Doing 25 per week or better?

The real question is for a retail detail...What does it include? Is it just a wash? Full swirl removal?



If it is full detail...I doubt with the autopian standars that someone is doing 25 full details a week. That is approximately 4 a day - full details taking anywhere from 4-8 hours sometimes. Just wouldn't work out.
 
Joshua312 said:
The real question is for a retail detail...What does it include? Is it just a wash? Full swirl removal?



If it is full detail...I doubt with the autopian standars that someone is doing 25 full details a week. That is approximately 4 a day - full details taking anywhere from 4-8 hours sometimes. Just wouldn't work out.
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Thats what I am trying to assess. Maybe a detail busines with 3 employees? 5 per day would have to be the minimum.
 
Joshua312 said:
The real question is for a retail detail...What does it include? Is it just a wash? Full swirl removal?



If it is full detail...I doubt with the autopian standars that someone is doing 25 full details a week. That is approximately 4 a day - full details taking anywhere from 4-8 hours sometimes. Just wouldn't work out.
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Ditto.



I may be able to do something like that if I were doing "Maintenance Details", but definitely not full details...by myself that is.
 
jsatek said:
Thats what I am trying to assess. Maybe a detail busines with 3 employees? 5 per day would have to be the minimum.
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I guess I dont understand your question then...Are autopians getting 25 full details a week...No



Detail business' with more employees, sure they can detail more efficiently. Are you looking at opening a detail business or are you trying to figure out what other detailers are accomplishing in a week? Because if you are trying to figure out what they do a week, it will vary greatly based on the appointments they schedule week to week. Try to clarify what you need to know and you will get the help your looking for.
 
I often work on 25 or so cars a week but definitely not all details. When my sons help me in the summer, I think we could do about 20 details a week without compromising quality.



I do no dealer work at all.
 
Joshua312 said:
I guess I dont understand your question then...Are autopians getting 25 full details a week...No



Detail business' with more employees, sure they can detail more efficiently. Are you looking at opening a detail business or are you trying to figure out what other detailers are accomplishing in a week? Because if you are trying to figure out what they do a week, it will vary greatly based on the appointments they schedule week to week. Try to clarify what you need to know and you will get the help your looking for.
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To be more clear:

I have been approached by a fellow Autopian to 100% fund the opening of a detail garage. For me to be financially interested this garage would need to do 25 full details per week. To me there is only 1 detail, the full correct job, ranging in price from $175-250 per vehicle.

The probability of this would be known only by another professional detailer. A good guage would be to see if you gents are booking 25+ clients per week. The idea is to see if 25+ in a 5 day week is what people with shops are regularly billing. Obviously a one man show, unless on steroids and other drugs could not successfully complete such work.

I am aware of demographic differences regionally, if there is a great demand for this serices you gents would know.
 
In order to be booking 25 per week, one would need a very attractive fixed location in a very busy part of town. A huge marketing campaign would also be needed to attract customers. In my area ( Northern Virginia) there is an express detail which is located on a very busy road. The building is very attractive and the work is done out front where everybody driving by can see. They have several people working on each car. It would not surprise me if they did 25 express details a day.
 
brwill2005 said:
In order to be booking 25 per week, one would need a very attractive fixed location in a very busy part of town. A huge marketing campaign would also be needed to attract customers. In my area ( Northern Virginia) there is an express detail which is located on a very busy road. The building is very attractive and the work is done out front where everybody driving by can see. They have several people working on each car. It would not surprise me if they did 25 express details a day.
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Yeah, I would think that 25 per week you would either have to have a business with several employees or just be doing the ole' "pay some kid $15 per car to slap on some wax and buff it off". That is what a local shop near me does and I tell you he is always packed! And I am sick of people getting my prices and saying "I can go to blah blah detailing and get it done for $69.95." :lol
 
Danase said:
Yeah, I would think that 25 per week you would either have to have a business with several employees or just be doing the ole' "pay some kid $15 per car to slap on some wax and buff it off". That is what a local shop near me does and I tell you he is always packed! And I am sick of people getting my prices and saying "I can go to blah blah detailing and get it done for $69.95." :lol
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There is no reason to do more work for less money. If thats your business model, good. It sounds like yo u operate on a different model. As a consumer with $150,000 worth of cars that are leased, I'd say I'd go with the $70 joint also. If it didnt come out so good, I'd say, big deal I paid $70 for it. For em to pay $200-300 for a detail for my purposes is ridiculous. I lease my cars and both are parked at a train station for 10hrs per day. If you want that business, you have to conform to wha the market needs, as in any business. I have an IT consulting business that is constantly changing its approach to its clients. One day we are trading floor specialists, the next we are dot net. I cant always push what I love and make a profit.





Would you rather do 100 cars for $10 dollars each or 4 cars for $250 each? Youll have to deal with that turn down on 96 customers to make the same dough, not a bad deal if you ask me.
 
jsatek said:
There is no reason to do more work for less money. If thats your business model, good. It sounds like yo u operate on a different model. As a consumer with $150,000 worth of cars that are leased, I'd say I'd go with the $70 joint also. If it didnt come out so good, I'd say, big deal I paid $70 for it. For em to pay $200-300 for a detail for my purposes is ridiculous. I lease my cars and both are parked at a train station for 10hrs per day. If you want that business, you have to conform to wha the market needs, as in any business. I have an IT consulting business that is constantly changing its approach to its clients. One day we are trading floor specialists, the next we are dot net. I cant always push what I love and make a profit.

Would you rather do 100 cars for $10 dollars each or 4 cars for $250 each? Youll have to deal with that turn down on 96 customers to make the same dough, not a bad deal if you ask me.
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I was not saying it was a bad thing. If the customer wants a quick wax then they have that option. My point was that a lot of customers just want the quickie job was all.
 
No other job. Sometimes I think it would be better to just offer express services. For example, only hand wash, express wax, wash and vacuum, and possibly one-step polish/sealant. Many people in my area balk at a $250 full detail, nor do they understand what is really involved. Most people are happy if their car is simply clean and shiny. I wish I was not such a perfectionist. That trait really prevents me from doing a quicky express detail type service.
 
brwill hit the nail on the head for my problem....everyone wants shiny for cheap....I mean, I can offer a $60 wash and wax, but I am not going to clean every nook and kranny of the car and spend 4 hours on it, nor are they getting it clayed, or polished to make it swirl free, or any of the other elegant things I can bring to the table....(shiny rims, cleared plastics, conditioned rubber..etc)....I'll just wash it, vacuum it, use a one step wax, clean the windows and call it quits....if they want the tires dressed, pay me for it, if they want the chrome polished, pay me for it, if they want the scratches out, PAY ME A LOT haha....time is money! so are additional products...but if I get return customers wanting another wash and wax, then I will throw in some additives, but only every once in a while, otherwise they start to expect it as "included"...



typical wash ans wax takes me about 1.5-2 hours, and used about 3 dollars in products with water, laundry detergent, wax/polish, soap....so I try to factor that in there too, and charge more for larger vehicles obviously for more product use/larger size = more time
 
We live in a quicky world and that’s what people expect. Look how the full service gas station / garage changed into the self service mini mart / car wash. My parents never believed it would work!!! Old fashion service is something I thought was coming back but may just be old fashion. Is the old fashion detailing service becoming something of the past? Observations please???
 
I think there is a niche market who do want and are willing to pay for extensive detailing services. The hard part is locating and attracting these types of customers. The majority want quick and crude service that is just good enough. I have argued with many friends and family about this matter. I tell them I want the high end customers who are willing to pay $300 and up for a detail. They tell me that most people will not pay this much, and only want quick service for cheap. One guy told me to follow the money. He said if people do not want to pay for a high quality detail, then I should offer cheaper and less thorough details. I am learning a lot about my market this first year detailing full time. I am still trying to properly position my product. Sometimes I feel I am trying to be all things to every person.
 
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