First Dealership

[OnTheSpotMobile]

I had a guy at a dealership run across the street to ask me to do some work for him while I was waiting at a red light. So today I went over and did one vehicle for him as a sort of introduction to my services. I charged him $90 to shampoo the upholstery/carpets and wipe down all the surfaces, clean the glass, as well as wash the exterior. It took me three hours to do since the car looked like someone had poured chocolate milk on each carpet. Anyway normally I charge $120 for a full interior shampoo/detail, which is pretty standard in my area, plus another $10 for exterior wash. Do you guys think that is a pretty standard deal for a dealership? He says he`ll keep bringing me in for vehicles he acquires since its a lot easier than taking an hour to take each car across town and back.

[Jpostal]

$120 is a bit more than I charge for a wholesale interior job but it is pretty close. For the small dealers (1 or 2 man operations) the convenience of having you come to them can be worth paying a small premium because they do not have to leave the lot to take the car to a shop. Also keep in mind that dealers (especially newer dealerships) will jump ship when a cheaper detailer comes around, but in my experience they always come back if you work is superior and relatively comparable in price.