Help with services menu!

[Chris@Optimum]

would any of you guys consider sharing your services menu with me? I would love it if everyone wanted the Full Detail. but it seems most of my customers just want a full service car wash + wax. I guess what I mean is where do you seperate your packages? I find myself disgusted with leaving somthing undone when I know it could be better. Now I offer:



Full Service Wash: wash, dry, dress exterior-vacuum, dash mini-detail, windows, and air freshner



Exterior Detail: clay, minor paint correction, AIO, dress tires + trim



Interion Detail: same as interior for wash but more thorough cleaning, carpet and mats shampoo, leather treatment if applicable and I charge extra.



Full Detail: gets both above, but a combo discount



I have a hard time putting an AIO over defects, should I just get over it if they won`t pay more? Should I add an Ultimate package or just discuss correction needs and go hourly? How do you guys handle it?



Thanks in advance!

Chris

[jimmybuffit]

I believe you are presenting yourself as a car wash service. Therefore, folks just want their car washed and (sometimes) waxed.



We present our services as complete details, everything is included, satisfaction is guaranteed. If you`re not happy, we keep cleaning.



While we average 75-85 details per month, we only do 4-5 washes.



Having a detailed menu may prevent you from earning the money you deserve.

Make their choices limited, and do good work.



Good Luck.



Jim

[imported_Jakerooni]

Jimmi Is right in a way. If you hate seeing all that easy cash walk out the door in someone elses pocket by all means offer as many different services as you can (I do for now you can check my webpage for full listings) The only downside to that is you going to get the reputation of being able to do it all. So you`ll see a tremendous volume increase in the small quick and easy stuff and probably a good downfall in the high paying full detail line of things. In the end it should just about even out as far as money earned goes. (I can fit in 5-6 wash wax and vacs in the same time I can push out a full) The only problem with only offering 1 service (which is really kind of expected when your a mobil detailer) is until you get your clientel base built up and the repeat customers are coming in on such a regular basis your really sitting there twiddling your thumbs so to speak. You`ll really have to have alot of rainy day money saved up to get you through such a dry spell until you get your business up and running smoothly. That`s why 95% of Fixed location detailers have to offer a wide variety of services. They would simply go out of business if they didn`t

[brwill2005]

Keep your menu simple. I offer three packages which all include interior and exterior work; wash and vac, mini-detail, and full detail. I offer a la carte services too, but concentrate my advertising on the packages. It is good to offer other packages besides full details, because every car does not need a full detail. New cars, for example, can be kept like new with regular wash and vacuums and an occasional wax.

[EBPcivicsi]

No menu here, though we do try to cutom tailor our services to customers.



IMO, you don`t go to a Dentist(specialist) and pick and chose, you get a diagnosis.

[imported_Jakerooni]

No menu here, though we do try to cutom tailor our services to customers.



IMO, you don`t go to a Dentist(specialist) and pick and chose, you get a diagnosis.

That`s a rather poor analogy. Detailers don`t spend 10 years in college getting all the best education either. (although some really should) I can play the game too. Because if I need some trim painted guess what. I`m going to hire a painter. And if that painter comes in and tells me he`s only here to paint the entire house and not the trim like I want I`m going to go to the next painter that will and that poor sap that only offers one package (unless he`s a very well established painter) will soon be out of business. We are a service industy. Comparing us to doctors and dentist and such is really (and I`m trying to be oohhh so nice about the wording here) comparing apples to oranges. Compare us to other service industries out there and I think you`ll see 99.99999999% of them all offer a wide variety of their services. Not just one flavor for every person regardless of the customers need.

[EBPcivicsi]

That`s a rather poor analogy. Detailers don`t spend 10 years in college getting all the best education either. (although some really should) I can play the game too. Because if I need some trim painted guess what. I`m going to hire a painter. And if that painter comes in and tells me he`s only here to paint the entire house and not the trim like I want I`m going to go to the next painter that will and that poor sap that only offers one package (unless he`s a very well established painter) will soon be out of business. We are a service industy. Comparing us to doctors and dentist and such is really (and I`m trying to be oohhh so nice about the wording here) comparing apples to oranges. Compare us to other service industries out there and I think you`ll see 99.99999999% of them all offer a wide variety of their services. Not just one flavor for every person regardless of the customers need.

Perhaps, it was poor? Thanks for being so kind with the wording.





My point was that I custom tailor detail "packages" to a customer`s specific needs/goals. I take the time to properly diagnose what the vehicle needs, then *sell* them the "package." I don``t offer a menu because I feel that it is wrong for my business. It`s not that I don`t perform services if they request them, rather I market/sell what is most profitable. I don`t want to be everything to everybody, just profitable and with happy customers.

[danponjican]

Here`s mine...



DetailingGurus.com - Services

[imported_Jakerooni]

It really comes down to are you the type of business that does what the customer wants you to do or are you the type of business that tells your customers what they want. And in all fairness this piticular industry you`re going to see alot of both. I`d say 90% of my customers walk through the door already knowing exactly what they want. I don`t have to sell them or tell them anything (in alot of case they wouldn`t listen if I did anyways) then I have about 10% that will sit there and ask me to diagnose a package for them based on desired results. That`s me however. I know there are many others out there on the exact opposite of the spectrum. where only 10% actually know and you have to sell them on a package. So there is no right answer outside of "It`s all in how you want to run your own business"

[imported_JoshVette]

That`s a rather poor analogy. Detailers don`t spend 10 years in college getting all the best education either. (although some really should) I can play the game too. Because if I need some trim painted guess what. I`m going to hire a painter. And if that painter comes in and tells me he`s only here to paint the entire house and not the trim like I want I`m going to go to the next painter that will and that poor sap that only offers one package (unless he`s a very well established painter) will soon be out of business. We are a service industy. Comparing us to doctors and dentist and such is really (and I`m trying to be oohhh so nice about the wording here) comparing apples to oranges. Compare us to other service industries out there and I think you`ll see 99.99999999% of them all offer a wide variety of their services. Not just one flavor for every person regardless of the customers need.

Jake, I respectfully disagree.



We are specialists in our field and when it comes to detailing and paint correction, we are like doctors. It`s takes a lot of skill and knowledge to perfectly and properly correct paint and finish down with no holograms and marring. Therefore evaluating the car prior is a regular part of the program. Even washing a car is not a simple procedure for a top quality detailer, it involved 2-3 buckets, multiple wash mits and complex drying techniques as in blowing dry and microfiber usage along with specialized products that you can`t buy in stores.



I don`t see my self in the "service" industry, maybe you do, but I don`t, I am a specialist. I cater to specific clients for high end, top quality detailing and paint correcting, not to mobile car wash and used dealer detailing or what have you.

[Chris@Optimum]

Thanks for you help guys! Let me give you a for instance: the other day a guy called me a said he had 4 cars for me todo. I had only done one for him before and during the follow up call he seemed very happy with my work. So I look up his last invoice to see what he had gotten b4. Full Detail, no paint correction. So I picked up the first one, a black jeep wrangler, and when I took it back he asked how I got it sooo clean. When picking up the second (yukon XL), I suggested polish it too because he had been through some auto washes the had spiderwebbed. He said that sounds great, do it all! I told him it would take and extra hour or hour and half and he said go ahead. It was a couple of days B4 I was scheduled to do #3 & 4. He called on that day and said he wanted to cancel. It was raining so I wasn`t surprised. Then he went on to tell me that he was utterly shocked by the price and wouldn`t be using me anymore. He said the yukon was soo clean that he thought the window had been broken out. He also said that the yukon was so clean it was causing problems between him and his girlfriend: he yells at her kid about his feet and no getting anything dirty, then she yells at him 4 yelling at her kid. I explained to him that the extra charge on the yukon was size of vehilce, leather conditioning, and the polish time that we had discussed. He says, "I thought that was just somthing you do." I TOLD HIM EXTRA TIME DID HE REALLY ASSUME IT WAS FREE? Anyway, I did the other to as Exterior Details only explaining that Full Detail doesn`t mean Full Wash + Wax.



I know this is probably just this one guy, but everyone around here is cheap, cheap, cheap. I mean I see you guys doing beautiful cars and all day to spend on them and making $50 or more an hour. I`m totally jealous. I mean most of mine are 3-4 hour jobs @ $25 per hour. This seems to be about all the market can bear around here. BTW my work already exceeds the final products other here are turning out and I`ve only been doing this professionally for about 6 months.



My goal is to become the well known go to guy when you want a perfect finish. High end customers and top shelf cars. So is this mediocre crap just part of the game, like putting in my time in the trenches?



I guess that guy just thrrew me a bit, "the cars look awsome, too awsome and cost too much. I mean I could understand if I did a poor job, but I did a great job. When I worked hourly at a detail shop in Knoxville (100 miles away), I`d charge $260 for the same job I charged him $135 for and never hear anything but Thank you.



Dealing with the public, GRRRR

[imported_Jakerooni]

Integrity- Don`t worry. you fall into the norm for detailing. People want and want it cheap. Coming to boards like this are seriously misleading. Because while yes we have some phenominal members on here fetching outrageous prices for their services they are definatly in the minorty. What your doing is perfectly fine and well with in the norm and for anyone to tell you different dosen`t understand your economy.



And Josh- I have to disagree with you on that. You are not a "specialist" You did not recieve and Ivory league education in detailing Or even a local community college worth of education on the subject. What you have is a skill. A skill your extreamly good at and you took it to the next level. Your at the top of your game to provide a service. A specialist is an educated person that provided a NEEDED service (ie not a WANTED service) a Doctor that can save your life is a Needed Service and are additionally trained in the feild to become a "specialist" (ie even more years of education in very specific subjects) in whatever course they decided. Being able to correct paint scratches doesn`t save lives. And I for one would love anyone on this board to go to a Liscensed Dr. and try to convince them your on the same "Specialist" level that they are. You`ll probably be laughed and and even posted about on their lovely forums. Rest assured you, me, even Sir Paul over the pond there are no where near considered a "specialist" we are simply people providing a service to the vain people of this world that want their rides to look good. This world can very easily do without a single detailer on the planet and get along just fine. We cater to egos. Some cater to large egos with deep pockets others cater to the normal everyday egos that come and go with the wind. But in the end we are all the same... Just people that like to wash cars. (some just do it much better than others ) Your a Skilled professional. And a very good one at that.

[danponjican]

integritydetail, I feel your pain... I think the issue is that autopians like us have a hard time with people that are willing to settle for a half-way job. For example, when a customer rolls up in a nice, black BMW and says he wants a detail, right away our eyes are drawn to the paint condition. We are looking for swirls, and in our heads we are going to Paul Dalton this sucker! We right away picture this car rolling out of our shops, swirl-free and perfect. The reality is, most people are not like this. Light swirling it completely acceptable for them. To the average american, a detail is a exterior wash, interior wipe down and a coat of wax. That means NO paint correction.



Rather than fight that, embrace it by offering "Basic Details" where you wash and use a simple AIO like Poli-Seal or Klasse AIO where you can have the car out the door in 2 - 3 hours rather than 6 - 8 hours for a full paint correction detail. In most cases, with an AIO, the customer is very satisfied with the results. You have to resist the urge to work more than what the customer is willing to pay for. If you are anything like me... this is usually harder said than done!

[Chris@Optimum]

[quote name=`danponjican`]integritydetail, I feel your pain... I think the issue is that autopians like us have a hard time with people that are willing to settle for a half-way job. For example, when a customer rolls up in a nice, black BMW and says he wants a detail, right away our eyes are drawn to the paint condition. We are looking for swirls, and in our heads we are going to Paul Dalton this sucker! We right away picture this car rolling out of our shops, swirl-free and perfect. The reality is, most people are not like this. Light swirling it completely acceptable for them. To the average american, a detail is a exterior wash, interior wipe down and a coat of wax. That means NO paint correction.



That`s it exactly. I don`t want my name mentioned if the job looks half-a$$. I want the car to be done correctly and get more ppl wanting perfection. oh well, I guess I should just keep my vehicles flawless and let the basic ones pay the bills and maybe that`ll help me sleep at nite, lol.



How do you guys distiguish you Real Full Detail from yoiur Basic Detail, is paint correction the only place you draw the line? Or do you go by time? Like let`s say a guy wants just an exterior wash and ax, but it`s so dirty you have to go over it like 2-3 times(sitting under a tree). Do you up the price after you`ve already quoted 2 hours and it takes 3 or do you just eat it and never quote w/o seeing again?

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

[quote name=`danponjican`]Like let`s say a guy wants just an exterior wash and ax, but it`s so dirty you have to go over it like 2-3 times(sitting under a tree). Do you up the price after you`ve already quoted 2 hours and it takes 3 or do you just eat it and never quote w/o seeing again?

I do the following to address your scenario:



I ALWAYS urge customers to let me give them a free vehicle inspection quote, most take me up on the offer but some are "too busy".. I`d say less than 5% of the vehicles I do aren`t.. stress the free part



If I have to give a quote over the phone (I I will ALWAYS quote to the higher end and tell the customer that the price may go down based on the "true" condition of the vehicle. Why do I say the "true" condition of the vehicle? Because most everyone thinks thier vehicle is not "that bad".