DetailedbyTate

Friends:  We started this shine-therapy forum over a decade ago!  Time sure does fly....doesn't it?
 
Thank you for being here, and participating in this shine-crazy community.  Thank you for your business, and for voting for products you like and don't like with your dollars.  Thank you for helping us create better solutions.  Thank you for calling attention to areas or products we can improve.  Thank you for helping us grow this business exponentially, I'm humbled beyond words!
 
Please, SMILE while you type....
 
Thank you for not using this forum as a place to air negativity.  Thank you for always being respectful of other members, and our employees.  Thank you for  using detailing, your therapist, or exercise, or meditation to work through your issues, when you feel like life is tough.  Thank you for making AdamsForums a positive and pleasant place to hang out!
 
In 2008, when we started this forum, we had 6 employees, and a few thousand customers.  Today, we have 125 employees, and over 300,000 customers.  One thing we have learned, for absolute certain:  WE ARE NOT PERFECT!  There was exactly one person who ever walked earth, who was perfect.  We are not Him.  We are not even close.  
 
If you are feeling perfect, like your finish is 100% swirl free, and never needs cleaning or polishing, if you feel like your poop doesn't stink, like you walk on water, and are comfortable coming here to blast members or the company who pays to maintain this community, please, don't.    Need to get some negativity off your chest?  Find a dirty or swirled up car to detail.  Find a therapist, let out a primal scream, go for a run or hike, a mountain bike ride, go ski or snowboard if that's your winter kick, like it is mine! 
 
There are many ways people like to get negative energy out. Blasting other members, or this enthusiast forum sponsor probably won't help you turn your frown upside down.  Please come, hang out, be kind, give and get detailing help, and understand:  We want to earn your business, but more importantly, we want your kindness. 
 
Vote for the products you like with your dollars.  Don't buy stuff you don't like, but please, don't bash them.  If you cannot understand the marketing team's decision to bring on a particular product, you are probably not the target customer!   I have never watched TV, don't buy soda or potato chips, and don't follow sports.  Do I hang out bashing Coke, Ruffles, or slamming the Super Bowl?  Absolutely not, it's just not worth the negative energy!  (Plus, my kids, wife, and employees need me to be a positive influence.)
 
 
So friends, I've instructed our incredible  Forum Leadership Team to permanently remove AF members who regularly post negativity.  Threads that are overrun with negativity are also going to be deleted, unless they offer detailing solutions or help to members searching.
 
As the only AdamsForums sponsor, we want people to feel great about being here.  
 
Thanks for your business, and your smile, and here is my Primal Scream, after getting this off my chest!
 
 
 

You are correct. It’s absolutely not linear. However the costs were already built in to be profitable at 16 ounce bottle pricing. Going to an 8 ounce bottle price at 2/3 the cost is still effectively an increase per ounce for them and their balance sheet. They were still paying for bottles and the pour of product regardless. So raising price per ounce is still raising profit no matter how you look at it. 
 
It makes sense to offer that smaller quantity since some people need it. Unfortunately they alienated a fair number of customers in their choice to only offer the one option. 
 
Over time it’s become increasingly clear that they don’t intend to cater to volume users and have instead focus on special editions of the same products or to individual users. The funny thing is that your volume users are more likely to reorder frequently. They also lose out when someone asks “what should I use to maintain my car?” My answer isn’t always Adam’s since they’re not always the products I’m using and that decision is sometimes purely dictated by a pricing decision.
 
On a business side, if I’m considering a price increase because I need more profit margin to cover expenses I have two options...well, three.
 
One is to buy smarter effectively giving me the margins I need. Two is to raise my prices. Three is a combination of both. When I’m evaluating a price increase, if I can get what I need without hammering my clients it’s the clear winner every time. As such, we haven’t increased our prices in a while. The first real increase may come next year to help gaslight our growth and to recover some of my investment that I’ve made. But that decision will also be coupled with a hard look at product selection, quantity and pricing to work both ends and minimize the client impact. 

I agree that when there’s always a sale, there’s never a sale. But the point of the thread was that a while back, a 16 ounce product was $29.99 minus any discounts. Then it went to 8 ounces of product for $19.99 minus discounts. They effectively cut their costs and raised their profit margins by charging the end user more per ounce. 
 
This happens all the time in grocery stores and people get upset. It happens here, and we are thankful for it it seems and make excuses for why it’s okay. Regardless of professional or hobbyist, the only winners here are Adams and their profit dollars on the balance sheet. Quite a marketing scheme to increase profitability without really doing anything.
 
That and planned obsolescence of products. There’s always the “next version.” Development is crucial. The life cycle of an Adam’s product is becoming shorter and shorter, and seemingly by design.
 
Their products work, and they work well. But they are not the only game in town. We all value our dollars and experiences differently and have to weigh many factors in our purchasing decisions. It’s just unfortunate to see costs and margins being driven up without a benefit to the consumer. 

Leave Vm.  He did call me back. 

So here’s the deal. Adams has enough products to run a business. They have a detail shop themselves. 
 
However, their buying options don’t lend themselves to the best purchasing decisions as a business. Knowing your costs will be exponentially higher, you’ll need to adjust your prices to compensate for that. 
 
When it comes to pricing and profit margins, you can increase your margins two ways. Raise the cost of your product. Bring your back end costs down. Price your product too high and you lose business. 
 
Quite honestly, outside of a coating a client has never asked what we use for products. They have asked what to use to maintain their vehicle. At that point you can sell them anything. 
 
Adams makes a great product for the consumer. For the professional, some are great. Others are not. By being one brand exclusive you set yourself up for some potential issues down the line. Backorder? You don’t have another supplier you’re set up with. 
 
What ultimately got me searching outside of Adams as I transitioned from consumer to “professional” was when they eliminated the 16 ounce bottles of product and replaced it with an 8 ounce. Half the product at 2/3 the price. My costs went up quite a bit. Couple that with even a 16 ounce bottle not lasting long and it was time to search other options. 
 
Adams makes some good stuff. So do other companies. Don’t limit yourself or you’re doing your business and your client multiple disservices. 

We may be going to SEMA next year. I’ve started talking to my guys about it this week. If we do, I MIGHT be able to register one or two people who also want to attend. I don’t know how many spots we can get. 
 
Food for thought...

Yup. And it looks like they’re trying it again. It’s been a year and zero information on it. Can’t believe they’re trying to get two years of SEMA out of one line of products that hasn’t been released. 
 
I’ve inquired many times on the phone and over email about the Pro-Line and have consistently been told “I don’t know” or “it’s coming.” This debut and lack of follow through is actually a big driving force to us trying other products and discovering other lines. 
 
In my opinion Adam’s really dropped the ball miserably with this product line. And putting it out at SEMA for the second year...I just don’t know. 

This CC sponge may be my new favorite VRT applicator. So much easier to apply to trim and not the things that surround it. The fabric does a nice job too.
 
 
 
 

I visited Adams HQ on Thursday and saw those mystery buckets being packed. The guys and gals were working like crazy. Very cool to the amount of care and effort that goes into a sale like this. 

I visited Adams HQ on Thursday and saw those mystery buckets being packed. The guys and gals were working like crazy. Very cool to the amount of care and effort that goes into a sale like this. 

I visited Adams HQ on Thursday and saw those mystery buckets being packed. The guys and gals were working like crazy. Very cool to the amount of care and effort that goes into a sale like this. 

I like the yellow 3M tape

I might has some coating I can send your way, I'll check this weekend.

It's from home depot. Its a husky 31in 1 drawer mechanics cart. My store had a pallet of them marked at $40 6 weeks or so ago. I was at home depot the other day and they still have some...But I'm guessing someone messed up the price when snagged mine. I bought it just because it was $40, worked out better than I could've ever imagined. I really like the fold up side table, too.

While you're at Costco, pick up the Adam's Polishes Car Care Wash Bucket Kit.
 

I wish it was a 2xl

Shane explained it well. What are you future plans? Are you going to college/trade school? I would continue doing what you are doing through the summer. Focus on pricing and the services that you want to provide. Who is your competition and what are there services? What do they charge? Who is your target market? You may want to develop a business plan. This will give you direction. The U.S. Small Business Administration web site has a good outline for a business plan. I learn something from every detail that I do.
 Always keep learning and improving.

Pull the horn fuse to prevent honking while working. I would try interior detailer and a soft brush

I wonder if something is falling or dripping from the ceiling in the parking garage. You might want to keep an eye in it.

Rich is correct. Wax will be just fine. Be careful with clay around the stripping especially the gold leaf as clay can have a small amount of abrasion, and may leave tracks in the gold leaf

I would mask off the lettering or stay away from it. Most lettering and stripping is thin and can be polished away easily.

With getting older I know my hearing is getting worse.  I'm sure it from years of driving loud diesels, too many concerts as a youngster, and being married.  I ordered up some hearing protection a while back for the purpose of doing things around the yard.  Lawn mowing, etc.  I also use them when draining my air compressor, as that thing seriously hurts my ears.  
 
While doing a detail over the weekend, I felt that running polishers and my master blaster was hard on the ears too.  I found that wearing hearing protection made it more enjoyable.  My kid teases me now and I tell him that one day he won't be so invincible and wish that he made adjustments  in his younger years.  Do any you others wear hearing protection while detailing? 

Yes I also use hearing protection. I find it helps me to focus. I also find myself using my wireless headphones at a lower volume to help block out the polisher noise.

Yes, in the states most if not all vehicles after production go to holding yards, then by rail sometimes to a second or third holding yard. After that it's open truck to dealership. Your car will have been transported by rail at some point. Adams Deep Wheel Cleaner does a fantastic job with removing rail dust. Congratulations on your new Mustang.

I corrected a 2016 GT350 last summer the paint was full of rail dust and was in my opinion a medium hardness. I have not found any of the big three with what would consider "hard" paint