First time working at detailing shop

C

Chuckmotor

New member
A friend of mine has a son in high school (rising senior?? Probably 17 or 18) who has been doing good detailing work on his own for about seven months (he has his own weekend mobile jobs with a few customers). He is seeking a job in a detailing shop so he can have steady work for the rest of the summer. He has learned from the best (me! ok, well maybe not the best, but an Autopian), so he has lots of expierence with the dual action PC, compounds, polishes, glazes, waxes, etc, but has no rotary expierence. He's a good kid, and he was asking me how much he could expect to make per hour as a first time job at a real detailing place. I have no clue, but I told him I would try to find out what's a fair price for his work so he doesn't get ripped off. Can someone give me an idea? Thanks!
 
If he is going to be working at a shop for someone else chances are very high that he is not going to get paid what his services are worth. Being totally honest, he will probably get screwed. I would tell him to stick with the mobil jobs that he already has and try to expand his customer base with flyers, business cards, etc. He will make more money this way plus he will get to be his own boss.
 
Yeah, I figured as much, but he wants expierence so he can make more money if he decides to detail proffesionally for a career. He has to start somewhere.



So you think that even if he sticks with it through all his remaining summers and possibly after college (if he goes) that it still won't be worth it?



ADDED: He just called a minute ago saying that he found a job offer at a mobile detailing shop. They offered him $7.50 an hour. According to him, that's a little more than most of his friends make and he'll work 9 or 10 hours a day. What do you think??
 
He just called a minute ago saying that he found a job offer at a mobile detailing shop. They offered him $7.50 an hour
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LOL! I would tell them to forget it. He should be able to get a job at a dealership for that amount of money, it's easier work plus it will look better on this resume anyway.



If it were me I would tell them No Thanks at $7.50/hour.
 
Yeah, that's kinda what I figured but I didn't want to say it without being sure.



Thanks, I'll tell him. How much should he be looking to make per hour? (He would love to join Autopia and ask himself, but he's on Internet restriction for a few weeks!) Should he be looking to make $8.50? $9.50? He's only a high school student with his only expierence being his own weekend jobs for the last year.
 
Tell him to take the money and run. 7 months experience in this business is nothing. $7.50 an hour is alot to pay for such little experience. I would start him off at $5.50 an hour and add incentives and bonus for surperior work. This could bring his hourly pay up to $7.50 but he would have to prove to me that he is worth it.
 
I am shocked that you can find anyone willing to work for $5.50/hr. The economy in Buffalo must be real bad and people must be desperate.
 
i'd tell you to shove it......



I may be still in HS but no way I working for 5.50. I make more by doing 3 cars a week ,then working 40 hrs a week.
 
Chuckmotor said:
Yeah, I figured as much, but he wants expierence so he can make more money if he decides to detail proffesionally for a career. He has to start somewhere.



So you think that even if he sticks with it through all his remaining summers and possibly after college (if he goes) that it still won't be worth it?



ADDED: He just called a minute ago saying that he found a job offer at a mobile detailing shop. They offered him $7.50 an hour. According to him, that's a little more than most of his friends make and he'll work 9 or 10 hours a day. What do you think??
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I don't think this would be a good career choice. Detailing is hard friggin work! I'm still doing it though till that brilliant business idea hits me... or I'll just open up a franchise of some sort like everyone else. Maybe a fast food one, "Helping America Have Heart Attacks"



$7.50 isn't really a lot but it is his choice. He doesn't have to do it forever, a few months. Go work there and gain experience. Remember, you aren't walking away from the job with just money, he is walking away with more knowledge of detailing and experience. He'll be able to see what it is like to work on cars of all sorts.
 
BW said:
Isn't minimum wage $6.25/hour?! :confused:
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in cali it is, higher costs of living there. You can get a place to live in buffalo dirt cheap. thats why autocare USA is there.
 
You Guys get so excited when we talk about what happens in the real world today. Lets think about what a person who has virtually no experience is worth to a person in the detailing business or any other business for over 30 years. Also how many of you detailers would have an employee for over 20 years. This guy who has been with me for over 20 years drives a brand new Escalade, A 2001 Sportrac and a 1999 F150 Pickup. He is just an employee and yes, this is his only job. So lets look at all the facts. When someone has virtually no experience he starts at the bottom just like everyone else does. There is nobody more generous than myself when it comes to his employees. If you come to me with 5 years experience or more we will talk about $15.00 an hour . So when someone comes on here and asks a honest question about what he can make at a detail shop with only 7 months experience you are looking at $5.50 an hour plus incentive. So lets stop all the bashing of what Auto Care does and where he lives. If you guys would just listen to what I have to offer this forum you might last 30 years.
 
SLD, What I mean by incentive is this...Huge Xmas bonus, trips to Vegas, An extra $50.00 to $100.00 thrown in your pay at the end oif the week. Show me what you are worth to me and I will show you the money. There are so many ways to show your employees what they are worth to you. If someone is good and they want to make serious money in the business then work for a working owner who appreciates a great employee.
 
auto care usa, So this 17/18 year old kid can't hope of making more than $5.50 an hour starting out?



How long does he have to work for you before you give him a bump in his hourly wage?



How many employees do you have auto care?
 
ok... I gotta do it..... I can't resist.......



Your going to take a 17 yr old kid to Vegas?





Gotta check the meter......



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chuckmotor, tell him to go for it and keep his other jobs on the side. i agree with the person who says you start at the bottom and that there is no price worth the experience he will be getting. when i was in high school 10 years ago i made $3.90 to scrub pots and pans for eight hours. what everybody else is forgetting is that this kid still lives at home and probably doesn't have one single bill to pay, he better get the experience now or he may never be able to get it. it's only a few months and if he's good the shop probably offer him more if he tells them he's ready to quit.
 
I would appreciate ANY tips that auto care has to offer. Anyone who has had a successfull detailing business that long, definately has something positive for the rest of us to learn. Isnt that what this site is all about?:xyxthumbs
 
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