OK well i have finally started to get a few details to be able to show people in my area what a detail should be. In my area there are few to none detailers who actually do proper work, if there is someone in my area i don't see or hear people talk about their work, and do not have there own shop or mobile setup. In my area the details(if you could call them that) are done by high volume places, and people have become so used to that being a "detail". Which makes them unlikely to spend good money for a full detail, if they even have their car detailed at all. Which make me have to do less then what the vehicle actually need so i can keep the cost down to make it make sense for the customer. Even though i do it this way for now i am shure that at some point i will start getting more and more customers that are willing to spend the money/time to make there car look as good as it should, and eventually change people oppinoin of what a real detail is. If i didn't post this in the correct section mods feel free to move it.
What sets you apart from others is the end result. I learned most people don't really care what you use on their car. Or how long you take. They simply just like the outcome and how it looks. So you got to make your work look better then others in the area and it will bring customers to you. I'm still working on that myself and so far that mentality has been working great. It is frustrating to see people spend money in a detail that is done badly. Btw it wouldn't hurt to take some English classes. Lol jk.
I live in Peoria, IL in between chicago and st. louis. and chymgys you are correct but using quality product i have found to help with the end result and how long it will last. As fat as how long it takes, around here they do care, people are very impatient becuase most people don't have a clue as to what it take to do this job. Im not trying to publish a book.
It is really hard to tell people when you've done a wash and vac, and they say "Wow" you detailed my car and you're trying to explain that is just my wash and vac service... But they say well that's a detail at such and such. It makes it tough.
Yeah thats how it is here in the kansas city area... there are alot of gas station car washes that do wash and vacs and call it detailing!
the word detailing has been used so liberally for a long time, that i imagine that it will take some time and alot of work. In order to make a impact on the general publics view of detailing.
The hardest thing is there know standard pricing in our industry. I let my work do all the talking and show people your work that is the best thing. I charge a little more than both shops by me but I know my work is better. I've taking my wife's car to both and I was disappointed at both.
You can use the information on your wife's car as marketing...what the other guys do without even referencing the company. For example, I had some exterior painting and was talking to the sales guy and he deals with cheaper painters that spray. He says you just have to educate people a little ...some cannot or just cheap but it is the a good way.
