Offering higher end waxes

brwill2005 said:
Raising your prices is not the only way to increase your profits. Developing efficiencies and economies of scale allow you to make more without charging more. This aspect of business is often forgotten. As for your comment Jake, I think you have a valid point is some ways. Many here only detail on the side and do a few very expensive details per month. They have the luxury of spending 12 hours or more on a detail. Like you, I do not have this luxury to spend that much time. I would never want to have a customer's car tied up for more than say eight hours. I live in an area where the income is very high, but so is the cost of living. Many of these 'wealthy' people do not have a lot of disposable income left after paying all of their expenses. That fact makes it unrealistic for me to charge outrageous prices. People in this area are also extremely busy; this fact makes convenience extremely important. This is why I offer free pick-up and delivery, as well as mobile service to their homes. While I do very good detail work, it is my service that people are mostly paying for, not two and three coats of the latest boutique wax.
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No truer words could have been said (service is the key). Being a part-timer myself, I believe that my choices of products for a car is minor when compared to the services I provide. Sure, in the end I feel best when my customer is excited to see their freshly detailed car. However, I understand that it is the experience (service) that a customer is mostly paying for and that is what I always try to keep in perspective.
 
howareb said:
I understand that it is the experience (service) that a customer is mostly paying for and that is what I always try to keep in perspective.
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But wait, it's not about claying and buffing? Looks like good old fashion customer service may just be the key to winning over those high end clients.
 
Lots of “Detailers� pull the wool over their customer’s eyes daily with sweet talk, when in reality they are no more than a gloried car washer. Being a true successful professional detail business owner requires that you know, understand and be able to use a multitude of mainstream/practical products & processes as well as have and use entrepreneurial common sense. If you’re not well rounded & claim to be an expert, bottom line is your not! Preaching to people to cater to wealthy clients that most likely have more money than common sense knowledge about proper vehicle maintenance seems a bit unethical if you aren’t able to deliver basic professional detailing? Maybe you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
 
David Fermani said:
Lots of “Detailers� pull the wool over their customer’s eyes daily with sweet talk, when in reality they are no more than a gloried car washer. Being a true successful professional detail business owner requires that you know, understand and be able to use a multitude of mainstream/practical products & processes as well as have and use entrepreneurial common sense. If you’re not well rounded & claim to be an expert, bottom line is your not! Preaching to people to cater to wealthy clients that most likely have more money than common sense knowledge about proper vehicle maintenance seems a bit unethical if you aren’t able to deliver basic professional detailing? Maybe you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
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David,



I agree, by all means, that product selection is an important choice. In the end the customer has to live with what you did until the next time they see you. But it is this total experience that I believe they are paying for.



In putting things in perspective I see "gloried car washers" getting more and more business everyday (you should see the swirls on their so called finished cars), not because of great processes or products, but because of good service. I only illustrate that here because it shows what people are attracted to. So in essence I agree with you that an ethical detailer will use all aspects (products, price, processes and service) to be well rounded. But in judging what the general public mostly wants, it is usually in the order of price, service, products and process. Of course each customer is different, but the difference is usually only with price or service.
 
howareb said:
In the end the customer has to live with what you did until the next time they see you. But it is this total experience that I believe they are paying for.
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Success is usually measured in how well you serve the buying public. It is the total experience of well-satisfied customers that will determine how successful you can truely become as a professional detailing business owner.
 
The problem as I see it, is you have to find a balance between quality, price, and convenience. Like I said, spending more than 8-9 hours on a car is simply not realistic in a market where people do not have much spare time, and usually need their car everyday to commute to work etc. Here in NOVA, high-end detailers are also competing with the car washes who are offering express detailing, as well as the other 'detailers' which are pretty numerous. I have found a niche by offering my customer's great service and value. I may not use the most exclusive boutique waxes or spend the most time doing 5 polishing steps, but I guarantee my customers are always very satisfied with both the my service and the results.
 
brwill2005 said:
The problem as I see it, is you have to find a balance between quality, price, and convenience. Like I said, spending more than 8-9 hours on a car is simply not realistic in a market where people do not have much spare time, and usually need their car everyday to commute to work etc. Here in NOVA, high-end detailers are also competing with the car washes who are offering express detailing, as well as the other 'detailers' which are pretty numerous. I have found a niche by offering my customer's great service and value. I may not use the most exclusive boutique waxes or spend the most time doing 5 polishing steps, but I guarantee my customers are always very satisfied with both the my service and the results.
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I live in No Va and work in Leesburg. Your right, people just don't have alot of time
 
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