Does Anyone Care for Quality Anymore?

[GothamAuto]

Just to prove my point about someone else opening up and charging $10 less then you do:

There is (was) another detail shop in my area that basically relied on this one dealership around the corner from them to keep the cars rolling in. They did a pretty good job and their turn around time was pretty quick, so he thought everything was fine.
Another shop recently opened up since I wrote last in this forum RIGHT NEXT DOOR to the dealership and has been going around one by one taking dealerships from all the other detailers in my area. The detailer that relied heavily on this particular dealership is now out of business. IN TWO MONTHS he went from a steady stream of cars to being closed.
The worst part is that the new place that opened up is a complete hack shop. While I would never have given the other shop any awards for great work, the new place is terrible. It`s working out great for me. I have had a good number of people bring me their cars AFTER they had it done by this other place to repair the damage.
To stress my point again, it`s never a good idea to get a majority of your work from one place, because this exact situation could happen.

I would rather take the time to build a relationship with 100 loyal customers who don`t let anyone else touch their cars ever then try to make 1-2 large accounts happy by doing hack work.

[TopNotch]

I am in Rochester, NY and have the same problem at times. Since we work in smaller cities there is less quality clientele at times but you just need to make sure that you get in with the correct group of professionals. Since I do this part time I try to make sure that first of all my quality goes above and beyond and then the second most important thing is convenience. What I try to set myself apart with is that I am insured and can drive their car from its parked location and take it back for detailing and that it will not interfere with their day of golf, work etc.

The Craigslist crowd can`t compete with this which is why I don`t worry about them. If someone considers some of the $15 washes and details from a cragslist ad then they are not the client for me. And don`t get me wrong from time to time I do advertise on craigslist and I even throw in what people call my crazy prices but I don`t care what the general public thinks, they are not the people I am seeking.

I apologize if this sounds a little snooty but I do this part time and do it because I enjoy working on great cars for people who appreciate it. Just this weekend alone I was given a tour by a new client who built a hanger outside of town for his 10 cars and wants me to keep up with them, this is what I live for. Long story short just keep working hard and the right people will come about.

[C. Charles Hahn]

I`ve seen "why pay $100 for swirl marks? We do it right..by hand". This same guy claims to be the best AND cheapest in the area.

I REALLY hate that kind of stuff. Actually it reminds me of a buddy of mine who always goes around telling people that rotary buffers will ALWAYS burn their paint and leave buffer trails EVERY TIME, and that the only proper way to polish paint is with a DA because "they`re safe and produce better results." He doesn`t think rotary polishers have any place whatsoever in doing proper paint care.

[GothamAuto]

I apologize if this sounds a little snooty but I do this part time and do it because I enjoy working on great cars for people who appreciate it. Just this weekend alone I was given a tour by a new client who built a hanger outside of town for his 10 cars and wants me to keep up with them, this is what I live for. Long story short just keep working hard and the right people will come about.

Why apologize? Do you think a 5 star restaurant in NYC is apologizing because they don`t have prices that compete with McDonalds?

[GothamAuto]

I REALLY hate that kind of stuff. Actually it reminds me of a buddy of mine who always goes around telling people that rotary buffers will ALWAYS burn their paint and leave buffer trails EVERY TIME, and that the only proper way to polish paint is with a DA because "they`re safe and produce better results." He doesn`t think rotary polishers have any place whatsoever in doing proper paint care.

Yeah, I hear that a lot and it`s even sunk into the consciousness of some of the general public as well. I have lost customers because I mention that I use a rotary. Not to mention any names, but a major company with the initials "GG" even has a video stating that no amount of training can help the most professional detailer from ruining paint with a high speed, and that you should only use their product.

[Bunky]

Yeah, I hear that a lot and it`s even sunk into the consciousness of some of the general public as well. I have lost customers because I mention that I use a rotary. Not to mention any names, but a major company with the initials "GG" even has a video stating that no amount of training can help the most professional detailer from ruining paint with a high speed, and that you should only use their product.

There is another company that tries to dismiss the Flex DA -- until they start selling them.

[C. Charles Hahn]

Yeah, I hear that a lot and it`s even sunk into the consciousness of some of the general public as well. I have lost customers because I mention that I use a rotary. Not to mention any names, but a major company with the initials "GG" even has a video stating that no amount of training can help the most professional detailer from ruining paint with a high speed, and that you should only use their product.

That`s exactly why I have all three of the major types of polishers on hand. Someone tells me not to touch their car with a rotary, I just grab the Flex DA or my G100 and do whatever I can -- though there are times I have to tell them I can`t do a full correction without the rotary for one reason or another.

To each their own, I just wish people wouldn`t constantly spread such misinformation.

[Ivan Rajic]

Keep in mind this - offering "less of a service" to meet the demand of the market by no means shows that you are cutting corners, lessening the quality of work you do, lowering your standards or being a hack. A person selling something in a market where no buyers want to buy it will be out of business soon.

And by less of a service - at least in this case - I`m talking about wash & waxes, one-step corrections, etc. As long as you represent what it is you`re doing, there`s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Doesn`t make you a hack.

Well said. Skimming through the thread this supports my point (which I am about to make haha) very well.

I think this is a very important topic so I have a lot to say about it haha.. here`s the long and short versions... sorry if I`m repeating anyone in the thread, but browsing at work and had no time to read everything...


After detailing for "only" about 4 years regularly and at a quality level where I feel I finally had the knowledge necessary to be called a "top" detailer, I have had great success and am pretty well known throughout Chicago along with Illinois, as well as some of the surrounding states, and by some nationwide.

That said, I started detailing because it was a passion of mine, and I have ALWAYS catered to the enthusiasts who understood quality work took time and money and were willing to get it done. Due to the fact I started out this way, 99.9% of my clients have never questioned my prices, which are in the $30-50/wash, $250+/1-step polishing range. The more and more I got around on google, etc. the past couple years, the more and more calls I get from random people finding me and comparing me to the corner car wash. I will spend an average of 1 minute explaining on the phone why my work is in a completely different universe. If the person doesn`t want to swing by for a free inspection after that 1 minute and insists on negotiating with me, I will politely say that I am unfortunately not the right detailer for them at this time. I always say "At this time" as many of my clients are people who simply don`t know better, get screwed with a $150-200 "full-detail", then come to me to fix the holograms, etc.

On the other hand, I have never done detailing to "pay the bills". Due to this reason, I could always "stick to my guns" and turn potential clients away. Doing so has, as I said, made me a highly reputable "boutique" detailer and I really appreciate all the comments and reviews by all the clients, but I also do feel that I have done the best job around and have given 110% every time, while being completely honest about the services and prices. However, being in the business for a while now, reading up on material and maturing as more of a business man, as opposed to a car and detailing enthusiast, I have learned that there`s a TON of money out there to be made outside of my target market. Meaning that there are MANY people who are willing to pay $150-200 for a "full-detail"/1-step correction instead of paying $250-350. The thing that a lot of us who are after the best correction/protection/techniques/etc. out there misunderstand is that these people are not looking to pay YOU $150 for YOUR $250 service, rather looking to get a similar service, with possibly the same name, for the $150. So instead of slaving away for $150, I would be doing 60% of my original work, trying to do the best job for $150, and as long as the client knows what they`re paying for, you`re in the clear.

It is for this exact purpose that I created a 2nd detailing business, in addition to my boutique business catering to clients after the top quality. My 2nd business will cater to the clients who aren`t doing detailing to perfect their cars and using expendable income, rather offer services of better quality than the competition to clients who "need" to wash/detail their cars properly. So for these clients, Instead of charging $35-40 on a wash, I will charge $15-20, but instead of spending 1hr or more on the wash, I will spend 20-30 minutes.


SHORT VERSION:

If you`re detailing to pay the bills, you MUST adjust with the market and demand in your area. You can "stick to your guns" all you want with your higher prices, but the guy charging 60% down the block will take away 90% of your business, and you`re out. Considering you`re doing high price/high quality work now, in my opinion and from my experience with the 2nd detailing business, the best way to make the transition is to still offer the "boutique" services to the clients who aren`t looking for them along with the cheaper services. So if someone intends to spend $150 on a 1-step polishing detail (which includes the usual, wash, light interior, sealant, dressings, etc.) show them a free test spot of a 2-step, and you`ll be amazed how many people will opt for the 2-step in that case.

If on the other hand, your intent is to become the next Todd Helme, Todd Cooperider, etc. and you DO NOT need to pay the bills with detailing, by all means stick to your guns and create a name for yourself, your services and your prices by doing 110% each time. It`ll take time because the clients I cater to for example, make up probably 1% of our actual population, but over time and depending on how much you advertise, you`ll more than likely have a steady client base.


Sorry for the ridiculously long explanation, but figured I`d share the experience I`ve had and how I deal with the situation, as it`s been fairly successful.

[Concours.John]

I can`t possibly agree with Gotham more. When I was fiveteen a friend of my dad asked me to "detail" her car. I knew how to get a car clean and thought that was detailing. She changed my perspective real quick. She would look EVERYWHERE and would make a list hand it to me and say your not done everytime. She was only paying $20 but once I was able to do it and she found nothing she paid 50$ and also sent her co-workers.

I`ve always done it as a part time job by the hour with no complaints on price,and never cut corners. 15years ago I went full time with a high end restoration shop and learned all the aspects of concours restoration speciallizing in paint.

Point is the whole time I did all the detailing and show prep for the shop by the hour no fixed prices no complaints. Upon that built relationships with collectors and regulars. After being laid off earlier this year everyone who`s car I did has called wanting to know what to do and will go where I go. I`m in negotiations on a shop now because of this.

If you do great work people notice. Some may say thats expensive for a detail but maybe have never had a true detail. All it takes is for someone who has had it is to "cheat" and they fully understand. Others just need some education. Hard work and truly learning the field puts you in a better position. Eventually you get to the point where your in the top of the game doing rare pieces. Never judge a book by its cover if I did I wouldn`t be doing some of the cars and collections I do.

It`s a shame Linda passed before I got to this level. I owe my start to her.

[GothamAuto]

You can "stick to your guns" all you want with your higher prices, but the guy charging 60% down the block will take away 90% of your business, and you`re out.

Then you don`t want those customers to begin with. I tell people to go "down the road" all the time. Let those guys pump out 10 cars a day. 1 of those cars is coming back to me worse then it was before and now the customer has to pay me more to fix the damage inflicted by the guy "down the road".

My advice is to decide what you want to do. I do not feel that you can be both the high end guy and the high volume guy. Just decide what you are, and don`t try to be the other.

[DSPlati]

Hi guys, Im still alittle new to this site and have opened my mobile detailing business about 7 months ago.
I have ran into the same situation where I originally had My basic wash set at $20, however I was never getting a good response from that. I asked my clients, why are you not interested in my basic washing? they all said I can go down the street and get it done at the drive thru carwash for $10. (We all know how the vehicles come out of the tunnel, and when they get home they are somewhat disappointed) So I sat back and took alot of time thinking how I can capture my clients on a weekly basis. (The reason is this)
SOOOOO.... I have a $12 basic wash now, however I push my "Monthly maintanance package" for $50+ per month... In doing this, I see them EVERY WEEK, washing 3 basic exterior washes and one interior/exterior packeage. Doing this I get $12.50 a week plus I get to push them on three month waxes, engines cleaning (every 2 months) floor mats etc... I started this last month and have already sold 18 Monthly Packages ($900 total in one month excluding the other "potential" upsales)
Yeah this is small income for the time being Im constanly out at business` doing my clients vehicles and getting new people coming to me asking for my detailing prices. Give them my price, sell myself, and my business and after the detail get them on my Monthly service. Hope this helped

To see my packages for example visit my website www.dsplatinumdetailing.com (Its not fully upgraded but it gives you an idea)

[DJsDetails]

I had to redirect my advertising to get away from the hagglers here recently. I got out of a local mailer and into Golf publications/email blasts as well as Professional Women`s magazine. I`ve found more disposable income this way. I used to get calls trying to beat me up on prices but now it seems I`ve found a better advertising setup to go after my actual target clientele. Just an idea to keep in mind.

I also have the lovely honor of having clients that have me out and then want to hassle me on price. Instead of cutting quality of work, I just reduce what that particular package entailed upfront. The quality of the wash, wax, tires/wheels, etc. is the same but they may go without spot shampooing instead. They understand exactly what they are getting at the price they want. No harm done. They`ll have me back out for a complete job when their budget is looking better. It just sucks them trying to get me down on price like that. Don`t have me out at one rate, and then try and lowball me once I`m already on-site.

These seem to always be new clients that like doing this. I hope this is not a new trend in my area. "Oh $180 sounds good, come out Friday"...Friday comes around..."Well I only have $120 now, will you still do it? If you come back Monday I can give you the remaining balance." Gotta love dealing with these tactics.

And as far as the clients coming to me trying to get me to do what Joe-Bob down the street does for $30, I kindly inform them that our services are no-where near the same, here`s my card, call me when you realize he`s marred your paint.
I make it a point to show them the condition of their paint, via its reflection, and remind them to double check Joe-Bob`s once he`s done. He`ll of course make it worse or leave it looking no better, and then they`ll give me a call.. I usually get there call a few days later when they back out of going to Joe-Bob`s altogether. Good luck to all trying to make it through these tough times.

[GothamAuto]

I heard a great line recently to help you combat when people bring up "the guy down the road."
Keep in mind that if you start trashing your competition, that doesn`t look good in the customer`s eyes. If a customer says that the guy down the road is charging only a couple dollars less ($20-$50) just say this:

"I have seen (blank`s) work, and I am sure that you will be happy with the end result. I just feel that you will be happier with my results."

-or-

"I am sure you will be happy if you end up going with him, but my job isn`t to make you happy that your car is clean. My job is to blow you away with the end result."

If someone is looking at another place that is WAY cheaper than you, just say: "When it comes down to it, we really don`t do the same thing."

I`ll stress my point again that IMO you can`t be high end and high quality. You have to decide what to be. If you are looking to be known as a high quality detailer who charges $200 (+) for your service, and someone comes in and asks for a $60 detail, they are asking you for a product that you don`t have. Plain and simple. Going back to my cheeseburger example, you can`t walk into a 5 star restaurant in the middle of NYC and ask for a double cheeseburger off the dollar menu. No matter how much you insist that there is a McDonald`s right across the street (or "Down the Road" ), it`s just not going to happen.

Of course the other option is to adjust what your packages include (sorry for not quoting whoever said this). I am CONSTANTLY adding and taking away various elements of packages. If, over a period of time, I see that I have added 5-6 steps to a particular package, I raise the price a little. ON the other hand, if these 5-6 steps go above and beyond what most of my customers expect, I may drop them and reduce the price of that service. Engine detailing is a HUGE thing.
Also, find out what steps the other guys are taking to get cars done so quickly, do some research and see if there are products or equipment that will help you knock some time off your services. Remember, we are talking about time here. The more time it takes you to perform your service, the more you should charge. However, if there are ways to attain the same level of service quicker with a different technique, piece of equipment, or chemical, and your NOT doing that, that`s your fault.
Finally (I should write a book), if you are starting out, don`t worry about the service taking too long. Do the job properly, and the speed will come. I tell my guys that all the time. Don`t worry about how fast you are going, just make sure you are doing the work properly. I would rather the work take time to get done right while they learn proper techniques than have people start cutting corners and developing bad habits.

I think I am way off topic by now, so I`ll stop.

[C. Charles Hahn]

Actually, Gotham, I think you`re dead-on topic. All very excellent advice!

[gvilledetailing]

I think that any type of a service oriented business is feeling some of the same effects. People are looking for a deal and they know that right now many people will give it to them. Providing services geared towards these types of customers will only increase your revenue. Some people just want a real quick wash and vac and do not care if it is spotless. Being up front with the customer as to what they get for the price they pay is the best way to go, if they are not satisfied with what you have to offer then let them go somewhere else.