What would you have done?

What Would You have Done?

  • I would have changed my pricing

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I would have stuck with my suggested offer

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
D

D Tailor

New member
So I get a phone call to do a detail. I call the client back and after leaving a voicemessage, decide to email the general pre-detail form so I can give my recommendation and then decide what to do.



Based on what she wanted done, I decide that I have a package that would be perfect for her and I recommend that in my follow-up email.



She email's me back that while the process is very thorough, she is not ready or able to pay that amount. She says she's been quoted anywhere from 100-175 less from other local detailers. She said she wanted a good job but not perfection.



Thanks for your reply, but $x is just out of the question in terms

of what I can afford to do. Your service sounds very thorough but the

quotes I have been getting from other services range from $x - $x

and they all assure me they will do a very detailed job on the leather

seats. I am just looking for a good job, not perfection. I appreciate

your response but I just did not budget this high of an amount, so I

think I will have to pass on your services for now.



Thanks,

- x



Here is my response to her:



Dear x,



I am sorry to hear that we won't be able to Tailor your husband's vehicle. Those other quotes do sound better than mine and I hope they provide you with what you are looking for. Please keep us in mind in the future. We have many specialized and general services available that can be performed a-la-carte or put together into a custom package for any vehicle and budget.

Even though we were not able to work with you this time- we hope you had a pleasant experience. I wish you many distinguished miles, wherever they may take you.



Regards,



David Bibiloni

Tailored Automotive Detailing

xxx.xxx.xxxx l x.com

Drive with Distinction



My question is what would you have done? Stuck to your suggested offer or try and adapt the services she wanted to fit her budget.



By the way, I am not looking for what I should have done. I am content with how everything went and hope she does get a good detail and maybe call sometime in the future.
 
I think your reply to her was perfect. If she goes to the other shop and is not happy she will likely be calling you in the future. :goodjob
 
The only thing different I would've probably done is to inform her and educate her as to why it is exactly you're prices are what they are and what she should be asking at these less costly detailers. (i.e. filler products, bleaching the rubber, non-ph'd balanced leather treatments and the side effects of it.) Basically make her a more informed and better shopper so she understands the process and products a bit better. Basically the same thing as why are Snap-On tools better than Craftsman tools if they both have the same warrenty?? once you explain it a lightbulb pop's on and they have that "Ahhh ha!" moment. A budget is a budget and she might not have went with you regardless but making her more informed and helping her out like that usually leaves a really nice impression and they tend to remember things like that.
 
That's a good point Jake. I thought of that but then figured it might be above and beyond her understanding or care. In any event, that's a good point and I may give it a try in the future. Maybe in my response to her I could have emphasized that their quotes were better than mine in price. That would have been a good time to insert why I was still better in service. Anywhoo....
 
While I do agree with Jakerooni, you have to be VERY VERY careful how you go about this. If the user has no clue what you are talking about (or doesn't care) you can actually come off as trying to be salesman, instead of being honest. I see this salesman tactic done ALL the time in electronics with false or half-true information. People sometimes spot it as garbage sometimes don't. It is a fine line you have to walk with the way you convey said information.
 
Well remember it is our jobs as professionals to educate the public. Otherwise we'll never rise above "wash boys" in the publics eyes. I do this all the time to anyone that calls me. Regardless if they go with me or not. Every one of them is blown away I would share such information and thank me. I hate sending people off to the hacks unprepared. If they must use a less costly service at least arming them with a bit of knowledge could save them from a total hack job. And they will then kind of know what to look for. And if they just really aren't into the whole learning thing then no harm because chances are they're tire kickers and will only use the cheapest service they can possibly find anyways.
 
you did the right thing. you can briefly mention why they charge a lower price. im commerical photographer and this happens to me all the time. i have to deny them. ex. if i get a bid to shoot this campaign for $5000 and another company is doing it for $3000. i would start to wonder how good of photo that company can produce. maybe the photos are great but bad customer service or great customer service but bad in getting the files to the client, professionalism etc. it happens even more when i shoot weddings on the side. but the stories are different. the first tell me that they can find someone cheaper to shoot their wedding. sure there are other photographers better. i usually get 60% of those people coming back to me (=. so rewarding. so you did the right think David. you cant win em all...
 
Jakerooni said:
...Regardless if they go with me or not. Every one of them is blown away I would share such information and thank me. I hate sending people off to the hacks unprepared. If they must use a less costly service at least arming them with a bit of knowledge could save them from a total hack job.
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+1. arming them with more knowledge gives them a sense of security with whoever they go with. in the end, they always say 'thank you' whether they go with you or not.
 
I'm with Jake on this one... while you handled it just fine, I would've politely explained in a bit more detail that "you get what you pay for". Hopefully she does come back.
 
I am going to slant the other way.



I thought her message to you was honest and informed, and your response was exceptional. This is a tough economy. Sometimes regardless of what people would *like* to do, budgets simply won't allow it right now. We are a provider of luxury services. Right now, luxuries are being cut back by families.



Sometimes when people say they don't have the budget for x.... they really don't. No matter how superior it might be over something else.
 
Great response. Most people are just trying to get their cars "clean", and a response providing an education will just sound preachy and desperate. Your response left the door open to her contacting you as her first choice if she's not pleased with the results, and if she is pleased, then she wasn't looking for someone of high caliber to begin with.



As a consumer, I do my homework, and I get pretty annoyed when someone wants to "educate" me when I choose to go with someone else.
 
I think I would have done the same thing you did David..... I have never been in that situation yet, but I would stick to my prices and just inform the client what they are actually paying for..
 
on one hand I would have done what you did...



on the other, if you have the open days, take the job at a lower rate JUST FOR HER! ask her not to tell her friends, and let you do the selling to them!



you will gain the profits for the day (any money more than you started with is a profitable day, no matter how small!) and gain some reputation! "yeah he is higher priced, but he is BETTER!"



always two sides....
 
ohiostate said:
I think I would have done the same thing you did David..... I have never been in that situation yet, but I would stick to my prices and just inform the client what they are actually paying for..
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SCoach said:
I am going to slant the other way.



I thought her message to you was honest and informed, and your response was exceptional. This is a tough economy. Sometimes regardless of what people would *like* to do, budgets simply won't allow it right now. We are a provider of luxury services. Right now, luxuries are being cut back by families.



Sometimes when people say they don't have the budget for x.... they really don't. No matter how superior it might be over something else.
Click to expand...



Exactly how I wanted to say it...:2thumbs:



toyotaguy said:
on one hand I would have done what you did...



on the other, if you have the open days, take the job at a lower rate JUST FOR HER! ask her not to tell her friends, and let you do the selling to them!



you will gain the profits for the day (any money more than you started with is a profitable day, no matter how small!) and gain some reputation! "yeah he is higher priced, but he is BETTER!"



always two sides....
Click to expand...



Very good point...
 
toyotaguy said:
on one hand I would have done what you did...



on the other, if you have the open days, take the job at a lower rate JUST FOR HER! ask her not to tell her friends, and let you do the selling to them!



you will gain the profits for the day (any money more than you started with is a profitable day, no matter how small!) and gain some reputation! "yeah he is higher priced, but he is BETTER!"



always two sides....
Click to expand...



Good point too. I thought about it for a second like that. In the past I may have done it. But, as it was I only had two open slots (until mid-July) and I didn't feel the need. But I am with you Toyotaguy...$ can be $. The only issue I debate within myself is, "At what cost to my business", "What if regular clients here about it?" and finally I think about some of the high end businesses in my area. They have terrific CS, wonderful products, but if I can't afford them, they don't come down to the prices at Sears.



It's a fine line and I do my best to hold it.
 
^ right on man. while money is money, I find it hard to give a break to a first time customer. If this was a repeat that wasn't in the situation to fork in a bunch of cash, I might try to give them extra service for the money. I agree with Jake : you can't win them all. I also agree that maybe you should have explained more about your high quality products. don't beat a dead horse, but when she says things like "while you seem very thorough..." counter it by stating you're not only thorough, all products have been chosen for their quality and performance rather than having cheap bulk products that only mask problems / cause them to come back even worse (like many "leather conditioners" ).



I think you did the right thing, and a guy of your talents should never doubt himself. You do nice work from what I've seen here: it's her loss more than yours
 
I think you did everything right considering your busy. I might have suggested looking at her vehicle and coming up with a custom package that suits her needs (and her budget). I am new, can use the business and the referall. May not have got the job but would have given it my best shot.
 
My answer would depend on if I had a busy schedule or not, if I could still make good money with the price drop and if I felt the return business would merit a price drop.



As of right now, I would have done exactly what you did.
 
The problem I encounter when dealing with a price sensitive client is that I always provide an estimated price - 10 to 12 hours @ $60 per - and inform them that they are being billed hourly and it will take what it takes to get the job done.





The problem, for me, comes in when they say, "Well can we just do four hours?" Well, yeah, if you don't might driving a car that has been compounded and left at that. 95% of the time, if the client is financially capable of paying for the service, I can win the job by provide them enough information as to why a thorough detailing is as expensive as it is and why the cheaper is not always better. I speak with them and tell them that, even if they go elsewhere, to feel free to give a call if they have questions about something the other guy is claiming he can do. In most cases, they're ultimately - again, if they are capable of paying - call back to book. Let's face it, most hacks out there have trouble talking intelligently to a client who is following up with questions we have armed them with.



Last year, I went to a job to provide a bid on a 996 Carrera and, lo and behold, another company shows at the same time. This guy was coming in at about $175.00 on a full int/ext detail on this BLACK car. The cust. asked if we would both do a fender so he could see our work. The other guy started digging in to a front fender, I went back to the trailer, printed and offered the cust. an invoice for $200.00 for a single stage demo. on a fender - more than the other guy wanted for the enitre car. This guy was "Done" with his fender in about 10 minutes. I told the customer that my charge would be another $200.00 to correct what this guy just did. I ended up doing a 50/50 run with Meg 105 on the fender the other guy just did. I got the job - ended up being 18 hours. And, to this day, I still see this client and always enjoy him sharing this story with his friends that drop by. Apparently, I have some nerve!?:LOLOL



Andy
 
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