Setting Expectations

[Firehouse Mike]

I've had a few customers lately who had expectations that were WAY too high for the the purchased services. One for example had a fairly dirty interior who was expecting it to be 100% perfect when done. I charged $150 for this vehicle and spent about 4 hours on it. He thought i was going to pull the seats, trim ect... and clean down to the floorpans. He had no idea what time that would take. I can do that, and have but it was also a $500 interior job too. I came up with a simple form that explained what it included in my standard packages. What do you think? (just verbage, formatting is ok - didn't copy over...)

Thanks...Mike

What is NOT Included / Expectation Acknowledgment



Interior X____________Customer Initials

• Stains on carpets, mats, seats (including leather surfaces), headliner and other interior surfaces may not be able to be removed. Every attempt will be made, however some stains are just that – stained. A fabric dye may be able to be applied*.
• Seats, trim pieces and other parts are not removed from vehicle to clean underneath.
• Glove box, center console boxes and other “private” compartments are not cleaned
  unless empty.
• All items found in vehicle are bagged and left in front seat unless obviously garbage
  (wrappers, ect...).
• You may find some pet hair still in fabrics and / or minor debris left in very tight areas
  that are not able to be reached by hand or vacuum.
• There may be additional charges for severe conditions, including pet hair and mold.
• Exterior X____________Customer Initials
  
  
  • Packages, including exterior only incorporate a single step All-In-One type product for paint polishing and wax. While it can achieve up to an 80% improvement, there may be deeper scratches and scrapes that a more aggressive approach is needed to remove fully. A multi-step process is available* if maximum removal is desired. Most defects that can be felt by hand need to be sanded and / or repainted to be removed.
  • Wheels are not removed as part of standard services and neglected wheels may not come fully clean.
  • Severely faded trim pieces may need to be dyed* to achieve a like new finish.
  • Roofs on tall trucks, SUV’s and vans may not be machine polished. They will be
    cleaned and waxed however.
    * Additional charge for services and may need scheduled.
    By initialing above I understand what is not included and expectations have been set per the service package(s) I have chosen to be performed on my vehicle(s). I also understand that there are additional charges if I want these services performed and they may need to be scheduled for another date.
    X__________________________________________________ _________ Date__________________

[DetailedByPrecision]

I went to your website and took a look at your 150 dollar interior service. You've pretty much covered the basic rundown of what an interior cleaning includes so I don't see any confusion there. What I do see that is a problem is not communicating with your customers effectively. I don't know if you did or did not go over the interior with your customer during drop off. But, I would recommend inspecting the condition of the interior and ask about any specific areas that need extra attention.

Then go over your process with them and how you will handle the problems and what is the turnaround time required to get the job done to match the customer's expectations. You have to be very upfront, can't be vague, and until a mutual agreement is established everything is up in the air.

I do understand not everything can be reconditioned, your customer will not know/understand until you educate them.

[expdetailing]

I'm all for the expectations form. Some people have irrational expectations for various reasons, and it's best to get them in check before any services are performed.
I like the verbage; I think you did an excellent job in writing that out.

[asianisafish]

You pretty much cover everything in your packages and what each package offers. It's up to the customer if they understand what they are reading or not

[2black1s]

Personally I think telling a customer what they are not going to get is a bad business practice. Doing so can put a negative impression in the customer's mind right off the bat. I think it is much more desirable to focus on what they are getting.

If your packages are defined well enough and your up-front communication with the customer is up to par that should be sufficient to let them know what they are going to get.

[AGOatemywallet]

I agree with 2black1s, this is a poor business practice

All of the issues on the form should have been covered verbally during the walk around the vehicle with the owner. This walk around is used to set expectations and as an opportunity to up sell additional services, such as steam cleaning, extraction, multi-step polishing process, coating, etc.

[RFrommann]

i see the form as a perfect time for the customer to want some of those things done, therefore you gained an up-sell.

[DeepReflections]

Personally I think telling a customer what they are not going to get is a bad business practice. Doing so can put a negative impression in the customer's mind right off the bat. I think it is much more desirable to focus on what they are getting.

If your packages are defined well enough and your up-front communication with the customer is up to par that should be sufficient to let them know what they are going to get.

Simply put you MUST set expectations before they leave.
When a customer comes in to my shop I go over the car and discuss what is covered and what is not. Being able to read and comprehend is not a requirement for owning a car, it should be but it isn't. Customers do not read your stuff, you have to tell them when they bring the car in what is covered and what is not.
If a car comes in that is well beyond repair, I set expectations right then and there that I may not be able to correct the 300 degree coffee stain that melted your carpeting, or the Coke spill that has been ground in to the carpet for the last three years, or get rid of the smell from the Honey Nut Cheerios glued to the carpet with 2 year old milk.
When they leave they know exactly what will get cleaned and how much it will cost.
I cant fix the hole in your carpet from you 10 inch high heel.

If I sense the customer is a coupon clipper, looking for a $500 detail for $125 I will ask them what their expectations are, let them tell me and set the appropriate very high price. Almost all drive away. These are not the customers I want or need.
I have had customers spend one - two hours going over their car in our driveway looking for anything to ding us and try to get a price reduction. I absolutely refuse, as the car is 200% better than when it came in.

[jrs1418]

I agree. Expectations need to be handled before you yourself commit to any work being done. I think even more so with interior work because sometimes stains just will not come out. I personally try an relate it to something common that we've all had happen to us in our life for example:

if you spill fruit punch on a white shirt you can run it through the wash a hundred times and it'll still be stained.

or

Hard water spots are virtually the same thing as that buildup around a leaky faucet in your home, have you ever tried to just "wash it off"?

They usually understand after that. I also explain that it is my job to exceed expectations, but before any work is done I have to be realistic that my experience says that I probably wont be able to get it out completely. But i'm going to try!

Just the other day I had to force upgrade a new customer from one of our maintenance packages, into a basic interior detailing for $105. She said " For that price it better look new!" I fired right back and said, Just so you know, we have higher priced interior services that can get you car closer to new and take up to 6-8 hours. This service is 2 hours, and honestly "New" isn't going to happen. And she backed away pretty quickly and accepted the cost without any more fuss.