Marketing Summer Deals

**DSPlati** · 05-19-2011, 10:59 PM

WOW! Great job guys, Heres a quick back ground on me... I have been washing for a couple of years(5) through a car dealership while I was going through college. Left the dealer and went to sales for other companies lost my job and decided to open something that I know how to do "wash cars". Started my mobile company last year in April washing and some detailing`s and waxing by hand. As the year past I can wash a car like no ones business and also detail the inside very well and Im fast at it. But I got myself locked up on just washes which is a good thing cause it keeps me busy through the week. But it interfears with customers that need details. See I started this Maintenance Package for $55 per month which gives my clients 4 exterior washes and 2 interior cleanings per month and I see them once a week. Ive sold 40, so its good and all cause I use that as my "Salary" but now I can only do 1 detail a day and thats if the new customer can have time in the afternoon for me to detail the vehicle.
So back to what ya`ll wrote the past days about rather doing 1 detail in 3 hours vs 3 washes because its more money detailing... It makes sense but Im afraid to hire a guy or 2 to take care of my maintenance clients because I dont want them to take and steal money and chemicals from me and new business, HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT THIS?
Thats my first dillema:
Did that kinda make sense or did it sound confusing?

**jammerz101** · 05-19-2011, 11:10 PM

Just to make sure I have this correct.

$55 per month x 12 months = $660 per year

$660 divided by 52 visits = $12.69 each time you touch that car

That isn`t enough for one person with no employees. I hope that you meant $55 per week!

If not, fulfill the obligations that you have sold and give them some advance notice of a price/package adjustment.

Make time for the complete details and then offer them a maintenance service only after you have completely detailed the car, including paint correction if it`s required.

**DSPlati** · 05-19-2011, 11:24 PM

Its every 4 weeks so $715 per year... Goal "was 50 customers"= $35,750 per year just on the maintenance package, that was the big picture I was looking at...
See I kinda figured that if I get a bunch of them, then it would make sense, when I first came up with it I had a business partner and we were going to get 50 a week. Which made it easy cause we could spend 2-3 hours doing these washes per day(10 cars per day) and still have time to do 2-3 details a day together. But at the beginning of the year I had to let my partner go cause he wasnt working and was collection the money still :/...
I just resently raised my price to $60 and people are still buying them $15per week(vist)
Does that kinda make sense?

**C. Charles Hahn** · 05-20-2011, 12:08 AM

Your price point on the wash packages seems decent, but given your situation here`s what I`d do:

1) Stop selling any NEW maintenance packages for a while -- just keep up with the ones you already have and focus on selling details instead.

2) If some of your maintenance package customers stop coming to you, then go ahead and sell a few more of them if you find yourself not keeping booked with details or other higher-margin services.

3) Consider eventually hiring an employee to handle maintenance packages if you get busy enough doing other things. You just have to set clear standards and guidelines for the employee(s) to stick to and keep an eye on things.

I don`t want to sound like a broken record but if you plan to grow your business and you don`t have any business background, seek out some education, training, or other assistance to help you along the way.

**DSPlati** · 05-20-2011, 01:02 AM

1) I raised prices to help stop the packages but they keep coming, everyone on my maintencance program will not got to anyone else (car washes, other mobile services etc...) In a way a good thing

I feel that if I can hire 2 guys at $8-10 per hour $240 per week ($120 per person) I can then take care of marketing, details and paint corrections etc (the bigger money makers)
2)I am running a summer deal "100 details in 100 days for $100" which is booking me and I cant seem to handle doing both cause its just so hot in Arizona, it drains me doing both details and 6-10 washes per day. That is why I feel I should hire another guy or 2 to handle these maintenance customers. What would you do if you were in a situation like this?????
My back ground is in sales so that is why its not hard to sell the packages to customers, I show them value and proof on there vehicle. per week.. I also have some business background but as far as education and training on upper detailing (buffing, wetsanding, paint corrections ect...) I am new to it and that is why I come here to see and read what everyone uses and what not.
If you were in a situation like this how would you go about it? cause the maintenance packages are growing about 3-6 per week and it is hard to say "no" to new customers (clients)

**jammerz101** · 05-20-2011, 12:28 PM

How many of those $13.75 washes can two guys do in a day? Are they all at the same place or do you have to drive between jobs?

Am I missing something here?

**DSPlati** · 05-20-2011, 08:05 PM

I schedule the clients close per day. most of them are at one location, for the most part they are all within a 8 mile radius so not a lot of driving at all. I would say I spend about 15-20 hours per week dealing with these vehicles. And about 5 hours per week of drive and set up and pack up time... However I do also talk to all of them after I wash there vehicle to build rapport and ask for refferal business so add another 5 hours per week on that. So in total about 30 hours per week. If two guys cut time in half :/... So in reallity I would pay these guys 15 hours per week give or take