What impresses customers the most?

You will get a complete divde here Heatgain, some detailers will offer nothing extra unless they are getting paid for it, simple!, time is money as they say. Just depends what type of bussiness person you are, and how YOU want to run your bussiness, dont feel peeved though if the customer does not recognise the extra work youv,e just put in! or does not give a tip, or does not use you again. Me, i fall into the latter, I go the extra mile. Im looking to achieve repeat custom. Sometimes this does not work, its hard but forget these customers and move on.
 
There are a lot of great ideas and pieces of advice here for everybody to learn from. Professionalism is obviously key, but your quality of work needs to be on the same level. We've all seen people with professional presentations that can't back it up with quality work, and conversely we've seen very skilled people that have no business speaking with customers. If you can provide both, the customers will be very comfortable with you, and will gladly recommend you to their networks.



I have certain things that I do to make sure the car looks its best in the time I have budgeted to me, but in my initial consultation I will always ask the customer for their main areas of concern so I make sure it is done. I recently did a full correction job for a customer, and during my consultation he specifically pointed out the dirty engine, and a few dirty hand prints on the interior. When he came to pick up the car, the transformation on the paint was stunning, but the first thing he did was look for the hand prints and raise the hood. Those two things took the least amount of time in the 9 hours I worked on his car, but to him it made the payment worthwhile.



I am a regional sales manager by trade, and am responsible for continual training and managing 15 sales reps across the Midwest, with a total of about 700 motorcycle dealers. From experience, I can say that asking your customers the right questions, and then taking the time to listen to what they have to say will ensure that they are happy in the end. Have your services that go the extra mile, but be sure to find out what they want as well. When you're reviewing your work with your customer afterwards, you can first show them the areas they were concerned with, and then point out the other services you provided.
 
Leaving food gift cards is a great idea, like a doctor handging out cigs, they eat , they spill , drum up business , I like that ! :woohoo:
 
Just be careful with offering all these "free" offers. Sometimes you may get a customer where a customer comes and wants just interior and you do the interior and throw a wax on the exterior; they may expect the "extra" stuff every time. I am not saying to stop it, just be careful.:2thumbs:
 
Professionalism

Clean streak free windows.

Smooth Feel of finish.

Door jams, ( the little black wire holder with the dust on it)

Consoles and cup holders

Wheel Wells

All Body seperations free of dust,wax,water,etc
 
MCWD said:
Since many are focusing on work relatedtips, I am going to offer other advice. I will give you some of the best advice I have ever recieved. A Wharton business school grad once said to me the number one thing to focus on when running a business is to, "Cherish your customers!" No matter what level you are in your business orexperience, by showing that you truly care to make your customers happy you will be successful. I always ask my customers what exactly they look to accomplish and focus all of my energy on tweaking the details they are most concerned with. One customer told me that a detailed car without perfectly polished tailpipes and clean streak-free windows is worthless in his eyes. Everytime I work on his car whether I am washing or detailing, I always spend double the time on those areas and I have gotten atleast 10 ref's from him.

Everyone is different and the sooner you understand that and work with that, the more successful you will be in every aspect of your life. Make a short list of questions that you can ask the customers concerning your services so that you can determine what exactly does it for them.

For gaining a customer base I would suggest a proper presentation. If you are mobile or in a fixed location, you need to show organization. Customers that are particular about their car and who works on them, whether they are clean or messy people, like people to be clean and organized. Furthermore, use your organization as a selling point for your customers... For example, keeping all of your towels folded neatly and seperated for the different use preferences will look professional to your clients and be beneficial for you and your time.

Location, location, location... If your mobile, you have the field advantage because you can cherry pick your locations. For me, when I am looking to grow in an area I put my van in a very visible area along with the car so that all the locals can see me. Another tip I would do is work on the exterior first and apply tire gloss so that the car looks very clean to the people passing by. Don't forget that location is not only for where your working, but where you want to focus your advertising.

I posted a thread about a guy who did door hanger brochures for me and his contact info is on there. You should consider him for cards and any other printing bc he is the best and the most reasonable. If your in need of some quick customers, get some sort of info printed about your company and head to the local gyms... I find that people concerned about their bodies also care about anything else that is going to enhance their image, such as a car detailing or washing service. More importantly, these people often understand the difference of a express car wash detail offers verses a hands on service from someone like yourself. People at the gym typically know that you can't get quality results quick without consequences. Sounds like a better type of client! Although I find that of most people at the gym, it doesn't mean all will be that way, but your chances are pretty good.

Always consider your approach to your clients. Body language partnered with appearance and verbal communication= approach. I always make it a priority to witness the type of person I am dealing with so that I can better relate to them. A person who is shy doesn't want a person jumping around and grabbing their hands to shake it right off the bat. And a chatter box customer does not want somebody who is going to take 5 mins to get your name. The best advice I have ever recieved is to pretend that you are a mirror, and display yourself to that person in a way that compliments them. You have to relate to someone to gain their attention and better communicate with them.

A quote that one of my original customers just gave me for an article in a local magazine for my business was, "Consistant, Clean, and Dependable." I felt honored to have those words leave his mouth, but that means I am doing what I should be.

Before I write a novel I will end on this, never stop learning. We are all here to gather information that will help us improve our businesses and or personal knowledge. Knowledge is power! I wish you luck and feel free to ask any further questions, and that goes for anyone reading this post!
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GREAT READ. :clap: I agree 100% with everything you have said and will be putting it to use in the feild.



Thread approved. :2thumbs:
 
i also used to think of shine of the paint as being number one. but it seems most people think of their car as "shiney" after a normal wash, and even if waxed, one 1 stepped, can't tell the difference. however, their rims are another issue. most aren't used to seeing their rims so clean they're glowing. the door jams/gas cap area is another one. most see how clean those little areas are, and realize the quality that went into the entire job.





of course there seem to be some people u just can't please. not really that they complain, but they just don't seem to truly be amazed/appreciate what you did.
 
mshu7 said:
^^^ How do you manage to provide free loaner cars exactly?
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Well, we have four Scion xB's. They are loaned out by appointment. This way the customer can just drop off the car before work, and come back after work to pick up their detailed car. The car is also stickered out with advertising.





John
 
joyriiide1113 said:
Smooth Paint, streak free glass, clean work (no residue in cracks), clean wheels, and evenly dressed tires seem to always make my exterior jobs look a lot better and catch the owner's eye a lot more.



Thorough vacuuming and dusting screams quality to most customers IMO.
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Amazingly simple. But agreed 110%.
 
Your appearance. Your work vehicle/shops appearance. The appearance of your equipment aka towels, bottles, and tools.



I think appearance is pretty obvious but you have to do the work still.



Clean interiors will often surpass a well polished exterior. 75% of my customers walk past the finish to look inside first. Mess up the interior windshield and no paintwork can win that customer back.
 
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