Taking calls and orders for pro detailers

[Calendyr]

Hello guys,

Tonight I am having a meeting with someone I want to invite to partner with me next year to start a mobile detailing company.

Here is a question I have and can't decide on what do to about it...

When you guys first started off, how did you take calls and make appointments?

I mean, did you hire someone to do it for you? Did you take the calls on your cell phone and carry a dayplanner with you? Of course I want to look and sound professionnal but it seems that paying someone to receive one call a day or something when you first start out will eat any profit that can be made. On the other hand, taking calls when you are working on a car or at an other job seems complicated...

Please help! ;)

Daniel

[Calendyr]

Oh almost forgot!

What do you do when you take calls? Do you offer packages? Do you say something like "Prices range from X and y and I will be able to give you an exact price once I have seen the car"?

In other words, does the person who take the call need to be very knowledgable about detailing or can it be done by anyone?

Thanks in advance!

[Nate3420]

If you are going in with a partner you both need to be on the same page right off the get go. You both need to be super knowledgable on your product and services you are going to offer. I would personally have a separate business phone for the company and whoever has the phone takes the calls. I would sit down and get a written contract even if it's a best friend or what not. Things need to be In order. And I wouldn't hire anyone until you start making money. I'm good friends with the best car audio and electronics owner In Erie and one of the top in the country and we talked about just get your business going and make money. You don't need all this fancy stuff to look cool because you just are going to sink and run out of money quick. Get going and make some good money and then evaluate if you wanna spruce up your trailer and what not

[sn0w]

Don't overcomplicate things. Use a work specific cell phone and if you are on a job make sure you have the voicemail setup that tells them what information to leave if you can't answer right away. You can also have a website setup and direct them there to check out more information from the voicemail.

Keep things as low budget as possible until you build up your clients.

[VP Mark]

Whoa there! Having a secretary is a long way off. I doubt many guys with employees even have someone to answer the phone for them. Get a dedicated cell phone for the business and use it. I have a day planner with me most of the time but when I'm mobile or on the move i just keep a small notepad and transfer to the planner later.

Have a standard way of answering the phone. Phone skills are very important and will be the key to your business. You will eventually learn to even successfully up sell over the phone if you work hard at it.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AG Online

[Calendyr]

Crap my answer did not register last time I was on.

Well anyway I talked to my friend and he did not seem really interested about going into business. So I guess this will be a solo act. Might make things easier on some things.

Thanks for the advice guys!

[AutowerxDetailing]

I would also recommend to look into ways of automating the booking process for new and existing customers. I currently use ClickBook to allow clients to schedule online through my website. Some of my regulars absolutely love the convenience of the online booking. I have booked many jobs without ever talking to the customer until I get to their car.

The more you can automate things the easier it will be for you for starting out and on into the future. One of the big tests for if you have a system that works is if it is scale-able upwards. The process you currently use to book clients... could you duplicate the same process (with no errors) if you were taking 10 calls a day? 20 calls a day? 50 calls a day? The better your system is the more easily you will be able to scale your business and further grow without barriers imposed by the design and implementation of your business processes.

[Pureshine]

I use my cell for my business phone and to keep tract of all my appointments very easy. I would use what Nicholas uses but I like to book their appointments my self so if I get a big car I have time to get it done.

[statusdetailing]

I originally had two phone lines but found it to be overkill. I just have my cellphone phone. My voicemail is, "youve reached jeremy at status auto detailing blah blah blah." Im a one man fixed location and stay 1-2away weeks booked. I have a big 2 bay shop beside my house. I keep a dry erase board with appointments at my home office and carry a planner when im out. I absolutely dont need a secrerary and would go brome paying one. I have no trouble taking calls. I have all my prices and services memorized. Dont pay a secretary. I wouldnt pay somebody even if i was a little bigger

[statusdetailing]

Btw. I dont normally take more than 10
calls per day. . .with maybe the exception of mondays in the spring

[KennyS]

Before everyone gets to far...

Google Voice
http://google.com/voice

Free phone number that you can forward to any phone, you can choose a number if its available.
I have like 3. i only use one though for the business, it goes straight to my personal cell phone..

(only downside is calling people back, You have to call your google voice and input pin, then input number.. If you have an android cell phone im 98% sure they have an app for it)
also you can record all calls, just in case you are a little forgetful, like me.

Google will help you tremendously, if you do have a location you can add the listing to google for free and it will show up on the map.

[Flash Gordon]

Before everyone gets to far...

Google Voice
http://google.com/voice

Free phone number that you can forward to any phone, you can choose a number if its available.
I have like 3. i only use one though for the business, it goes straight to my personal cell phone..

(only downside is calling people back, You have to call your google voice and input pin, then input number.. If you have an android cell phone im 98% sure they have an app for it)
also you can record all calls, just in case you are a little forgetful, like me.

Google will help you tremendously, if you do have a location you can add the listing to google for free and it will show up on the map.

That's very cool, but why would you want 3 numbers?

OP You don't want a business partner :nomore:

[KennyS]

well you want the area code for where you are located.

[Pureshine]

Theres a good app called CJournal I keep track of all my customers and what I have done to their cars.

[Calendyr]

Gonna go a little off subject here but do you guys keep logs for each customer? If so how do you do it? Lap top? Note pads? Cards?

Do you guys put stickers in door jams with info regarding last job maybe?

Is it a waste of time to keep logs, what info should I keep?