Attention: Detailers that only offer Full Corrections.....

[gigondaz]

That`s interesting! I can see your point, and I guess it boils down to knowing your audience :think: Very different from anybody I know IRL though...

Repeating for the umpteenth time: It sure is cool that you have not only the abilities you do, but also a client base that appreciates them.

LOL!!!

For external paintwork, my usual clients are mainly interested in seeing a completely 100% swirl and SCRATCH-free hood. Yes...the hood...under 2 huge high bay lights. That`s what they look for, and it`s what they look first.



Carnauba? Sealants??? most of `em don`t really care.

As long as the gloss looks impressive, and the swirls + RIDS are gone, and all the cracks and crevices are super clean, WOW!!! You`re DA MAN!!!!



In the end, it all boils down to which type of customers we want to servicezz:

[Accumulator]

LOL!!!

For external paintwork, my usual clients are mainly interested in seeing a completely 100% swirl and SCRATCH-free hood. Yes...the hood...under 2 huge high bay lights. That`s what they look for, and it`s what they look first...

That`s something that I always find interesting (and yeah, it *is* on-topic IMO)...when people expect the hood to be perfect, *HOW CAN YOU DO THAT ON EVERY VEHICLE*?



(I hope everybody realizes I`m not challenging/picking on Gigondaz here...)



Almost every vehicle I buy used, and I buy the nicest examples I can find, has marring on every single panel that`s too deep to remove safely. I`m sanded/etc. and taken the paint down to where the clear is scary-thin (and even too-thin ), and the panels are still *FAR* from perfect. There`s just no way to get any given panel 100% etching/RIDS-free without taking the paint down below ~3mils (and I`ve thinned some of `em that much, amazed me that I got away with it; sometimes I didn`t get away with it).



I just don`t see how people get "average vehicles" perfect without overthinning the clear; the "before" is just too messed up :nixweiss Close enough that most folks won`t see it? Yeah. Close enough that I won`t see it? I dunno...

[imported_Detailing Technology]

I agree with the topic. And I am a culprit here. My site states - Full corrections by the hour and no travel.



After a full correction, my customers would love it if I maintained their cars for them and did 1 steps for other cars they own.



For me, its time over money. I cant justify free time for the money anymore. Even the full corrections have become challenging to complete. When I go do a correction its because I just have to get out of the house and play with a nice car.



Maybe I`ll open a production shop in 2011 and manage it remotely to grab that extra cash. Maybe not.

[RaskyR1]

Great post David!







Since detailing is only part time for me I have no interest in doing wash jobs or even wash n` waxes. Actually I can`t even recall the last time I was asked to do so.



I will however take on interior jobs and anything else that requires some amount of paint correction, even if it`s an AIO.





Coating applications is also something I will take on, even if there is no correction involved.

[imported_Detailing Technology]

Great post David!







Since detailing is only part time for me I have no interest in doing wash jobs or even wash n` waxes. Actually I can`t even recall the last time I was asked to do so.



I will however take on interior jobs and anything else that requires some amount of paint correction, even if it`s an AIO.





Coating applications is also something I will take on, even if there is no correction involved.

It`s bonus season in my business.... everybody is looking for an out right now!

[justin30513]

I hate doing full details. Take to long and way to far between. I have very seldom got a referral from a full detail as well. They simply want to have the best looking car.....and the only one!



To me it`s not about prestige. It`s about staying booked and paying the bills. Once again, I`d rather do 5, 100.00 mini details as 1 full detail. Chances of referrals are exponential.



Thanks David for this thread!!!

[justin30513]

If you chase every scratch aka swirl, you will loose money. There is no way you can price it right. Every finish is different. Heck, the humidity that day can even effect your time. Now if you don`t care about an hourly rate, that`s ok. It hard to not work on one though. I have to.

[sacdetailing]

Its true. this week i polished whole front of a van (lightly sanded the hood with da) to match the repainted color. It took me 3 hours with out hassle to get done faster because i didnt have anything else to do. i charged him $100 he was happy. . divide that by 3 and you get $33 something bucks an hour. That`s 3 times more then i used to get working for somebody. piece.

[justin30513]

Its true. this week i polished whole front of a van (lightly sanded the hood with da) to match the repainted color. It took me 3 hours with out hassle to get done faster because i didnt have anything else to do. i charged him $100 he was happy. . divide that by 3 and you get $33 something bucks an hour. That`s 3 times more then i used to get working for somebody. piece.

And that`s a great way to look at it. You made what YOU needed to make. Not what other detailers say you should.



If you`re making money and happy, then you`re doing something right.

[Junebug]

Quote - "If you`re making money and happy, then you`re doing something right. " Best thing I`ve read in a while.



I`m looking at changing my marketing this year, full corrections - sure - but with some understanding that I maintain it afterwards, but the customers I get, I`d say 90% just want clean and shiney.

[imported_Detailing Technology]

I think this post made its intended point.



To get people thinking.

[justin30513]

I think this post made its intended point.



To get people thinking.

And that`s what forums should be about. Collective thoughts. Helping one another. Asking questions and so forth.



I just got back from a meeting with a local subdivisions home owner`s group (it`s pouring rain here....no car cleaning!) and spoke about exterior home cleaning. I picked up 5 houses, three deck restorations, and several glass cleanings. They said...."Oh yeah, you can do our cars too when you get the time but lets get the house done first."



Sometimes we have to just work at getting work.

[imported_Detailing Technology]

And that`s what forums should be about. Collective thoughts. Helping one another. Asking questions and so forth.



I just got back from a meeting with a local subdivisions home owner`s group (it`s pouring rain here....no car cleaning!) and spoke about exterior home cleaning. I picked up 5 houses, three deck restorations, and several glass cleanings. They said...."Oh yeah, you can do our cars too when you get the time but lets get the house done first."



Sometimes we have to just work at getting work.

Do it, Do it, Do it....



Bro if it was my business, I`d be polishing turds for people!

[autoconcierge]

Whether you are a professional who does this for a living, or a part time guy who just does it for fun and some extra cash; target the market you think is most profitable and position your product to best serve that market. Then, spend your time figuring out the best way to effectively market to the people in your target market. Worrying about what others are doing, or not doing is not going to help much with your success.

The OP was taking a shot..........but missed as usual. The above post reflects the reality of what some of us are doing now as the business model evolved from doing one step and more affordable details to going after well to do clients that expect and are looking for more.

[autoconcierge]

You’re leaving money on the table for others to pick up and run with! :sadwavey:



I can’t help but to notice that several detailers both on various forums as well as ones in the S. Florida area bragging about only being interested in doing full corrections. They won’t even do a Wash N Waxes on their cleint`s cars, Engine Details or an Interior. After all, we’re detailers doing detailing which consists of more that just making paint perfect. Whether you detail full or part time I personally think that it’s pretty narrow minded to only cater to people that want, or better yet need this extreme service :nono



In my opinion there’s nothing wrong with coaching a customer on their options based on theirs and their vehicle’s needs. Just because their vehicle suffers from moderate to heavy marring doesn’t mean that they only see value in a complete correction. I try warning my clients that going after every possible defect is ok, but not unless they are willing to modify their maintenance routine to cater to this new finish I’ll be creating. I feel there’s no point in someone spending several hundred or thousand dollars returning their car’s paint to optimal condition just to have it go right back to its prior state after a few crappy washes through the automatic car wash or from a less than stellar wash regiment.



Case in point, I had 3 clients contact me recently about correcting the paint on their vehicles. I immediately made the time to meet with them to inspect their vehicles. Each vehicle was somewhat swirled so I asked each owner what their expectations were. We also went over the finish with high powered light and I trained them how to inspect their finish and what the different types of defects were caused by, how they can be avoided and how they can be corrected. After giving them different opinions on what to expect from a 1, 2 and 3 step process they were giving the choice on what level of correction they’d fell most comfortable going with. In a few of the cases I explained that a good one step polish will offer decent correction with a pretty nice shine and that the remaining marring would only be noticeable under artificial light and/or from certain angles under close full sun inspection. I also gave them another option of doing a multiple step correction on the more visible horizontal panels with only doing a 1 step on the sides. To say they were delighted about my honestly was an understatement.



With another client I couldn’t help to notice their leather interior. I educated them about their leather and the condition it was in. They thought that using an all in one cleaner/conditioner that makes their leather shiny and soft feeling was the right thing to use. I forwarded them a couple of my interior detailing threads and they were immediately sold. It couldn’t have been made possible without offering more than just full correction services.



Bottom line, by not taking the time to coach your clients on their options (it`s called upselling folks) rather than being insistent about what you want to do on their vehicles only narrows your audience and your income. I’d much rather do 2 or 3 $300-400 1 steps that take just a few easy hours than 1 $700-800+ multiple step/day correction. If someone is that busy with just doing these "perfection" corrections than more power to them, but if you’re interested in growing your business, it’s time to start thinking outside of the box if that matters at all to you. :think2 :53:

$700-800 for multiple days.................... now who is leaving money on the table?? $75 per hour x 8 = 600 x 2 = $1,200 where most "Full correction jobs really take 20 hours plus in reality.............at least in my shop. So let`s review 75.00 per hour x 20 = $1,500.00 mixed in with occasional $150-450 dollar jobs have me doing just fine, but of course if you have MUCH lower overhead then the smaller jobs are going to fit the bill.



Btw full corrections in my shop also include "Full Interior correction" as well thus the time spent factor.Like most pro automotive business models I charge as a time spent basis, just as all mechanical jobs are billed sans the parts and only labor, smaller jobs are considered "Canned jobs" as they are known in the automotive industry where you factor in a pre set time model in the estimate, it is also known as "Menu pricing" which is fine as long as a 30-0% gross profit margin is maintained which is different than mark up from cost and a factor is used.



If one is completing jobs in just a "Few hours" as in let`s say 3.5-4.0 hours your average is roughly $114.00 per and I know that "Top quality" work is not being completed by ANYone`s standards.