Car scent

[Detailbuster09]

Wondering what you guys use for air fresheners for your customers I’ve been looking around and there’s a couple brands that are good but I’m just wondering what everybody does for car sense for customers. 

[ObsessedDetailer]

Adams has tons of air fresheners! One of my favorites is the Squash scent. They just released a bunch of new ones recently as well. Have you used their odor neutralizer? Those all smell great as well. My favorite is the clean cotton. 

[RayS]

Between Order Neutralizer and the Adam's air fresheners that pretty much takes care of any of the guys vehicles.  For the women owned vehicles, they usually end up with Yankee Candle air fresheners, which are more expensive than Adam's.  

 

For the pickups that have tonneau covers or caps, I always try to hit them a couple of times with odor neutralizer, it takes the musty smell out that most of the boxes end up with.

[Rich]

Favorite one for us are the vanilla vent sticks.  

[Furyan]

Strawberry detail spray scented ones are legit. Got grape coming as well. Hopefully they will release the leather Conditioner scented ones again. Another fav of mine is Chemical guys Stripper scent 

[vm1971]

I swear by the odor neutralizer. And I keep a mini one in my console for myself. Plus, the cleaning and wipe-down of interior surfaces leaves behind nice (Adams) scents.

V

[falcaineer]

8 hours ago, vm1971 said:

I swear by the odor neutralizer. And I keep a mini one in my console for myself. Plus, the cleaning and wipe-down of interior surfaces leaves behind nice (Adams) scents.

V

 

+1 to all of this!

[Daniel-J]

I like incense, you should use it and leave it in the car for 5-7 minutes and it will smell nice.

[Junior]

Many times I will put an Adams AF in a customers car when I’m done. The grape one is probably my favorite. I will also spray a couple shots of ON in some cars if they need it. And on some I will spray the detail spray into the floorboard in front and back. It always smells great.

[quebert]

This is another thread for me to make the suggestion for Adam's to offer the variety air fresheners packs but where you can pick which you want. Getting 6 for $13 instead of $18 add's up when you put one in most of your customers car.  Like towels, I'd definitely buy them in 12 packs too.

Edited March 27, 2020 by quebert

[Junior]

14 hours ago, quebert said:

This is another thread for me to make the suggestion for Adam's to offer the variety air fresheners packs but where you can pick which you want. Getting 6 for $13 instead of $18 add's up when you put one in most of your customers car.  Like towels, I'd definitely buy them in 12 packs too.

I mentioned the same thing back when they were soliciting feedback. They did a variety pack which was cool, but you couldn’t choose the scents. I guess logistically it is more difficult to do that and more errors would happen.

[quebert]

On 3/27/2020 at 6:34 AM, Junior said:

I mentioned the same thing back when they were soliciting feedback. They did a variety pack which was cool, but you couldn’t choose the scents. I guess logistically it is more difficult to do that and more errors would happen.

 

Just make it so if you add 3, 6, or 12 a discount's automatically applied, they're all the same price right? It wouldn't be any more work on their end than if I added 6 different ones to my cart and bought them.  I know for Adam's base customer this would be a whatever thing because how many do normal people go thru? Very few. But as a detailer I might use 25 a week. 

 

*EDIT* Okay, I was wrong I just looked and some are $3.99 and I see a few that are $1.99, they could do a variety option with a drop down that just had the ones the deal applies too. That would save me $20'ish a month if I bought them here, which isn't a lot, but would be enough to uhhh buy some more Adam's products lol.

[07stanggt]

On 1/17/2020 at 10:25 AM, Detailbuster09 said:

Wondering what you guys use for air fresheners for your customers I’ve been looking around and there’s a couple brands that are good but I’m just wondering what everybody does for car sense for customers. 

Don't waste them on customers, not everyone likes what you might like.

[shane@detailedreflections]

Before you use air fresheners, make sure your client is okay with it. We have one client in particular that doesn’t like scents due to a hypersensitivity. 
 

We actually use different cleaners than we commonly use to avoid leaving an odor in her vehicle to accommodate her needs. 
 

On the flip side we have a client who always ask for different air fresheners and likes to pick one each time. 
 

Something to think about. 

[quebert]

18 hours ago, 07stanggt said:

Don't waste them on customers, not everyone likes what you might like.

 

I find it's good to ask, I've had more than I could count want one. A few even ended up commenting on how their car smells over how good the paint looked.  Air fresheners are the cheapest and best thing a detailer can offer imho. If a person wants one? A few bucks, and zero time invested and they're happy. 

 

I spent about 5 hours on a minivan, did a one step and put a glaze on it. When I saw the husband a few days later he said his wife told him to tell me how wonderful it smelled. Kind of hurt my pride a bit, but hay she was a regular customer after that lol.

 

Question to anyone who uses Adam's ones (I never have)  They say they shouldn't be in direct sun light, makes sense to me. But suggest the rear view as a good place. Somewhere like Cali where it's HOT in the summer would these basically bake and have no scent after a day in the sun? Do they work well under the seat? The brand I use now are suppose to be put under the seat.

Edited March 30, 2020 by quebert

[mc2hill]

17 hours ago, shane@detailedreflections said:

Before you use air fresheners, make sure your client is okay with it. We have one client in particular that doesn’t like scents due to a hypersensitivity. 
 

We actually use different cleaners than we commonly use to avoid leaving an odor in her vehicle to accommodate her needs. 
 

On the flip side we have a client who always ask for different air fresheners and likes to pick one each time. 
 

Something to think about. 

 

Good point Shane!

I had a customer that asked me 'when you came to give us a quote, you said you would make the cars smell better.  What do scent will you be spraying, as I am sensitive to smells?' .  I told her I don't usually use anything, the car will smell better because it is clean!

[shane@detailedreflections]

2 hours ago, quebert said:

 

I find it's good to ask, I've had more than I could count want one. A few even ended up commenting on how their car smells over how good the paint looked.  Air fresheners are the cheapest and best thing a detailer can offer imho. If a person wants one? A few bucks, and zero time invested and they're happy. 

We may have differing opinions here a bit. And I don’t think either of us is “right or wrong,” but for the sake of business discussion, let’s expand. 
 

The best thing a detailer can offer is quality service that meets the needs and expectations of their clients. That’s not derived through any single product or process. It comes from listening to a client and setting realistic expectations, then exceeding them. Think...underpromise and over deliver. 
 

As far as air fresheners go, the approach that makes sure everyone’s needs are met is to offer it as a complimentary treatment that they can select when they pick up their vehicle. It gives them the discretion to say yes or no, and doesn’t feel like they’re missing out if they say no. Also having a few different scents can help them to have the “power of choice.” To add air fresheners at the time of pickup adds less than one minute to the service and they’re happy. If they’re smell sensitive, they’re still happy. 
 

If you have regular clients that you know like air fresheners and particular scents, note it and do it automatically. Then when they pick up you can say “I know you usually like ________ scent, we’ve gone ahead and already applied that for you.” It creates a sense of personal attention and that you remember them as a client (and not a customer). 
 

Anyway, it’s something to think about. You all know your customer/client base and what has been working for you. Just trying to provide another view.