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Garage Tinting and the Customer


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So I am just getting started tinting and dont want to rack up a lot of debt so I am tinting in my garage for now and saving up to build a shop. I always read how everyone suggests "dont let the customer watch right over your shoulder". So In my scenario what you you recommend? For all of you other garage tinters without a waiting room what do you do?

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As far as pricing, I would charge more or the same.  I used to consider that my overhead was low, but the fact is that the iobs are harder and more hassle doing it mobile. Also, once I noticed several shops that do mobile were charging an extra $50+. Again, make them pay for the convenience.   

 

As far as custys watching...most annoying thing! I usually just clean to bore them.  If somone asks me shiat while im hanging film I ignore them.  Sometimes i feel like its not nice, but im not there to talk or put on a show...just to get a quality install. 

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i tint out of a 24x30 shop building at my house.  i send out reminders to my customers of their appt and ask them to drop their vehicle off and have someone to pick them up as it may take 3-4 hours.  i am a one man show and i dont get in no hurry.  im very picky about quality and if i dont like it, i will rip it off and start over.  customers watching is most annoying.  they want to watch every move then question why you ae doing it like that.  im not there to give them free tint lessons.  i got a few friends i will let hang while i tint but joe public can call a ride.  i dont have a waiting room.

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I didn't have the depth in my home garage so I rented a storage condo that I tint in. It's 45 deep and 20 wide with a 15 wide 14 tall door and 16 foot ceilings, plenty of room for even the biggest trucks. An added cost but keeps people out of my personal world.

 

I tell everyone right up front that I have no waiting area so it is drop off only. I have offered rides to a few friends and I will allow for overnight if they ask. For a four door car I tell people six hours with the justification that we have a cleaning and curing process. Also, if I tell them less and it takes me longer they wouldn't be happy. No issues to this day.

 

I have let a couple friends hang out but usually I put them to work pulling door panels or cleaning up before I get to the next window.

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Definitely tell the customer how long it will take (like 3+ hours) and most people are not gonna wait. Let them know this before they come so that they can make arrangements for a drop off. Hopefully you have rideshare services in your area like uber/lyft because that gets most of the customers out from waiting in our shop. 

 

Don't have any chairs or things they can sit on in your garage so they wont be comfortable lol. Nobody is gonna stand there for hours and watch lol!

Edited by CaliTINT
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When I was doing sunroofs back in the day I grabbed a pic ax and popped a hole in the roof ( instead of drilling a pilot hole), most said I don’t want to watch this anymore. On a side note of the rest for tint....I have a plaque that says; if you have to ask if it goes on the outside it is 40.00 extra; if I have to talk to you it is 100.00 extra; if you have to watch it is 400.00 extra, they seem to get the point. I generally provide pick up and delivery as a courtesy, he’ll, my wife has nothing else to do....

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The last time I let anyone watch..They ended up picking up the heat gun to heat a finger while I walked off to refill the spray bottle..From a finger to a big bubbling and boiling glue..I had kindly stopped and removed everything and told him I cannot work on your vehicle anymore..Too much time talking,explaining that for a simple Camry it felt like eternity.What made it worse my bluetooth speaker was missing so couldn’t ignore them.

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I built a small waiting room in my shop was a window that I can choose to keep open or closed so the customer can watch but they’re out of my way. It’s not realistic to send a customer away when they’re just getting a set of doors done compared to doing a whole vehicle

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