This is exactly the kind of thing I am talking about. It is extremely challenging to figure out exactly what a customer's needs are and provide a job that fits their needs. If you do too much, they are paying more than they are comfortable with. If don't do enough, they are angry because you did a bad job. It was really hard for me to figure out how to handle this type of situation.
This detail shop that did cheap work, but did it badly, I agree, that is bad business. You don't want customers to walk away dissatisfied, you want customers to walk away feeling like they got a good deal, more than they bargained for.
It is a whole different skill set to be able to do work that is inexpensive but still holds a lot of value. There is a challenge to striking that perfect balance between price and quality to produce optimal value. And that is a big challenge that people like me face.
* Is there a way to do it almost as good but three times as fast?
* Is there a product that works just as well but costs 1/4 as much?
* etc...
As far as the either/or of doing Premium Work vs. Inexpensive work. My top if the line detail is around $300, its a nice package. But I draw the line at heavy scratch removal with a rotary, removing wheels to do the inside, etc. because I've found that I make less money and spend more time on the really high end customers because there arebn't many of them and they come with a whole different set of needs, a different business system. I like to keep things simple, it reduces my risk. And I've had to turn away almost 0 customers because they wanted more than what I was willing to do.
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Originally Posted by Accumulator  DutrowLLC- I can see your point and IMO there are different levels of detailing, suitable to different types of clientele.
Indeed, a lot of folks/companies just want the vehicle(s) to look better "after" than the do "before" and I don't see a point in begrudging those customers what they want. IMO getting those vehicles ~perfect would be pointless as they'll just get marred up again and before long you'd have to quit correcting the paint anyhow as you'd run out of clear. To some people cars are just appliances- and IMO there's nothing wrong with that. And there's nothing wrong with wanting an appliance to look decent.
And there's nothing wrong with wanting to make money at your chosen profession, which depends on giving your customers what they want at a price they'll pay.
There have been a few members here who have operated along the lines that you described, but it seems that they are no longer active here. Too bad IMO, as I'd like for Autopia to offer something to *anyone* involved in detailing at any level, not just those of us who strive for perfection.
I can't help but see a parallel to individual car owners who want advice along the lines of "clay and cleaner-wax" levels of involvement. I sure don't want to just blow those folks off and tell 'em it's either concours-level or nothing.
OTOH, A detail shop in my area started out doing what I considered shoddy, production-line work (their "afters" looked worse than any of my "befores"). I've noticed that these days they seem to be turning out some *very* nice jobs on some vehicles (at least they look a lot better than they used to when I drive by). It's the same company, but they're sure doing a different level of work on *some* of the vehicles they do. I would think this is the sort of thing that can evolve if the market warrants it, so I do think it pays to keep an open mind. What if you could do what you're doing now, and also make money doing great work on a few cars for people who want the best? Guess I don't see it as an either/or type of thing. |