Wrong car was delivered for detail and completed!!

A

AudiOn19s

New member
I have a regular client that I met through the Local BMW club and has me do is car 3-4 times per year. I last saw it in march and while I'm mobile since he's always on the road he always has the car dropped off at my house the day before he returns from work and picks it up when he comes into town...



So he called me Monday and asked if I could do the car for him thursday night so that he can pick it up today. He gave me his father's e-mail address to forward my address and said to expect the car in the driveway and keys in the mailbox when I returned home from work yesterday. Sure enough I get home and there's a car in the driveway...but it's not the Black M3 'vert that I'm expecting...it's a Silver Chevy SSR. Look in the mailbox and sure enough keys are there. To be sure this isn't a mistake I call my client and get no answer but leave a message..."didn't know you got a new car but there's a chevy SSR sitting here and not the M3 I was expceting...I'm gonna start working on it so if this is the wrong car for some insane reason please call me ASAP.". I also shoot him off an e-mail with the same message...call me immediatly if this is the wrong car. 4 full hours of detailing go bye with no call so I'm feeling more and more confident by the minute that this is the correct car. I'm finished with the exterior and only have to dress the dash and clean the windows then I'm done...I'm in my garage doing this when I hear the un-mistakeable sound of an M3 rolling up the street...my heat sank as I then knew there was a mixup somewhere.



Turns out my client flies on his companies private Jet and the Jet company also offers concierge (sp?) services to their customers. They were suppoes to drop off the car for him and didn't realize until hours later when a different customer flew in and was looking for his car, what had actually happened. 2 guys from the flight company get out of the car and state that there's been a mistake and they dropped off the wrong car and need the SSR immediatly as the owner of it is at the airport wondering where his car is!!!. At this point I'm confused as well but also edgy and irritated as I start to figure things out. I tell them that there's no way they're leaving until I've got payment for the work done. They're just two lackies though and obviously aren't in a position to pay me. They call their manager and the only thing the manager is concerned with is getting the truck back...he states he'll pay me for the detail but I have no reassurance that it's really going to get done...so I'm still hesitant. I finally printed off an invoice and sent them on their way with it...now it's 9:30pm and I've got a car that's supposed to be picked up at 5:30 today and I don't get home from work until 4...I did manage to get the car washed and the interior finished last night before heading to bed but working a full 8 hour day...then busting my tail for 4.5 hours in the 90 degree heat didn't leave me a whole lot of energy to continue on through the night on this car.



This morning I get to work and finally get a response from the owner of the M3. He apologizes for the mistake and advises me that I'll get paid for the work one way or the other. I feel bad putting any pressure on him because this was totally not his fault that they delivered the wrong car. But what do I do to get payment. I'm not holding the m3 owner responsible...I feel bad and that I might loose a client if I ask him to pay for both details so that's just not going to happen...but what do I do. Luckily he was understanding that his car isn't going to be finished at 5:30 this evening and told me to take as long as I need even into tomorrow if necessary with the car.



So what to do...start calling and demanding payment from the Jet company or wait for my client to speak with them and try to work things out as a 3rd party???...



Andy
 
I would just chill out...if your client is a big enough wheel to get to fly on the company jet, he's a big enough wheel to get you paid for your extra detail. Maybe Falcon Guy will chime in on how much that corporate jet ride is worth, but I can tell you it's at least 20 full details...
 
Very awkward situation for you. If it were me, I'd ask your client what he'd like you to do. If he perfers to speak to them directly, so be it, and if he doesn't feel it's his problem, that's fine too. Either way, I think the jet company is responsible since it was their mixup. Keep in mind though, that there is a *chance* that you may not get paid for this, and you will have to ask yourself it its worth the fight. Like I said, awkward situation.



I also agree wit Setec. Just chill until your client does whatever he's going to do. You might be surprised. :2thumbs:
 
I would try to calmly work it out with the jet company. They should be responsible for their mistake.



Hope everything works out for you.
 
Agree with Setec, especially since he already said you would get paid. Gotta give him the benefit of the doubt that he'll make sure the right thing is done..
 
He already told me this morning that he'll pay me and worry about getting reimbursed from the company...my biggest concern is making my client mad and loosing his business over this...I'd rather drop it and tell him not to pay me for the second detail instead of loose him as a client. He's the silent type that won't just out and say he's upset about something.



Do I give him a duplicate invoice and tell him that if the company pays for the detail then to send me a check...or just accept payment from him and hope I don't loose him as a client.



Andy
 
I doubt he would be where he is at , riding in company jets and such if he didn't have good people skills somewhat . If he feels he should take the initiative as " middle man " and pay you for both jobs , he must see it in his best interest to do so .

Besides the fact he or his company is the one paying them for their jet service , I doubt they want him upset at them for not paying the bill to him that he paid to you .
 
I'd just laugh it off. You've got an excellent story to tell there-worth a lot more than the couple hundred for the detail. And perhaps the concierge serivce will begin recommending you? I'd go in and introduce myself and have a big laugh with it while you hand then a stack of your business cards.



A similar situation happened to me once. UPS mixed up a shipment between one of my clients and one of my competitors clients (same item but with different imprint). I hustled my butt down there, made the switch while my competitor was still bitching at UPS trying to get them to fix it. I stole that client from him becasue he got ticked off and I laughed about it.
 
Wow, how often does such a wierd turn of events occur!



You may be entitled to restitution from the SSR's owner for the services you rendered by mistake. However, you don't even know who that is. Maybe the you could collect from the jet company, since they were negligent in delivering the wrong car. If I were you I'd try to get your invoice paid by the Jet Co. directly and leave the client out of it. Make things as smooth as possible for the client, since the customer is king.
 
kompressornsc said:
I'd just laugh it off. You've got an excellent story to tell there-worth a lot more than the couple hundred for the detail. And perhaps the concierge serivce will begin recommending you? I'd go in and introduce myself and have a big laugh with it while you hand then a stack of your business cards.



A similar situation happened to me once. UPS mixed up a shipment between one of my clients and one of my competitors clients (same item but with different imprint). I hustled my butt down there, made the switch while my competitor was still bitching at UPS trying to get them to fix it. I stole that client from him becasue he got ticked off and I laughed about it.
Click to expand...



The advice given here is probably your best route. You could end-up with alot more business if you play your hand right.





JJ
 
Wonder what the SSR owner thought when his fully detailed truck arrived.





driver says sorry it took so long, we had it detailed for you for your troubles. ;)
 
The SSR owner doesn't owe you anything. The concierge/jet company does, as it's their screwup. But it's really your client's responsibility to get them to handle it. So if he's offered to pay, graciously accept that and don't worry about it. He's much more horrified than you are at the whole thing, and the jet company is probably upset as well since the SSR owner was standing there waiting for his car. Use this as an opportunity to get to know the jet company folks. How about working out a deal with them where they offer a detail service while their customers are flying around.
 
AudiOn19s said:
I have a regular client that I met through the Local BMW club and has me do is car 3-4 times per year. I last saw it in march and while I'm mobile since he's always on the road he always has the car dropped off at my house the day before he returns from work and picks it up when he comes into town...



So he called me Monday and asked if I could do the car for him thursday night so that he can pick it up today. He gave me his father's e-mail address to forward my address and said to expect the car in the driveway and keys in the mailbox when I returned home from work yesterday. Sure enough I get home and there's a car in the driveway...but it's not the Black M3 'vert that I'm expecting...it's a Silver Chevy SSR. Look in the mailbox and sure enough keys are there. To be sure this isn't a mistake I call my client and get no answer but leave a message..."didn't know you got a new car but there's a chevy SSR sitting here and not the M3 I was expceting...I'm gonna start working on it so if this is the wrong car for some insane reason please call me ASAP.". I also shoot him off an e-mail with the same message...call me immediatly if this is the wrong car. 4 full hours of detailing go bye with no call so I'm feeling more and more confident by the minute that this is the correct car. I'm finished with the exterior and only have to dress the dash and clean the windows then I'm done...I'm in my garage doing this when I hear the un-mistakeable sound of an M3 rolling up the street...my heat sank as I then knew there was a mixup somewhere.



Turns out my client flies on his companies private Jet and the Jet company also offers concierge (sp?) services to their customers. They were suppoes to drop off the car for him and didn't realize until hours later when a different customer flew in and was looking for his car, what had actually happened. 2 guys from the flight company get out of the car and state that there's been a mistake and they dropped off the wrong car and need the SSR immediatly as the owner of it is at the airport wondering where his car is!!!. At this point I'm confused as well but also edgy and irritated as I start to figure things out. I tell them that there's no way they're leaving until I've got payment for the work done. They're just two lackies though and obviously aren't in a position to pay me. They call their manager and the only thing the manager is concerned with is getting the truck back...he states he'll pay me for the detail but I have no reassurance that it's really going to get done...so I'm still hesitant. I finally printed off an invoice and sent them on their way with it...now it's 9:30pm and I've got a car that's supposed to be picked up at 5:30 today and I don't get home from work until 4...I did manage to get the car washed and the interior finished last night before heading to bed but working a full 8 hour day...then busting my tail for 4.5 hours in the 90 degree heat didn't leave me a whole lot of energy to continue on through the night on this car.



This morning I get to work and finally get a response from the owner of the M3. He apologizes for the mistake and advises me that I'll get paid for the work one way or the other. I feel bad putting any pressure on him because this was totally not his fault that they delivered the wrong car. But what do I do to get payment. I'm not holding the m3 owner responsible...I feel bad and that I might loose a client if I ask him to pay for both details so that's just not going to happen...but what do I do. Luckily he was understanding that his car isn't going to be finished at 5:30 this evening and told me to take as long as I need even into tomorrow if necessary with the car.



So what to do...start calling and demanding payment from the Jet company or wait for my client to speak with them and try to work things out as a 3rd party???...



Andy
Click to expand...



I would look at this as an opportunity to get in with the Jet company. Call the manager and ask to meet with him with regards to offering your service to other customers that are flying on their jets. I would bet that a lot of those customers would love to come home and have a freshly detailed vehicle waiting for them.
 
Seems to me you have a good case against the jet company to reimburse you for the detail. Maybe your customer will help put pressure on them.
 
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