I think I need to lower my detailing prices!

[Bob]

I was asked last week to detail an Explorer. The owner said he usually takes it to this place in Detroit and they charge $140 for everything. So I told him I would do it for less just to do it. Well, I was curious as to what this other place did for $140 so I called them and asked what they would charge to do an Explorer and what all they did for that money. Well they said $140-$150 and they do a polish and wax to the exterior, shampoo the interior, and do the engine. I thought that was a good deal compaired to what I was charging. What do you all think?

[wifehatescar]

And what is the quality of their work????????????????????? :wink:

[Bob]

And what is the quality of their work????????????????????? :wink:
Well, according to the Explorer owner they do "immaculate" work. I guess what I have been thinking lately is that most of the people that want their car detailed, in my area anyway, can not tell the difference between a wax or a polish and wax. I always feel bad when someone wants the best job I offer when I know they are going through an automatic car wash in a few days no matter what I tell them. I am pretty convinced it is all about the area you work in. I remember Brad and I taking his dad's car to the local detailer just to see what he would charge. The guy looked at the car from about 30 feet away and said $100 for everything, inside and out, and engine. I think, in this area, that is what people want. All they think of is the price and not the process. I also remember a time Brad and I were detailing a Lincoln and this guy stops buys and says, "I have a black Lincoln I would not mind getting detailed. What are you charging?" I told him on the Lincoln we were working on at the time we were charging $160. The guy then says, "WOW! I can go down the street to Joe Smoes and get it done for $75!" See, this is what we deal with in this area. People only hear the prices. Now, I have a friend that details and he can easily get $400 a car. However, when you go into his place all you see are Porsches, BMW's, Mercedes, Cadillacs, Lexuses and so on.

[hellspawn2]

This is a good? I can tell you out in the Pontiac,Waterford, and Flint averages about $100 to $120. To me it really depends on what you get for the detail. If you are taking out scratches and doing a polish and wax i can see paying over $150. As a former consumer if i was going to get a detail i would want the shop or person to tell all what i get for the price. As we all know some shop will say detail the engine but they just spray some water and call it a day. Or do the interior without doing jams and etc.If it was me each person you detail i would do a walk around their car/suv and tell them and show them all the flaws you will be correcting. You should put a sign saying "Cheaper is not always better!" :)

[Bob]

This is a good? I can tell you out in the Pontiac,Waterford, and Flint averages about $100 to $120. To me it really depends on what you get for the detail. If you are taking out scratches and doing a polish and wax i can see paying over $150. As a former consumer if i was going to get a detail i would want the shop or person to tell all what i get for the price. As we all know some shop will say detail the engine but they just spray some water and call it a day. Or do the interior without doing jams and etc.If it was me each person you detail i would do a walk around their car/suv and tell them and show them all the flaws you will be correcting. You should put a sign saying "Cheaper is not always better!" :)
I agree! See, when I say "clean engine" I mean degrease it, dry it, and go over everything with a dressing. I had this stuff given to me by a detailer friend that they used in their shop. It was this engine cleaner and dressing. It was pretty amazing at how well a dirty engine could look by just spraying this stuff on and calling it a day. So, I am thinking that now, when I do engines, I am going to degrease it, and just spray CD2 Engine detailer on it and call it a day. In my opinion, as long as the customer knows exactly what they are getting there is no harm in it. I would never tell a customer that I am going to do something I am not. Like some places say they are going to polish and wax the exterior and they do nothing more than use a one step cleaner wax on it. If I am going to do that I am going to say, "one step cleaner wax" and not lead someone on to think they are actually getting a two step processs.
I like discussions like this!

[hellspawn2]

Yup this is a good discussion! :) I know i have went to a shop in Waterford and they charge me about 100 bucks on a 97 grandprix. Now that im more aware of thing i know for sure i got ripped. It look to me like they just vacumn and shampooed the interior dressed it with armour all im guessing and gave it a good wash. IMO you have to treat customers like kids. You have to hand hold them and show them exactly what they are paying for. What about when you detail like before and after pics for each different area (engine,interior,exterior)Remember people can relate more with visual aids then some just saying "We polish and wax"

[Bob]

Yup this is a good discussion! :) I know i have went to a shop in Waterford and they charge me about 100 bucks on a 97 grandprix. Now that im more aware of thing i know for sure i got ripped. It look to me like they just vacumn and shampooed the interior dressed it with armour all im guessing and gave it a good wash. IMO you have to treat customers like kids. You have to hand hold them and show them exactly what they are paying for. What about when you detail like before and after pics for each different area (engine,interior,exterior)Remember people can relate more with visual aids then some just saying "We polish and wax"
Yeah, now we just have to get more people to the forums somehow so there is more than a few people talking! :lol:

[hellspawn2]

LOL agreed :)
I don't have a demanding job so i troll around the net alot during the day! Only time im busy i when people call with Accounting system problems :)

[Bob]

LOL agreed :)
I don't have a demanding job so i troll around the net alot during the day! Only time im busy i when people call with Accounting system problems :)
:lol: good deal!

[BigLeegr]

Have you thought of making a sign saying "We fix $140 details"?

Have you given much thought to offering 2 "tiers?" One for the "elite" where you go all out, in and out, sealant and wax, etc. and another to compete with the Joe Schmoe's? Something like a cleaner wax (possibly even one with fillers, so your job looks better than the guy that uses just a "pure" wax? If the customer is going to keep using the swirl-o-matic, you don't need to worry about longevity.). A quick interior cleaning could be a vacuum and one of those foam cleaners, just to make things look/smell better, but without the spot removal, extraction, etc.

Also, the total $ you make in a day could be dependent on your volume/speed ratio. You could do 3 quickie details for cheap, and make the same profit as 1 "thorough" detail, but then you need to weigh your volume. Do you have as many "thorough" detail clients as "quickie" clients to make the one more profitable?

If you do decide to go with the 2 tier system, you have to be a good salesman to educate customers why they would get better value with the "better" job, while at the same time not making your "cheap" job sound bad. (You may lose the "cheapie" customer if he feels he doesn't want the better detail, but the cheaper one sounds like crap.)

Oh the intricacies of Free Enterprise! :P

[jaybs95]

There are a number of things to take into consideration when doing your pricing.
A key one is what the market will bare.

When you want to compare your prices with your competition make sure that you are comparing apples to apples.
Are both places either fixed or mobile. Are the services the same, you might include claying in your price and someone else will have it as an upsell. As Bigleeger pointed out are they correcting the paint or are they just filling it.

You know how much you have to make to keep yourself in business, you have to be competative, but you also can't price yourself so low where it will hurt your business.

JMHO
"J"

[Bob]

Well, I guess I should state I don't detail full time. I just do it on occasion. :)

[hellspawn2]

Im liking the two tier pricing idea!

[Mirrored_Images]

or you could move a few miles away to Farmington/novi area :D