Ever get frustrated !

B

bswombaugh

New member
I just finished a 2 day detail on a 2011 Mercedes E350. I personally knew the owner and could tell that he really did not want to spend very much money on having it detailed. The interior was very dirty and the leather seats were stained. The exterior had quite a few swirls and some deeper RIDS.

The price we agreed on was barely enough to even do a 1 step on the exterior. After claying and correcting the car with Ultimate Compound I just wasn't satisfied with the finish. I proceeded to try a spot using HD Polish on a Tangerine pad and boy did it really bring the clarity out in the paint. I decided to go ahead and 2 step the whole car add a glaze and then a sealant.

I was ecstatic of how well the paint looked on the car. It was beautiful and looked dripping wet ! I could only imagine the jaw dropping look that I would receive when I delivered it to the customer- or so I thought. I completed the cleaning of the interior and it all came out great also. I had put a lot of "extra" work into this vehicle knowing that I really wasn't getting compensated for it but it gave me great satisfaction in the job that I had done.

I proceeded to deliver the car to the customer and his reaction was just ho-hum. He wanted to know if I put any air freshener in the car and seemed more concerned about about the air freshener than the "show car finish" that was on his car. Needless to say, I felt a little let down about the whole thing. I know that I am in the business for the money, but it does make you feel downhearted when you go the extra mile and then feel that your work is really not appreciated the way that you expected it to. Very frustrating ! Any of you guys had similar experiences ?
 
What were the Client's expectations, and how did you set them with him ?

Sounds like he is NOT a car-guy, and with that, we all know how his lack of reaction would be, right ?

You did your usual, awesome, stellar, beautifully perfect work, and the car is so much the better for it. Thanks for all that hard, careful, Detailed work !

Sometimes, people like this "get it" now or later, or never...

Im glad you went the extra miles for him, and no matter what happens, the Blessings will come back multiplied far greater..
Dan F
 
D151, Vac spot treat carpet stains and wipe down interior and hang a stupid tree freshener and 95% of people will think oh nice god job.
 
Stokdgs said:
What were the Client's expectations, and how did you set them with him ?

Sounds like he is NOT a car-guy, and with that, we all know how his lack of reaction would be, right ?

You did your usual, awesome, stellar, beautifully perfect work, and the car is so much the better for it. Thanks for all that hard, careful, Detailed work !

Sometimes, people like this "get it" now or later, or never...

Im glad you went the extra miles for him, and no matter what happens, the Blessings will come back multiplied far greater..
Dan F
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind comments Dan. Its just a hard thing for me to give the customer "less" than what I feel he needs or is paying for. I guess that is why I will never get rich doing this job. My drive for doing an exceptional job seems to surpass my business sense for always making a fair wage.
 
bswombaugh --

I know, I know...
It is hard for me to give less than that also..
And I have never gotten rich doing this either ! :)

Well, take that back; what I have gotten rich in is worth more than all the money on this puny little earth in the tiny obscure galaxy we live in.. :)

You did Great ! You sleep really good at night.. Your family is close..

In time, everyone will know of you because enough of your awesome work and reputation will be out there, and you will then be faced with trying to figure out who to say "Im booked" to... :)
Dan F
 
it's great that you would not let a detail leave your care without being as good as it could be, after all, that's a direct reflection of you, but live and learn, you'll know better next time. if it's not truly appreciated or paid for, don't waste your time.
 
Did you take the time to explain to him what you had done above and beyond the call? I always did so on the occasions when they got extra without having to cough up for it. A Mercedes owner not wanting to spend what is required to do the job correctly speaks volumes. Learn from it.
 
IMO it sounds like he really doesn't care all that much about his car, if he allowed it to get to the point you've stated.

That said it wasn't going to matter to him how much extra work you did, he doesn't see the value in it. You can't beat yourself up over that, it's just the way some people are...

Want to make a bet? Have a look at his car in a three to six months it will look the same as when you picked it up...seen it happen many times
 
I usually set the expectations upfront to avoid any surprises. I ask what the customer wants to get done to get a good understanding with what their priority is and work around that. Having said that, I do feel frustrated sometimes when the customer doesn't appreciate the finish as much as I do but since I went in having the expectations set earlier I don't feel as disappointed.
 
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