What sould I do about pricing?

[Crazy 13immer]

I was just wondering what you guys charge for an interior/exterior detail. I'm new to the business and right now I am still learning. I started off charging friends and other people about 80 dollars.. I figured it was competitive with places like turtle wax and whatver, but I didn't get that many customers. So I've decided to lower my price to around 30 or 40 bucks, it covers cost, but not really time. I am just trying to build up a client base so that I can really get going and raise my prices. Do you guys have any tips, I know some guys here, like Dewey are great and I would trust him with my car more than just some other guy who charges the same price, you know?

[Dewey540i]

Well thats a tough question. It depends really on what you are doing, how good you are and how long it is taking you. We charge 150.00 for full detail, 90.00 for just the inside and 90 for just the outside. Of course SUV's, minivans and vehicles that need extra work cost more. We are not the most expensive around either. Don't sell your self short. If you do a good job, you should be compensated accordingly.

[uncle_el]

i'm not in the detailing business, but as a consumer, i would expect to pay the prices that dewey said, if not higher.

30 to 40 bucks makes me think that the job will be piss poor, you're selling yourself short, or a combination of the two.

remember, you need to stay financially solvent. just covering your costs isn't good enough, because time spent is money lost if you're not charging for it.

[Crazy 13immer]

I don't want to sell myself short, but I've been having a hard time bringing in people to get their cars done. I eventually want to raise prices, but what do you think would be a reasonable price to start out at? Like I said, as an average customer, unless the price was much better, I would rather spend an extra 20 bucks and take it to ::sigh:: turtle wax because I know the job quality and the trust is there as opposed to some 20 year old saying he can do it for a little less. Thats kinda the dillemma, I don't want to sell myself short, but I need to start bringing in people to get a client base. Still think the same thing?

[Dewey540i]

Word of mouth advertising is your best method of bringing in new customers. If you want to give some discounts to friends and family, thats fine just let them know what you would normally charge. A job well done will get you more clients than cheap prices in my opinion. If you do quality work with quality products then you need to charge for it. Some people may NOT want to have you do their car if you are to cheap. They may think gee for 30.00 bucks what am I gonna get? Many people believe in the "you get what you pay for" mentality.
Not sure if I helped you any but my 2 cents anyway.

[uncle_el]

i agree with dewey. if you're going to detail my car for 30 bucks, i'm wondering what kind of products you're going to be using on my car, and assuming the products are going to be of poor quality.

also, you may find it hard to raise prices in the future. as dewey said, i think it would be easier to establish a price, and give a discount, as opposed to starting out with really low prices and trying to jack them up later.

also, you have to allow time to build a clientele- i'm not sure how long you've been doing it, or whether or not you actually have a business plan, your finances in order, a business license, involved in with your local business community, etc. etc.

to start, business cards are a must. i think you also need to sell people on why you're better than going to the local car wash.

[CAP-E-TAN]

if you do a good job then charge a competitive price.....word of mouth and good friends can take you a long way.......i charge 30 bucks just to wash and vac a car

[Crazy 13immer]

Well I'm really not too serious about it. I don't have a real "business" as in this is just something I run out of my garage/driveway on the side. But I think I will reconsider and take that discount idea. Thanks for the help

[breden]

time alone is worth charging the extra money, not to mention the extra cost of covering quality products. i have been faced with the same dilemma, and there will always be those people who wont know the difference between your quality time and products and the shell station down the road for $35. if your in it for some profit and have pride in seeing your good results, you wont sneeze at raising your prices. then again, if its just for whatever, then you can be the judge. but as was already said, it takes time to build a customer base, and the people who want a good job will pay for one.

[ArcticFlow]

I work in the detail dept @ Hank Aaron Jaguar/Land Rover in Augusta and we charge $150 (full detail) without even looking at the vehicle to be detailed. Once we know the customer is willing to pay this price, they setup an appointment and depending on the condition of the vehicle, the overall price may lower or increase.

Full Details can get intense, here are some of the things we include:

Interior:

-Compressed air to blow out those tiny crevices/seams
-Full vaccuum including trunk/hatch area (usually done twice, once before I use the compressed air, then again after upholstery cleaning is finished)
-Clean/Shampoo all interior panels(door panels/center console/A, B, and C pillers) and all seats(the back of the seat as well, not just where you sit) and carpet if neccesary
-Condition the leather upholstery
-Clean all interior glass including sunroofs
-Wipe down the dash, instrument cluster, dash components, and all chrome/wood trim inside the vehicle

Exterior:

-Pressure wash the engine bay with cleaners, then dry area
-Hand wash and pressure clean the wheels, wheel wells, and under all rocker panels
-Pressure clean the trunk jamb and door jambs if nessecery
-Pressure clean entire exterior of vehicle and thoroughly wash with a soft lambs wool mit and clean soapy water (if clay bar is needed, that step would be taken next, then the car would be washed again)
-Rinse and dry entire car and all door/trunk jambs with chamois
-Clean all exterior windows with glass cleaner
-Determine if exterior paint needs special attention (buffing) or simply a coat of wax
-Tire shine all tires
-Wipe down all exterior chrome with a dry microfiber towel and check for imperfections in the paint or areas may have been missed in the cleaning process, also applies to the interior, even if it was perfectly clean when you left it after you finished, its always good to come back and check over everything to make sure nothing was overlooked.

Then deliver the vehicle to the happy customer! I hope your process is similar, I know you're new to it and their is A TON of competition out their, but soon enough you'll become pro and it will all come naturally! Good Luck with your business.

[jtraven]

exactly like everyone said, you want people to have the "i get what i pay for" metality. I'd rather pay 100 dollars for a detail rather than 40. Also, something i learned in a marketing class:
When a customer is satisfied with a product/service they will tell about 3 other people of their satisfied experience.
When a customer is dissatisfied with the product/service they will tell about 9 other people.

Basically, your business will survive with competitive pricing and a reputable service.


Also, you wnat to charge enough that you at least make a profit. At 40 dollars, you're better off getting a job at 8.00 an hour when you start to look at your net income at the end of the day.

[jtraven]

[quote=ArcticFlow]

Exterior:

-Pressure wash the engine bay with cleaners, then dry area
QUOTE]

what cleaners do you use on the engine? whats the best way to make it looking shiny??

[ArcticFlow]

[quote=jtraven]

Originally Posted by ArcticFlow

Exterior:

-Pressure wash the engine bay with cleaners, then dry area
QUOTE]

what cleaners do you use on the engine? whats the best way to make it looking shiny??

Probably cleaners you've never heard of as they are suppliers of local (Augusta, GA) area detailers:

'New Wave' (a concentrated clear liquid used for engines, chrome wheels, and areas away from paint (unless properly mixed with water)) & 'Hot Stuff' (a purple liquid mostly used for alloy wheels and brake dust removal, it works better than ANYTHING on the market I promise you!) combined, they are very strong, and it does the trick without harming the paint under the hood. I could get the name of the Co. that makes/distributes these products if you would like to order some, those are just the names of the chemicals of one brand name Co., the distributer actually makes a whole line of degreasers including bug removers, solvents, glass cleaners, etc.

We dont use any type of shine or gloss enhancer under the hood as they only attract more dirt in a shorter period of time, not to mention it looks terribly greasy and it makes a giant mess for the service technicians when there is work to be done in the engine bay. With the cleaners discussed above paired with a pressure washer, the engine bays always turn out in showroom condition no matter how dirty they get, shining the engine would really be a waste of time.

[Kassel]

The suggestion I can make to drag in clientel, Offer a first-time price, as in, maybe $20-30 off the regular charged price (some charge based on how long it takes them/how bad the car is) ranging from 80 for a quick easy detail, to 180 for the car from hell

[LSDRider]

Yeah, charge at least 100 for a complete detail without buffing and upwards of 150 if you need to buff.