Full detail, $159.99

What is funny is people look at detailers like they may look at a housecleaner, or gardner, auto tech etc......... if i make a mess they will pick it up, and there fore it does not matter becuase someone is always willing to work. Sure, people are always willing to whore themselves out for pennies on the dollar, and im sure if you had no other option to provide services at a cheap price to put food on your table you would do so.

 

i have worked both sides of the coin as well. i worked at a high volume dealership shop that didn't charge all that much. Not much in the way of buffing but atleast the owner wanted it done right, and not a hack job. He could tell the difference.

 

detailing is an art, not a cleaning service. People pay millions for an art piece. Some automobile is an art, those people who own these art pieces are the ones who is willing to pay top $ for top services. it doesn't mean it has to be a Ferrari, it can be a person's pride n joy. anything can be art if that person hold it that way.

 

but like art, you can always go to allposters.com and get a copy and frame it in a frame from walmart.............. LOL

 

It makes you wonder if you should be marketing yourself as a "detailer" or give yourself a different title like automotive reconditioning or something like that to set yourself apart from the pack. If you know you offer a much different level of work, it's kind of dumb to label yourself the same. Two people can be doctors, but you wouldn't consider a witch doctor and a brain surgeon to offer the same quality of work, nor have the same pay grade.

 

I think it all becomes an issue of people getting the idea that anyone can detail a car, including paint correct. It takes a lot of skill to do a good job and even though i have been detailng for multiple years i always learn new things.

I always hear " Well Joe Blow can do it for $xxxx much". So take your shit there then.

I dont buy Swissvax wax, Menzerna polishes, and other top of the line products to loose money. I would much rather take a full loss and use all the products on my cars than break even. My personal time is with my wife and family is worth a lot and a few years ago i decided to not flex my rates at all for any reason......

Well maybe for my wife, i do her car so she will put the food on the table.:worship2::worship2::worship2:

 

here is the issue I see, many people are now using the economy as an excuse to negotiate prices, they expect you to bring your price down to their budget, "wow, you are charging XXX in this economy"? (BTW "in this economy" is my most hated phrase.) yes, and guess what, home builders are still building million dollar homes "in this economy" what is your point? It to me its a cop out and a tactic they use to justify their lack of funds, or just playing games to get a lower price.



I am with Dave, If someone wants to price shop me, the car wash down the street is the place for you..............my time is more valuable then trying to degrade myself to do a full detail or whatever for someone who obviously is playing games or just flat out cannot afford it. Ill do a detail for friends and family relatively inexpensive but never for someone who is a referral or has gotten my card somehow.

 

It is kinda of funny how some will buy stuff at the lowest price (price shop) and then wonder why people do the same to them.

 

depends on the context, if you are looking for a shirt, you check online etc...... but when it comes to FTF sales its more personal; like going to a t-shirt company, most people have no idea to expect and when they are given a price that is outside of their comfort zone they tend to get defensive, my problem is the people who get overtly defensive and become agitated by it, if you don't like the price cool, I understand that; but there are ways to exit the situation without looking like an ass.

FTF transactions versus standard retail is a totally different experience IMO.

 

Thats a good representation^^^^^^. I often recomend the names of larger business which do detailing so they can compair pricing and i tell them i alreayd know my prices are higher, but unlike the "delta sonic" down the street im not a 17 year old who only recieved 1 week of training.

Its just like any car work, you get what you pay for. I can rattle can my front bumper for about $50 but it costs about $600 to have it done by a good professional

I guess what burns me the most is people who get defensive about the price i tell them even though they know nothing of the industry and they feel im trying to rip them off.

Just this week i had somone call me about a interior and exterior detail, We talked about what comes with it, which is just a 1-step polish, and when i told him $300 he was supprised and told me his dealer will do it for $150. Thats cool but again BMW is not going to price match a KIA.

 

they are expecting you to say " geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, its been slow this week, you know Ill price match the dealer" sorry, Id rather just let you go to the dealer........ to me its not about numbers, its about quality. Im not in it to break sales records, in fact I refer them to my friends car wash. They can go over there and get a wash and wax for 60.00 and they will be happy as a clam. He can turn 150 cars a day on a slow day with his 75 people that work for him, and that is great, that is what the customer is probably looking for and who am I to squash their hopes& dreams, and honestly I dont want customers like that, I want customers who are going to value what I do, and respect that this is "what I do" and be happy with the time and effort I put into their cars. Versus a price match war.......

That is why I don't advertise, craigslist etc. I'm strictly word of mouth and honestly it weeds a lot of that BS out. 90% of referrals in my experience come to you because 1) you did something that impressed them on another persons car 2) they feel a more trusted bond with someone who just detailed their sisters car 3) they know you are going to treat them right from the beginning.

someone once said, if you want a bike you go to a sporting goods store, if you want a bicycle you goto a bicycle shop.

 

Agree with all that has been said.

You can't really price match a service like you can on a product.

Selling something generally doesn't take the resource of time away. Doing a service for less pay is a waste of time.

 

I like to know how much will everyone here in DB would charge for this repair base on these pictures







The guy got a quote from a car wash of $25, which its $75 cheaper than me

 

Meh, I refer cheap asses to the car wash down the street that'll do the 3 step "high speed polish" for $120, they usually come crying back to me in about a month.

 

tell him to go there........ not worth your time, and he will be unhappy no matter what. unless he pays what you charge, then its not worth it.

 

I keep trying to type a "nice" response, but I end up just backspacing because it sounds too mean..

 

just so happen I have the same color touch up from Audi, I guess any permanent marker work just fine! ! black is black , a detail is a detail

 

Is that transfer?

 

I dunno, whatever it is... still needs clay, buff, and/or touch up. Its on 3 different panels, that mean I would need to wash the Q5 SUV before I do any work.

 

I have to laugh that this popped back up. I have fixed 2 cars from the 160 dollar full detail so far. So you take the 160, add 400 and it ends up to be a 560 dollar detail.