Need ideas for pricing

[Video]

Heres what ive come up with. Tell me if you think its fair. Now the only real thing i have right now to draw customers is my pricing so it needs to be a good deal. Heres what ive come up with.

I want to keep it simple. Basic and Premium options for exterior, and interior add on. For the interior i was thinking a single package. When it comes to the interior i figure clean is clean. So vacuum and clean/dress the dash/trim. If not i would do two options like this. Im thinking something like this:

Interior (Basic) $25
- Vacuum Upholstery
- Clean Dash & Trim

Interior (Premium) $50
- Vacuum & Clean Upholstery
- Clean & Dress Dash/Protect & Trim
- Clean & Condition Leather

Exterior (Basic) $50
- Thorough Hand Wash
- Carnauba Wax, Seal & Protect
- Thoroughly Clean Tires & Rims

Exterior (Premium) $100
- Thorough Hand Wash
- Clay Bar
- Compound/Polish & Synthetic Wax, Seal & Protect
- Polish Rims
- Clean/Dress Tires
- Restore Faded Trim

Complete Premium Package Deal $125

Any ideas would be very helpful. Would you guys pay that price? And would you offer a seperate interior option or just one to keep it simple?

[gbackus]

Re: Need ideas for pricing

Based on your prior threads I don't think you're quite ready to be moving into a professional market. Please don't take offense to this, but I really think you need to get a little more experience before you start charging people.

[JGdetailing]

I don't see anything wrong with the pricing. You have to make sure your making a profit too. Depends on where you live a lot of people won't pay a lot of money to have there vehicles detailed. I charge people to what I know they want to pay.

[Video]

Re: Need ideas for pricing

I dont take offense. Im confident in my abilites ive had years of experience. All of my questions are based on your products specifically. Ive never used meguiars producst ive always used mothers or pinnacle products but im not about to spend hundreds of dollars on a 50 or 100 dollar detail. Meguiars fits the bill and so far i like the results ive gotten. I want to be educated in what im putting on someones car I dont need more experience or education in the actual detailing portion. Im new to running a business as well but thats something ill learn as i go along.

Im also doing this safe. Im not buffing or using a cutting compound or taking any layers of clear coat off. Im using polish and mild compounds and wax and using proper technique to clean without causing scratches or swirl marks. I dont advertise to fix paint or remove scratches, i clean and make things shiny haha. And i have an excellent attention to detail.

Thank you for the input! I think im going to start with those prices and adjust accordingly.

[davey g-force]

Re: Need ideas for pricing

Im not buffing or using a cutting compound or taking any layers of clear coat off. Im using polish and mild compounds...

Polish and mild compounds will still take off some clear. Just not as much as a cutting compound.

[Video]

Re: Need ideas for pricing

According to the desciptions they dont, the meguiars ultimate polish. Good to know, thats why im asking these questions

[jarred767]

Re: Need ideas for pricing

Congrats on the new biz!!! Detsiling is an awesome way to make money - either on the side or as your full time gig. I started just like you 8 years ago, doing it as a side job in the afternoons and weekends and not charging nearly enough I went full time 5 years ago, and am starting to get close to 6 figures in profit a year after raising my prices at least once a year over that stretch, so you can definitely do it

Just know your limitations - which it sounds like you do - and continue to get better at your craft (we can all always do that). If you end doing this regularly at all, a good DA will make a worlds difference than if you're just doing it by hand - faster, easier, and better results, with little-to-no added risk.

As for your prices, they sound quite low to me, but it depends on your market. They are a little less than half what I charge, but Seattle could be a pricier market for detailing than MA. I'd recommend raising them at least a little before you start and then offer discounts to bring it back down to what you have (assuming that's what you're comfortable with) and then when business picks up, you get rid of the discount... and voila! you've essentially raised you're prices without having to actually raise prices.

Good luck man!!

[Video]

Re: Need ideas for pricing

Thats an excellent idea! Thank you very much for the input! My friend is a software engineer and is making me a website. Mind if i check yours out and get some ideas?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Need ideas for pricing

Since others have addressed the price versus market topic, we'd like to just give you this to think about:

Based on the prices you quote and how long, on average, it takes you do perform each of these services, are you making enough per hour to fulfill your own needs? For example, with this service package:

Exterior (Basic) $50
- Thorough Hand Wash
- Carnauba Wax, Seal & Protect
- Thoroughly Clean Tires & Rims

Can you get this done in an hour? If so you'd be making $50/hour (obviously) but only half that if it takes you two hours. If that works for you, then great. Like you said, you aren't doing any machine polishing or heavy defect correction and you're not representing your services as such. To make an analogy, not all doctors charge the same amount for a consultation. A general practitioner may charge $50 for an office visit while a neurosurgeon may charge $250. A detailer who, to your words, doesn't advertise to fix paint or remove scratches but just clean and make things shiny should not be charging the same as someone with the knowledge and skill to actually do heavy correction with a DA or rotary and take a car to a true show car or concours finish.

That you understand your customers is huge; we've seen too many guys who charge only a bit more than you do but seem to think every car they machine polish needs to be flawless when done. So they end up spending 10 hours with a DA and getting paid $100 for their efforts. $10 an hour means they are doing a horrible disservice to themselves while giving their customer very unreal expectations for the future.

[Video]

Re: Need ideas for pricing

Thank you thats good info and i agree. It takes me about an hour 1/2 to complete a basic wash/wax and interior clean on a small car, more for a larger truck and so id probably charge more.

Dont get me wrong, i have the knowlege and experience to bring a car to a car show finish, but im just starting out with this business and i highly doubt someone is going to pay someone unheard of and not established hundreds of dollars with there expensive car.

Down the road i will absolutely get into this but i want to start slow and keep it easy/simple. If someone on the side wants to pay me to do more i will but im not going to advertise it. For instance a gentleman is paying me to wet sand and buff a repainted portion of his truck.

Heres what ive come up with:

Basic $75
- Vacuum, clean dash trim
- Hand wash
- Carnauba wax
- Clean tires/rims
- Clean glass

Premium $150
- vacuum and clean upholstery,
- clean/condition leather,
- clean and dress dash/trim
- Hand wash,
- Clay bar, compound/polish
- Synthetic wax
- Clean and dress tires, polish rims
- Clean glass

[jarred767]

Re: Need ideas for pricing

Thats an excellent idea! Thank you very much for the input! My friend is a software engineer and is making me a website. Mind if i check yours out and get some ideas?

Yeah, go for it!! (Just don't steal my pics or words)

[Video]

Re: Need ideas for pricing

Roger that sir! Thank you!