Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Galvez & Fernando Salina.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
We started out washing cars for other people, each one individually, and we worked at dealerships for companies that subcontracted personnel to wash cars. Fernando worked at Infiniti in Cool Springs and I at Kia in Franklin. But I had already been working in this industry for approximately 3 years and I wanted to open my own business because I was bored of being in the middle of my boss and the dealership. I was in charge of the personnel and making sure the cars came out well at KIA. I wanted to work for someone else in the industry to learn other work techniques and see other aspects of personnel management, logistics systems, etc. So I started working at Toyota of Cool Springs, where I met Fernando. He had started a few weeks before, I saw him and said: “What a good worker.” The months went by and we got to know each other better, we started connecting in the way of thinking, the plans and all the objectives and we basically wanted the same thing, to do things in the best way possible to give a good service and eliminate all the faults we saw. So we decided to create Sting with the idea of helping dealerships and bodyshops with the detailing area, since we had detected several faults while being there.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been an easy road. We have gone through many difficulties, the first being the language. We both speak Spanish, of course I speak a little English but not at a professional level. We are immigrants and neither of us knew the steps to create a business, I had to research everything on the Internet and literally start from scratch. Things in the USA are different than in Latin America when it comes to paperwork. In addition to that, we had to go little by little buying the machinery, taking out our own money to be able to equip the company, buy a pressure washer, the van, and everything little by little. Another thing was that they almost gave us an important contract but our current boss didn’t let us go up because it was his contract and he wanted to keep it, and since he has more recognition and years working with that company, obviously they put obstacles in our way. Another obstacle is influence. We tried somewhere else, but since we are not very well-known yet, they didn’t give us the contract, because I suppose they thought we didn’t have the experience or solidity to be able to take it on. Although we have everything, personnel and everything, it is difficult for large companies to trust someone who has just entered the market.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Sting detailing is a car detailing company, aimed at businesses that want to solve recurring problems in the car detailing area such as: poor communication, poorly trained staff, speed-quality, etc. That is why we specialize, we are constantly innovating and training to be able to provide our clients with a personalized and professional service that adapts to their needs and ultimately be able to solve their problems. Sting knows that if you want to be a professional you must act like a professional, that is why we are certified by the IDA (International Detailing Association), to demonstrate the commitment we have to doing things the best way.
What’s next?
Our plans for the future are growth, achieving more deals with B2B clients without losing sight of the true objective, which is to help companies with this pain, always doing our work with commitment and passion.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stingdetailing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stingdetailing/profilecard/?igsh=b29yenNwYTVzNGlx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/YSXYJVHrvBTJNVva/?mibextid=wwXIfr
