what do you think...

E

Envious Eric

New member
is the general idea from someone when you ask them what a detail consists of...



is it a one step polish and wax, then full interior (HWE)

one step and light interior (no shampooing)

wash and wax and interior

compound clay polish wax wash interior, etc???



trying to figure out what people are thinking a full detail consists of...



the more people I am coming across seem to think that a full detail is a wash/wax plus light interior...



TRYING TO ADJUST MY PRICING because my full detail is not what they are expecting, and I am charging too little for what I am offering. I am spending 6 hours on my two step detail and only getting paid about 75% of what I should be charging, so I am going to up my pricing...



Welcome to Envious Detailing! if you want to look at my pricing and give me some pointers to help me out...besides changing the pictures out
 
IMO a full detail would be for a concourse event. Of course, very few people are lucky enough to get that type of work. I checked out your website and (again, IMO) I think you're presenting too much information (or maybe it's the way it's presented) for the average consumer. Most people just ain't that smart! You also list "a la carte" services on the same page as the service you are describing. Example; Basic Detail page includes Polishing, Claybar, and Headlight Restoration descriptions. I'd list only what the Basic Detail includes. This would also make it much easier for prospective clients to differentiate the services offered in your packages. Keep the a al carte services on a different page or list them as such at the bottom of the page. On your Rates page you list a "wash" as $25.00. Farther down the page you list "Minimum $75 per stop necessary". I think folks might view this as the dreaded "bait & switch". Just change your pricing to reflect the true cost. You also mention "monthly scheduling" and "a discounted rate". That's too vague. Create a package and a price. I agree with you that your prices are too low. 6 hours X $ per hour PLUS overhead PLUS profit = price.
 
The concept of a full detail is completely subjective. Most people, including on Autopia, are going to have different concepts of what a full detail is. I find that keeping it simple by offering a few packages, all of which include interior/exterior work, works best. My packages are wash/vacuum, mini-detail, and full detail. I explain the differences between the three so people understand what they are getting and what fits their needs. I also offer full paint correction, but it is priced by the hour depending on what is needed. In my situation, most are not looking for, nor willing to pay for full paint correction. One of my packages usually suits them fine. With pricing, you have to find a balance. Price too high, and you will get less customers. Price too low, and you will have more customers, but will not be making much profit.
 
maybe I worded the question wrong....



to the majority of people calling, when they say how much to detail my car, do you think thats a wash/wax/interior, or a full paint sleansing/correction/interior....etc...



my website will be undergoing a facelift here...prices are going up and things are getting added and removed
 
I simply tell them it depends on what package they are interested in. If they do not know, I explain the packages and the differences between them. Many have already know what package they want because they have viewed my website. After that, I ask them what kind of car they have. I then give them a ball park figure on the price of the package.
 
Having a large menu is often bad.



You want it to be simple for the customer to decide.



You want to make your more expensive packages attractive or better value for money.



Instead of offering two packages such as:



A) Good exterior clean, light interior clean - $100

B) Light exterior clean, good exterior clean - $100



Just make it one package. Get personal with the customer ask what they want you to spend the most attention on. They may prefer you to get a scratch out on the door which may take 5 minutes but that would usually require the top $299 package. You can then customize the package to include Light exterior, Light interior and scratch removal - $100.



Kepping a simple menu makes it much easier to decide. For example i have only three packages to choose from.



A) Mini Detail - $99

B) Deluxe Detail - $199

B) Ultimate package - $299



I dont offer cheap $40-50 washes as my ultimate package is actually a deluxe detail but includes 4 additional follow up washes.



So if a customer wants regular washing they go with the $299 package. Their car then gets washed 5 times including the first detail so thats $60 per wash. As i detail the car on the first wash the 4 follow up washes are extremely easy. The customer thinks they are getting a $199 detail and four washes for $299. Thats $25 for each follow up wash which is very cheap and rivals the commercial car wash places.



I would never charge $25 for a car that had never been washed for a year, but a car that i had recently detailed and has a fresh coat of wax i can wash it in under 30 minutes!



As a result most customers pick the $299 package where as previously when the $299 package didnt include the washes and was a a super paint correction detail it was never selected and most customers went with the $99 mini detail.



This helps eliminate the bad scenario where a car arrives for a quick cheap wash and the paint is absolutely destroyed. My pricing structure reduces these customers and makes me appear more attractive while increasing my profit margin slightly.



However if your top package is $500 it would not work adding follow up washes to such an expensive package as it would still be out of the reach of your normal customer. If ultra high end work makes only a small percentage of your work i'd remove all the high end packages but instead put in a "full paint correction/restoration and bulk discounts available upon request" This means that if a customer wants a $500 detail before a car show you can offer this package. Its a waste of paper or space including such high end packages on your website or letters, usually these packages vary in price so you can include a solid price anyway so you may as well not include it.
 
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