Anyone offering a low-budget package?

You have to consider your audience and gauge things on how they are asking questions. They might not know the difference and need to be informed that various options ARE available. Particularly if they want a low budget package-it would be crucial to inform them so they know what to expect.



The limit to the big price all inclusive package is it might not appeal to everyone. If I think back to last summer, I did maybe 20% correction work, the rest was all Stage I service levels-people want clean car, only specific people want perfect cars.
 
I remember a post by Scottwax where he talked about how he does a full correction for a customer over the course of a few months in order to kind of offset the upfront price, which can be daunting. I dont want to speak for him but if I remember correctly he would do a few panels at a time during his regular maintenance on the car and after a few months...voila it had a full correction performed.



Hopefully Scott can chime in because I remember thinking it was a brilliant marketing move.



To the original post question. I have recently started by asking the simple question: What are you looking to spend? Many times the answer is "Not more than $100". This is understandable in this economic environment. Then I usually advise just a wash/wax and clay bar treatment. I highlight the importance of clay barring a vehicle and what it does. Even break out the clay, and do a little spot on the back trunk to show them the accumulation of dirt embedded (after doing a quick ONR swipe to remove loose dirt of course). Usually if I can get them to this point, and they feel the smoothness of the paint after being clayed, they are sold. So for $100 bucks its a nice quick income earner for me.
 
My basic full detail offers full interior cleaning and protection, wash, clay, 1 DA polishing step (usually OHP and a MF polishing pad) and wax or sealant. Starts at $150 for small (Miata, Smart, etc) cars but most sedans are in the $165-185 range depending on size, SUVs from $200-275, again depending on size. For the average person, that's perfect for the wife's car or their daily driver. My son and I can do a basic full detail in less than 2.5 hours working together, sometimes just under 2 hours. We do 3-4 in one day at a single location, that's pretty decent money. Plus, I can use the time there to hopefully upsell either Opti-Coat at that time or a correction detail at a later date. Getting your foot in the door and showing people that even your basic package will make a huge difference in the way their car looks is a good way to ensure repeat business and often a higher level package the next time.
 
Lotuseffect said:
I remember a post by Scottwax where he talked about how he does a full correction for a customer over the course of a few months in order to kind of offset the upfront price, which can be daunting. I dont want to speak for him but if I remember correctly he would do a few panels at a time during his regular maintenance on the car and after a few months...voila it had a full correction performed.



Hopefully Scott can chime in because I remember thinking it was a brilliant marketing move.
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That's sort of what I was doing. After doing a detail for a customer, I'd then do a maintenance package. I'd come out every two weeks, do a wash and vacuum, spot clean the interior as needed, spot polish as needed and wax a couple sections of the car. Basically, the vehicle just stays looking detailed all the time. Only have a few customer's left on that, just don't have the time for a lot of weekly regulars like I used to. $50-60 per vehicle each time. In and out in a little over an hour.
 
Scottwax said:
My basic full detail offers full interior cleaning and protection, wash, clay, 1 DA polishing step (usually OHP and a MF polishing pad) and wax or sealant. Starts at $150 for small (Miata, Smart, etc) cars but most sedans are in the $165-185 range depending on size, SUVs from $200-275, again depending on size. For the average person, that's perfect for the wife's car or their daily driver. My son and I can do a basic full detail in less than 2.5 hours working together, sometimes just under 2 hours. We do 3-4 in one day at a single location, that's pretty decent money. Plus, I can use the time there to hopefully upsell either Opti-Coat at that time or a correction detail at a later date. Getting your foot in the door and showing people that even your basic package will make a huge difference in the way their car looks is a good way to ensure repeat business and often a higher level package the next time.
Click to expand...



argh! you are lucky to have your son willingly help you. It was so nice last year when my wife was unemployed and worked with me.
 
ExplicitDetails said:
I have a $99 Basic Detail, $125 for SUV's and larger vehicles. I used to call it an Express Detail but people thought that meant quick like 30 minutes so I changed the name. This detail has a 2 hour cap for cars and 2.5 hrs for the bigger stuff. It's pretty basic as the name implies but it's my most popular package. I used to take an hour longer on these than I do now so I think it fits what you are looking for. The reason I take an hour less now is because after doing over 500 cars in the past year for my LivingSocial deal for this package has made me incredibly efficient without sacrificing quality. This is basically what I do:



ONR wash/clay lower panels while still wet

Use a wax-as-you-dry spray wax, spray on while still wet and dry/buff

Hit the door and trunk jambs with ONR

Hit the wheel wells with Purple Power

Clean up the wheels (seriously stuck brake dust is extra cost to customer due to extra time spent)

Dress tires

Clean windows in/out

Wipe dash/panels/console/all plastic parts with APC

Blow out and vacuum interior and trunk

Wash rubber floor mats



That's pretty much it and people love it.



When I first started doing these types of details I had a real hard time holding myself back from doing more work than what was included. After time you get used to it and learn what most customers would be expecting. Take a few minutes to explain before the detail that it's not going to make the car look brand new like a major detail, but it will be clean and shiny. And that's what the majority of the public is looking for, clean and shiny.
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This is the thread I've been waiting for. Don't have much time, chose your post because of the service list.



Taking the $125 for an SUV. I had a Grand Cherokee just the other day. More windows then the Empire State Building. Vents,switches, controls everywhere. Exterior had black trim everywhere, plus mud flaps.



Quick ques. is, unless I take a Popsicle stick wrapped in a MF towel and hit each and every vent, etc. with dressing, there's still going to be dust left in the cracks and crevices, window switches, cup holders, etc.



Took me all day. I used a dressing on the interior and exterior trim, never thought of just APC. But for the interior, how do you get all the surfaces and manage to charge $125.
 
Thats exactly what we did with our Groupon Deal as well.

People were extremely satisfied. If they wanted anything more an additional upgrade to shampoo or polish was just added on for an extra charge.

At $100-$150 it's a good price for a thorough cleaning.
 
LeMarque said:
Quick ques. is, unless I take a Popsicle stick wrapped in a MF towel and hit each and every vent, etc. with dressing, there's still going to be dust left in the cracks and crevices, window switches, cup holders, etc.



Took me all day. I used a dressing on the interior and exterior trim, never thought of just APC. But for the interior, how do you get all the surfaces and manage to charge $125.
Click to expand...



A proactive approach to this is to set the expectation with the customer before the detail that an express detail is not meant to make the car perfect, as that takes more time than we can put into this level package. Explain that there still may be some dust in the tight crevices and there may be a little fuzzy stuff still stuck to this seat, etc, but you will do the best job possible in the time allowed. Then add, but we can make it much closer to perfect if you would like to upgrade to the full detail which allows us more time for a deeper cleaning.



Of course this would be on a case by case basis. You wouldn't want to say that to someone who's car is already near perfect.
 
ExplicitDetails said:
I have a $99 Basic Detail, $125 for SUV's and larger vehicles. I used to call it an Express Detail but people thought that meant quick like 30 minutes so I changed the name. This detail has a 2 hour cap for cars and 2.5 hrs for the bigger stuff. It's pretty basic as the name implies but it's my most popular package. I used to take an hour longer on these than I do now so I think it fits what you are looking for. The reason I take an hour less now is because after doing over 500 cars in the past year for my LivingSocial deal for this package has made me incredibly efficient without sacrificing quality. This is basically what I do:



ONR wash/clay lower panels while still wet

Use a wax-as-you-dry spray wax, spray on while still wet and dry/buff

Hit the door and trunk jambs with ONR

Hit the wheel wells with Purple Power

Clean up the wheels (seriously stuck brake dust is extra cost to customer due to extra time spent)

Dress tires

Clean windows in/out

Wipe dash/panels/console/all plastic parts with APC

Blow out and vacuum interior and trunk

Wash rubber floor mats



That's pretty much it and people love it.



When I first started doing these types of details I had a real hard time holding myself back from doing more work than what was included. After time you get used to it and learn what most customers would be expecting. Take a few minutes to explain before the detail that it's not going to make the car look brand new like a major detail, but it will be clean and shiny. And that's what the majority of the public is looking for, clean and shiny.
Click to expand...





That's exactly the majority of what I do. At first my customers feel its a bit expensive but once I'm done, they tell me that they feel like they underpaid me.
 
ExplicitDetails said:
A proactive approach to this is to set the expectation with the customer before the detail that an express detail is not meant to make the car perfect, as that takes more time than we can put into this level package. Explain that there still may be some dust in the tight crevices and there may be a little fuzzy stuff still stuck to this seat, etc, but you will do the best job possible in the time allowed. Then add, but we can make it much closer to perfect if you would like to upgrade to the full detail which allows us more time for a deeper cleaning.



Of course this would be on a case by case basis. You wouldn't want to say that to someone who's car is already near perfect.
Click to expand...



I knew that :biggrin1:



Seriously tho, I'm going to print that out and read it a few times a day.



Thanks for the Business Detailing 101 lesson.
 
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