, because it seems I always get something on the glass. When you're done, make sure you get the vehicle in good light. I forgot to do that last week, and as I was driving the vehicle back, I noticed that I had some splatter from the dressing on the dash. I ended up having to drive the car back to my garage to remove the spots!
 
This may sound like overkill but I think it might help. Put it down on paper. Write down the steps that you want to take and leave room in between the steps for notes. Putting your thoughts down on paper has a calming effect because it allows you to get all of your ideas of what to do down in a methodical way. It'll also help you to make a list of all of the supplies you will need to have clean and ready before you start.



Also take some solace in the fact that she ain't that picky if she's been taking it to the automatic car wash. If you apply your knowledge and hard work you will knock her socks off! :)



Oh yeah one more thing. Use Stoner's Carpet cleaner because it smells great and it will last for a few days. The sense of smell is very strong and can subconsciously make her want to get her car detailed more often.
 
It turned out AWESOME!!!:bounce I started at 4:00 because she had to make a pie then take it somewhere. The car looks amazing, but I'm upset because I don't have a digicam to take pics and post. When I first got the car I honest to god thought the wheels were supposed to be gunmetal (they were all black with measurable grime(probably a few MM thick!). I started by spraying the wheels with EO wheel cleaner and using an old sponge to really get the grime off....to my suprise...the wheels were silver with a polished lip (M5 Wheels I think because it had the little M mark on them)! Just seeing the results after cleaning the wheels really pumped me up. I did the best job I could have possibly done and finished up at 10:00. The only thing I am unhappy with is the roof of the car. It has multiple, parallel scratches from the automatic car wash dryer things that drag across your car and blow hot air. I was unable to get these off with 3M-SMR and the yellow cutting pad. I took the car back over to their house and she told me I could do the interior tommorrow at 4:30 and that she would pay me tonight for everything. Here's the good part, the total charge was $120 but she wrote me a check for $140 because she said I did a really good job and would like me to do this every quarter of the year. :bounce



Tommorrow I will tackle the interior which isn't in bad shape at all. I will also polish and wax the wheels and will take another shot at the roof with 3M Perfect-It 3 Machine polish. This first customer experience couldn't have gone any better...I'm so happy that it went so well! Sorry if I keep running on in my sentences but I am too happy to worry about making it grammatically correct.:wavey



Again, thanks for all the help...I will be buying the Lava wipes tommorrow to get the tire marks off of the leather.:xyxthumbs



-Brian
 
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