First Day Out - Success

[ChuckPeazy]

Today I did it. I got out of my comfort zone, went out there and fixed some rock chips. 17 chips to be exact. I could have made a lot more money than I did but I needed to get my foot in the door at some dealerships. Started off the day going door to door at different dealerships. Went to the first one, gave my spiel, and his response was something I had not expected. "No sorry, we get our rock chip repairs for free." I was a little taken back and asked him how he gets them for free and he told me that the company who replaces his windshields comes by and fixes his rock chips for free. Brilliant marketing on the auto glass company's part but it sucks for me. It was kind of a downer for me because I thought I had thought about all the scenarios that could happen and that was the last thing on my mind. But oh well, I moved on.

I ended up visiting 10 ma and pop dealerships all together and ended up getting work at 2 of them and the 10th one I got to late and I will have an appointment there tomorrow at 9:00 AM to hopefully score some more deals. The first dealership I scored a Yes from was a small lot. Maybe 20-30 cars. I went in and gave my spiel which is short and to the point, "Hi I'm Charlie with Impact Windshield Repair, I was wondering if I could walk your lot and see if you have any windshield chips that you need fixed and I'll get those done for you today." He asked how much I charged, I told him that typically I charge $35 a chip for dealers but I'll do them for $25 for him. He told me that he usually gets them for $!5 a chip, and whether to not that was true I told him I could meet him half way and do them for $20 per chip. We both agreed and I went out and scoured his lot. I ended up finding 12 chips, on 8 cars and 1 motorhome. It took me about 2.5 hours to fix them all and I walked away with a check for $220. I ended up throwing the 12th chip in for free because I had found it after the fact and wanted to make a good impression.

The second dealer that I got a yes from I did the same thing, found 5 chips there and haggled to $20 a chip again. Took me an hour and I walked away with another $100.

I started the day at 11:30AM and ended at 5:00. Made $320 in the process and tomorrow I have an appointment with another dealership of whom I already have walked there lot and found 17 chips to repair. Hopefully I get a yes from them and walk away with a $330 check tomorrow.

Over all it was a lot better than I expected to do on my first day out. I could have made more money yes, but I was happy with how it all turned out. I hope this can give some encouragement to any other people out there who are nervous to start out.

[screenman]

That first one, ask him how many get repaired, I will tell you, not many, the companies that offer this replace a lot more than the average. That is your selling point.

As for your prices, well you will not be popular and next week you will be knocking on doors and only getting 1 job at a time.

[bill lambeth]

That is exactly why I don't do car lots here !!!! Nothing against him for coming down on his price ! Each is to their own ! Yes screen you are right they don't fix many for free !

[t4k]

next week you will be knocking on doors and only getting 1 job at a time.

Yep!!!

[h2oman]

I say "Great Job" for getting out there and making those face to face contacts. As silly as it may sound, the only way to get to the top of the ladder is one step at a time and that is what your doing. Lot's of luck to you, never look back only forward!!!

[ChuckPeazy]

As for your prices, well you will not be popular and next week you will be knocking on doors and only getting 1 job at a time.

What do you mean by this?

[screenman]

There is very often a big clean up to do on a first visit to a customer, the second and every other visit after that is on reduced numbers. Now you have set the price so low you are committed to them and are going to struggle to get them up to the $45 or $65 they should be.

The customer who says he has a guy that does them for $20 is often not telling the truth, note the word often. It is sometimes the only way they know to start negotiating, some guys fall for it and some do not.

You do not have to be cheap to be busy, I am certainly not, but you do have to be good, reliable, presentable and professional in every way.

Remember, work clever not hard.

I am here to help if I think I can, as you may know WSR has been very good to me for over 26 years now and I passed my £1,000,000 mark a long while back, now if only the wife had not spent it all.

[bill lambeth]

Look for the accounts that value your integrity ! That is worth a lot! My rental fleets pay me more than the going rate because I am there for one or 5 at no matter what time of the day! What screen is saying is so true! Soon you will be making a trip out there and looking at 50 w/s for 40 dollars after fixing 2 cars! Also , the car lots that I have worked want you to give them a flat price per w/ s and a lot of older cars have multiple chips ! That 40 can be for fixing 8 chips and that is not woth it!