Here is a question I would be interested in knowing how others deal with
Customer has a big ole ugly bull and a couple divots Do you put pitfiller in the divots and polish the result while the bull is filling and charge the insurance for 1 repair and write of the pits as good faith? or do you charge the insurance for 3 breaks? I mean afterall they do exist and you made em go away I know with a cash customer I generaly do those for no extra charge but hey the insurance company considers them a blemish that can be repaired so why not charge em I would be interested in others views
thanks
If it looks good and the customer is happy by all means bill it. Just because you are a pro and know an easy way to fix a chip doesn't mean you should do it for free. Take the money, you earned it !!!!
What do you mean by "the insurance company considers them a blemish" I've not heard that one before.
Did you fill the "blemishes" without telling the customer?
The only times I've charged a customer for filling a chip or nick have been for my fleet or rental accounts for turnback reasons. If a retail customer has a standard repair and he asks about some chips or nicks I'll inspect them and than give him or her my professional opinion on whether or not they need to be filled. If the customer insists that a "repair" be done on the chips I'll work it into my "waiting for the other one to cure time". That's what the customer will likely remember and call you for another repair or refer you to another customer.
The "divots" I will do for no extra charge , especially if I'm already doing a repair(s).In fact , on more than one ocassion I've been called to repair damage that the customer thought could run, but I determined to be just a "divot" and filled with pit resin at no charge.I chalk this up to building good customer relations.I've also been called out and simply scraped the "Damage" off with a razor on a few ocassions.The customers were in awe of my repair until I told them it was only a smudge or something and not a ding...But the customers usually want to pay for the trip anyway, which I refuse, knowing that I will be the one they will always call from now on because of my integrity.Sometimes it's harder to "Do the right thing" but it usually comes back to ya.
But.... there are times I will charge for a "divot" if the customer insists that it be repaired. If I do an insurance job and the customer is convinced that this other divot(s) need fixed, then I would probably bill it as 2 repairs total. No more...
Not all "divots" are created equal... some are pretty big and do look pretty bad esp. from inside. A pencil-eraser size divot can really bother some people. I have had people instist that I fix it even when i tell them it's not damage that will crack. I don't charge full price though.... maybe $20 or maybe n/c if I'm already working on the car.
But I don't do stuff for free anymore. (unless it's for a friend or a good client )I don't expect other people to do their work for me for nothing when it's an easy job.
Even dealers pay for a divot if they ask me to fix it.
i suppose those "divots' and "chips' referred to are nothing more than surface damage.
If they contain black or contain small cracks, they ain't.
Use a magnifying glass and check them out if you are unsure.
Stop guessing.
Simple as that.
Want to talk about ethics?
How many times have you went out on a job that required a simple repair but the customer had been informed by a replacement company it required a replacement?
I've been out on a few jobs where I told the customer it was OK and nothing more than a surface chip and they still wanted it fixed.
I "fixed" it; I billed; I was paid.
They were happy; I was happy; my now ex-wife was happy; my kids were happy because I was happy; my creditors were happy; my bar bill was happy; the insurance company was happy.
The replacement company wasn't happy which made me even more happy.
)I don't expect other people to do their work for me for nothing when it's an easy job.