groupon detailers, no loyalty, waste of time

AndrewBigA

AndrewBigA

New member
my morning rant about groupon & the lack of loyalty from customers who are now price shopping more than ever. i dont know much about anyone else bc i dont have enough space in my brain to even give them all any thought. i work extremely hard for my reputation. i like my advantage of selling myself, i know im awsome! i want people to come to me not come to the price!.

i lost a customer this morning bc of some no frills detailer advertising a full in n out detail for $130 bucks. does the place do good work? i dont know & it doesnt even matter. i just know they have to sell a groupon detail while im still selling myself. the customer they took from me is a cheapo anyways, i mean, thats why hes going there next time instead of staying with me, oh well! enjoy him!

excuse me sir... so you are willing to take a loss & work for nothing & your going to use the groupon name/brand to sell yourself? & you call that competition? no stupid! where are you going with those customers? to the bank? absolutely not! they will leave your place as soon as the next guy charges $100!

i get it, people want a great deal. what i dont get is that all of these people think your suposed to work for less & less while things cost more & more!

cheers to all the groupon detailers that think theyre competing with me. your missing the point, your still not better than me.
could you even afford a drink at the bar after working at those reduced prices? hold on, ill buy you a drink! round 1 is on me!

i cant stand this. i hate where this is going.

:crazy:

:mad:

:nana:

-frustrated detailer-
 
I'm with you Andrew those things are fustrating. "Why $500 the car wash up the street has a groupon out for $100 and you get 2 free car wash's with it". Ok go let some idiot with a rotary destroy your paint then come back and I'll charge you $1000 to fix it up to you. UGH@!@#%$#^$
 
Yep. I saw that email this morning. what a goof. Never saw their shop but those guys are actually pretty closeby to me.

they claimed for $130 they'd use 3m rubbing compound followed by a glaze. hmmmm.... I see buffer trails in someones future

At $130 they're making what, $65-$70 for a full detail? minus tax, minus cost of product. no thanks

the people who want 3m compound followed by a glaze are not the same people you're selling full correction to. these guys are not on your level. they're competing for the corner car wash 'detailing' jobs. don't sweat it.
 
my aunt told me that the detailer she uses is going to charge $170 to detail her audio guy's lambo and the audio guy thinks that's too high... haha... dummies

you got to play to play

or do it yourself
 
It ultimately depends on a persons location. I'll be the first to tell you that I can't get those prices, no matter what kind of vehicle it is. I suppose I could charge whatever price I want, but I would go under faster than a fat kid at the city pool. My prices are competitive but I don't cut anyone's throat or steal clients. I have enough of my own that I don't need to make selfish moves to hurt others in the area. What I don't understand is this - if a person lives in an area where $500 is an acceptable price, why not try to get those prices as well? Everyone would benefit from it. Andrew, I can totally understand where your coming from because those guys are driving the market down with their prices, and not only are they taking clients, they are trying to force you and the other good detailers there to compete. The same thing happens here, but its clowns on Craigslist charging $40 and sometimes even name dropping on me and some others who can actually pull off the work they claim they can do. Its a pain in the a$$, but I've grown numb to it. If I loose a client to a Dollar Store hack, I didn't need them to begin with IMO.
 
I have had a couple of what I call lifestylers that just want to say they have there high end car detailed,try that crap own me. I am fortunate enough I have a waiting list to get into our family,so I just tell them they might be happier going to someone else. Most of the time they come by and want me to tell them why it does not look like my work. Is then tell them that to fix someone else's work is double the price.
They always come back,that is if my wife lets them back in!
 
mrclean81 said:
If I loose a client to a Dollar Store hack, I didn't need them to begin with IMO.
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That's the way I see it, if someone can't tell the difference in a good wax job and a fast paced spray on wax from the car wash then I don't want them as customers.

You really have to ask yourself what kind of people you plan on targeting and what kind of work you want to put out. Around here most mobile detailers will do about 12 cars a day, have 2 helpers, and spend about 30 mins on each car. Which there's nothing wrong with, because those customers are happy being ignorant. Now my customers know they are getting some bang for their buck, so if I loose a customer to mr "lets charge 5 dollars to turtle wax a car" then I don't care because I got loyal clients that keep me going. But I'm also not going to be like one of these "show room" detailers that spend 50 hours on a car making it look like it it just decended from heaven. There's a line that has to be drawn
 
Addicted2Bling said:
That's the way I see it, if someone can't tell the difference in a good wax job and a fast paced spray on wax from the car wash then I don't want them as customers.

You really have to ask yourself what kind of people you plan on targeting and what kind of work you want to put out. Around here most mobile detailers will do about 12 cars a day, have 2 helpers, and spend about 30 mins on each car. Which there's nothing wrong with, because those customers are happy being ignorant. Now my customers know they are getting some bang for their buck, so if I loose a customer to mr "lets charge 5 dollars to turtle wax a car" then I don't care because I got loyal clients that keep me going. But I'm also not going to be like one of these "show room" detailers that spend 50 hours on a car making it look like it it just decended from heaven. There's a line that has to be drawn
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:bigups
 
this have happen to me too many times ...here's how one of the conversation went

client: Hey can you detail my car this sat
Me: No Sunday?
Client: OK I have to leave 11 am to a car show
Me: What detailing service are you interested in
Client: Mini detail $60
Me: sorry cannot perform (1) mini detail on Mobile and in order to receive a mini detail, it has to have the enhancement detail or paint correction done prior
Client: Thats retarded rule, haha How are you suppose to get any business if your cheapiest detail is $180
Me: XYZ charges $140 for full detail

people that don't understand what I do, Don't receive service from me. period>>
 
Andrew, mi Amigo, I feel your pain here too.
Those groupon things are big here too and lots of people flock to them. Too bad for them. They will never know (and probably dont care) what a Great Detail is like.

The way I see it, there are infinitely more vehicles every year on the road, and even if all of us were to band together and try to knock them all out, we would all never be able to make a dent.

This huge amount of vehicles out there vs even all the Hacks in the world = They will never be able to get them all either, and at the rates they are giving away their sad excuse for work, they will all die trying. :)

Your and Our good Reputations are based on hard, careful, artistic, detailed, work that comes from years in the "trenches", lots of experimentation, countless sleepless nights, thinking about -"what about if I try this?, etc...", a huge amount of Sacrifice from us and our families, and dozens of other important things.

There are those out there that really Recognize us for what we are and what we do, and they will seek us out and find us.

Having other people in places like repair shops, etc., refer us to their Clients also helps a huge amount.

I had a man this morning upon picking up his daughter's 2006 MINI Cooper Pepper White, 48k miles, tell me he was so glad he found me. He has been looking for that one good Detailer for years, and now he has found him. He is a car guy as well, and knows what good Detailing is and the rest of the other stuff that is not.

Keep up the awesome work Andrew ! Imagine all the hits this website Forum alone gets a year. Pretty soon we will hear you saying you cannot get a break from the work and the line outside your shop gets longer every day ! :) :) :)

Dan F
 
There will always be some knucklehead that thinks he can do a better job for less, and there will always be some idiot that believes him. these people that shop for price only will get what they deserve. If these people can't see the value in passion for your craft, integrity and honesty in your business ethics then you dont want them in your world.. take pride in who you are and what you do and success will follow..Ro
 
Addicted2Bling said:
That's the way I see it, if someone can't tell the difference in a good wax job and a fast paced spray on wax from the car wash then I don't want them as customers.

You really have to ask yourself what kind of people you plan on targeting and what kind of work you want to put out. Around here most mobile detailers will do about 12 cars a day, have 2 helpers, and spend about 30 mins on each car. Which there's nothing wrong with, because those customers are happy being ignorant. Now my customers know they are getting some bang for their buck, so if I loose a customer to mr "lets charge 5 dollars to turtle wax a car" then I don't care because I got loyal clients that keep me going. But I'm also not going to be like one of these "show room" detailers that spend 50 hours on a car making it look like it it just decended from heaven. There's a line that has to be drawn
Click to expand...

I totally see your point. I admire the ability to know when to say when. I just came from a different mindset just opening to public detailing a few years ago.

I have and do spend 50hrs. on a vehicle. It's rarely an exotic. I get clients who have a few vehicles. They just didn't know how to properly care for them. What I charge initially for what I do is too little.

The client is in the know it can't be done everytime. I just want them to know how far you can go. A fair price there after to go to a certain extent can then be agreed in the rest.

The hardest part for me is when to say when and know they will be happy. I don't use Groupon because I'd rather set my own discount and weed out someone using you for a price.
 
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNLPlzTBw3w&feature=g-user-u]TGIM SEASON 4 - I'll PASS - YouTube[/ame]

watch this Andrew. sometimes you just have to pass.
 
overtimedetail said:
people that don't understand what I do, Don't receive service from me. period>>
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I do not exactly understand. It sounds like you will not do a maintenance wash (mini-detail) unless you have done a more extensive detail on the same vehicle earlier. Right? Is you business model doing extensive work then signing them up for maintenance but never just a simple wash?

Why not just do the mini-detail (whatever you do) anyway rather than turn away the work. It may not be perfect but is he getting what he wanted but just not what you wanted.:confused:
 
Bunky said:
I do not exactly understand. It sounds like you will not do a maintenance wash (mini-detail) unless you have done a more extensive detail on the same vehicle earlier. Right? Is you business model doing extensive work then signing them up for maintenance but never just a simple wash?

Why not just do the mini-detail (whatever you do) anyway rather than turn away the work. It may not be perfect but is he getting what he wanted but just not what you wanted.:confused:
Click to expand...

As a business, especially mobile, it makes sense. For most, it's not worth it to load up tools and equipment and then drive 30-60 miles round trip just for one maintenance wash, and if it's a car you've never worked on before, you have no idea of the actual condition it will be in when you arrive. A lot of guys, even Scottwax on the other A forum, have a minimum # of cars required for maintenance washes.
 
mikenap said:
As a business, especially mobile, it makes sense. For most, it's not worth it to load up tools and equipment and then drive 30-60 miles round trip just for one maintenance wash, and if it's a car you've never worked on before, you have no idea of the actual condition it will be in when you arrive. A lot of guys, even Scottwax on the other A forum, have a minimum # of cars required for maintenance washes.
Click to expand...

I do something similar. I wont turn a client down no matter what, but if its a small job Ill try to book them on a day I have other small jobs booked. Same with maintenance details that only take an hour or two. Theres not much money in 1, but there is in 6 or 8.
 
Bunky said:
I do not exactly understand. It sounds like you will not do a maintenance wash (mini-detail) unless you have done a more extensive detail on the same vehicle earlier. Right? Is you business model doing extensive work then signing them up for maintenance but never just a simple wash?

Why not just do the mini-detail (whatever you do) anyway rather than turn away the work. It may not be perfect but is he getting what he wanted but just not what you wanted.:confused:
Click to expand...


Bunky, My location maybe different from yours. Theres usually heavy traffic involved. I don't know the gas prices in your area too, but here is $4.50 etc a gallon. So lets do some math: round trip gas $9 chemicals $5-$10 1 hr on the road 2 hrs on the mini detail...3 hrs for $60? would you do it for your business? 2 mini details..then that's different story.

I know its a opportunity to make some money, but I choose to pass. The part that got me upset was that he tried to compared me to local detailing shops that charges less than me of course.
 
I completely understand what youre saying. I am the highest priced detailer in my area. I typically dont even touch a vehicle for less than $250. Most of my details are about 6hrs long minimum at a labor rate of $75/hr. There a TON of fly by night detail shops here in Omaha that charge $120 for a complete. I had a guy email me the other day he wanted 2 cars done, complete interior/exterior detail, include removing all scratches and swirls, steam clean interior, engine bay and wheels for no more than $100 a vehicle. I referred him to a place that does completes for $120 because theres no way I can even get into a car for $100 and compete with that. The $120 place sure they are always busy and there cars from 30ft away you can see the grease they sprayed on the interior and exterior to make it shiny. Great. They didnt actually clean anything they just made it shiny.

From day one of my business I refused to do the grease and release style work. Just because i dont ever want to be known for doing any type of job like that. If I have to work multiple side jobs (not detailing) and only doing one $500 detail every two weeks as I build my name then so be it. But i refuse to lower my standards even for just one person.

Now thats not to say if someone wants to spend $250-300 I will go up and beyond what they are expecting and deliver the best job possible. Every single detail I have done over the past few years has returned for additional work. There is not a single detail shop here in Omaha that can contend with my level of polishing perfection. Not to talk myself up a bit... :D but I know what I am good at and I speak it loudly. One thing I am not is an interior detailer---I never will be I dont have the patience for it but I have two guys that do work for me that are easily the best in the area when it comes to interior work.

Sorry for the book report here but yes this stuff drives me nuts too!
 
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