Xpel just took a big job from us!!!!!

Midtown Houston · April 30, 2016

man.....im so upset today....I have a regular customer that own 1 lamborghini Huracan, 3 Ferrari and 1 Porsche turbo.....We work on all of his car.... Yesterday he had a message saying the first Spyder Huracan in the US just arrived in Houston...So today he went to purchase it and got a upsell to install Xpel film for 6k. He text me saying he will bring it to me and take it out of the deal. Xpel talk him into bringing it to them so they make a template for the car and do it there....I didn't want to be pushing my regular customer so I just said OK....biting my tongue.....

The mess up part is .....Just last year we decided to carry Xpel and went to their training class under our other company call AFS ( Automotive Film Specialists ).....leaving 3M and Suntek.....3M because it was just a harder film to install and Suntek (very good film) no one really know the name.....

I still believe the DAP software is the best in the industry....No one really come close to it....But dam....We would have to hand cut and customize most of the ppf on this Huracan....just like Xpel would have to do....taking business from another Xpel dealer suck.....

It just suck to be an Xpel dealer in Houston due to Xpel having a company store and doing it in house....If you are an educated customer and want a good product....Xpel is a good product...so if you live in Houston...why deal with an authorize dealer when you can do it with a Xpel in-house store......

I just remember when I used to work for a VoiceStream dealer store in the 90 ( cell phone dealer )....We use to do like 25 - 30 new connect and everyone was very profitable....then T-Mobile decided to buy VoiceStream and open their in-house retail shop and all authorize dealer got killed....when I say killed...like shop that was dealer was shut down due to no more income.....But I get it...As a consumer....I rather go to a company store instead of a authorize dealer.....just a no brainer....

You guy in California, Florida, and other states are lucky to be an Xpel dealer because they have a very educated and good product to be installed on a vehicle.....but once Xpel move into your cities....you will cry like me today....We carry the best product in Houston and have the best location....We are the only tint shop that carry 3M and Huper Optik Autobahn....we also do Opti-Coat, Vehicle Wrap 3M 1080, and the new Bray Windshield protection.....We invested hundred of thousand into all these educated product and do really good.......I just hate to be 2nd place...but will be if we carry Xpel....due to them having a in-house store

Back in the 2000....Xpel used to carry 3M PPF and rebox and sell it.....They were only a software company making bad ass template for ppf.....I just wish they stay that way after 3M kick their butt in court.....

Let just closed it with this......I will have to reevaluated what we should do.......

XPEL Jeff · April 30, 2016

I'm confused. Carsmetic Tint (or AFS) is not an XPEL dealer, has never purchased any XPEL products, nor do you service the Lamborghini dealership. How is a completely unrelated business winning the job a conspiracy?

If you'd like to carry XPEL film, give us a call, as we'd always love to work together to better a marketplace.

To look at this from a different perspective, think if you hired someone, trained them, then the day after they left training, they became your competitor, before ever earning you a dollar to recoup your investment. Would you go out of your way to tell your customers to go see that person?

Midtown Houston · April 30, 2016

I'm confused. Carsmetic Tint (or AFS) is not an XPEL dealer, has never purchased any XPEL products, nor do you service the Lamborghini dealership. How is a completely unrelated business winning the job a conspiracy?

If you'd like to carry XPEL film, give us a call, as we'd always love to work together to better a marketplace.

To look at this from a different perspective, think if you hired someone, trained them, then the day after they left training, they became your competitor, before ever earning you a dollar to recoup your investment. Would you go out of your way to tell your customers to go see that person?

We have been purchasing the film and installing xpel film at our location call Innovation located on FM 529 until our new building is built. The up and coming building and location is called AFS next to our midtown location. So yes we do buy Xpel film and paid training at the San Antonio location last year.

All of our PPF and Window Tint come from our car wash customer base. We own Upper Kirby Car Wash and Midtown Motor Trends. It is rare for us to lose ppf and window tint job from our loyal customer.....but we lost this one.....

I did not post this to bash Xpel......I love the product and marketing you guys bring....It just suck for us carrying Xpel in Houston when you guy have a company store here.......

But hey....you win some....you lose some....

XPEL Jeff · April 30, 2016

I can't find a customer called Innovation either. Please feel free to give me a shout on Monday. Maybe you are buying film from someone else that carries XPEL?

DynamicATL · April 30, 2016

Ya it will be next to impossible to be successful selling Xpel when you are right next to Xpel... Unless you can regularly beat Xpel's prices.

If I was in your position, I would offer a secondary brand (suntek) to give your customers an incentive to use you.

:yeah Offer 2 different price points, Suntek to have the best pricing and XPEL for the premium product.

I'm confused. Carsmetic Tint (or AFS) is not an XPEL dealer, has never purchased any XPEL products, nor do you service the Lamborghini dealership. How is a completely unrelated business winning the job a conspiracy?

If you'd like to carry XPEL film, give us a call, as we'd always love to work together to better a marketplace.

To look at this from a different perspective, think if you hired someone, trained them, then the day after they left training, they became your competitor, before ever earning you a dollar to recoup your investment. Would you go out of your way to tell your customers to go see that person?

We have been purchasing the film and installing xpel film at our location call Innovation located on FM 529 until our new building is built. The up and coming building and location is called AFS next to our midtown location. So yes we do buy Xpel film and paid training at the San Antonio location last year.

All of our PPF and Window Tint come from our car wash customer base. We own Upper Kirby Car Wash and Midtown Motor Trends. It is rare for us to lose ppf and window tint job from our loyal customer.....but we lost this one.....

I did not post this to bash Xpel......I love the product and marketing you guys bring....It just suck for us carrying Xpel in Houston when you guy have a company store here.......

But hey....you win some....you lose some....

Also don't forget that Autobahn/Huper Optik is rolling out with PPF so that can be an option too since you are an Autobahn dealer at one location. Granted it is not a huge name in PPF, but is a huge name in the overall industry.

Midtown Houston · May 1, 2016

This beautiful baby just came in today for a car wash....The first Spyder Huracan in the US.

At least we get to do the window film and Bray windshield 3d skin....Can't win them all.

Diablo's Tint · May 1, 2016

To look at this from a different perspective, think if you hired someone, trained them, then the day after they left training, they became your competitor, before ever earning you a dollar to recoup your investment. Would you go out of your way to tell your customers to go see that person?

I hear a lot about xpel taking accounts & it never hit home till you posted this ^

If I advertised a business, offered/sold training & made my money of film sales I would be happy to see them succeed. What is your business model? To be The next tint world of ppf or training & seller of ppf helping your dealers succeed?

Midtown Houston · May 1, 2016

To look at this from a different perspective, think if you hired someone, trained them, then the day after they left training, they became your competitor, before ever earning you a dollar to recoup your investment. Would you go out of your way to tell your customers to go see that person?

I hear a lot about xpel taking accounts & it never hit home till you posted this ^

If I advertised a business, offered/sold training & made my money of film sales I would be happy to see them succeed. What is your business model? To be The next tint world of ppf or training & seller of ppf helping your dealers succeed?

I took a screen shot of Xpel dealer locator of the 4 cities I know Xpel own a in-house shop. It use a 6 car icon rating system instead of a star rating system. It is almost implying that Xpel factory store is the best in these 4 cities out of all their dealers. No dealer in these 4 cities have more than 4 car icon rating. Most have none or 1 car icon rating. As a consumer looking at this....I going to pick the 6 car icon store not knowing it is a company store....NO BRAINER....."I WANT THE BEST FOR MY CAR SO I GOING TO PICK THE 6 CAR STAR STORE"

What company do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are flavoring yourself using that car rating system in these 4 cities. How can anyone compete.....I must admit, it is very clever of you guys to do that in a city that you own a store. 3M and Huper Optik dealer locator is use to find a dealer near consumer not to flavor dealer over another dealer.

We do buy directly from Xpel and pay for the DAP software. But we also use 3 sub contractor that carry Xpel. PPF is not our main source of income, but we see a major increase in sale due to having it in-house now. Our car wash and detailing services is our bread and butter and we service over 3k vehicle a month. When a customer buy a new car....we are the first to service it thru our car wash and upsell them usually on window film. Most customer that add 3M Crystalline and Huper Optik Ceramic also add PPF thru our package deal. We are not able to provide in-house ppf service to some of these car so we sub out over 50% of our ppf install due to limited bay. That is why we are building a 4 bay, 2 story beside our midtown location so we can service all of these vehicle in-house.

I should of rename this topic and put "HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM"

This is just a head up to all other Xpel dealer in other cities and states...... I can almost promise you guys....that when they built a new store in your city....your revenue will drop. If Xpel PPF is your main source of income, you will be f...K .....I don't have the power to stop Xpel from doing this....but if we all get together and stop buying from Xpel and voice our concern the power go back to the dealer. DEALER VS MANNY

DynamicATL · May 1, 2016

You would think they would just now allow other dealers in the areas they are already in and place dealers only in areas they are not. The only way I see that working is if the price they are charging is a lot higher than the independent dealers. So you can go to actual XPEL for a premium price or choose an authorized dealer for a lower price. Personally I would go direct to XPEL since I would assume nobody will do as good of a job than the actual maker of the film. Which brings me back to not having dealers there. Plus as far as training installers just for them to leave, why not have a contract they have to sign stating if you leave prior to X time, they owe X amount for the training. Definitely a weird business model.