What has been your worst experience with competition?

B

backwoods_lex

New member
Gotta be some good stories here. This seems to be a competitive business with new companies popping up every day. Any shouting matches? Dead fish wrapped in paper or horse's head?
 
I had a guy come up to me on a dealership account and tell me that he was sick and tired of me taking his business so he was going to do my 150 jobs for 50 and try to price me out. I just wished him good luck and went on with my day, haven't lost business that I can tell...
 
My landlord of 4 years decided to evict me 2 weeks before I was going on vacation to Italy for 3weeks to get his start into the detail business. He offered sign-on bonuses and raises to all my detailers if they went to work with him. He was hoping my business would fold, but in turn it backfired on him. I found a larger, cheaper and nicer place 1 mile down the road on a main street and all my accounts(dealerships) and employees stayed with me. I ended up suing my X-landlord and he slowly went out of business. HAHA! :nana: Hope he dies a slow and painful death. :bat
 
SpoiledMan said:
Having to remove all the 50 weight oil that they slather all over every piece of trim inside and out.
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Seems some like to use Karo Syrup on the interior lol. Maybe they are try to tan the interior. I've been mobile for 17 years and have met dozens of competitors. Most have been very friendly and some I stop by when I see them to chat or when they see me.
 
I have always been friendly with my competitors. Who better to get a referral from than another detailer? If I get in a bind and need some help I always have a few numbers I can call into the shop to help me out and they are just as friendly to do the same.



When I first opened up shop I had a few detailers coming in to see if I knew what I was doing and some of them stop by now just to chat.



I've never bad-mouthed the competition to clients, rather I've backed them up. One new client had their car detailed by a mobile detailer, later came to me for just a wash and asked my opinion on the quality and price. He thought $150 seemed high for an exterior and I defended the price (mostly because it's about the same as my price) and the quality. He's since sent two friends to me.



You'd never expect where some referrals come from.
 
PhaRO said:
Seems some like to use Karo Syrup on the interior lol. Maybe they are try to tan the interior.
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That is the stickiest crap I've ever seen. Tire "dressings" from the local car washes must be formulated on the same bench as Mobile1 as well.:grrr
 
So far the only bad thing I've had happen was a mobil detailer came to one of my dealer lots and offered to show up on the lot and do full details with paint correction for $75 out the door. They asked me to match and I said I couldn't so for now.... I lost that account.
 
David Fermani said:
My landlord of 4 years decided to evict me 2 weeks before I was going on vacation to Italy for 3weeks to get his start into the detail business. He offered sign-on bonuses and raises to all my detailers if they went to work with him. He was hoping my business would fold, but in turn it backfired on him. I found a larger, cheaper and nicer place 1 mile down the road on a main street and all my accounts(dealerships) and employees stayed with me. I ended up suing my X-landlord and he slowly went out of business. HAHA! :nana: Hope he dies a slow and painful death. :bat
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David I think people should stop posting... you definitely win this one... unless someone's competitor(s) hired an assasin
 
SpoiledMan said:
Having to remove all the 50 weight oil that they slather all over every piece of trim inside and out.
Click to expand...

That is by far the worst! Super degreaser will not even get it off sometimes. Some of the stuff they use is so strong it actually ruins the trim along with the paint.
 
David Fermani said:
My landlord of 4 years decided to evict me 2 weeks before I was going on vacation to Italy for 3weeks to get his start into the detail business. He offered sign-on bonuses and raises to all my detailers if they went to work with him. He was hoping my business would fold, but in turn it backfired on him. I found a larger, cheaper and nicer place 1 mile down the road on a main street and all my accounts(dealerships) and employees stayed with me. I ended up suing my X-landlord and he slowly went out of business. HAHA! :nana: Hope he dies a slow and painful death. :bat
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That sucks David! I am glad everything worked out for you. I love the painful death part...you sound like me:woot2:
 
I personally hate the low ballers, but in reality that is all they are worth anyway. When it comes time for true performance none of my local competition will even come 10% close to me in what I can do.



What I really hate is when I have a customer that wants a perfect job and is not willing to spend 200-300 and complain that I am too expensive. Then they decide to go to a detail shop and get the whole job done for 100. Then 2-3 weeks later they call me and see if I can now fix it. I tell them it is now 50-100 more just cause I now have to clean all the silicone shmegma off and also fix all their swirl mistakes along with dry buff mistakes.



I really hate fixing other peoples mistakes personally. I would rather have a car that was never detailed before.
 
SpoiledMan said:
Having to remove all the 50 weight oil that they slather all over every piece of trim inside and out.
Click to expand...

That is by far the worst! Super degreaser will not even get it off sometimes. Some of the stuff they use is so strong it actually ruins the trim along with the paint.
 
rydawg said:
I personally hate the low ballers, but in reality that is all they are worth anyway. When it comes time for true performance none of my local competition will even come 10% close to me in what I can do..
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x2, these are the guys that are truley ruining this business. Around here the brotha's offer 50 dollar details which consist of a half *** wash and some wax all over the moldings and windows. And some baby oil on the dash and stuff. I recently had a shouting match that about turned physical with one of these guys who actually went into my customers(close friend) while i was there.
 
rydawg said:
That is by far the worst! Super degreaser will not even get it off sometimes. Some of the stuff they use is so strong it actually ruins the trim along with the paint.
Click to expand...



I see a Navigator regularly that has trim issues from this. It's a flat gray painted surface and I guess the dressing was their idea to make it shine. Didn't work and it's streaked to all hell and back now.
 
I really haven't had any issues with any competition other than one whose fixed location has a name sort of similar to mine. He was writing hot checks or not paying his bills and for some reason, I'd get the calls. Absolutely mind boggling people are delivering him product or taking his checks without even knowing the actual business name.



I am friendly with fellow autopian Dallas area detailers. We are all far enough apart we aren't really competeing for the same customers anyway. I send people out of my area to them and they do the same for me. :)
 
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