Does Anyone Care for Quality Anymore?

[rob808]

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.

Sorry for bringing this thread back up but I just want to say that this is one of the best pieces of advice I should take in seeing how I myself am doing this part time. One of my best friends even mentioned, " don`t worry about how long the job takes as long as you do the job right". Long story short, I basically sold myself short but received a greater return in the end.

And please, don`t stop. this is all great advice from you and everyone here.

[Bunky]

This was an interesting thread.

My question does any detailer who does it for a living think someone can do equivalent work but just willing to work cheaper.

[C. Charles Hahn]

This was an interesting thread.

My question does any detailer who does it for a living think someone can do equivalent work but just willing to work cheaper.

It would be rather snobbish and naive for anyone to think someone else out there can`t produce equivalent or even superior work. There`s always going to be someone out there better than you are, and whether or not it`s what they do for their livelihood has no bearing on the level of work they are capable of putting out. Talent and passion for the art comes in many forms.

When it comes to pricing, a lot of what determines that comes down to not only what the detailer is willing to work for, but what the market will bear in any given geographical location or economic environment. Someone who is not detailing for a living but is passionate about what they`re doing probably will work cheaper than someone who relies on detailing to pay the bills, if only because they have less of an impetus to charge a rate resulting in a high profit margin.

The main situation wherein that sucks is if a career detailer and a hobby detailer are putting out the same level of work in the same area and are constantly competing on price. It just makes the career detailer`s job harder trying to sell himself at the higher rate he needs to charge in order to stay alive. All that can be relied upon in that case is customer perception and the whole "You get what you pay for" mantra that consumerism is built on.

[Mel Craig]

Thought I would throw in my thoughts on this one. Its actually one of the biggest issues being brought up and in such controversy!

The answer to this question is "YES", there are millions of people out there that care for quality! There are people that are willing to pay top dollar for quality and for great customer service.

There are so many detailers claiming that we are in a bad economy or in hard times and that business is hard to come by! The truth is, that`s only if your allowing the economy to affect your business in a negative way.

There are businesses growing and profiting in a big way but you have to go and get it. Its not coming to you...

How many "NEW" people are you talking to everyday? What type of people are you talking to everyday? Are you talking to people that truly want your services? Are you talking to people who respect you as a reconditioning professional. Is your business being run in a professional manner?

There is plenty of money being spent in the auto detailing business. There are people paying good money to have their vehicles professionally maintained.

Don`t let the competition sway you from what you are trying to do. Be sure and stay away from jobs that take a lot of time but produce very little income. Print out your quick book reports and see what your expenses are in relation to your revenue. This will help you gage what you are truly doing and what you need to do to fix it.

There is something to be said for the "statement" keep doing the work, follow a system that works and you will get faster and better at your skill. But, there is also a point you have to be careful you`re not chasing after the wrong dollar for the time you spend getting them!

I have detailers telling me that, the bad economy is driving the business to the more competitive price. That people are going with the detailers with the lowest price. That they themselves are having to cut their prices in order to compete in the industry.

This has been one of the most misunderstood and false business statements ever made in the business world in general.. For all businesses since the beginning of time. : ) LOL..

But yet, there are thousands of businesses thriving and growing in this so called bad economy!

For example: In Q-4 of 2010 Nordstroms, (a very high end and expensive department store here in the USA), recorded record breaking profits! One of the worse years ever in our economy! They had an increase of sales over 8.5% doing a record breaking $9.3 billion dollars in sales for 2010. This, in one of the toughest years in retail sales, was and is amazing!

Nordstrom`s Corporate Team accounts that customer service is the main reason they did so well... That their buyers did a great job of keeping cost down on product brought in, and great merchandising throughout the chain... Up selling played a very big part in their growth. Another feature was the returning customers and the chain offering "Value" for their customers to make a purchase with Nordstorm`s over their competition!

Now, based on people spending there hard earned dollars in a bad economy this should be good news for anyone offering a quality product with great customer service to back it up.

Not everyone spends there money at Target, Walmart, K-Marts and JC Penny`s!!! And just the same for us, not everyone is interested in having just anyone touch their vehicles or go for just low prices!

Their are people spending money when they see value in what you offer.

Put your efforts on placing value on your product and your services, learn how to properly up sell and spend more time talking and finding the clients that truly want what you have to offer. Treat them right and you will have them coming back for more several times per year. Find a few hundred of those clients and your finances will never be in question.

This past year I have had the opportunity to travel all around the world meeting with detailers in all types of business models in many different countries. The most successful are putting their efforts toward offering a great product with unparalleled customer service and reaping some great rewards. Some of the places I`ve been to fails in comparison to what we can have right here in the good ole USA... Some people come here from other countries and make a fortune. They see a gold mine here compared to where they come from!

Business in not easy, never has been. If it was everyone would do it and there would not be any real money to be made!

Success is out there, you just have to go and get it. Yes, there are people that truly care for Quality and they are willing to pay for it...

[Concours.John]

Excellent point Mel. Sometimes people overlook the simplicity of great customer service and get caught up in the technical aspects of running the business. There is no "bottom line" if you have no customer base or people who desire to do business with you.
People are still spending lots of money at places because their every need is able to be catered to with exceptional service.

[C. Charles Hahn]

Mel, you make an excellent point about the importance of customer service, and I totally agree.

However it is also important to recognize that in a situation wherein all else is equal, people are going to choose the lower price over the higher price every time.

Perhaps the real take-away message is that a successful business has to constantly be evolving to ensure that all else is never equal....

[Bunky]

Quality is a perception until you experience the actual product. I think many people appreciate quality or customer service but without knowing in advance they will choose the lower price since it is an unknown (which is better: A or B or C).

With brand awareness, you come to expect something when it has the Honda name but without references, referrals, etc. people working in service businesses do not have sufficient information unless you tag on honors like "122nd best detailer in US" per some authority. You are also dealing with people who not have enough information to make an informed decision: $6 car wash sounds good.

Selling is about 1) making contact with a customer (in person, internet, mailings, referrals), 2) educating them on why they need your service (making it entertaining also helps) and 3) then selling them on what you are selling.

[Mel Craig]

All great points!

I guess my issue is that this business we have chosen is a numbers game and always has been. The more people you speak to the more work you get. The more people you speak with that want you premier service the more you will sell it. The more work you get the more profitable it can be.

Keep building your data base of customers and build it with complete reconditioning in mind. Eventually you will no longer have to do the junk, long non profitable type stuff and your detailing business will be in high demand. Im associated with so many detailers that no longer wash cars because they are so busy keeping up with their detailing business. Its not easy but it is very do-able...

Build it and they will come!!! LOL...