Mobile Detailing...here goes!

[Allred00535]

Thanks to you Autopians I have started my venture into mobile detailing for myself...no more shop space searching for me.



I started off thismorning by renewing a few online ads, ordering some sweet business cards and am in the process of printing up some pricing menus.



My plan of attack will be putting the pricing menu and business cards anywhere I can... a friend that is a mortgage broker suggested putting pricing menus in the open glass cases by community mail boxes. He is fairly sharp when it comes to sales and advertising.



My question for you guys is this: Should I try to go with the Bread and Butter monthly wash packages? Also any marketing tips? I am starting on a somewhat limited budget so Im not able to get a wrap around sticker or likewise on my vehicles just yet.



I look forward to sharing my progress with you..



Thanks for your support.



Chris

[BobD]

Thanks to you Autopians I have started my venture into mobile detailing for myself...no more shop space searching for me.



I started off thismorning by renewing a few online ads, ordering some sweet business cards and am in the process of printing up some pricing menus.



My plan of attack will be putting the pricing menu and business cards anywhere I can... a friend that is a mortgage broker suggested putting pricing menus in the open glass cases by community mail boxes. He is fairly sharp when it comes to sales and advertising.



My question for you guys is this: Should I try to go with the Bread and Butter monthly wash packages? Also any marketing tips? I am starting on a somewhat limited budget so Im not able to get a wrap around sticker or likewise on my vehicles just yet.



I look forward to sharing my progress with you..



Thanks for your support.



Chris



WAIT! We where all kidding! Go back to the other job! :lol



Good luck! You should be happier on your own vs. working for someone.

[imported_ajbarnes]

Good luck! You should be happier on your own vs. working for someone.



Ain`t that the truth!



I can get some very big headaches running my business, but I love every second of it. :xyxthumbs

[BlueZero]

WAIT! We where all kidding! Go back to the other job! :lol



Oh that would be so cruel! Good luck with the venture. I`m sure you will do fine. Keep us update as to how it goes.

[Allred00535]

I ran a small two bay operation in Salt Lake City. I never had to do any advertising because I more or less fell into it. The guy who ran the shop before me had to move to Florida as a spur of the moment type thing, so all I had to do was keep my dealers and the existing customer base happy.



The past week working for the mobile company was my first time working for someone else since 2002.



Thank you for the good luck...alot more nice cars here...without the road salt!

[BobD]

No road salt would be nice! My truck will be covered in salt for the next two months. I was it when it gets above freezing but that won`t happen for a while now.

[velobard]

WAIT! We where all kidding! Go back to the other job! :lol



:funnypost

[PhaRO]

Regular scheduled washes are great. Unless you plan to just wash cars you may have to find a way to limit wash customers. Price hikes have a way of limiting them or just stop doing them for anymore people. I didn`t intend to end up being a car washer. I just kept adding weekly, biweekly customers and eventually filled my schedule completely. I`ve cut off new customers but am thinking about taking details if I can move some people around. Also thinking about moving two states away which would definately free up some space :)

[Lone_Star]

Good Luck! Working for yourself is usually more fulfilling then somebody else.

[Allred00535]

Alright.. one day has passed and I have 2 details lined up, both with several hours of color sanding and clay work.





Yesterday afternoon I did a full detail on an 06` Roushe F150. I quoted pretty low at $150 and the job took about four hours. When the vehicle was completed the customer told me he would like me to clay the entire vehicle because there was a tad bit of overspray from the racing stripes he had put on it. There was no mention of this during the estimate. I told him it would be an additional service to which he became furious. He said I would not be paid because the detail is not done until the truck is gone over with the clay bar. I explained the process to him and that it was not in the original estimate. He went inside and came back out with a check for $75 and said "You will get the other $75 when the clay work is done!" I was unsure what to do in that circumstance? Do I call the police? The service he paid for was complete and the truck looked spectacular, I packed up my equipment and left with the $75.





A nightmare of a first customer.

[Bbasso]

Did you get any of that in writing, If not you are screwed.

[Allred00535]

No. He was just purchasing my full detail package which includes nothing about overspray removal...overyspray removal is listed in additional services. The guy actually just called me to tell me he would be home in 15 minutes so I could complete the job. What the hell am I going to do about him lol?!?!



Geez.

[velobard]

Alright.. one day has passed and I have 2 details lined up, both with several hours of color sanding and clay work.





Yesterday afternoon I did a full detail on an 06` Roushe F150. I quoted pretty low at $150 and the job took about four hours. When the vehicle was completed the customer told me he would like me to clay the entire vehicle because there was a tad bit of overspray from the racing stripes he had put on it. There was no mention of this during the estimate. I told him it would be an additional service to which he became furious. He said I would not be paid because the detail is not done until the truck is gone over with the clay bar. I explained the process to him and that it was not in the original estimate. He went inside and came back out with a check for $75 and said "You will get the other $75 when the clay work is done!" I was unsure what to do in that circumstance? Do I call the police? The service he paid for was complete and the truck looked spectacular, I packed up my equipment and left with the $75.





A nightmare of a first customer.

:grrr

What a way to get started. I`m not sure, you might try to force the issue but it sounds like you don`t have anything in writing, so there`s a good chance you`d still come out on the short end plus you`d have someone looking to bad mouth you right as you`re getting off the ground with your business. Tough call, and an excellent example why to have everything in writing. You can either write it off or go ahead and kowtow to him. Not sure I`d want to do that considering he`s already making it plain he`s willing to be a jerk and screw you over.



On the bright side, you still made a lot more the $10 hr!

[Thomas Dekany]

No. He was just purchasing my full detail package which includes nothing about overspray removal...overyspray removal is listed in additional services. The guy actually just called me to tell me he would be home in 15 minutes so I could complete the job. What the hell am I going to do about him lol?!?!



Geez.





just go back and do it. Sometimes when it rains it pours.



Be the better man.



Let us know.

[Bbasso]

Apparently he liked the work you did, finish it and he might give you the correct money and possibly a refferel.