pricing strategy?

**imported_mirrorfinishman** · 09-23-2006, 09:51 AM

I had an interesting conversation the other day with one of my customer`s business partners. Of course, we began talking about detailing and it didn`t take long before he got around to asking me how much I would charge to detail his GMC Yukon. He had been getting it done by a nearby, well established, detailing shop so he wanted to know more about my prices and services. He named the shop and he also quoted the price, which just happened to be the same exact price that I had just quoted him for his Yukon.

What I found interesting is that the shop he mentioned charges over $200 for the complete detailing and then if you bring the vehicle back within six months, they will re-seal the paint for $70. I asked the following questions; When you take your Yukon back for a re-seal, do they do anything else with the car, such as the interior? do they at least clean the windows and vacuum the carpets? The answer was no. For $70 you get a re-sealing of the paint. If you want everything else that would be a complete detailing at full price.

Now I got to thinking about this type of pricing strategy and I couldn`t help but come up with the following questions;

1) Why in the world would a detailing business want to get customers into the habit of bringing their vehicles back every six months for a $70 re-seal?

2) Doesn`t it make more sense to promote a complete detailing every six months at full prices?

**Setec Astronomy** · 09-23-2006, 10:28 AM

Perhaps this other shop is interested in protecting their client`s paint more than doing full details. It could also be, since you heard this by word of mouth, that the information is wrong.

**imported_Picus** · 09-23-2006, 10:45 AM

It could also be that re-sealing a car can take as little as 15 minutes, so $70 isn`t bad money for the work required.

**LeadingEdgeDetail** · 09-23-2006, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by Picus

It could also be that re-sealing a car can take as little as 15 minutes, so $70 isn`t bad money for the work required.

You can wash a car, dry it, and seal it in 15 minutes?

Amazing

aypal:

To apply wax, the car has to be perfectly clean... To clean the car, you have to wash it... do you just not wash the wheels? I wouldn`t... I can understand not cleaning the interior, but the outside would take about an hour.

**imported_Picus** · 09-23-2006, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by StumpyDetailing

You can wash a car, dry it, and seal it in 15 minutes?

Amazing

aypal:

To apply wax, the car has to be perfectly clean... To clean the car, you have to wash it... do you just not wash the wheels? I wouldn`t... I can understand not cleaning the interior, but the outside would take about an hour.

Where did I say I could or would do this? If I customer called me for a sealant re-application I`d charge him for a wash & wax, and I would wash tne entire car, wheels, etc...per my wash & wax package.

That said, plenty of shops that do offer this sort of service will just run the car through a touchless and then apply and remove sealant. As mentioned, no other services are performed with the sealant re-application (no glass cleaning, presumably no wheel cleaning), it`s just a quick sealant re-app. I am sure some of the shops that do this sort of work don`t even car if the car is "perfectly clean" before applying their sealant.

**LeadingEdgeDetail** · 09-23-2006, 03:21 PM

True that!

**PhaRO** · 09-23-2006, 03:54 PM

Washing the exterior and reapplying a sealant, I can`t imagine they are spending more than an hour doing it. $70 an hour works for me. Full detailing, especially making the exterior nearly swirl / scratch free is very impressive. Definately a market for that. There also is a market for keeping the exterior just looking really nice. Now if you gave me the choice to do one car for 4 hours at $70 an hour or 4 cars at an hour each for $70 an hour then I`ll go for the one car.

**Thomas Dekany** · 09-23-2006, 03:58 PM

I actually like the idea, but than again I am a terrible business man.

**Scottwax** · 09-23-2006, 06:12 PM

1) Better than them only coming back once a year for a detail.

2) It is if the person cares enough about their car to have it done twice a year. Once a year is enough for a lot of people.

What I advise people is they should have their vehicle washed/vacuumed weekly, rewaxed every 3-4 months and detailed as often as they feel it necessary, or at least once a year. It`d be great if they wanted their vehicles fully detailed every 3-4 months but some people keep their interiors very clean and just want their paint maintained in between full detailed. I`ll be damned if send them elsewhere for regular waxing because I only want to do details.