Detailing for friends & family

just wondering how much you guys charge yours friends. heres the problem i have no matter what i charge a friend or acquaintances they never end up getting there car done ALWAYS and i mean ALWAYS they end up wasting my time they'll say ok i'll get it done this sat or whatever day i'll call you then i clear that day and i never get a visit or a phone call. its to the point where i tell everyone that i no longer do friends vehicles this also includes neighbors. what sucks is it makes me look like an ass but im just tired of people wasting my time. this is how i would do things before mom & girlfriend free, very close friends can help me do the car also free, the rest i would try to charge accordingly. another problem i run into is because its a friend i want to charge less but at the same time i want to do more so its like im working for free or very little money. i see alot of people on here doing there friends and neighbors cars and i would like to know what works for you guys? :help:

 

I don't charge friends or family...

 

I don't detail for friends/family. Basically ever. I guess I'm a jerk??

 

i know when i tell friends no they think im a jerk. "what did i ever do to you" is what they say

 

hmmmmm.

Me either!!! I don't do deals or discounts. So, I just stay away from the friends that ask. I've had guys I ride the bikes with ask me about their cars or bikes. I just tell them to call a detailer. Oh, and this subject notwithstanding...I'm a jerk!!!:yikes:

 

I just know my friends can't afford $600+ and I don't feel right doing jobs for next to nothing, and i know my work will reflect it. So I just say no to everyone :shrug:

 

SOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:dupe:

 

Aaron,

Check your PM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

LOL thats why i have very few real friends. people i know, know i charge accordingly and i have never given anyone a deal that has asked. if i decide to do something extra, its because i decided not because they asked. the few friends i do have know what i charge and what work i do and have been lucky they havent imposed asking me for a deal.

as far as family goes, never mix business with family, unless it is my wife or kids. since they work with me, i sort of have to. but my sister in law asked what i would charge and i just tell her im booked and cant accommodate her in the time she needs. makes it easier and less awkward.

 

Only for blood and my absolute closest friends... of which I have two...

That being said I'll work on ANYONE'S cars for full price...

 

I get my f&f to really help on the job the whole time. They eat when I eat and break when I break. This cures the repeat situation. They are usually like... damn..are we done yet?? Or my favorite... My arms are tired, how much more rubbing do I do?:buffing::buffing:

 

Hmm, friends and family cars are actually good for testing all the waxes and sealants that i won't possibly able to use. For paid job, I usually only use lsp that i am comfortable with. As for deals and discount, it depends on how close is the friend..

 

I honestly don't like doing friends cars sometimes. They always expect a deal, or they want me to "hook them up".

Problem is, these aren't even close friends, and I hate how they make me feel obligated to do everything.

Family cars I don't charge, very very good friends who have done a whackload of favours for me, I will do it at cost plus a little extra.

Other then that, it's full price.

Or the best line you get is they say "I will send like xxxxxx cars your way when you are done wth mine!"

 

very close family/very close friends - no charge (but I will have them return my favor one way or another)...Everyone else should pay just like everybody else...

 

close friends and family - free
friends - 120
good friends' referrals - 200+


normal rate for me is 325+

 

my usuall rate for like a 2-3 day full correction detail runs $500 and up depending exactly how much work needs to be done but for my buddies i have done 2 of there full details and i have charged 200$ which seemed fair and they had no problems with it but i always feel im doing more then normal since its my buddies car ya know. but thats just how i charge them and i tell them how much it normally charge so even though im making money from them they know there getting a HUGE discount hope this helps a little

 

I've tried and everyone does the same thing or complain im too expensive. Even when im taking off 100 or more of my regular price. The only cars I do for "free" are my mom's car, my brother's (hes my bitch when i need help on a job), my girlfriend's, and my girlfriends mom's truck. What Ive learned, most of these friends dont and wont understand the value of a professional detail

 

I detail for my parents for free. Don't really have many friends. I helped one do his car for free. But he also knows what he's doing.

Sometimes I give my few regulars better prices.

 

i only do my brothers & my mrs cars ,they are free everone else has to pay full amount.
you are not in business to give it away

 

another alternative is to detail for a product, my father wants me to detail his 944 porsche and he wants to pay me, however, I dont want to charge him, but after the job i did on his truck he realized how labor intensive it is and wants to pay me, well we came to the agreement that since his car is single stage he will buy me more pads, so it works out in the end