detailing for friends & neighbors

joe.p

joe.p

New member
Maybe someone could help me this. How many detail their neighbors cars and when you do, do you charge em, give em a discount. i ask because the neighbors have seen me busy with my cars and relatives and many have asked if i would do theirs and ask me how much. :helpsmili
 
I treat my neighbors cars as anyone elese car...it my experence that they are buying....if you make one a special deal then you have to offer that to them all...at least it works that way here....I charge 150 plus for cars and 200 plus on trucks and mini vans...I live in NO CA so your area might be different
 
i work on neighborhood cars and family cars. about 2-3 times a month some neighbor, friend, or family members ask if i would do theirs or someone they know.
 
Usually I charge my neighbors $100. They know I get more with other customers. I have great neighbors, they fertilize my yard, watch my dogs when I'm out of town, just super nice people...
 
I offer to work on friends and familys cars and don't expect anything in return. If someone approached me, I would let them know what the going rate was for a detail and then probably do it for a discount. I don't do detailing for a living or for the money, I just enjoy it.
 
Charge your neighbours the same as everyone else. You will be surprised at the number of referrals you pick up (assuming they are pleased with your work). This is a GREAT way to build up business.
 
i detailed a couple of cars for my neigbors as a matter of fact one was a van 14 yrs old and not taking care that turned into an 8 hr job and i was so sore i couldn't move for two days. i want to do this part time to build up a customer base and i work from my garage no leases etc. hopeing one day to have my own shop, so thats my story in a nut shell.

Beemer the price that you qouted is about the going rates for a vehicle with a good paint and interior. i have a menu from other shops in the area maybe i'll show them the going rates and go from there. i feel bad charging them but they do know that i want to do this for a side business and i have a better product line than any of the shops in the area.
 
I charge about half price for friends, but people who work near me can drop off a car and leave it for me. If I get to it, I charge $12.50/hour, extra charge if it is product intensive.
 
Did my dads earlier today for 50$. Mainly just the outside...washed, clayed, polished and waxed...tires, wheels, windows and vacuumed out the outside took me 2.5 hrs, he keeps it pretty clean though....only for my dad though......neighbors and friends wouldn't get such a good deal, probably 75 or 100, depending how much i liked them...haha

joe
 
I do friends and neighbors vehicles alot. I never offer my services but if I am asked I always start with a high number. Like $250.00. If they blink or stammer i just stay at that price and they usually just say thank you and walk away.

If they do not blink we talk about what they want done. I tell them that they need to wash the car. I only do polishing and waxing. Now they are real interested. I tell them what I can do for their car. Now they are excited. They usually are up for a cheaper price so I tell them that if they help me through out the detail that it would be substantially cheaper.

Well, we settle on a time and place. Do the work, with them helping each step of the way. When we finish the project, They want to settle up. I tell them that all they have to do is pay for the products that I have used plus they have to feed me. It almost always is a lot of fun. I make a real friend who is happy with the job. They find out just how hard detailing really is. I get an atta boy. I also have learned and honed my craft.

I make everyone, that I do this for, promise that if anyone asks about what I charge, they always have to say that it cost them $250.00 to get their vehicle done. There is no money in doing this but I have gotten so much better with my process that I am happy with it.
 
Joe,
Maybe i'm whacked, but I'd do my neighbors car(s) for $30. bucks
at the most. Just enough to pay for the materials and a 12 pack of
Moosehead or Pacifico. If they insist on giving me $50 bucks which
always happens of course I take it., Then make it a case of beers.
Their my neighbors, whenever I need help with something and one of them
is good at a certain thing they always help me, no questions asked.
I ain't dishin anyone here in the forum, just the way I was raised. I'm out.
rogie
 
i can see some of you guys would charge and not others, but everyone is willing to do the detail way below the going rate.


what i'm gonna do is see if my neighbor has time to get it washed and then i'm gonna polishw/pb and ex-p . i'm not gonna charge her or the other neighbor and if i get a refferal or two thats ok. i do have other neighbors down the street and had they approach me then i would charge them.
 
Friends and neighbors... I just hand them a pricing sheet like everyone else.

Family members? That's a different story.

My mom... FREE
Mother-in-law... FREE
Others... Half-price
Obnoxious Cousins... Double :biggrin:
 
I can understand giving neighbors a discount. I look at it this way if they are looking to get their cars detailed, then they are willing to pay someone to do the work. I put to much time into working on any car and do not cut corners so they are getting the same service that I give to the people that are full paying customers.

Its a hard call as everyone has a different approach to the pricing and how they feel about doing family and neighbors cars.
 
You guys are the pros and do fantastic work that's well worth whatever,
people pay to get the work done. I don't want you guys thinking that i'm
out here undercutting anyone to make some money, we already have plenty
of that here in socal. I'm just a weekend guy, who will do a car for beer
and a BBQ with buddies. you all have a good one.
rogie
 
Beemerboy said:
I can understand giving neighbors a discount. I look at it this way if they are looking to get their cars detailed, then they are willing to pay someone to do the work. I put to much time into working on any car and do not cut corners so they are getting the same service that I give to the people that are full paying customers.

Its a hard call as everyone has a different approach to the pricing and how they feel about doing family and neighbors cars.
Click to expand...

Beemer thats why i was debating on charging her or not if i'm gonna do a complete detail as you described thats a lotta work. a polish and sealant isn't a problem.

sooo confused !
 
Here is my thought process on the subject. Remember, I just enjoy detailing vehicles and do not do it for a living but, I have been paid numerous times for detailing in the past. I am a network administrator and absolutly hate it when friends and family call me up with computer problems. Fixing computers is like a professional detailer getting stuck with a truck that just went mudbogging. It is the lowest part of the job for me. For this reason I tell everyone I will fix all of their computer problems for $75 hr. This usually stops them from calling mewith petty problems. If someone actually takes me up on this I usually do not charge them much. This is why i can see the pro here saying that they would charge regular price. It is their living.

For me as a hobby, I do it for free if I know or think that they will or would offer to help me for free down the road. If not then I would expect to pay when and if they were to help me.

Mom's car = Free anytime she wants it. (offered to purchase my PC for me when I was wishing for it)
Mother-in-law = always free (best Mother-in-law in the world)
Cousin = Free (owns a tire and mechanic shop)

You can see where I am going with this.
 
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