sad sad sad, lost two customers in a week....

[szjalo]

last monday the first customer text me asking the price of a full detailing package, I told him the price and what it includes and he was totally pleased. then he text me right after my msg: "Great, where are you, I will be right on my way there". I said like: wow, wow, easy, i have a full schedule this afternoon, but I can work some time tomorrow morning. Then the guy told me he had a party to hit in 1 hour and he need the work done immediately. So I said there is no way to make it within one hour, even just wash and wax(the guy has a truck). So he disappeared and never text again.

Yesterday another come to me and ask what's the price for full detailing AND washing seats. I told him the price and told him the price includes interior detailing. I would clean the fabric seats, but not water-washing. He was pleased about the price again but still insist seats need to be water-washed. I totally have no idea what to do that, told him this. then he walked away.

I feel so bad. BTW, any one knows how and why to water-wash fabric seats?

thanks

[BobbyG]

Yesterday another come to me and ask what's the price for full detailing AND washing seats. I told him the price and told him the price includes interior detailing. I would clean the fabric seats, but not water-washing. He was pleased about the price again but still insist seats need to be water-washed. I totally have no idea what to do that, told him this. then he walked away.

I feel so bad. BTW, any one knows how and why to water-wash fabric seats?

thanks

I don't know if there's an exact definition but in my mind water washing fabric seats would include using a hot water extractor.....Pretty common approach isn't it?

[slickooz]

I don't know if there's an exact definition but in my mind water washing fabric seats would include using a hot water extractor.....Pretty common approach isn't it?

I agree, the only way to give them a good clean is to use an extractor.

I don't have an extractor yet, but if I needed to do fabric seat I would just APC+ it and brush it down. He probably wanted his seats extracted.

[Flannigan]

Not being mean, but one of the quickest ways to lose potential clients is to not have an answer to a question they ask. I'm not saying you should have known the answer, but I can understand why that client walked away. All clients want to take their vehicles to someone they feel knows the most about what work they will be performing. Obviously we don't all start off with all the answers so we keep doing research and staying up to date on products and techniques.

Also I refuse to text customers. You can't hear tone in the other persons voice. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell how something is being said by you or the customer. I prefer to do all of my correspondence by phone so no one is confused. That might have helped with the first customer.

I would put these up as growing, or learning pains, and just keep going. You will get more customers.

[BobbyG]

I agree, the only way to give them a good clean is to use an extractor.

I don't have an extractor yet, but if I needed to do fabric seat I would just APC+ it and brush it down. He probably wanted his seats extracted.

I have the small Bissel unit below and while it does work, it's slow and time consuming but I can get-er done.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s225/BobbyG53/Detailing/AutoCareProHeat.jpg

Before

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1215/Before_08.JPG (http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/34436)

After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1215/Interior_23.JPG (http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/34444)

[Flash Gordon]

last monday the first customer text me asking the price of a full detailing package, I told him the price and what it includes and he was totally pleased. then he text me right after my msg: "Great, where are you, I will be right on my way there". I said like: wow, wow, easy, i have a full schedule this afternoon, but I can work some time tomorrow morning. Then the guy told me he had a party to hit in 1 hour and he need the work done immediately. So I said there is no way to make it within one hour, even just wash and wax(the guy has a truck). So he disappeared and never text again.

Yesterday another come to me and ask what's the price for full detailing AND washing seats. I told him the price and told him the price includes interior detailing. I would clean the fabric seats, but not water-washing. He was pleased about the price again but still insist seats need to be water-washed. I totally have no idea what to do that, told him this. then he walked away.

I feel so bad. BTW, any one knows how and why to water-wash fabric seats?

thanks

#1 only gave you 1 hour notice? You were going to lose him regardless if you did the car this time or not. Better off to never even fool with this type. Plus he wanted it done in an hour?!?!?!?

#2 water washed means shampooing. You don't necesarily need a special machine for this other then a shop-vac. I agree with Flannigan. Telling him you had no idea what to do was not a good response. If your in this business, you gotta know how to clean uphoulstery

Don't worry to much. There are plenty of other oppurtunitys on the horizon. Stay Positive!

[slickooz]

Looks great Bobby! I got one also but never used it. I want to try to sell it and get an extractor before spring.

[shoeless89]

I have the Bissle LGM and it takes FOREVER to do anything besides spot cleaning. Thats why I'm getting ready to get the Mytee Lite II, I figure after a couple upsells for extraction it will almost pay for itself! Well maybe more then a 'couple' but you get the idea :)

[Dugdug]

I have the small Bissel unit below and while it does work, it's slow and time consuming but I can get-er done.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s225/BobbyG53/Detailing/AutoCareProHeat.jpg

Before

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1215/Before_08.JPG (http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/34436)

After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/1215/Interior_23.JPG (http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/34444)
I was thinking of getting one of those. Do you have to pour hot water in it? Also, for a whole interior, how often do you change the water out?

[mwoolfso]

last monday the first customer text me asking the price of a full detailing package, I told him the price and what it includes and he was totally pleased. then he text me right after my msg: "Great, where are you, I will be right on my way there". I said like: wow, wow, easy, i have a full schedule this afternoon, but I can work some time tomorrow morning. Then the guy told me he had a party to hit in 1 hour and he need the work done immediately. So I said there is no way to make it within one hour, even just wash and wax(the guy has a truck). So he disappeared and never text again.

Yesterday another come to me and ask what's the price for full detailing AND washing seats. I told him the price and told him the price includes interior detailing. I would clean the fabric seats, but not water-washing. He was pleased about the price again but still insist seats need to be water-washed. I totally have no idea what to do that, told him this. then he walked away.

I feel so bad. BTW, any one knows how and why to water-wash fabric seats?

thanks

I think #2 was covered by others. I also want to reiterate that on #1, this was a high maintenance client to begin with; and the 1 hour constraint made this one a toxic-high-maintenance client. You want to stay away from those unless you like being a punching bag for future requests just like it. They tend not to be one-time events. Feel lucky.

[HighLine]

You would have lost the first customer either way. One hour to do a full detail on a TRUCK? Impossible. Many more customer to come, so don't mind losing two.

[mark58]

Sorry you did not get 2 customers, but on the other hand how can you loose something you never or might have had. The first guy, that type of customer you really don't want. If he is so unreasonable with everything, do you really think you could have pleased him in any way?
My 2 cents

[Sparkle007]

I've been detailing for 11 years and had my own shop for a few years. Like others have said, that first customer is not one to feel bad about loosing. As far as the second one goes, in my experience many customers have no clue what is involved in detailing a vehicle. So they often say something that doesn't make sense like water washing the seats! The trick is to know the process inside and out yourself so that when a customer has a strange request like that, you will automatically know what they are talking about.

Oh and on an unrelated note, i've found it laughable all these years when people call detail customers clients! We aren't lawyers, we clean cars! Haha anyway, good luck with your business, you will always come across good and bad people so don't let these two jobs discourage you.

[toycar18]

I wouldn't let losing a customer or two bother you. Don't take it personally. People do it all the time for reasons we don't know. We shouldn't even try figuring it out because it is a complete waste of time. Some people are loyal and others could care less.

I have my own carpet cleaning business for the past 8 years and you won't ever figure customers out. Now I could careless when something like that happens. It is business and leave it at that.

Just remember you can't get every customer no matter how hard you try. Continue to do the best job you can and it will all work out.

He probably wanted it steam cleaned aka hot water extraction, steam extraction. Shampooing is spraying cleaner and rubbing it on with a brush... Get a Hot Water Extractor or have a local carpet cleaner clean the seats and carpets for you. Just make sure you charge for it. Not everyone wants cheap even though many come across that way.

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

Some of my ramblings….

Every prospect presents some type of opportunity:

• Business relationship
• Learning experience
• Both

These examples did not result in a business relationship so you must determine why and try to learn from and build upon each of them.

You may determine:
1. You did not want the business
2. You did not close the deal
3. You were not prepared to offer what the customer wanted**

There is a caveat to point #3. Is the customer really asking for what they want - -ie: do they know what they are talking about.

From your explanation of the scenario about the seat cleaning, the prospect had some knowledge. Based on this he knew that he didn’t want his interior cleaned by a guy with a bucket and a wet dry vac.

To land the above job you must either explain how/why you can do what the guy with an extractor does – this must be done in a quantifiable manner. Not, “it will look a lot better”… Specifics. Can you do this? If not you must educate yourself on how to explain how. Via this research you may determine that you are not able to do something as effectively and then you must adjust your approach.

Land the job = Under promise / Over deliver
Don’t land the job = educate yourself as to why – Either business or technical related – determine which one and improve.

/ramble