Detailer training and consulting for dealer. What to charge$$?

**jk2paintworx@ho** · 10-25-2011, 10:42 PM

I have a local dealer that wants me to go to his dealership and train his guys to be better detailers and help set up thier shop. I have my product vendor on board to donate product in hopes to get his brand in the shop permanently. I have trained many detailers in my 20 plus years in the biz, but that was when I was running a Mercedes Benz detail shop. Now I have my own private high end shop. I am not concerned with them stealing any of my clients because I feel that what seperates the true high end detailers from the rest is passion and experience and niether of those things can be tought or copied. The owner just wants his guys to be able to bring the cars up to a little higher standard and doesnt have anyone to teach so he asked me to put together a proposal. I am going to charge an hourly rate since so much of the process is going to depend upon how eager the guys are to listen and learn. What would be a reasonable hourly rate to go into a shop and train two detailers and supply all products throughout the training. What does it cost to attend a detailing training school? That would be his other option I suppose.

**Envious Eric** · 10-26-2011, 06:26 AM

100+ per hour...after all, you are going to SAVE him a lot of money in the end. You should be compensated a bit for your knowledge/expertise that other detailers dont have

**JohnKleven** · 10-26-2011, 08:56 AM

This is a rough one. You may be able to make a quick thousand dollars or so, but inevitably the dealership will be calling you for advice and taking up a lot of your time. If you can get them to send business your way, that would be a huge help. In a situation like this, you need to be selling them the products you`re training on, so you`re getting a share for years to come in my honest opinion.

John

**C. Charles Hahn** · 10-26-2011, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by JohnKleven

This is a rough one. You may be able to make a quick thousand dollars or so, but inevitably the dealership will be calling you for advice and taking up a lot of your time. If you can get them to send business your way, that would be a huge help. In a situation like this, you need to be selling them the products you`re training on, so you`re getting a share for years to come in my honest opinion.

John

Agreed... this could easily turn into a long-term relationship if you play your cards right.

**Jpostal** · 10-26-2011, 03:01 PM

I have a hard time believing a dealer would shell out $100 plus an hour...I doubt they pay their accountant or lawyer $100 an hour.

I would suggest setting it up like a course with a set curiculum and assigning "x" number of hours to each section of the course. I would also include a certain number of hours of on-site follow up time over the following weeks/months. Obviously if you can get a little piece of the action on the product side supply side that would be smart too...maybe your rep could cut you in on their orders or offer you a discounted rate when you order products for your shop?

**Nth Degree** · 10-26-2011, 03:46 PM

Don`t count on a long term relationship or loyalty to you or products. If that happens anyway, great.

Since most of the guys probable are only there for a job for money and not the love of the business I would recommend to the dealer to do just minimal training to the whole crew. Then advanced training for a select few who will supervise and serve as a quality control for the long haul. Once those guys are up to speed they can pass along the training. The dealer should see this as better bang for the buck and an investment beyond sending each guy to a training course. Charge high for the training, but offer a nominal charge for consulting after. That way they don`t risk trying to "figure it out" on their own and it`s kind of like a guarantee on your training.

I would also make sure you understand the dealer`s expectation of output to tailor the training accordingly. No sense teaching time consuming techniques that won`t meet production quotas.

**Jean-Claude** · 10-26-2011, 08:44 PM

The difference is that you are a consultant. I would say $125 per hour. Just remember you can stay and handle your own customer`s cars and make fine money and build your own business. It was be worth your time to give that up for a period of time and build value in their workers.

Originally Posted by JPostal

I have a hard time believing a dealer would shell out $100 plus an hour...I doubt they pay their accountant or lawyer $100 an hour.

I would suggest setting it up like a course with a set curiculum and assigning "x" number of hours to each section of the course. I would also include a certain number of hours of on-site follow up time over the following weeks/months. Obviously if you can get a little piece of the action on the product side supply side that would be smart too...maybe your rep could cut you in on their orders or offer you a discounted rate when you order products for your shop?

**jk2paintworx@ho** · 10-26-2011, 11:09 PM

I have a great relationship with my product supplier and if it turns into something longterm for him he will make it fair for me. He is supplying all of the products for training which will help make it an easier sell for me and I will be using products I am familiar with. I got out of the product sales 2years ago so I am not concerned with that end of it. The detail dept is small with only two guys so it will not be a large group. The owner has a warehouse on site that is full of very high end collector cars that I will be detailing onsite as well as training his guys to do the wholesale details. The proposal I am putting together is going to be for $100 per hour and I will outline everything I offer and I will let them decide the best way to utilize my expeience. Thanks for all of the advice guys.