Tweet
You do need to know what it costs to run your business.
Then you need to figure about how much it costs in product, time, and profit you want to make for each item. You need to calculate the fixed costs, variable costs, and add profit to each detailing item.
You need to estimate that it will take oh 30 minutes to do a superb wash for instance.
You may do a study and find that you need to charge $30 to do a superb car wash and make a decent amount of profit for your time. This figure is based upon slightly more than $50 an hour for washing a car and considers the products will cost a bit thus it costs $30 not $25 for instance.
You would then do a study on every part of the service you offer. For example just like the car wash you need to individually calculate clay, cleaning, polishing, and waxing.... and all other possible services like tire dressing and glass cleaning.
Take Clay for instance, you will need to account for the product because it isn't cheap and it also uses a lot of Quick Detailer, then you need to tack on labor at say $50 an hour and a little m ore for added profit.
After you come up with the individual component services such as a wash, clay, clean, polish, and wax services or componets and figure out how much you need to charge for each then you put together packages.
The packages should include things such as:
1. Wash Only
2. Wash and Wax Package
3. Wash, Clay, Wax package
4. 5 Step Package
Obviously, there has to be a slight discount for taking a package. For example if a Wash is $30 and a Wax is $35, package Number 2 might be $60 because it is a packaged deal.
After comming up with your packages, you need a group of extras that can be added to any package!
For instance, if the customer wants Tire Dressing, or Rain-X Widnow Treatment, or Requests an Additional Coat of Wax, or wants to add a few single items in they can.
Plus, when you do your walk through you can look at the car and make a judgement. You can recomend a specific package. Then after recomending a package, if you see a car with Bugs and Tar, you let the customer know they need to add the Bug and Tar removal component with Package #5 or whatever.
In other words, you have a menu that has already accounted for the pricing and time, and it has Combos and side orders. In other words, You can get the Hamberger, Fry's, and Drink together, but you might still need desert to be added in addition to your combo.
Now, you never want to give a price to the customer over the phone because you don't know what they need. When the customer comes in you should review the vehicle with the customer present. You then consult the customer as to what their vehicle needs and why. You can explain the clay, the cleaning, and waxing... You point them in the direction as to what Package (combo) and what Extras (Side orders) are needed.
Think of it as a Drive Thru like TacoBell or whatever, only you tell the customer what to order and why and get to force them to add the fry's because you can't put a coat of wax over the bugs.
That sounds terrible, but you get what I am saying.
With this method, the customer should be happy to be able to get a packaged deal and still have any special things taken care of. They will feel truely cared for when you take the time to explain what they need, and you will be fully compensated for your time.
You also get a tip! Unless your customers are cheap. If they are too cheap to tip, they will probably be getting the Gas Station Auto Car Wash anyway for $7
They don't even know what a machine car wash will do to their car!
BTW, I only detail my own cars but among other things have taken some business and management classes and know how people think. You are always best making them feel good about bringing their car to you. You need to be concerned for them and their car. You need to talk to them and make them feel good because it is the Soft Skills that will keep them comming back to you!
Honestly, if I could find a Skilled, Trusted Detailer in my area I would stop detailing my cars. It takes me hours to detail each car and I have other things to do. Although I am interested in detailing I wish I could find someone I know is good. I would be willing to pay $200 to $300 for each car as I know it is a lot of work and money isn't much of an issue, but time often is when I am in the middle of a big project at work.
I am always fearful I will run into "Buba the Archaic Detailer" (Credit Given to Mike for the Buba Concept)
Have pictures of your previous work. Show them swirls and then show them pictures with the swirls removed! That will sell your service. Explain that you use proper procedurs, equipment, and consumables.
Now explain that if anything is done improperly more swirls could be instilled, but assure them you do proper work.
Just use Pictures like these and they will understand! This is why I don't go to detailers. I am always afraid I will end up with the before pictures of this thread. No, I don't own a Ferrari.
When you show them pictures like this they will be afraid that they might end up with Buba (Credit to Mike, Again) and be afraid to go anywhere but to you. At this point you have them hooked for life and you can chare a bit more than the competition because they will be afraid of the competition. When anyone could be buba, who wnats to risk it?
You can expect to see all their vehicles (Most people have 2 to 4), and their Word of Mouth Advertising will help too.
I have had people ask me who details your car. I answer, "I do" then they ask me how much I charge then I tell them I don't run a detail business and won't detail their car. I am simply trying to point out that your work will sell itself, so make it your best.
Then you need to figure about how much it costs in product, time, and profit you want to make for each item. You need to calculate the fixed costs, variable costs, and add profit to each detailing item.
You need to estimate that it will take oh 30 minutes to do a superb wash for instance.
You may do a study and find that you need to charge $30 to do a superb car wash and make a decent amount of profit for your time. This figure is based upon slightly more than $50 an hour for washing a car and considers the products will cost a bit thus it costs $30 not $25 for instance.
You would then do a study on every part of the service you offer. For example just like the car wash you need to individually calculate clay, cleaning, polishing, and waxing.... and all other possible services like tire dressing and glass cleaning.
Take Clay for instance, you will need to account for the product because it isn't cheap and it also uses a lot of Quick Detailer, then you need to tack on labor at say $50 an hour and a little m ore for added profit.
After you come up with the individual component services such as a wash, clay, clean, polish, and wax services or componets and figure out how much you need to charge for each then you put together packages.
The packages should include things such as:
1. Wash Only
2. Wash and Wax Package
3. Wash, Clay, Wax package
4. 5 Step Package
Obviously, there has to be a slight discount for taking a package. For example if a Wash is $30 and a Wax is $35, package Number 2 might be $60 because it is a packaged deal.
After comming up with your packages, you need a group of extras that can be added to any package!
For instance, if the customer wants Tire Dressing, or Rain-X Widnow Treatment, or Requests an Additional Coat of Wax, or wants to add a few single items in they can.
Plus, when you do your walk through you can look at the car and make a judgement. You can recomend a specific package. Then after recomending a package, if you see a car with Bugs and Tar, you let the customer know they need to add the Bug and Tar removal component with Package #5 or whatever.
In other words, you have a menu that has already accounted for the pricing and time, and it has Combos and side orders. In other words, You can get the Hamberger, Fry's, and Drink together, but you might still need desert to be added in addition to your combo.
Now, you never want to give a price to the customer over the phone because you don't know what they need. When the customer comes in you should review the vehicle with the customer present. You then consult the customer as to what their vehicle needs and why. You can explain the clay, the cleaning, and waxing... You point them in the direction as to what Package (combo) and what Extras (Side orders) are needed.
Think of it as a Drive Thru like TacoBell or whatever, only you tell the customer what to order and why and get to force them to add the fry's because you can't put a coat of wax over the bugs.
That sounds terrible, but you get what I am saying.
With this method, the customer should be happy to be able to get a packaged deal and still have any special things taken care of. They will feel truely cared for when you take the time to explain what they need, and you will be fully compensated for your time.
You also get a tip! Unless your customers are cheap. If they are too cheap to tip, they will probably be getting the Gas Station Auto Car Wash anyway for $7
They don't even know what a machine car wash will do to their car!BTW, I only detail my own cars
but among other things have taken some business and management classes and know how people think. You are always best making them feel good about bringing their car to you. You need to be concerned for them and their car. You need to talk to them and make them feel good because it is the Soft Skills that will keep them comming back to you!Honestly, if I could find a Skilled, Trusted Detailer in my area I would stop detailing my cars. It takes me hours to detail each car and I have other things to do. Although I am interested in detailing I wish I could find someone I know is good. I would be willing to pay $200 to $300 for each car as I know it is a lot of work and money isn't much of an issue, but time often is when I am in the middle of a big project at work.
I am always fearful I will run into "Buba the Archaic Detailer" (Credit Given to Mike for the Buba Concept)
Have pictures of your previous work. Show them swirls and then show them pictures with the swirls removed! That will sell your service. Explain that you use proper procedurs, equipment, and consumables.
Now explain that if anything is done improperly more swirls could be instilled, but assure them you do proper work.
Just use Pictures like these and they will understand! This is why I don't go to detailers. I am always afraid I will end up with the before pictures of this thread. No, I don't own a Ferrari.
When you show them pictures like this they will be afraid that they might end up with Buba (Credit to Mike, Again) and be afraid to go anywhere but to you. At this point you have them hooked for life and you can chare a bit more than the competition because they will be afraid of the competition. When anyone could be buba, who wnats to risk it?
You can expect to see all their vehicles (Most people have 2 to 4), and their Word of Mouth Advertising will help too.
I have had people ask me who details your car. I answer, "I do" then they ask me how much I charge
then I tell them I don't run a detail business and won't detail their car. I am simply trying to point out that your work will sell itself, so make it your best.
Comment