Interesting discussion about detailing: Paintless Dent Forum - Page 2

DaGonz · 10-27-07, 10:36

I had a guy call me last night about getting his car detailed. He had moved out of the area for 5 years and recently returned. I told him what I would charge him (he's kind of anal about his cars and they are always kept fairly clean) and he stated..

Quote:

The last time you detailed it, it was only $xxx dollars, why the big jump in price?

I then asked him if he was paying the same prices at the gas pumps, the same prices at the grocery store, the same amount in real estate and income taxes.... his answer?

Quote:

"no".

I then said "I think you answered your own question...."

jsatek · 10-27-07, 11:02

Appliedcolors - I think you need to enlighten the crew on the powerful profits in bumper repair.

I remember outsourcing my lot bumper work to a guy with a mobile solution and giving him $120 per bumper. If the work took him 2 hours, it was too long. I'd call him 1x per month and have about 10 bumpers waiting for him. I used to mix the colors as I had 2 mixing systems on site, most of the mobile guys are color blind. I just asked him to prep, spray, and finish the jobs.
I couldn't tie up my booths for a single bumper.

AppliedColors · 10-27-07, 11:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsatek

Appliedcolors - I think you need to enlighten the crew on the powerful profits in bumper repair.

I remember outsourcing my lot bumper work to a guy with a mobile solution and giving him $120 per bumper. If the work took him 2 hours, it was too long. I'd call him 1x per month and have about 10 bumpers waiting for him. I used to mix the colors as I had 2 mixing systems on site, most of the mobile guys are color blind. I just asked him to prep, spray, and finish the jobs.
I couldn't tie up my booths for a single bumper.

This was the conclusion of the discussion on the PDR forum: detailing profits are thin...reconditioning profits are fat.

You don't even need to provide these services yourself:

Paintless Dent Repair (About $175 per job)
Bumper Repair (About $225 per job)
Windshield Repair (About $35 per job)
Scratch Touchup (About $35 per job)
Vinyl/Leather/Plastic Repair (About $100 per job)
Headlight Repair (About $40 per job)

90% of the cars we detail have one of the above problems. We successfully upsell at least one of these services on 60% of the cars we service. Our shop does all but PDR onsite, but smaller shops can simply refer the customer on to a local company and collect a referral fee of $20 - $40.

Windshield repair can be added for about $600. Scratch repair for $800 - $3000. Headlight repair can be done with wetsanding and compounding (search Autopia for instructions). PDR could take $10k and a year to learn. Bumpers: $10k and a year. Interior: $4k and a year.

Reconditioning has actually kept our shop profitable season after season. We can keep our detailing prices competitive and know that our rarer services will add significant money to each job we accept.

Remember that detailing services are common and competitive. Adding services that your competition doesn't puts you in a less competitive space and allows you more control over your prices and income.

SilvaBimma · 10-28-07, 12:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Picus

Man we've had this discussion so many times. The problem, like in every industry, is there are hacks willing to do it for less, and most people don't know the difference. Find your niche and charge accordingly. Thanks for the link over there, it was a good read.

Exactly, not only that, consider a full fledged legitimate Detail business that is registered, taxes, insurance, liability, compensation, retirement, etc. It all mounts up to Detailing being by far one of the lowest profitability with the MOST work ethic. If you don't believe me, head to Mobileworks.

Sucks, but like always you absolutely need something to fall back on. Detailing for profit is a brutal BUSINESS.

PROServices · 10-28-07, 07:41

Now see, I am going the opposite direction... In my market there are about 6 mobile guys that specialize in each of these catagories.. I was set up for everything and ive found that in my market folks want to use the guy that specializes in one particular area. What this area does not have is a serious top shelf detailer. SO I took my towels and buckets to the local Jag dlrshp and detailed a few of their cars.. They took one look and instantly gave me my own detailing bay and every trade in they take in. Within a year I am already considered the go to guy for this entire area.

This being said, the dlrshp is still a dlrshp, they get good work for about 100 a car but they refer a lot of high end clients who are happy to pay 250 or more for the same job. I also am the only guy in town who installs 3M paint protection film.. but that is a completely different story..$$

$$

todd@bsaw · 10-28-07, 09:04

Where in the area are you?

PROServices · 10-28-07, 10:10

Menasha, How about you?

todd@bsaw · 10-28-07, 10:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by PROServices

Menasha, How about you?

Appleton

PROServices · 10-28-07, 10:36

What shop do you manage?

SVR · 10-29-07, 12:39

Offering unique services no one else in my country do, does put me into an exclusive group of only one or two detailers in the other states who are definately autopian quality detailers and do amazing work.
I've never wanted to own and operate a typical detail shop working on dealership POS and the general publics vehicles who don't give a crap about them besides making sure they get washed now and then
My preference is the show car scene, prestige vehicles owned by doctors, lawyers, accoutants, real estate agents etc. Sometimes family cars who's owners are in car clubs
Sure it can be quiet sometimes but when most of my work is in the range of $330 to 500, doing four cars a week is great and heck even just two gets me by very easily.

not having a family to feed or a mortgage helps.

Totoland Mach · 10-29-07, 05:19

Interesting thread and one that hits several points. As most of you know, I recondition BMW's for a used Bimmer dealer. He get 80-100 cars per year on a steady basis and I joined me last year to learn the reconditioning aspect of detailing. I had a fantastic Mon-Fri daytime job which paid a nice salary, so this BMW work was icing on the cake. Money-wise, the reconditioning paid very little for the hours I was working, but I put that in the "that's OK" category.

Well, here comes September of this year and the company I was working for was gobbled up in a corporate buyout by a much bigger company. So, I lost that income and informed the BMW shop that I decided to work full-time at detailing/reconditioning. I also informed him that I needed to make a living wage on the cars I reconditioned (as an independent contractor, I needed to be in the $30-$40 per hour range to support my family). He said he could not afford those wages as he has a set amount for detailing built in to the price of the car.

End result: I returned the key to the shop and let him know that I would be available for polishing/compounding services at $30 per hour and he could pay either that rate, or I would work until his detailing price is reached...his call.

Now, I have since picked up an exotic car shop that specializes in Ferrari, Lambo, etc and they know of my work from the BMW shop. They let me quote each job at a $40 rate per hour and add $100 to the detail cost to cover shop expenses. Very reasonable on both sides and they "say" I will get at least 3 cars per week (hasn't happened yet).

I am presently at life's intersection: stick with the detailing as a business or go get another full-time job and keep detailing as a sideline. Fortunately for me, I have a few months of time before the decision becomes critical finance wise.

It was kind of ironic when I told the BMW shop that I had to make a full-time living from reconditioning/detailing services...he just couldn't understand that kind of pricing until I mentioned his PDR person and leather recon person coming to the shop and working 1-2 hours at $75-$100 rates.

Thanks for the thread....

Toto