Hear My Rant

[DP 08 GXP]

ok i usually dont rant about much but today this guy for some reason got under my skin....i run a detailing business on the side and have a craigslist ad, business cards, etc.....i get a call from a potential customer who wants a jeep liberty and nissan altima done....i quote him my prices which are $160 for complete detail on the liberty...$120 for exterior and $80 for interior...for the altima its $130 full detail....exterior only is $90 and interior only is $50....his response is can i get a deal if i do both? my response was that i call local places that detail for their prices and they charge around $180 for what i do on a car so im $50 cheaper then they are plus in my opinion i put on better products and results are better.....from the way he responded i doubt he calls back....it just kills me people dont understand how much time and effort goes into a true full detail.....there is my rant which i had to get off my chest....thanks for reading

[MAYBEN]

my father-in-law asked me to do his wife's Lincoln MKX.. I made the mistake of asking if he wanted everything done, he said yeah! but once its done, I'm sure she will take it to a car wash and undo everything I corrected.. I have no idea what he plans on paying me either, he asked me if I wanted to do it since I'm currently unemployed..

 

maybe I can get away with a simpler process? any suggestions? lol I guess if I did a full correction, I could chaulk it up to experience as I have only used the PC once so far and they are family..

[DP 08 GXP]

That is why it is so important to educate them on what each step in your process will do for them. If you told most people what your process is they would hear blah blah blah after the wash part. That is why you have to explain how each step will benefit THEM. The general public just don't think of auto detailing like we do. We (I assume you) love the process of detailing. To me it is a stress reliever, the money is just a benefit. There are also some people you just can't satisfy. If you told them you would do it for free, they would still find something to complain about when it was done. Even if it was beyond perfect. This is just a fact, I know I have a friend like this. Hope this helps.

 

when i explained paint correction i used terms i figured he would understand....such as when you look at your paint in the sunlight and see all the little scraches and things that look like spider webs....i can get those out which will add more shine to your car....i still dont think he got it....oh well such is life i guess

[Grubrunner]

What does your "complete detail" consist of?

 

Just curious....

 

full detail is wash, clay, wash, paint correction, polishing, wax of choice between MSW or americana, glaze, engine cleaning and dressing, wheel wells cleaning and dressing, windows, carpet sweeping and cleaning, cleaning of dash and door panels then dressing, leather cleaning and conditioning...i put around 6-7 hours into cars and 8-9 into trucks suvs and vans..i live in ottawa..if you look at my other posts of customers cars i have done you will see the work i put into their cars

 

I'll [try] make this real brief.

 

I'm assuming here that ALL products you use are Adam's Car Care [or equivalent, top-notch], you don't "skimp" on any of the products you supply/use, you go to your clients, and that you work alone, correct?

 

If so, then sir, you are under-charging ..... BIG TIME! HUGE!

 

When I was doing this for many years as a part-time/hobby thingymejigg, I was providing pretty much everything you listed, EXCEPT the claying and second wash, and would NOT take a penny under $240.00 for ANY car ..... often $300.00 for most PLUS tip. Oh, and did I mention I was using OTC [near] worthless stuff?

 

Hmmm.....

 

Don't short-change yourself brother.... set the example and learn to "sell" your services, the products you use and educate your clients. If you continue offering "bargain" details, you cheapen yourself, the products you use and an industry [high-end detailing] that's [still] held in high esteem and is considered by many to be sublime and illustrious. Of course, I say this with all due respect to you.

 

Best wishes.

[1anonly]

I agree, you're under charging. I'm finding out that I'm doing the same. I'm doing a friends HHR for $150, a Mustang for $175, and a 350Z for $200. I actually figured out how much material costs and subtract it from my price. Then looked at how much money I was making per hour...... it was around $10 a hour. Is $10 a hour worth it? Not really to me. Yes I enjoy detailing, but it make to make some money so I can buy toys too. My prices are going up to $250-$300. For that price they get the whole kit and kaboodle. I do my paint corrections so that the paint is better than showroom, but less than "Best paint" at a car show. So about 90-95% perfect.

[Team Adam's]

Phew! Way undercharging... well at least compared to Cali pricing... that might be fair market in Ohio, not sure.

 

In any event, its common. People see a sign at the car wash that says "$50 Detail" and equate that to me when I tell them "$300" - the average consumer doesn't understand the difference and are largely ignorant of what a detail even is or how long it will take to be done properly.

 

My advice to you is to give him a followup call. Tell him you cannot match that price for the level of work you do, but offer to let him bring the vehicle to you AFTER he gets the other detail done and you'll do a panel with your process so he can see.

 

I've done this EXACT thing a few times in the past... the people who did take me up on it either feel like morons and pay to have the rest of the car done right then and there or they would at least contact me the next time the car needed to be done.

 

Seeing is believing... and until someone sees what the difference is between an actual detail and some guy doing half @$$ wash and wax they won't know what they're missing.

[DP 08 GXP]

yes i am the only one and yeah i only use Adams for everything...i guess i dont really charge for my time to do it when i should be.

 

that is a really good point Dylan....sad thing is the prices im charging is higher then the wash and wax guys and under what shops charge....the demographics here arent ideal by any means.

 

my thought process for my pricing was this....start in the middle ground and get a good client base....once i got that i would be able to charge more since there wouldnt be as many free dates for people to get so the demand who be higher then the supply.

[Diggerdan11]

Man i would love to have a full Adams detail done to my truck for only $180. I would think that was a steal. The local Adams Retailer/Detailer said he would charge around $250+ depending on how bad the paint was and how much correction it needed.

[BoCRon]

It's been said but I'll join the chorus, you are devaluing your service by not charging enough. I'm also in a service business and what we offer is way beyond most around here especially considering our level of expertise. You might be better off coming up with another level of service to offer so you can meet the needs of different type of car owners. The price you quoted originally could be one level and then add another higher end package. Make sure you trim the current package to give them a good outcome but still earn a profit. Come up with an hourly rate you feel good about and charge accordingly. Remember to figure in cost of travel and supplies in that rate. For example we figured out that we need to charge at least $75 per hour but our overhead includes our training building, heat/air, etc. I would think $30 per hour would be a good starting point for you. So a detail you charge $120 for should include what you can get done in 4 hours. Lay out what the job includes and spell out how it will benefit them, ie protection for the finish or whatever. A "show car" detail is a whole other level and should cost accordingly and should be spelled out to those clients. At Christmas I bought a detail package from a local car wash, one of those huge places that does hundreds of washes a week. I paid $100 for their $150 detail, I got a discount for buying 2. I'm not expecting a show quality detail for that and am fine with it. I am going to use these "gift packages" to detail my husband's truck and my son's car that he drives back and forth to college. I want to pay someone else to do those 2 vehicles so I can spend my limited detailing time on my car and my husband's car. If I wanted those cars really detailed, I know it should cost double or more.

There is an old saying in business, "If you get a customer based on price, you will lose that customer based on price.". Personally I am happy to send the bargain shopper to PetStupid and keep the dog enthusiasts as our clients. Our dog training clients understand they are getting trainers who are top level competitors and eat,sleep and think "dog" most of the day and they are willing to pay for that. The average joe dog owner who just wants their dog to not jump on guests or pee in the house isn't a target market for us, but we do offer some packages for those type of people in the thoughts that some of them turn into the upper lever client and we need to get them in the door to see what else we can offer. IMHO some people perform a service because they have a passion for it and those are the people I'm happy to pay a premium to.

[Chewy]

Some see the worth of things and some don't... Just let it roll off your back!

 

Chris

[Team Adam's]

yes i am the only one and yeah i only use Adams for everything...i guess i dont really charge for my time to do it when i should be.

 

that is a really good point Dylan....sad thing is the prices im charging is higher then the wash and wax guys and under what shops charge....the demographics here arent ideal by any means.

 

my thought process for my pricing was this....start in the middle ground and get a good client base....once i got that i would be able to charge more since there wouldnt be as many free dates for people to get so the demand who be higher then the supply.

 

2 ways to move forward if you're serious about this:

 

• Align your prices with what they are actually worth and go after the clients that want that kind of service. There are collectors and car enthusiasts everywhere... you just have to find them. Establish what you're hourly rate SHOULD be to pay you and cover costs and target that market specifically.
   
  
• Find a price-point thats extremely competitive and figure out how to get the best result in under that price. At this level you're not promising a result, you're delivering an improvement. You could design a routine of wash, dry, 1 coat brilliant glaze, 1 coat of wax, done for a reasonable price. Your clients would need to understand that they'll get improvement, but not perfection, but that would be reflected in the price and you can always then upsell them on the paint correction deal which would include polishing.
  

[Chris@Adams]

2 ways to move forward if you're serious about this:

 

• Align your prices with what they are actually worth and go after the clients that want that kind of service. There are collectors and car enthusiasts everywhere... you just have to find them. Establish what you're hourly rate SHOULD be to pay you and cover costs and target that market specifically.
   
  
• Find a price-point thats extremely competitive and figure out how to get the best result in under that price. At this level you're not promising a result, you're delivering an improvement. You could design a routine of wash, dry, 1 coat brilliant glaze, 1 coat of wax, done for a reasonable price. Your clients would need to understand that they'll get improvement, but not perfection, but that would be reflected in the price and you can always then upsell them on the paint correction deal which would include polishing.
  

And Good Luck!

[DP 08 GXP]

2 ways to move forward if you're serious about this:

 

• Align your prices with what they are actually worth and go after the clients that want that kind of service. There are collectors and car enthusiasts everywhere... you just have to find them. Establish what you're hourly rate SHOULD be to pay you and cover costs and target that market specifically.
   
  
• Find a price-point thats extremely competitive and figure out how to get the best result in under that price. At this level you're not promising a result, you're delivering an improvement. You could design a routine of wash, dry, 1 coat brilliant glaze, 1 coat of wax, done for a reasonable price. Your clients would need to understand that they'll get improvement, but not perfection, but that would be reflected in the price and you can always then upsell them on the paint correction deal which would include polishing.
  

 

i will def. have to sit down and take a good hard look at this...thanks everyone for the input!

[Chewy]

maybe I can get away with a simpler process? any suggestions? lol I guess if I did a full correction, I could chaulk it up to experience as I have only used the PC once so far and they are family..

 

 

FMP on the white pad over the entire vehicle to clean the paint and then wax.

 

It'll clean the paint and you don't have to correct it. He probably doesn't know there's a difference. If he's getting it washed incorrectly, then he won't care.

 

Chris

[MAYBEN]

So wash, clay, fmp, msw and I should be ok? its Lincoln's Pearl White..

[mc2hill]

FMP on the white pad over the entire vehicle to clean the paint and then wax.

 

It'll clean the paint and you don't have to correct it. He probably doesn't know there's a difference. If he's getting it washed incorrectly, then he won't care.

 

Chris

 

This is my process for the last few family cars I have done. Still take a loooong time to use FMP on a Grand Marquis, but I didn't want to spend the time to fully correct it.

 

It is unfortunate, but if you just washed the car and hit it with some DS, cleaned the wheels and tires, and put on some tire dressing most folks wouldn't know the difference between that and a full paint correction.

[b_pappy]

When I was a mobile detailer, from 1987-2003, I would give a $25 discount for doing several vehicles at the same location. It gave the customer motivation to get friends/ family cars to one location, and would make it so that I wouldn't have to drive to a 2nd location, setup, breakdown twice.

 

I figure it took at least an hour to setup and break down, plus 20+ minutes to drive to a second location. Figure that extra 1.5hrs was worth the $25, not to mention the fuel/wear & tear on the vehicle to drive to multiple locations.

 

My $0.02.

I agree, and people love a bargain. I know you still have to bust hump to do both car, and your prices are reasonable to begin with, but people just love to feel like they are getting a deal. On the other hand some people are never happy, they want you to work for free and give the product away it seems. Good luck with the business.

Bruce

[Adam]

When I was a mobile detailer, from 1987-2003, I would give a $25 discount for doing several vehicles at the same location. It gave the customer motivation to get friends/ family cars to one location, and would make it so that I wouldn't have to drive to a 2nd location, setup, breakdown twice.

 

I figure it took at least an hour to setup and break down, plus 20+ minutes to drive to a second location. Figure that extra 1.5hrs was worth the $25, not to mention the fuel/wear & tear on the vehicle to drive to multiple locations.

 

My $0.02.

[BigDogK-9]

Full paint correction consists of SSR, SHR, FMP, MSW, GLAZE AMERICANA

 

 

Anthony, thanks for the information, you could say that paint correction is the full process after clay bar, to final finish wax?

[RedexInLA]

I did a full size SUV this past weeked, full detail, washed, clayed, compound, polished, wax, clean and treated all leather, trimmed it out.

$300.00, the lady gave me a $50.00 tip being it took me 11 hours, she couldn't believe how much went into this type of job.

I brought it back to her home, she had two friends over, picked up one of the two, the other lady said noway she would pay that much to 'clean her car" but the other one saw the results of the SUV I just did and was like "wow"

Your price is very cheap so don't let it bother you.

[BlueGenCoupe]

Hey Derek, can you tell me what is paint correction and how is this done? I have seen this a number of times on this fourm and I'm guessing it's the process of removing haze and swearl marks in the paint. Is this right or is it something else that I'm missing???

 

Thanks

 

Full paint correction consists of SSR, SHR, FMP, MSW, GLAZE AMERICANA

[BlueGenCoupe]

full detail is wash, clay, wash, paint correction, polishing, wax of choice between MSW or americana, glaze, engine cleaning and dressing, wheel wells cleaning and dressing, windows, carpet sweeping and cleaning, cleaning of dash and door panels then dressing, leather cleaning and conditioning...i put around 6-7 hours into cars and 8-9 into trucks suvs and vans..i live in ottawa..if you look at my other posts of customers cars i have done you will see the work i put into their cars

 

All that for $180 bucks. Your cheap. mind you, you do it in a day. To do a COMPLETE detail inerior exterior full paint correction glaze and wax, I charge $269. It takes me 2-3 days tho... And for the amount of time I put in, I think I should charge more

[BigDogK-9]

full detail is wash, clay, wash, paint correction, polishing, wax of choice between MSW or americana, glaze, engine cleaning and dressing, wheel wells cleaning and dressing, windows, carpet sweeping and cleaning, cleaning of dash and door panels then dressing, leather cleaning and conditioning...i put around 6-7 hours into cars and 8-9 into trucks suvs and vans..i live in ottawa..if you look at my other posts of customers cars i have done you will see the work i put into their cars

 

Hey Derek, can you tell me what is paint correction and how is this done? I have seen this a number of times on this fourm and I'm guessing it's the process of removing haze and swearl marks in the paint. Is this right or is it something else that I'm missing???

 

Thanks

[Punky]

forgot that part....i explained the paint correction part along with the interior process....i think it comes down to people will see a wash wax job the same as a real detail like those of us on here

 

Yep. The price you're charging is way low to begin with. That guy's getting a steal.

[ouarkie]

forgot that part....i explained the paint correction part along with the interior process....i think it comes down to people will see a wash wax job the same as a real detail like those of us on here

That is why it is so important to educate them on what each step in your process will do for them. If you told most people what your process is they would hear blah blah blah after the wash part. That is why you have to explain how each step will benefit THEM. The general public just don't think of auto detailing like we do. We (I assume you) love the process of detailing. To me it is a stress reliever, the money is just a benefit. There are also some people you just can't satisfy. If you told them you would do it for free, they would still find something to complain about when it was done. Even if it was beyond perfect. This is just a fact, I know I have a friend like this. Hope this helps.

[mbreyer]

just a quick note i have no idea where ottowa ohio is. but forget a~~ holes that dont understand theres alot of labor and product cost going into a good detail. Its hard enough for me to justify the time i spend with betty my wife gets jealous.