Today we’d like to introduce you to Toni Khoury.
Hi Toni, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Barbastella Detailing was born out of my own love for cars and the little obsessions I had with ensuring the car ran good, looked good, and made me feel good. I was 22 years old and had already spent a decent amount of money on soaps, buckets, a vacuum, etc and after cleaning the cars of a few family members I was given the idea to start a detailing business. At first the idea was just a “oh yeah maybe someday” type of thought but it just festered in my mind. It wouldn’t leave me alone and I quickly became dead set on making it a reality. I laid out my plan for the business and it’s goals. I wanted my customers to come to expect a higher standard with my work and use me as a resource as well as a service. More than a place to go get your car cleaned but a friend to reach out to for advice, product know-how, best steps for tackling car issues and so forth. I wanted to be the “guy to call” for my clients and I’m so happy to say that I’ve achieved this. After designing a logo, building a website and getting the infrastructure all set up, it’s been 5 amazing years that have truly been the best of my life. Barbastella Detailing is my child and I love working every day and meeting be clients. I love nothing more than over delivering for them and being someone they can count on no matter what. If the economy collapsed tomorrow and no one could afford my services anymore I’d just start detailing for free I don’t think there’s a future where I just can’t be doing it. This is my story and how I got started. Barbastella Detailing has a long life ahead of it!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The path to starting my business and getting it to where it is has been mostly straightforward. All in all I cannot complain I’ve been blessed to have great people help me navigate the business world to grow and meet the demands. However, I’ve had my fair share of hiccups and issues along the way. From editing videos and fixing website bugs, to reimbursing clients on damaged I’ve caused due to mistakes made early in my career. I think I’m confident in saying I’ve been through the majority of problems a business owner can endure but I’ve never let them stop me in my tracks. Early on in the business I learned the hard way that trying very hard to be a people pleaser is unwise. You feel the intense need to make every customer happy but you forget to actually acknowledge the wants and needs they ask of you and I realized it’s far more important to address their problems in an honest and straightforward way rather than say yes to everything and end up under delivering. I learned that honesty and directing expectations to customers is far more important than trying your very best to please them. They appreciate this attribute in the end because being real and up front is more important than trying to be Superman.
As you know, we’re big fans of BARBASTELLA DETAILING. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Barbastella Detailing is a home front one man army detailing service focused on delivering high end detailing work on cars, trucks. And motorcycles. My name is Toni and I’m the owner and operator. We specialize in paint correction, ceramic coating installation, headlight restoration, interior details, and much more. Barbastella Detailing is set apart from others because of our dedication to a quality finished product and a tremendous value for money that is aggressively competitive. With one person behind the scenes and basically no real overhead I get to pass on big savings to customers and help them navigate the world of car care in ways that suit them. My relationship with clients is truly what makes working with them so special. All my ceramic coating installations come with 3 complimentary maintenance washes and I’m always eager to share with my clients the best means of caring for their coating and I always encourage them to reach out to me whenever for advice. Steps to get a job done at home, which products work best for them, and more. I’m especially proud of this for my brand. To know that my clients see Barbastella as an establishment that prioritizes quality work and high expectations above all while still being a personal resource for them is what fills my heart. If you’re reading this and have questions, reach out to Toni at Barbastella Detailing and ask me anything about how I can fine tune the experience to you and your vehicle. My unique position gives me the ability to ensure every clients needs and concerns are met with a high eye that addresses everything.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Finding a mentor has never really been hard for me mainly because I never have one alone. Detailing is a vast ocean on knowledge, wisdom, techniques, and pure skill that sticking to any one resource on it can greatly limit you. I’ve had the pleasure to learn from a handful of mentors and online sources that have allowed me to grow as a detailer and business owner. I’ve personally been trained online in a few ceramic coating applications to be able to have certification for installation although in the prep work leading up to a coating being installed is where I feel you’ll find far more important work. Anyone can complete a great cake by just putting it in the oven but all the mixing and ingredients gathered and methods used to bring it all together are what matter more to get a good end result. As for clients, my volume is low but solid. I’m very blessed to have great clients that spread the word on my behalf and a lot of my customers are referred by others and thus come my way by seeing my work on the cars of their friends and family members. I find that to be the strongest form of networking I have.
Pricing:
- Ceramic Coating ($1000)
- Interior Detail ($250)
- Exterior detail ($125)
- Paint correction ($500)
- Headlight restoration ($50)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://barbastelladetailing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbastelladetailing?igsh=NnI1ZnpuZzZuY3p3
