Our $1 Million Year!

[ronkh57]

Much appreciated, I would like to add more posts and such to the forums but time is not as free as it once was to allow that. What drove me away was the time I spent on forums and the heavy emails I would get for advice and/or offers to detail cars around the USA. Can't even imagine what it must be like for Mike Phillips!!

Sorry. But thanks for the help.

[Setec Astronomy]

Well those are kind words sir, much appreciated!

I think I arranged my kind words poorly, I meant to say that I think you were the first one to do detailing videos, not the first to do an ONR video (which of course yours would have been, also).

[custmsprty]

Congratulations, it's great to see all your hard work and dedication pay off.

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

Hey thank you!

Customer service is a tricky area. I say that because you want to put out great work and become known for that but also become known for top notch customer service. The 2 can clash and become a headache.

Let me explain by a comparison of how we USED to do it and how we NOW do it. A car comes in and you give them a price for the work. They agree to it, set up an appointment. They come in and drop car off and we get started. We finish and call them. They like the results but then discover a paint blemish or scrap, dent or scratch in interior that they swear was not there prior to us doing the car. We then have to eat that repair because we want to have a great satisfaction report. We hope the customer leaves feeling good and we are left feeling deflated.

Now we have a thorough check in process and we have eliminated all "package" deals. So now customer comes in, we take detailed pics of entire car plus mileage. Customers now only come in for full paint corrections, clear bra, tint, vinyl work or painted calipers. We do not do hand washes, wash and wax, soccer mom minivans, puke cars etc. Those are not money makers for us. Too much labor vs return.

Customer now says, "Hey, that scratch wasn't there!" So we look on computer and there it is. Doing that alone has saved us tons of headaches! So we still strive to do the best work possible knowing full well that doing that type of work attracts some really anal and difficult people that we do our best to please BUT we also now know that sometimes some customers are NOT worth the money. So we FIRE them!

When someone pulls up in a Ferrari and wants a detail plus PPF THEN asks for a discount, and if they get a discount they will bring us their Bentley......ya, they can go pound sand. I'm so sick and tired of buttheads and dealing with their prima donna attitudes. I have become over the years really angry and at times hateful of people, especially the guys who spend time on detailing forums and tell me how I should be detailing their cars. I don't need that crap, no one does. So be weary on the "balance" of doing great work and customer service. You should never bend to ALL customers and their whims. Learn to say "NO". You can't please everyone and trying to do so will drive you mad.

As for marketing, we never advertise. We have tried it all, radio, print, flyers, sponsor car shows and more. Nothing beats a well designed website and nothing comes close to word-of-mouth recommendations. We poll everyone who comes in and ask them, "How did you hear about us?" About 80% say Google, Yelp or internet search. The rest are a reference from someone who has been here. Facebook is great also and Ron is just a guru now with that type of media. Our next venture may be a Vlog......but I am kinda ugly so not sure how that will work!

Run your business, don't let your business run you. Easy to say, tough to do.

Wow, that was winded!
Anthony

First off - congrats on the milestone. Thats absolutely awesome and something to strive for. I also love that you've done it doing the kind of work that you do - where as it seems most 7 figure detailing businesses are more so volume related rather than high end related (not all, but most).

Regarding what you said about customer service and well..covering your ass....that's gospel there. I get a lot of people asking me about how to deal with a customers car...but a lot of what we do has to do with how we deal with the customer. Definitely aim to please - but as you stated, saying NO, can be the best thing you can possibly do in some cases.

I know you're busy as hell, but I did shoot you over a PM if you happen to get a minute to check it out.

Congrats again man on the success....here's to aiming for 1.5 mil!

[JeffM]

Congrats, I remember a lot of your optimum posts, you used to use a rotary a lot and make the paint look better then ive ever seen. I also remember you yammering on about where zaino was made lol. Good ol days.