detailing business out of control,dont know how to proceed?

[doged]

That is exactly what i have done,but it seems like it doesnt help much. the prices went from 125 for a car, to 150 now were at 190. Suvs and truck about 240.

quamen: Please, how did you advertise and expand so quickly???

[imported_ajbarnes]

quamen: Please, how did you advertise and expand so quickly???

Ditto.



I`m still amazed on how quickly you grew.

[03COBRA]

Nice problem you have there

My thoughts exactly...

[Scottwax]

Ditto.



I`m still amazed on how quickly you grew.

Rich does excellent work and I think in his area he is the only quality detailer around.



Word gets around pretty quickly!

[jerry@robs]

Having too much customers can be a headache sometimes, although it`s a problem that you never want to lose hehe.



Both our branches can fit 4-5 cars at a time (indoors), more often than not, we get 2-3 additional cars a day and they just carry over to the next day until the "influx" starts to slow down... We`re not complaining, though, it`s nice to see the shop filled with cars daily Monday to Sunday



Just hire more help for now quamen... Maybe sorting out the jobs would help, meaning, if you can schedule similar cars/colors on the same week, it`ll be an easier job for you and your crew since it`ll be quite repetitive...



Good luck!

[doged]

Rich does excellent work and I think in his area he is the only quality detailer around.



Word gets around pretty quickly!

Thanks for coming and speaking up for quamen but I would rather hear from him.

Weird!!!

[Setec Astronomy]

Thanks for coming and speaking up for quamen but I would rather hear from him.

Weird!!!

:think: I don`t think Scott was "speaking...for quamen", but praising the quality of his work as a reason for why his business has grown so rapidly, addressing ajbarnes` comment.

[autospa1]

RAISE YOUR PRICES!!!!

Its called the "fear of loss close" in sales terminology. you`ve created a frenzy for your services and thats great! now raise your prices, eliminate the flybye appntment and attract the permanent long term clientel, that will continually use your services and pay TOP dollar for it. Im in California and my minimum price for a full detail is $345.00. I get phone calls for details all the time, but when I tell them my minimum pricing, half of them cant afford it, the other half can. I close the people that can afford my services on a time and date for an appmnt that best suits my schedule not theirs. HENCE the fear of loss. they fear of losing their time for my services and will adjust their schedule to fit mine. You ever got your heart set on going to dinner to your favorite steak house and when you get their its an hour or more wait? If you wait that hour and eat there, its the best steak ever! If you go somewherelse, it will always be just O.K. (FEAR OF LOSS). If you wait for that steak, the people will wait for your services. LAST note to you! If they wait for your services, you better deliver the best steak ever!



AUTOSPA1

[imported_Detailing Technology]

RAISE YOUR PRICES!!!!

Its called the "fear of loss close" in sales terminology. you`ve created a frenzy for your services and thats great! now raise your prices, eliminate the flybye appntment and attract the permanent long term clientel, that will continually use your services and pay TOP dollar for it. Im in California and my minimum price for a full detail is $345.00. I get phone calls for details all the time, but when I tell them my minimum pricing, half of them cant afford it, the other half can. I close the people that can afford my services on a time and date for an appmnt that best suits my schedule not theirs. HENCE the fear of loss. they fear of losing their time for my services and will adjust their schedule to fit mine. You ever got your heart set on going to dinner to your favorite steak house and when you get their its an hour or more wait? If you wait that hour and eat there, its the best steak ever! If you go somewherelse, it will always be just O.K. (FEAR OF LOSS). If you wait for that steak, the people will wait for your services. LAST note to you! If they wait for your services, you better deliver the best steak ever!



AUTOSPA1

you are correct sir.



I do this in my contracting business. I raise my margin a few percent to compensate for the demand and desire for my service. I also lose many of the bids, but the customers I keep are REAL BUYERS. They expect service and professionalism. The customers I didnt close also tell their friends that if they are looking for high end work, call JSATEK. Free advertising. Its also much better than dealing with a low life slug looking to price shop you for $5.

[doged]

RAISE YOUR PRICES!!!!

Its called the "fear of loss close" in sales terminology. you`ve created a frenzy for your services and thats great! now raise your prices, eliminate the flybye appntment and attract the permanent long term clientel, that will continually use your services and pay TOP dollar for it. Im in California and my minimum price for a full detail is $345.00. I get phone calls for details all the time, but when I tell them my minimum pricing, half of them cant afford it, the other half can. I close the people that can afford my services on a time and date for an appmnt that best suits my schedule not theirs. HENCE the fear of loss. they fear of losing their time for my services and will adjust their schedule to fit mine. You ever got your heart set on going to dinner to your favorite steak house and when you get their its an hour or more wait? If you wait that hour and eat there, its the best steak ever! If you go somewherelse, it will always be just O.K. (FEAR OF LOSS). If you wait for that steak, the people will wait for your services. LAST note to you! If they wait for your services, you better deliver the best steak ever!



AUTOSPA1

Thank god, someone else who knows business!!! :goodjob

[autospa1]

RAISE YOUR PRICES! I mean it. you have created this frenzy for your services and thats great! now raise your prices. You will weed out the cheap clientel and secure the long term customer forever. In sales terminology its called the "FEAR OF LOSS" close. simple supply and demand. your time is money and you want to get paid as much as you can per hour of work you spend on your customers car. you can only do so many cars per day. raise the prices and watch your clientel fight for their time to make an appmnt for your services. Im in southern california, I wont detail a vehicle for less than $345.00 dollars. my time is precious and my skill level is a master craftsman in the detailing world. Here`s an analogy. You go to dinner on Friday night to your favorite steak house and there is an hour or more wait to be seated. (a) you go somewherelse to eat and the meal is just o.k. beacause your heart was set on that steak. (b) you wait it out and an hour later you are seated. since you waited, its the best steak ever! RAISE YOUR PRICES and make them set apptmnts and wait for your services. P.S. when you do this you better deliver the best steak they`ve ever had. GOOD LUCK!



AUTOSPA1

wcwashwax@verizon.net

email if you have anymore questions

[autospa1]

:chuckle: sorry about posting again guys, didnt think first post went through.



AUTOSPA1

wcwashwax@verizon.net

[-Lebowski-]

Interestingg read, I wish I had the problems of too many cars.

[doged]

Interestingg read, I wish I had the problems of too many cars.

Most business people don’t speak about having too much business and most great detailers don’t have to BRAG :secret about how good they are. LOL.................

[quamen]

Sorry guys for not getting back to soon, i have been busy as usual. When i first started this business, i was asking poeple do you think i can do 2 or 3 cars a week or make this much per year. I was very nervous and far surpassed anything i ever expected.



So how did i grow this business so quickly and get so many cars.

1. I have a commerical copy machine at my home which i created a packet of information. In this packet is my detailing certificate from Detail King, my brochure and a spring special flyer. I then place these inside plastic bags which i get from a company. I then put a decorative rock inside (landscape rock) and staple the top. I can then sit in the car with another person and travel to every neighborhood and throw out hundreds if not over 1 thousand/day.



2. Work. I do consider myself a pretty good dealer and im very particular. No matter what car i do, i make sure it turns out like brand new no matter how long it takes. I believe most of you do the same type of work on this board.



3. Im one of the only mobile units in the area,do the best work in my area and also travel all over. I detail as far as over 100 miles away from my home, so i do cover a large area. Even though i do travel this far, it is still worth it in the long run. My prices go way up and ill do 2 that day with a helper to compensate the distance so i dont have to return for the second.



Lastly I think it is all word of mouth. I havent put out any advertisements this year and already have this many cars. you guys have to remember im a college student, work 1 day a week doing my winter job that i still do in the summer only less days. Everyone who calls I ask them how they heard of me and they say i was impressed with the business card,saw one of your trucks or the most frequent response so and so told me your amazing. Now since my competition prices are about half of mine they get these nasty vehicles and people expect to turn out like new. They pay like 100 bucks or 150 and get a bad job.Since my prices are high, i get nicer cars that arnt hard to do and will come out like new everytime. I spend the time, enjoy myself and deliever amazing results day in and out.



Create urgency/marketing techniuqes. You ever ride through a develpment and see that most people have brand new or near new cars. if you made a flyer stating that we are going to be visting your development for this weekend only and the next time well be back here will be 1 or 2 months from now, I know you will have so many people call you wont be able to do all the cars. You have just created an emergency for your elite service which people have to have done now, especially since mr so and so is having it done, so you have to be as good and upscale as himself.



I really believe marketing techniques and customer relations is just as a big issue as doing good work. You do a good job that person might tell 3 people,but if you do a bad job that person will tell everyone. I have found it really easy to sell to the customer and explain exactly what they get,so when i tell them the price, they typically say that is all! I have attended Detail Seminars numerous of times and have given small presentations and hands on training as well. Each time i go I do pick up tips and tricks from Mr. Nick Vacco who i do believe at one point was doing about 10,000 dollars a week in details. With muliple shops and units, it was getting out of control. He was able to do this because of superior work,superior knowledge and superior marketing techniques.



As of now im enjoying myself detailing and have a full time helper. Ive just purchased a nice 10x20 canopy and a bosch work radio. When i go out and work, it is more relaxing for me since i do put myself under alot of stress with everything else. If all goes well though, i wont be in the hands on part anymore and im getting a product line developed and plan on opening my own training facility in the very near future. Any questions you can always call me at 570 807 2019 and ill be glad to help.



Every car you see on the road is a potential customer and if your not getting booked up, your not doing something right. You have to make that person realize that you do offer the best service and why it is important to get it done by you. The only thing i can see happneing if you have a bunch of other details like scottwax,myself or others on this board in your area, you will have alot more competion and not make as much money. I dont have that where i live and people tend to make me out as a detail god or something. I dont like that because im always under pressure to make everything perfect and what not, but it does help my business grow. No matter if the person ever uses my service or not,they do know me. Everyone all around the area knows me and word get around. No matter where im at business cards are placed nothing else. I always try to do details in parking lots etc and offer a discount to bring it there. I start the detail later in the day and see which area gets backed up aroound rush hour. As people are in this stop and go traffic they tend to pull in and ask about my services. Typically i can book a bunch of details right there, so the 40 or 50 dollar discount i gave for that person to bring A NICE CAR TO THAT WILL DRAW ATTENTION, ive just booked 1000 dollars or more worth of work and people saw me in action. I guess i bascially just think alot of how to get customer and littel tricks to do, to get them to choose me.



My lastest idea is going to be a flat screen tv in the back of my truck. As im either shopping in a mall,store or stopped in traffic, i will have a "commercial" made where the cars i do will flash on this flat screen that will be controlled off a laptop computer. This way people can actually see some of the work I do and it will be eye catching. Stuff like this sets me apart from others and makes my service unique and interesting. Offtopic. Now only if i could have this much skill and success with the ladies i be in heaven