Pay for an assistant?

[jdoria]

What are yu paying your assistants who do not polish paint?

Someone who:
Wash
Wheels
Vacuum
Shampoo
Wax/seal
Set-up and Clean-up


I was thinking of $15hr or 100 flat per car until I can teach them to polish.

[Danase]

That seems HIGH to me. Especially if they are not doing any of the polishing.

[jdoria]

Thanks Bob.

I was thinking minimum wage gets hiked to 7.25 today, so double it.

[MotorCity]

I pay my assistant $10 an hour BUT, I charge by MAN HOUR so my hourly rate doubles but I am only out $10 an hour

[jdoria]

Originally Posted by MotorCity

I pay my assistant $10 an hour BUT, I charge by MAN HOUR so my hourly rate doubles but I am only out $10 an hour

I dont get that MAN HOUR thing. What is that?

You bill him out for $20 and keep 10 for overhead?

[MotorCity]

Originally Posted by jdoria

I dont get that MAN HOUR thing. What is that?

You bill him out for $20 and keep 10 for overhead?

When working alone I charge $45 an hour. When I have an assistant there are two of us working. He may be doing “grunt work” but he is still doing work that I would have to do if he were not there. So in essence in one hour, you are getting 2 “man hours” of work therefore, I charge $90 for each hour worked when I have an assistant.

[brwill2005]

Originally Posted by MotorCity

When working alone I charge $45 an hour. When I have an assistant there are two of us working. He may be doing “grunt work” but he is still doing work that I would have to do if he were not there. So in essence in one hour, you are getting 2 “man hours” of work therefore, I charge $90 for each hour worked when I have an assistant.

I did two full interior details yesterday; one on a Honda Pilot and the other on a Honda Odyssey. If I was working by myself it would have taken me around 10 hours. My labor rate is $40 per hour, so the price would have been around $425. With my assistant it took us 8 hours and the customer was billed the normal price of $425. Using your method it would have been $640. I think most people would have balked at such a high price. The point of having someone help you is to achieve economies of scale; get more done for the same money or even charge a bit less. By using an assistant and charging more, you are reducing the demand for your services. Kind of seems counter-intuitive to me.

[MotorCity]

Originally Posted by brwill2005

I did two full interior details yesterday; one on a Honda Pilot and the other on a Honda Odyssey. If I was working by myself it would have taken me around 10 hours. My labor rate is $40 per hour, so the price would have been around $425. With my assistant it took us 8 hours and the customer was billed the normal price of $425. Using your method it would have been $640. I think most people would have balked at such a high price. The point of having someone help you is to achieve economies of scale; get more done for the same money or even charge a bit less. By using an assistant and charging more, you are reducing the demand for your services. Kind of seems counter-intuitive to me.

Not to be rude but if your assistant only reduces your time worked by 20% you are not working him/her to the full potential.

I have my guy do everything but use the polisher.

Final bill comes out to be the same as it would have if I didn't have an assistant, only difference is my body is much less sore and I actually have time to sit with a drink and a cigar after and time for the woman and kid! It benefits my customers due to the fact that I need the vehicle for less time

By doing this I am able to do more vehicles which, thus far has worked as I am booked for the season

[Jakerooni]

If they already know what they are doing they get 30% of whatever the final bill is. If they are in need of training it's $10/hr flat rate.

[Shaun Carollo]

Originally Posted by MotorCity

Not to be rude but if your assistant only reduces your time worked by 20% you are not working him/her to the full potential.

I have my guy do everything but use the polisher.

Final bill comes out to be the same as it would have if I didn't have an assistant, only difference is my body is much less sore and I actually have time to sit with a drink and a cigar after! It benefits my customers due to the fact that I need the vehicle for less time

By doing this I am able to do more vehicles which, thus far has worked as I am booked for the season

Agreed as well as with Jakerooni.

[JohnKleven]

$15 seems a bit high to me also. Maybe if you're mobile, and can keep a fairly low overhead, but in a fixed operation like mine, you've got to keep costs down.


John

[jdoria]

Originally Posted by brwill2005

I did two full interior details yesterday; one on a Honda Pilot and the other on a Honda Odyssey. If I was working by myself it would have taken me around 10 hours. My labor rate is $40 per hour, so the price would have been around $425. With my assistant it took us 8 hours and the customer was billed the normal price of $425. Using your method it would have been $640. I think most people would have balked at such a high price. The point of having someone help you is to achieve economies of scale; get more done for the same money or even charge a bit less. By using an assistant and charging more, you are reducing the demand for your services. Kind of seems counter-intuitive to me.

Am I reading that right, $212.50 for an interior only detail? That is good pay.


Man hour - I get it. 10 hrs @ 45hr = $450. Ideally the helper will reduce the hours consumed at a lower net burn rate of cash. Ideally your net now would be 5hrs @ 90 = $450 but only cost you $50 in pay at a rate of $10 per hour.


I like to bring along a helper that I can shape into someone who I can let go out alone eventually. If I am earning $500 to 600 for a full job, I'd have no problem paying out $175-200 flat per job to someone reliable, manageable, and honest.