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What would you do?
Posted by Superior Shine
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What would you do? February 15, 2005 02:40AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 866 |
<HTML>I recently had a client return to use my services after a two year laps. I completely detailed his car two years ago and never heard back from him even though I sent out detail reminders and left reminder messages on his voice mail.
So last month we detail his car agian. It looked like it hadn't been touched since last we did it two years ago. We also had to do it at a discount as two years ago I told him I would discount his next detail by 10% for every co-worker that he got me. I did pick up a co-worker of his while we were in the parking lot. It is a huge company and this guy hardly knows this other person but he wanted credit anyway. Being mobile and the fact I am sanding with him in the parking lot of his business, I decided to go ahead and do it rather than have him cancel the job and have to go home early.
So we detail it to perfection. He calls me two weeks later and complains about a "fog" on his windshield. I offered to wash his car and do the windows again. I just got a call from him and he is now complaining about the rear window!!!
I have an idea about what I am going to do butI would like to hear what you would do.
Do tell-----</HTML>
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Plays in the rain --- www.SuperiorShineDetailing.com
So last month we detail his car agian. It looked like it hadn't been touched since last we did it two years ago. We also had to do it at a discount as two years ago I told him I would discount his next detail by 10% for every co-worker that he got me. I did pick up a co-worker of his while we were in the parking lot. It is a huge company and this guy hardly knows this other person but he wanted credit anyway. Being mobile and the fact I am sanding with him in the parking lot of his business, I decided to go ahead and do it rather than have him cancel the job and have to go home early.
So we detail it to perfection. He calls me two weeks later and complains about a "fog" on his windshield. I offered to wash his car and do the windows again. I just got a call from him and he is now complaining about the rear window!!!
I have an idea about what I am going to do butI would like to hear what you would do.
Do tell-----</HTML>
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Plays in the rain --- www.SuperiorShineDetailing.com
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Re: What would you do? February 15, 2005 04:02AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 9 |
<HTML>I guess I'd just re-do the windows and call it good. Tell him he's lucky because the two week warranty was just about to expire. Any additional fog would be subject to a #$%# fogging fee.
I once had a couple bring back their car after a few days and ask if we put three dents in the roof of the car. They thought maybe we dropped something on it. After explaining to them that we only touch their car with soft, fluffy things like wash mitts and buffing pads, and that we don't whip tools around the shop, they left. Have not returned.
Good thing there's over 50,000 cars within a 10 mile radius of here and they all need cleaning!
Good luck with the fog.
Robert
www.americanautoshine.com</HTML>
I once had a couple bring back their car after a few days and ask if we put three dents in the roof of the car. They thought maybe we dropped something on it. After explaining to them that we only touch their car with soft, fluffy things like wash mitts and buffing pads, and that we don't whip tools around the shop, they left. Have not returned.
Good thing there's over 50,000 cars within a 10 mile radius of here and they all need cleaning!
Good luck with the fog.
Robert
www.americanautoshine.com</HTML>
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Re: What would you do? February 16, 2005 03:10AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 1,838 |
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Re: What would you do? February 16, 2005 03:50AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 499 |
<HTML>Joe, we usually get someone like this every year or two who will never be happy until they just grind you into the dirt. First off, from what you have told me you gave the guy a discount to start with (that you feel he didn't deserve). Secondly, this guy has only used you twice in over 2 years. Thirdly he is bitching about something very minor. I believe you offered a MORE THAN ACCEPTABLE resolution to the situation that anyone reasonable should be happy with. The question you have to ask yourself is - is he being reasonable with you? Is he someone you want to continue doing business with? After all this did you make any money on that job (is there any chance that you will ever profit from work from him or referrals from him?)? Answer all those questions to yourself and make your own decision. Sometimes the hardest lesson we learn is what work we can do and what work we should do.
PS. If it was me and I was in your position after offering another freebie I would have politely told him that I had done more than what was fair and that he should seek another detailer for his next job.</HTML>
PS. If it was me and I was in your position after offering another freebie I would have politely told him that I had done more than what was fair and that he should seek another detailer for his next job.</HTML>
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Re: What would you do? February 16, 2005 03:58AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 505 |
<HTML>Scott,
Absolutely correct, but I will now give another way of addressing this sort of concern.
We have all been "fired", and for reasons that we may or may not have understood.
There is not a thing wrong with "firing" a customer!!
It is a manner of business management.
I am sure that I am just saying what you did, but in a different way.
I fire several "customers" every year, I "fire" accessories suppliers, every year.
Lack of performance, just too damned hard to please, unreal expectations, etc.
We, each, if successful for more than three or four years, know the difference between "right and wrong", or we wouldn't be in business today.
With that kind of experience, sometimes, you just got to "fire" the sumbitch.
Ketch</HTML>
Do it right or don't do it all!
Absolutely correct, but I will now give another way of addressing this sort of concern.
We have all been "fired", and for reasons that we may or may not have understood.
There is not a thing wrong with "firing" a customer!!
It is a manner of business management.
I am sure that I am just saying what you did, but in a different way.
I fire several "customers" every year, I "fire" accessories suppliers, every year.
Lack of performance, just too damned hard to please, unreal expectations, etc.
We, each, if successful for more than three or four years, know the difference between "right and wrong", or we wouldn't be in business today.
With that kind of experience, sometimes, you just got to "fire" the sumbitch.
Ketch</HTML>
Do it right or don't do it all!
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Re: What would you do? February 16, 2005 04:07AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 499 |
<HTML>Exactly my point Ketch. I had a dealership that stressed me to the max every day for over three years and I finally just broke and told the UCM that I could not do their work anymore because their service department was unreasonable to deal with and NEVER happy no matter what we did for them. We almost never had issues with our quality - always about how we weren't fast enough (4 recons a day?), we were doing other peoples cars instead of theirs (yeah - they control my schedule too!) etc.... and the list goes on. If I had a nickel for every time we bailed their asses out on a last minute delivery (recon) that had to be done in 3 hours or less I would be a rich man. No respect, no thanks, no appreciation - thanks but no thanks. We moved on and it is arguably the best thing we could have done.</HTML>
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Re: What would you do? February 16, 2005 04:14AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 499 |
<HTML>I almost forgot! A good friend of mine that is a UCM at one of my dealers told me this story of how he dealt with a PITA customer:
A guy comes in to the dealership looking for a used car. He finds one that he likes and sets about trying to negotiate terms he can be happy with. The dealership gets him into the price he wants to pay for the car but he is being stupid about his trade. Basically he has a $500 car and wants a minimum of $2000 for it. After going up one side of the salesman and down the other the guy gets very irate and starts getting beligerant so the UCM comes down. He walks the guy to the exit and begins apologizing:
"I am extremely sorry we couldn't come to terms on the car you wanted sir". The customer starts agreeing and telling him he should be sorry. "I know you wanted to come in today andleave with a good buy". The customer tells him rudely "yeah - you guys are lousy businesspeople and don't know what you are doing". So the UCM reaches out - grabs the guys hand - and loudly says (while smiling) GOODBYE!
That one cracked me up but apparently the customer did not appreciate the humour.</HTML>
A guy comes in to the dealership looking for a used car. He finds one that he likes and sets about trying to negotiate terms he can be happy with. The dealership gets him into the price he wants to pay for the car but he is being stupid about his trade. Basically he has a $500 car and wants a minimum of $2000 for it. After going up one side of the salesman and down the other the guy gets very irate and starts getting beligerant so the UCM comes down. He walks the guy to the exit and begins apologizing:
"I am extremely sorry we couldn't come to terms on the car you wanted sir". The customer starts agreeing and telling him he should be sorry. "I know you wanted to come in today andleave with a good buy". The customer tells him rudely "yeah - you guys are lousy businesspeople and don't know what you are doing". So the UCM reaches out - grabs the guys hand - and loudly says (while smiling) GOODBYE!
That one cracked me up but apparently the customer did not appreciate the humour.</HTML>
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Re: What would you do? February 16, 2005 04:16AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 866 |
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Re: What would you do? February 16, 2005 04:23AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 866 |
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Re: What would you do? February 16, 2005 04:57AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 505 |
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