ssr instead of full spray set up

[markt1]

 I have a scratch system its as Andy says customers preferences i choose to paint i get more money yes i spend more time but it isnt a quick job my job matches the surrounding area unoticeable to to the untrained eye as where a SSR repair looks like ive got a pot of colour out and dabed it in the scratch followed by some 2pack lacquer left to dry them buffed im sorry but their is no comparision and i would rather walk away from a job than sploge paint all over a scratch makes us guys look like bogers and smart repair outside seems to have a bad repution as it is without people running around throwing paint in scratches and giving it a quick buff thats my view.

[Screenman]

Has anyone ever had someone say just do your best when chipping a silver bonnet( after you had told them it will look crap, so you give in to your better judgment and do your best, only to have the customer come back and say he can still see the chips, or have you used the correct colour etc.

[xxxxxx]

Hi screeny and members,

i did get the aqua touch system as it does provide a filler to fill stone chips and scratches
but my honest opinion is it takes too long you have to wait for the filler to harden then apply
the paint and wait then flatten it with a flattening solution it all takes time, BOOM  by that time
SSR kit comes out clean the surface (panel wash) apply nearest colour wipe in with bodyshop towel
as they call it or wipe in with your finger you feel it drying as you do it then simply polish off clean then resdidue off the
panel job done in about ten minutes depending on size of scratch or stone chips hardly any waiting about sometimes just
simply amazing results and sometimes completly frustrating

The Aqua kit was £352 i think near as damn it but now Darren pointed out it is wait, about £900 quid my opinion and only my opinion as
not to upset anyone it`s not worth the hassle? I hate too say i would still probably buy the SSR again if i had to again ?

if it`s like the SSR kit go for it but if it`s not be carefull as the waiting times for the product to dry will kill any profit you might make having to wait around ?

Andy..

[Screenman]

Did you look at Applied Colors which is about 1/2 the price the guy is talking about? Also have you had much luck selling the service, I think the OP is looking to start up a business.

Look at the post above ? Screeny and all..

[Screenman]

The Aqua Chip was water based I now think Dave has gone over to a solvent based system, not quite sure what is going on with his website though he looks like he is showing old kit with new prices. 

The Applied Colors system is solvent based www.appliedcolors.com

We seem to be skirting around on this post a bit, so do we say to this guy it is a good business idea or not. Personally I would say if he can sell it there is a market, although I would not want to go down that path again. To hard on the old back all that leaning over the bonnet trying to fill hundreds of little chips, also the colour matching has moved on as well.

[AshfieldAutospray]

I'd say it's in the way you sell it to the customer.  I used to charge for stone chip repairs when I was a franchisee.  I hated doing them as I myself thought the results were poor (never mind the customer).  I really did not like doing them because they were so bad but the franchisor stated that I had to advertise them and had to do them.  I tried talking customers out of it but it's very difficult when your company name is c h i p s a w a y.

These days I will only do a stone chip repair as a freebie if I'm doing other work on the car such as a bumper scuff.  I write on the invoice that the touch-in or stone chip repair was FOC and is an "attempt to improve only with no guarantee". Sometimes I add a bit on to the price of the bumper scuff to cover it.  Sometimes it is genuinely free.  I can do the touch-in or chip repair whilst the main repair is drying.

Unless it's an extreme circumstance I will not go out now to just do a touch-in or stone chip repair.  If it's a dark car and local then I may.  Anything metallic or more than 10 miles away and I'd rather say no.  Even if you explain to the customer beforehand that it will not be perfect they still expect it to be better than it turns out.  Others may differ to my opinion but for the sake of the £45 I used to charge I'd rather protect my reputation than turn out shoddy work.

[xxxxxx]

I completley agree?
When im out doing a dent repair i will always repair a scratch by re-colouring it only f.o.c .
reputation building exercise ?

Andy.

[Screenman]

So this may give the OP some idea, some guys give it away FOC. That must make him think twice about investing in ti. Must admit I would prefer to upsell it and earn some pennies from it.

But as I said earlier I am a salesman and this business is more about sales than the skills involved almost.

[Netenergy]

Paul Jobling is a forum member and his comments would be very timely and appropriate.......

[CarDoc]

I have been using Smart-Tech1st's solvent based system for a couple of years now. Haven't switched to the WB one as I have plenty of material left and I believe I can still get refills?

For darker colours, I can get a very acceptable repair, but it takes time - silvers suffer the usual problem of the flakes sinking and being too dark although I do lighten with a bit of white pearl.

I charge for touch-ins but make it clear that it is simply protecting the area from corrosion. I make sure the customer's expectations are set very low and try to over-deliver. I only do touch-ins as part of other work. Why shouldn't I charge? It's my time and the customer knows exactly what to expect. They wouldn't pay if they weren't happy.

Cheers
David

[Smart-Tech]

I have been using Smart-Tech1st's solvent based system for a couple of years now. Haven't switched to the WB one as I have plenty of material left and I believe I can still get refills?

For darker colours, I can get a very acceptable repair, but it takes time - silvers suffer the usual problem of the flakes sinking and being too dark although I do lighten with a bit of white pearl.

I charge for touch-ins but make it clear that it is simply protecting the area from corrosion. I make sure the customer's expectations are set very low and try to over-deliver. I only do touch-ins as part of other work. Why shouldn't I charge? It's my time and the customer knows exactly what to expect. They wouldn't pay if they weren't happy.

Cheers
David

I haven't participated on this thread for fear of conflict of interest but yes Dave, the refills are still available. The only comment I will make is failure to get paid means failure in communication at the start. Under sell and over deliver. 

[Screenman]

I must apologise I forgot about your kit, and knowing your past experience it will be good. I totally agree about how you sell it that has been one of my comments all along, it takes selling but is not impossible to do. In fact I still get asked by a couple of dealers to do it for them still, but I nowadays decline.

I do not think it wrong of you to come on here and post even though you sell a kit, if we do that we will be excluding some extremely knowledgeable guys. I am more than happy to listen to a voice of experience, I am sure your kit works, how much work do you find for it? where is the best market? and many more.

Let us give the OP some good information for him to work from. 

[weeman]

thanks screenman!

i didnt know there was other systems like ssr, if thier cheaper and of the same quality then it would be usefull info.

i only thought to offer the paint repair it as an add on to the windscreen repairs as i start up.  i must say screenman your putting me off any kind of paint repair service at all. it just seems like its not the most profitable way to spend your time.

im guessing your probably right. i really dont want to try and reinvent the wheel when you've been there and done it already!

im just concerned that glass only doesnt have a big enough market to make enough money from alone.

i may just stick with starting out with a delta kit by the looks of it.

ill be starting my market research soon and ill be posting my progress as i go along.

keep the great info coming guys! thanks!

[Screenman]

Weeman, you could well be right about Glass only as the are only about 33,000,000 windscreens in the UK. Just kidding, I hope you enjoy doing your market research I always do, I must admit I always get a kick out of finding new customers, even after all these years.

I am not trying to put you off paint, I am just trying to give you some alternatives, I am one of the few guys on the forum who does not paint and is involved in the business full time. 

Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck and that you will become a long time member of the forum.