Am I charging too low of a price? $18?

H

HydroMan

New member
I know what the whole thing is about appearing to be cheap and attracting cheap customers.



The problem is, I am starting to clean cars for my religious community and they do not make so much money. They do need car washes at least once a month so I am hired to go to their places.



I do a good job, but I am definitely not pro-caliber. I do a good quick vacuuming, clean windows and rinse, soap, rinse, dry the exterior. I charge extra for wax.



With the way the economy is going and my niche market, i thought I had a good price. I live with my grandparents (college), so this is not a full time gig. Am I still undercutting myself?



I am thinking about moving to a waterless car wash product to save time, that way I don't do so much work for the cash.



help me please! :)
 
IMO, that is horribly underselling yourself, even if it is for your religious community. I figure BARE MINIMUM would be 18 for the outside.. How long are you spending on each vehicle? Inside and out? If i were in your shoes, I would go, at the very least, 30-35 per. But also, how many are you doing in a days time?
 
It takes me on average an hour and my customers still complain about how long it takes and sometimes I get tips. This is why I am moving to a waterless system so it will take me a lot less time.



I don't get multiple cars per day, but like 1 or 2 per week. Like I said, its not a full time gig. But I may do more marketing...



I am scared to raise prices because what if I lose customers? I agree, I think I should charge more but I have all my business cards and website at the $18 price tag. :( What do I do?
 
I don't know if this is really a "pro" question. Do you have a mobile rig? Are you licensed and insured? If not, and I don't know how much travel is involved, but if it's only taking you an hour, $18/hr. (minus ur travel time & material costs) isn't a bad pay rate for a part-time college job (even better if it's under the table and/or you get tips that you're not reporting), is it? I bet if you could get up to 5 or 6 a week you'd be pretty happy. Sure it would be nice to charge $35...but it sounds like your market will be back to the $7 local car wash.
 
First sign you are working for the wrong people - "it takes too much time". If they haven't got much money, where are they in a rush to go to?





Don't get your hopes up on this gig.



If you need the $18, then charge that and give them an 18 dollar job.
 
Thanks soo much guys! Yeah I don't even have a mobile rig. Its mostly a part-time job. I do want to do a good job, but faster (even though they never tell me outright that I was taking a long time, they suggest it but still tip me) so thats why I want to make my own waterless spray and "give them the $18 job". But a good one nevertheless
 
too cheap!



I just got back from a two car deal (usually 4 cars, but with layoffs and the economy, only two today, makes it hard to go, but its money, so....) and it took me two hours on a M3 and a full size truck. ONR, wheels, tires, windows, jambs, vacuum, dusting, tire dressing, DONE! - with 55 bucks in the pocket...not too shabby earning almost 30/hr washing...detailing, that bumps the hourly rate to about 50-60.



if you are satisfied with 18/hr, then do it, but you dont charge based on the needs of others, just what its worth to you!
 
HydroMan- Sounds like you're between a rock and a hard place: you're socially affiliated with the customers in question but they're unappreciative.



Bottom line IMO: is it worth doing from *your* perspective?
 
What are you providing them that they can't do with $5 in quaters down the road at the local coin op? If you're not offering them anything more than what they can get there then i'd say you're probably charging a little high. But you factor in the convience of you showing up there then I think that really takes care of that extra part of the expense. I really get irritated with people who think tossing some soap in a bucket should demand a friggin $100. There's a HUGE difference between a simple wash and wax and actually detailing. I think your in a fair ballpark with your prices providing the services you're giving. Saying it cost $50 or more to simply wash a car is outright stupid. Now If your actually "Detailing" then of course that's an entirely different story.
 
jakerooni, you are spot on. I am not a pro detailer, and I go to people's houses and save them the inconvienence of going out and washing their cars. Plus, they like to brag about the fact they have a "detailer'", I don't correct them when they call me a detailer. I am just a glorified simple mobile car wash college kid. I believe my price is fair, and I don't mind.



For example, washing a beautiful infiniti g35 (a monthly customer, and good tipper) gave me pleasure to do so. I would have done it for free. I actually look forward to cleaning that car every month. I want one really bad lol.
 
why not just bump it to 20, dont most give you that $2 as a tip anyway, i would...then if you are $20, they may start giving you $25 instead...
 
Jakerooni said:
What are you providing them that they can't do with $5 in quaters down the road at the local coin op? If you're not offering them anything more than what they can get there then i'd say you're probably charging a little high. But you factor in the convience of you showing up there then I think that really takes care of that extra part of the expense. I really get irritated with people who think tossing some soap in a bucket should demand a friggin $100. There's a HUGE difference between a simple wash and wax and actually detailing. I think your in a fair ballpark with your prices providing the services you're giving. Saying it cost $50 or more to simply wash a car is outright stupid. Now If your actually "Detailing" then of course that's an entirely different story.
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The reason I dont even touch jobs for under 100 bucks (unless i have several 'cheaper' jobs in the same location), is because of how much it cost me to get there and back. My truck averages 6-8 pulling a 9000 pound trailer. AND the round trip time is me NOT MAKING MONEY during the driving.. Now, i know I am no pro at what I do (yet), but i know my time and work is worth more than 50 bucks, period..
 
Well my price has a psychological effect on people. When they see it the first time, they always say "thats cheaper than the other car wash" and they almost always book an appointment.



When I am finished, and its payment time, they almost always give me $20+tip



I've had a few that paid exactly $18 though so its a risk but not always. I am ALWAYS polite and pleasant. Thank yous and have a good days are tantamount.
 
HydroMan said:
For example, washing a beautiful infiniti g35 (a monthly customer, and good tipper) gave me pleasure to do so. I would have done it for free. I actually look forward to cleaning that car every month. I want one really bad lol.
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Keep going man, if you can just build up a number of monthly customers, you'll be able to build up so you're doing a decent number of cars per week.
 
WOW, way undercut...

base your $ on your time, like said above, minimal 30 - 35 per, you also have to think about the product you are using on their cars? high quality, low quality? TO me you are way selling yourself too low
 
Man, you guys are brutal. He's a college kid trying to have some beer money. It's easy to charge $50 for a wash when your customer has had you correct his horribly swirled car for $300 and then you tell him if he brings it back to the tunnel wash for $8 it will look the same in a month...unless he has you come back every month for $50.



I'm hoping HydroMan goes the QEW/ONR route, impresses his clients with his new eco-friendly approach, and makes enough money that he can do an OCW upsell. Really, these are people who probably would go to the Scratch 'n Swirl for $7 or not wash their car at all, not Autopian clients.
 
Flawless Image said:
The reason I dont even touch jobs for under 100 bucks (unless i have several 'cheaper' jobs in the same location), is because of how much it cost me to get there and back. My truck averages 6-8 pulling a 9000 pound trailer. AND the round trip time is me NOT MAKING MONEY during the driving.. Now, i know I am no pro at what I do (yet), but i know my time and work is worth more than 50 bucks, period..
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Again. HUGE difference here. you're showing up ready to do a full on corrective detail. This kid is showing up with a bucket some soap and a few rags. His expense is not anywhere near the same as yours. However if you're customers are calling you to just simply wash their car and you still quote them $50 I think there's something wrong with your business strategy. I would think upselling would be the very first thing on your list to make it worth the while to turn the key. And last point. If your doing this as a business, You have your truck all stickered up you hand out business cards have a DBA at minimum then regardless of your "Skill" level you most certianly are a professional.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Man, you guys are brutal...
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Heh heh, yeah...I was thinking the same thing. Glad HydroMan hasn't let the harshness drive him right off Autopia.



.. Really, [his clients] are people who probably would go to the Scratch 'n Swirl for $7 or not wash their car at all, not Autopian clients.
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In my area, it's easy to spend well over $10 at the local carwash, and I bet HydroMan is providing a much better job.



Plus, there's that social factor...some people (even some of those who complain about the cost) probably enjoy the interaction. Maybe I'm reading too much into the religious affilitation thing, but I've known a lot of folks (especially the elderly), who really enjoy interacting with personable young people who are providing some service.



Jakerooni said:
This kid is showing up with a bucket some soap and a few rags...
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Well, maybe he's showing up better equipped than that...or maybe we could set him straight about how to do this stuff properly without turning it into, uhm...an Accumulator-style wash.



Yeah...an ONR/QEW wash sounds like just the ticket. Maybe use some kind of AIO for the wax-job end of it.



Even *I* could do a quickie wash (one like I'd *never* do to my own vehicles) and take satisfaction that I did better than a tunnel-wash and brightened somebody's day while putting a little money in my pocket.
 
Accumulator said:
Maybe I'm reading too much into the religious affilitation thing, but I've known a lot of folks (especially the elderly), who really enjoy interacting with personable young people who are providing some service.
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I'm thinking the same thing, that it's a win-win, the customers are glad to have some interaction, help a member of their religious community who's trying to get thru college, and have their car cleaned with hopefully less hassle than doing themselves or going somewhere.
 
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