Take a SMALL deposit upfront (the actualy - not marked-up cost - of the materials. That way if they skip out on you at least you didn't lose anyting. Second, you won't give them back their car until they pay, so you always have their vehicle as collateral.

The point at which you buy materials will depend on how long the lead time is before you get them, and how quickly you're guaranteeing the service. In this day and age, the faster the better. How long will it take you to paint the vehicle?

You should schedule their appointments before they pay. You can start with a free "consultation" where they bring their car in, you walk them through the process, and explain to them how its going to work.

I would have the option to accept deposits online, but anything outside of that, I would not.

In person, you need to be able to accept cash AND credit...especially credit.

My suggestion is to have a process like this:
1) customer calls asking for a paint. Likes what you say, agrees to use your service
2) Collect the deposit
3) Go get the materials
4) Schedule a time for them to drop-off their vehicle AFTER you've purchased the materials so there's less downtime
5) Paint the vehicle
6) Customer picks up the vehicle and pays

I'm more than happy to speak with you on this further. Feel free to schedule a follow-up call and I can walk you through this step-by-step: https://clarity.fm/taylormitcham

So many great questions here. Every market is different so the most important thing you can do is research your current marketing. Here's what I would do if I was you.

1. Go online and visit the 5 biggest paint shops in your town. Using the questions you just asked answer each and every one of them.

2. Pick the strengths of each answer and implement that in your own paint shop. Discard what you don't like. Focus on things that will make the customer experience smooth and efficient.

3. Create a website to build your brand but don't worry about taking payments online just yet. You need to prove your business model by face-to-face agreements. Websites are the new business card. You want to get that up asap.

Hope that helps. If you want more business advice I'd love to chat with you.

Mario Ashley
http://ashleyashleydesigngroup.com

It is best to take payment upon completion of the work performed in most cases. This shows the customer that you are not just out for money. This is the fastest way to build a positive rapport and reputation around the community. Word of mouth is the best form of marketing in the automotive repair industry. As far as deposits are concerned, my best recommendation would be to feel out the customer. If they seem a bit sketchy, or are asking a lot of abnormal questions regarding payments, then it may be smart to take some sort of deposit. 10% of the total bill is a fair amount. I have seen significantly higher in some shops, but their reputation as an honest shop simply isn't there. When it comes to materials, that all comes down to turn around time of the materials. If a case of paint takes 10 business days, don't wait until you are down to your last can to order more. Gauge your business. Running a successful business all comes down to expense control. Order the right supplies at the right time. One quick note on this: make sure your technicians know the importance of expense control, and being strategic on when to order supplies. If you have buy in from the entire shop, you are more likely to succeed. I would absolutely accept online appointments. The name of the game in any type of automotive repair is cars. The more cars, the better. It is important to note that in order to not hurt your reputation or customer service level, that when taking in a higher volume, you set a realistic expectation with the customer on when you can get them their vehicle back to them.

I hope I was able to help you. Feel free to reach out with any other questions either automotive or sales related.