Hey ScottWax

I actually get a little tired of Black BMW's! I probably do 4 per month for total reconditioning and that get's tedious.



So, I take a break and do appointment only personal details which I can do in 6-8 hours. But, unlike Scottwax, the heat is very taxing on this old man. I still like to do the personal jobs because they are faster than the 18+ hours I spend on a recon for the dealer.



The rewards are fun for both. Tonight I had a new Mercedes client come by the shop for an estimate. He took one look at the black 745Li BMW I just completed and knew I was the "chosen one" to do his car. Didn't even quibble or question my pricing...my work spoke for me.



Admac: building a reputation isn't easy, but when you do, price shoppers can go elsewhere and good clients will come to you. I tried to follow Scottwax advice and methods when I started and they are paying off now. That's when the satisfaction comes in.



Well, I've got 2 more black Bimmers in the lineup to start on, but at least the Mercedes is a CLK convertible and is champagne colored.



Good Night Autopians!
 
Jakerooni said:
admac- To answer in my own experience. I definatly started (and still do to an extent) POS cars. I also do quite a few Vettes, BMW's and Benz. I don't have the luxory to live in an area with many higher end cars than those lines (sorry no lambo's or ferrari's around here) I personally like doing POS cars that have the ability to come clean and nice. To me a $500 car is the same as a $500,000 car. A car is a car to me and I clean them. They are not mine so I have no real attachment to them. If a high end car comes in there's the usual 5 minutes of ohhs and ahhh's then it's back to work as usual. I give them all the same treatment. But when a POS comes in that is dirty but otherwise in tact I love it because the end result is worth the look on a customers face. The high end cars "usually" aren't abused and need a whole lot of TLC to get back in shape. To me that makes for a dull day. Just one opnion I guess.
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i've no doubt that it's more rewarding to do beat up cars. and i in no way believe you should short change those people based on what they'll pay. but scottwax and some others seem to be in a very different place in their business life cycle or development. if burnout is somewhat due to working super hard to restore cars that are neglected, then you're more likely to burn out on rough cars rather than nice ones. ideally i'd think you'd want a good mixture of them. obviously it's nice to work on cars that can have great transformations. those are my favorite click-n-brag threads. pictures of brand new cars with a coat of wax on them aren't that exciting. they're nice, but it doesn't really take that much dedication to detail a brand new car.



Totoland Mach said:
Admac: building a reputation isn't easy, but when you do, price shoppers can go elsewhere and good clients will come to you. I tried to follow Scottwax advice and methods when I started and they are paying off now. That's when the satisfaction comes in.
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sure, i understand how difficult it is. i grew up in the town where scottwax lives/works. there is definitely a lot of money in that general vicinity. from a business perspective it seems like you'd need to move your margins higher over time obviously. living in los angeles, there are always people willing to pay money for specialists who are very good at their job. and people are willing to pay for quality. i think if i were running a detailing business i'd want about a 75%/25% ratio of nicely kept cars to beaters. i'd suspect the margins on nicer cars is a bit higher since the owners are generally wealthier and it takes less time.
 
Man you guys are supermans!! I animate for a living doing cartoons and comics...detailing is my hobby. I admire you guys!
 
Independence baby.



I found that w/ one employee and myself we can do 2-3 cars (full details) and an exterior or interior each day. I have to upsell every customer to make sure that I am avering $175- $250 per car. I do add on services, paint chip, warranty packages, aquapel, wheel sealant, underbody painting, etc.



Recently I have added express detail packages ($25-50) that customers can come in anytime, it is 30 min and makes for great spending cash.



You get the good with the bad when it comes to cars, I never charge extra except for dog hair. Having easy to understand pakages and pricing is a must. Know your houly labor rate and do everything possible to earn repeat business.



Off every weekend and usually out of here by 5. I am not getting rich but make a comfortable living.
 
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