So here's my situation. I own a tint/detail shop. Mainly tint and then added detailing, but now detailing is starting to really pick up. I have a guy that pulls my door panels for tint but he is also my detailer (experienced, actually hired him as a detailer and then he started helping with tint). Now, we do very extensive full details. It often times takes him 10-14 hours to detail daily drivers (up to 23 on one dirtball....). We are better than other shops in our area, where they are doing quick 3 hour details and detailing for volume. My problem is that we are charging the same as them, because we tried to charge what we should charge, and everybody was price shopping, nobody cared about quality. So what do we do? Everyone is extremely satisfied with our work etc. but the amount of money we are getting for a detail in this area wouldn't be enough for most of you to get out of bed (including myself if it were tint work). Should we start charging huge prices like our work should be pulling, and tried to target a more wealthy population, or should we try to do them faster and cut some corners? I really really hate to cut quality, but it's killing our profit to detail the way it should be done at the prices we charge.
You need to show value. If you don't want to cut corners, then you need to charge more. Show your clients WHY your work it better than your competition. Alternatively, offer "value" details that take less time and are more affordable. Not everyone needs their paint at 99%. For daily drivers, it's a waste of time.
Yeah, I get that but I'm not entirely sure where to cut corners to offer a value detail. Right now our basic detail includes a wash, engine bay wash and dress, clay bar, and wax. Dress all exterior trim, clean wheels, wheel wells, tires, dress wheel wells, polish any chrome, metal etc. all door jambs cleaned and waxed, interior vacuumed, carpets and seats shampooed, all panels, trim, dash, etc. cleaned and dressed accordingly, glass cleaned inside and out, spot treat/steam clean any stains that don't come out in a basic shampoo. This takes 1 guy about 8 hours to do a thorough job we are happy with. For any paint correction we charge more. What are most "value" details including, and prices? What are some of you guys getting for what I just mentioned? I'm assuming we are not supposed to talk price on the board so if anybody wants to PM me that would be cool. Thanks a lot for the feedback.
QFT.... I have the same issues, being I work from home when I do; do a detail people assume its going to be even less. But any correction work I charge by the hour......... or any type of recon work again, hourly. everything I do above a basic wash is a set price per job, again then the hourly kicks in. But I have sort of slowed down with doing details, I have a core group of people I deal with and they understand what I do and are either enthusiasts or actually care about quality. It all about showing them what they get, results, and value. and as the man said, not everyone needs 99% correction. I think value detail depends on market, from what I have seen where I am at a 99-200 detail includes wash, wax, (seriously, no clay) dressing, face of the wheels are cleaned, the arches are power washed, windows cleaned, and interior dusted and vaccumed, and the famous cut and polish with crappy P&S AIO wax that lasts about 1 week. Extras are shampoo, engine, under carriage (wheel arches, suspension) Hell most places don't even do exhaust tips, or polish chrome, I think honestly that level of work is common and the average prices are 100-200.00 and the additional is added to it. Based on what you said you do, does everyone do the exact same thing? If they do, and they are far less then what you are charging honestly its going to be an uphill fight, with most people watching their wallets, even more then ever its hard to some people to justify spending more then 100,200 if that.
This above, is a huge amount of work being done - and in 8 hours ? Holy Moly ! Are the vehicles already clean or something ? I would cut out waxing all door jambs and just clean them and wipe down with something like Optimum No Rinse; something that leaves a nice shine but is not really expensive. I think cleaning and waxing doorjambs is highly overrated anyway. Unless its a really nice custom/European/ etc., vehicle, that needs this to have it all "match" , probably 99.9% of your Clients are not ever going to tell, or care enough to look to see that the jambs are all waxed. The just get dirty next time it rains, etc., anyway.. Sounds like you guys do great work already - this is very good. As has been already said, you have to sell your "added value" to the Clients, and yes, this takes some time too. If you have been doing this awhile, you should be able to "size up" the Client quickly, and determine what price point they are looking or shopping for, after a look at their vehicle, you have a great idea how much time is involved,, have done a quick calculation in your head, factoring in any extra time, materials, etc., needed, and then you give them the estimate - notice I said estimate.. Also, you need to show your Detailing business as a Custom Detailing Shop, where you do "custom work", and this alone should add "value" to your pricing and in the Client's mind when they hear/see it in your paperwork, etc... I would be sizing up Clients for custom Detailing work that includes a great correction, because you showed them the swirls, etc., in the paint, and they want it all gone so they can really appreciate the beautiful paintwork that is clearly visible after said work. And then you see if you can upsell them something like Optimum 2.0,, etc... which is another couple hundred or so, and they leave extremely pleased, their "baby" is now more beautiful than it has ever been, and its going to stay that way for a long time, because of the Opti-Coat, etc., and they will only have to have maintenance on paint when needed, but will always want a full Interior, etc., clean annually, bi-annually, etc... I think its not so fine a line anymore about most people keeping their vehicles longer than ever, so try to sell that to them too. I tell Clients all the time that I can take their 10 year old Mercedes,etc., and turn it into a brand new Mercedes all over again (within reason of course), they will be stunned with the results, and fall in love all over again with their "new again" car, and not have to go out and spend big $$$ on a new one. See, you just saved them a ton of money so it is very easy to justify your "Value" - even say a thousand dollar high end detail is going to be so inexpensive compared to 100k+ for that new Mercedes... I tell everyone this and so far, no one has ever responded back - try to find a good Independent German Car shop, do your investigative work ahead of time, know what they do and the types of cars that come in and out, walk in there with all the confidence in the world, because you are Prepared, get the Counter guys on your side, find out if they send out their Clients cars for Detailing, and offer to Detail their "shop" vehicle, etc., so they can see your perfect work, your ambition, your desire to get their business, and see if you can get all their Detailing work turned to your shop. I did this with a BImmer shop that does outstanding work, and now they have me as their Detailer, and they refer me hundreds of BMW's. I then found out who they used for Bodywork, and met those guys, determined they were a great body shop, and now they send me work, and I refer them work from my Clients who need it too. Just sell yourself because you Believe in yourself, and your desire to do the best work, and the the pricing will go up accordingly. Study all the shops around, go to them yourself, look at their work, get their pricing, see what lousy production crapola products they are using, and see how much more they are charging for lousy work AND products.. Use this information carefully and professionally to "educate" your Clients, and again, you have just increased your Added Value = more $$$.. Dan F
