Does this sound fair for a detail?

**imported_kgb** · 05-13-2003, 02:46 PM

I am doing my first pay detail job tonight. All my others have been freebies. The freebies were great experience but I am done with freebies. She is an older lady, my uncles neighbor. She has an early 90`s Taurus. I picked it up at lunch and it looks brand new. I guess she hardly drives. Well, I told her $80 for exterior shine and interior clean. My plan is to wash, clay bar, Griot`s polish, and Poorboy`s EX. Then clean the wheels and tires and shine them. While the poorboy`s is setting up I will spot clean the interior, vacuum it, and clean the vinyl and plastic and windows inside and out. Does $80 sound reasonable to you guys?

**2wheelsx2** · 05-13-2003, 02:52 PM

Sounds pretty reasonable to me. Especially since you say it`s in really good shape.

**imported_kgb** · 05-13-2003, 02:56 PM

Cool, I just did not want to be ripping her off at all. I did not look at it very good but from the 4 block drive it seemed really clean. I figure I will do a few at $80 then move up to $100 depending on what all I have to do.

Would you guys do the engine too or no?

**2wheelsx2** · 05-13-2003, 03:04 PM

I would not do the engine at that price. I would charge her more based on what you calculate your hourly rate to be.

Be careful in your assessment. I have sometimes burned myself when a car is really dirty, because the paint didn`t look too bad, except for the dirt. After a wash, I sometimes find that there are tons of tar or etchings from bird poop and tree sap, hard going on the clay because of all the contaminants, and general things which have dragged what I projected to be a 4 hour job to about 6 hours. So if you take a close look, and you don`t like what you see, make sure that you explain to her what you see as the problem and up the price and let her decide if she wants it done.

**Acura_RL** · 05-13-2003, 05:42 PM

I actually think your price is kinda low.

**Bwana** · 05-13-2003, 06:16 PM

Originally posted by 2001civicex

Would you guys do the engine too or no?

If she`s an older lady, im almost positive she would NEVER look under the hood. I say, dont do the engine.

**Nitrous115** · 05-13-2003, 07:29 PM

i would charge 130-150

**imported_kgb** · 05-13-2003, 07:46 PM

Dang guys! That was my last $80 job! It was clean and everything and it looks really good but it was worth more. Thanks for the help.

**stoneweed1** · 05-13-2003, 07:56 PM

why don`t u skip the polish and go straight for the wax and charge her $90 and don`t do the engine

**imported_Intel486** · 05-13-2003, 08:34 PM

Double your price and that is how much I charge. I`d extract all the carpet and the seats (or clean and condition if they are leather) for that price. $15 more and I`ll degrease and dry the engine.

**Thomasfl** · 05-13-2003, 08:45 PM

$80 for all that is a sweet deal. I know you want to be reasonable when starting out. But it is important that when you do work for lower than standard pricing, that you are up front about that and state that this is a one time price. What could happen is that this women gets on the phone to everyone in her garden club and they only want to pay the same price, noone wants to spend more than their friend did. I charge $150-165 for the same thing.

**imported_Intel486** · 05-13-2003, 08:48 PM

Originally posted by thomasfl

What could happen is that this women gets on the phone to everyone in her garden club and they only want to pay the same price, noone wants to spend more than their friend did.

That`s a good point. I sometimes give deals to friends, people in the same clubs I am in, friends of friends, etc. but I tell them I`m giving them a deal and don`t tell anyone else.

Then usually when I`m done doing all the work I`m like, "Damn, that was too much work for that amount of money."

**imported_kgb** · 05-13-2003, 10:16 PM

Here is a pic of how it came out. I just hope she is happy with it.

The pics are the first two in my gallery.

http://www.autopia.org/gallery/showg...at=500&thumb=1

**imported_kgb** · 05-15-2003, 09:18 PM

WOW! She was super excited about it! She gave my uncle another $20 to give to me cause she said, "It did not look that clean since it was new." I told her to keep the 20 but she insisted. Good deal!

**Corey Bit Spank** · 05-17-2003, 06:57 PM

Wow, that looks nice. How many miles on it? Heh. You seem really nice, but I guess I`d feel bad overcharging somebody as well. But if anything, you undercharged her.

Plus, she`s older, and old people rule.