VinDetailing: The Appointment That Never Really Existed
I'm honestly impressed by the level of commitment VinDetailing showed to turning a simple window-tint appointment into a full-blown comedy of errors.
First, I was hounded for the deposit. Once they had that, the reminders started coming -- appointment reminders, confirmations, texts, the whole nine yards. Apparently, making sure I showed up was extremely important.
I also spoke with them more than once about the exact grade of film I wanted and, importantly, the shade. There was absolutely no shortage of communication about what I wanted.
Fast-forward to appointment day.
I show up on time, as requested.
And... nobody is there.
About 10 minutes after my scheduled appointment, they finally show up to work. I'm thinking, "Okay, here we go. Maybe we can finally get this done."
Nope.
That's when I'm informed that they don't actually have the film I specifically requested.
So let me get this straight: You can relentlessly remind me about my appointment, make sure you collect the deposit, discuss the exact film and shade with me multiple times, and even text me the morning of the appointment...
...but nobody thought to check whether you actually had the film?
And just to add a little ambiance to the experience, the business operates out of a storage facility. Now, I'm not judging the location -- plenty of good businesses start in unconventional places -- but when you combine that with not having the film, not being there when the appointment starts, and somehow still managing to remind me repeatedly to be on time, the whole thing starts to feel like an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The irony is almost beautiful.
I burned fuel getting there, wasted my time, rearranged my day, and showed up on time -- only to discover that the product we had discussed repeatedly wasn't even available.
Meanwhile, the people who had sent me multiple reminders about my appointment couldn't even make it to their own appointment on time.
It's almost impressive.
If VinDetailing put the same amount of effort into checking inventory, preparing for appointments, and actually being there when customers arrive as they do into collecting deposits and sending reminders, they might have a pretty great operation.
Instead, I got a masterclass in:
"How to remind your customer 47 times about an appointment you aren't prepared to honor."
10/10 communication about the appointment.
0/10 execution of the appointment.
And apparently the only thing that was truly tinted that day was my patience. read more