Please critique my menu & pricing

D

Driven Auto Detail

New member
Hey Everybody!



I'm wanting to start detailing on the side because I love doing it and it would obviously provide me with a little more income. I've come up with a menu & some prices. I'd like your input on what you think about it. Please provide any suggestions that might help me better serve myself and/or the customer. Thanks in advance!!!





Weekly Wash

Hand-wash w/soft water & pH-balanced shampoo

All bugs & road tar removed

Tires, wheels, & wheel wells cleaned & dressed

All exterior trim dressed & U.V. protected

All exterior & interior glass cleaned

All interior plastics wiped down

All interior carpets, floor mats, & upholstery vacuumed

All leather or vinyl wiped down

Group I: $35 Group II: $45 Group III: $55 Group IV: $70







Wash, Wax, & Vac

Weekly Wash plus:

2-Step paint care & protection

1. Machine-applied paint cleaner

2. Machine-applied Carnauba wax

Carnauba wax applied to all wheels by hand

Door jambs cleaned

Interior headliner wiped down w/light cleaning solution

All leather or vinyl cleaned & conditioned

Interior plastics cleaned

Group I: $80 Group II: $95 Group III: $110 Group IV: $130







Ultimate Restore & Protect

Wash, Wax, & Vac plus:

4-step paint care to restore & protect

1. Clay Bar – Removes airborne contaminants that have settled onto paint

2. Polish – Removes oxidized paint along with light swirls and scratches

3. Sealant – Provides superior long lasting protection to paint

4. Carnauba Wax – Provides another layer of protection and also adds a very warm, deep, wet look to paint

All wheels sealed

All exterior light lenses protected

All carpets & upholstery cleaned & protected

Group I: $150 Group II: $180 Group III: $210 Group IV: $250







Vehicle Size Groups

Group I: Small cars & small pick-ups

Group II: Full-size cars, mid-sized pick-ups, & small SUV’s

Group III: Full-size pick-ups, mini-vans, & full-size SUV’s

Group IV: XL SUV’s
 
Yeah it seems to be more of a mini maintence detail. at 70 for an large suv I think you are going to alienate some of your customers. More money for what is deemed "just a wash" will likely seem like a punishment.



I see all of your steps, but what about a car that needs heavy compounding, then light compounding then polishing?



I think your trying to put them in nice neat little groups. People hate being put in a group, atleast in my exp. You IMHO are far better off talking to them about what they and their car needs. Listening to what they want, and servicing that not putting them in Plan c section 3 sub paragraph d2
 
I think the prices are totally dependant on your location and the cars you intend on detailing. I don't think $70 for a wash is at all pricey if you can get it in your area. My wash is significantly more than that for cars, it's all about the demographic. In fact, I think some of your pricing, particularly the polishing package, is low for the amount of time you'll spend.



The way I did my pricing is based on an hourly rate I wanted to make. I know how long (appox) each process takes me, so I base my prices on "time it will take x hourly rate I intend on making".



Cheers.
 
Thanks for the critiquing guys.



I agree that my "weekly wash" prices are high now that I'm looking over it again. I'll definitely lower those. Plus, I think I'll add some sort of last step product like "spray gloss" or something like that.



I wanted to base everything off an hourly rate, but unfortunately I'm not sure how long each kind of vehicle will take. I guess that's why I made it a little complex with the groupings and such.



How do you guys adjust your prices when it comes to the size of a vehicle? I just thought that I should have a category for each size since more time would be spent as the vehicle gets larger.



Again, thanks for the comments, I will make some adjustments. This is only my first attempt at creating a menu & prices so I still have a ways to go with it. I just wanted to make sure I was on the right track.



Thanks!
 
I agree. This menu is way too complicating.



Always as what the customer wants. Then you can make suggestions and explain to them why you suggest them adding those services to their detail. Calculate how long it will take you and multiply that by what you want to make hourly.



I'm in the hospitality industry and I can tell you that people DO NOT like to be put into groups. The best approach is to customize a detail for each person. They'll be happy since they paid for what they wanted. When people are happy with what they get, they will most likely become repeat customers.
 
Also, I've seen somebody on here or maybe another board say that they just have a checklist of everything that can possibly be done on a detail. They let the customer look over the checklist and check whatever items they want included in their detail.



Is this maybe a better way to go?
 
Charge whatever your market will allow....if you do great that's wonderful. This means that you do great work and your srvices are needed. If you bomb it's usually not do to prices but workmanship.....the quality of your work.



People don't mind paying $50 for a wash if they know it's going to be a better and more thorough job than the next guy charging them $30 less than you. If you're mobile make sure you take into account the money you spend for gas, oil, tires....etc.



Hacks charging low prices are a dime a dozen and hardly ever last. Those that can match what they charge with quality work are always in demand and needed....yes "needed".



I always found that "menu pricing" is best suited for shops and guys doing more wash N wax clients than for detailers doing more high end work. If you plan on doing alot of involved detailing then I would lose the menu pricing and have a "flat rate" that you start with. For example, if a person buys a new Porsche and they bring it to me to detail I tell them it will be "$200.00" because even though it's brand new I will still spend at least 4 hours on the car. They either say "yes" or "no". They came to me, I'm not looking for their car to detail so I won't lose any sleep over their refusal to pay.



If I know I am going to spend more than 5 or 6 hours on a car I will need to charge at least $300 to $400. That's around $50 or so an hour.



Hope that helps,

Anthony
 
Thanks Anthony, that makes sense. For now, I only plan on detailing out of my garage in the evenings & on weekends (depending on how much business I get). I'm guessing that all of it will be by word of mouth, at least until I can build up a good rep and a good customer base and then possibly open up a shop.



Regarding mobile detailing, I don't really want to do that but I will if it means I can get a detail job. The federal mileage reimbursement rate is currently $.445 cents/mile. I would probably use something similiar to that when charging for a mobile detail. $.50 cents/mile would probably be enough I'm guessing. Right now I have two people from work that want me to detail their vehicles. But they both live 25+ minutes away so I'll probably go to their houses for those two.



I'd rather detail out of my garage because I can wash smaller vehicles in my garage. Plus, I have a soft-water water spout in my garage which helps with more suds and less water spots.



With that said, should I keep a menu or just do an hourly rate?
 
Hey mshu7, I posted this in your autogeek thread too:

Decided to make a separate thread for services, the other thread should be dedicated to the group Zaino Session (whenever that happens).



Zaino Detailing Service (Initial Pricing*)

$55 ($70) - Full exterior; three coats**

+$15 ($30) - Claybar treatment and rewash

+$30 - Fabric top treatment

+$35 ($50) - Full leather interior treatment/vacuum carpet

+$10 - Wheel/tire treatment

+TBA - Z8 substitute for Z6 between coat sprays

+$45 ($50) - Next day application of additional three coats**

+$90 ($100) - Two day additional application of six coats**

Machine Polish/Compounding Services And Rates Coming Soon.



Procedure

1. Examine condition of paint, take notes of customer's emphasis on certain areas.

2. Wash wheels and tires

3. Wash upper panels of body with separate bucket/wash mitt

4. Wash lower panels of body with separate bucket/wash mitt

5. Apply and rinse out RAGGTOPP Cleaner (optional, for euro convertibles/roadsters)

6. Claybar entire body of vehicle (optional)

7. Repeat step 3&4 (optional, included with fabric top treatment or claybar treatment)

8. Dry vehicle's body and wipe down all jambs

9. Machine polish swirls/light scratches (optional, abrasive polish used)

10. Spray panel to be sealed with Z6/Z8

11. Apply sealant (Z2/Z5) to panel

12. Repeat until the entire vehicle is sprayed/sealed

13. Repeat step 12 two additional times

14. Apply wheel sealant and tire gloss (optional)

15. Vacuum carpet (optional)

16. Apply and remove leather cleaner (optional)

17. Apply leather conditioner (optional)

18. Apply RAGGTOPP Fabric Protectant (optional, for euro convertibles/roadsters)

19. Look over vehicle and address any questions the customer may have

20. Make appointment for further coats of Z2/Z5 (optional)



Equipment/Materials Used

Machine Polishing:

-Porter-Cable 7336SP Random Orbital Polisher

-6" Dual Action Backing Plate

-6.5" Wolfgang Eurotech/Lake Country Dual Action Foam Pads (Cutting, Light-Cutting, Polishing, Finishing)



Sealants/Sprays:

-Cotton Applicator

-Zaino ZFX Flash Cure Accelerator Additive

-Zaino Z-2 PRO Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Car Finishes

-Zaino Z-5 Show Car Polish for Swirl Marks and Fine Scratches

-Zaino Z-6 Ultra Clean Gloss Enhancer Spray

-Zaino Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal



Polishes:

-Poorboy's Super Swirl Remover 2.5 (abrasive)

-Poorboy's Super Swirl Remover 1.0 (light abrasive)

-Menzerna Intensive Polish (abrasive, available soon)

-Zaino Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover (light abrasive, available soon)



Wheels/Tires:

-9" White Tampico Fiber Wheel Brush

-Small Foam Painter's Brush

-Microfiber Wash Mitt

-Cotton Applicator

-Poorboy's Wheel Sealant

-Zaino Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss



Fabric Top:

-RAGGTOPP Cleaner

-RAGGTOPP Fabric Protectant

-OXO Feather Tip Brush



Exterior Paint:

-Sheepskin Wash Mitts

-Zaino Z-7 Show Car Wash

-Toro Electric Leaf Blower



Interior Leather:

-Cotton Applicator

-Zaino Z-9 Leather Soft Spray Cleaner

-Zaino Z-10 Leather in a Bottle



Claybar:

-Sonus SFX Ultra Fine Detailing Clay

-Sonus Block MEDIUM Detailing Clay

-Zaino Z-18 ClayBar



Towels:

-Pakshak Microfiber Towels (separate drying, buffing, and applying)

-Cobra Indigo Microfiber Towels (for jambs)

-Leather Chamois (for windows)



Notes

*Price subject to change, as this is an initial feeling-out price. Note: price will NOT alter after making an appointment with aforementioned prices. Prices in parenthesis are a good estimate of what the new prices will be, after the feel-out period.



**Choice of Z2 or Z5 layering, maximum amount of coats is nine over three days (Fri, Sat, Sun); both Z2 and Z5 are ZFX-infused sealants, which cuts down hazing time, but limits application of three coats within a 24 hour period.



Disclaimer

-This Is NOT a Permanent Treatment. Although Protection/Condition Will Last About 4-6 Months, The Vehicle Will Still Require a Periodical Wash to Keep Clean.

-I Am NOT a Professional, I Am a College Student Who Enjoys Detailing

-Travelling Surcharge May Be Added for On-Site Service.

-Only Available For Vehicles Smaller Than a Compact-SUV.

-Tipping is Optional but Always Appreciated.

-Limited Availability for Initial Pricing.

-By Appointment Only/Reservations Strictly Required.

-Not Responsible for Weather Cancellations/Disruptions.

-If I end up getting a gazebo or something, above note is moot...unless it's raining like hell with lightning. And thanks Donny for this template. :bellyroll



Time slots in earliest time to latest finishing time

July 21 (Fri) - 9:30AM to 9:00PM - bavarian19

July 22 (Sat) - 10:00AM to 9:00PM - ase2dais

July 23 (Sun) - Only open for the additional coating service, time will vary



July 28 (Fri) - 9:30AM to 9:00PM

July 29 (Sat) - 10:00AM to 9:00PM -

July 30 (Sun) - Only open for the additional coating service, time will vary



August 4 (Fri) - 9:30AM to 9:00PM

August 5 (Sat) - 10:00AM to 9:00PM - KL2DC

August 6 (Sun) - Only open for the additional coating service, time will vary



Well, those are the first six slots (or nine, if you count those Sundays). I need recovery/study time, since I still go to school on Monday, hence no extra regular slots on Sunday. If Sunday's the only day you can make an appointment, I'll see what I can do, but school's still my priority.



If I missed anything, or you guys have any suggestions, please feel free to tune in. Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
mshu7 said:
Thanks Anthony, that makes sense. For now, I only plan on detailing out of my garage in the evenings & on weekends (depending on how much business I get). I'm guessing that all of it will be by word of mouth, at least until I can build up a good rep and a good customer base and then possibly open up a shop.



Regarding mobile detailing, I don't really want to do that but I will if it means I can get a detail job. The federal mileage reimbursement rate is currently $.445 cents/mile. I would probably use something similiar to that when charging for a mobile detail. $.50 cents/mile would probably be enough I'm guessing. Right now I have two people from work that want me to detail their vehicles. But they both live 25+ minutes away so I'll probably go to their houses for those two.



I'd rather detail out of my garage because I can wash smaller vehicles in my garage. Plus, I have a soft-water water spout in my garage which helps with more suds and less water spots.



With that said, should I keep a menu or just do an hourly rate?
Click to expand...



By your above description it may suit you well to keep a menu. Reember though that people want "simple" and they also hate to read alot of info when making a purchase.



Ever go into a "fast food" joint only to find it ain't so fast? Reading the menu and trying to decide on the 12 different combos they have for one sandwhich takes longer than actually getting the food!



If you have a menu then do not deviate from that menu. Stick to it because if not then you'll be in for a huge mess down the road.



Anthony
 
You are in Brownsburg, you might want to talk to Jimmy Buffit, who is in Zionsville. He's a good guy, a good detailer and a very good businessman from what I can see. He might be willing to give you his insight. I doubt you will be really competing with him. If I were you, I would contact him and see if he would be willing to share insight with you.



Sam
 
speaking from a consumer persepctive, i like having an a-la-carte selection. then offer a slight discount off of certain pairings of services (packages). This covers people who know exactly what they want and those who don't.



Avoid grouping, just note at the bottom that there may be a surcharge for larger vehicles or those requiring extensive work (heavily oxidized paint, terrible interior condition, etc).



You don't need a lot of detail, if people are interested in what products or methods you are using they'll ask, otherwise you'll just overwhelm them. For instance, the list above would have made my head explode if i wasn't into detailing. All you have to do is write "We use premium Zaino Bros products" (or whatever you use) somewhere visible and left all that stuff out.
 
Thanks for all the info everybody! I really appreciate it!



SamIam,

I actually contacted Jimmy Buffit a couple weeks ago. I asked him if I could come spend some time in his shop so that I could see how they do things and how they run the business...kinda like a job shadow. Unfortunately, the response I got back from him was, "what's in it for me?". That didn't sit well with me so I retracted my request.



Do you have your own business SamIam? If so, where at in Indy are you?
 
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