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.
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