What is your most common sale?

Porkanbeans

Porkanbeans

O RLY?
I've found that most everyone who calls me wants a wash and wax at most. Usually I'll wash the car, vacuum and wipe down the interior, clean glass, and dress tires and wells and be on my way. Now, it's fine by me if I have strictly washes for jobs, as long as I am not put at a disadvantage being compared with the "down the street" car washes. I do an occasional full detail, but for the most part my clients consider me as an upscale car wash guy. I'm cool with this, as I enjoy making a car look outstanding within the parameters of a simple car wash. The customer is always amazed how good the car looks with just having me wash it. I do wish I could whip out the polishes and rotary a little more often though, and it is understandable that some first-time customers could be skeptical of letting a teenager take a polisher to their paint. I do my best to show them that the quality of my work can justify my work with paint. Usually, those who want a polish come around to trusting me. :think:



So, which service of yours do you find yourself doing most of the time? How do you like it, and do you wish you'd have more requests for other services of yours?
 
Nobody around my parts even knows that "polishes" exist. They all want a cleaner/wax and a wash job. If I give a wash, I will usually do a quick once-over with a spray wax to give the paint that extra POP, and if they ask for a cleaner/wax, I give them FPII or AIO and some UPP.



I wish I did have some more people that wanted "better"
 
Honestly, in the area I live in, the "cheap-o" services sell the most. The "Just wash and wax" type of thing. There are so many detailing shops around here that offer the $99 special where they just throw on some filler glaze and call it a day it is hard to compete with that. You can try and educate the customers until you are blue in the face but most of the ones I get for the detailing side of things just want the cheapest possible. I hear this all the time...."How much to detail my car?" ...... "That is a lot! I can go to Joe Smoe Detailing for $99!"
 
I have also noticed this. Even in the county which I live where the average household income is well over $100,000. Actually Loudoun County is one of the richest in the entire country. Anyways it seems that most people simply do not want to pay for an Autopian like detail. I have explained to countless people that simply waxing does not do much for the shine. Many do choose to have polishing done once you explain how a polish enhances shine. I do find that I do a lot of washes and washes and vacuums compared to full details though.
 
brwill2005 said:
I have also noticed this. Even in the county which I live where the average household income is well over $100,000. Actually Loudoun County is one of the richest in the entire country. Anyways it seems that most people simply do not want to pay for an Autopian like detail. I have explained to countless people that simply waxing does not do much for the shine. Many do choose to have polishing done once you explain how a polish enhances shine. I do find that I do a lot of washes and washes and vacuums compared to full details though.
Click to expand...

Yep, usually mine consist of a quick vacuum, if they even want interior, and an all in one type product for the exterior.
 
I get a lot of people calling me wanting a "full detail" for 75 bucks....its hard to keep from laughing, but the 5 hours to detail at minimum is not worth 75 bucks, more like 150+...



I try to tell people a wax job is not a detail, and cleaning carpets is not part of my wash and wax job...I try to explain to most that polishing brings out the shine and waxing provides the protection, that there is no shining properties in the waxes that I use....unless its a all in one type cleaner/polish/wax, but you wouldnt use that on a full detail job...i try to tell people that it takes time to do it right and that there are like 6 different products on the 6 different steps I take to make their car look good, and that is the reason I need to charge what I charge (not even that much compared to most because I am just starting out)
 
Complete Details. Sedan $200, SUV/Van $250...



Sure, we do interioror or exterior only, but we do very few simple washes. Hard to fit them in...



We have a shop, in a very upscale area. Looking forward to a VERY busy season!



In fact, we are planning to double our space quite soon. Pics to follow...



Jim
 
I guess everyone is in the same boat is me because it's just so danged hard to educate and sell people on the whole multistep polishing and proper detailing methods.



Jimmy, I wish you luck on your expansion! I bet having a fixed location in an area like yours helps to bring the full detail customers in.



Thanks for sharing everyone.
 
toyotaguy said:
I get a lot of people calling me wanting a "full detail" for 75 bucks....its hard to keep from laughing, but the 5 hours to detail at minimum is not worth 75 bucks, more like 150+...



I try to tell people a wax job is not a detail, and cleaning carpets is not part of my wash and wax job...I try to explain to most that polishing brings out the shine and waxing provides the protection, that there is no shining properties in the waxes that I use....unless its a all in one type cleaner/polish/wax, but you wouldnt use that on a full detail job...i try to tell people that it takes time to do it right and that there are like 6 different products on the 6 different steps I take to make their car look good, and that is the reason I need to charge what I charge (not even that much compared to most because I am just starting out)
Click to expand...



Just curious as to what waxes you use that have no "shining" properties.....?
 
Porkanbeans said:
I guess everyone is in the same boat as me because it's just so danged hard to educate and sell people on the whole multistep polishing and proper detailing methods.
Click to expand...





You have got it completely backwards.



It should not be about what a customer expects from you. It is about what you think you want to offer your customers. Offer them car washing and you are in the car wash business. Offer to completely, clean, polish and wax their car and you are in the detailing business. It is really that simple. It is all about where you want to be and how you want to position yourself in the marketplace.



Basically, you are out there washing cars because that is your choice. That is the type of customer who you have decided is at the center of your target market. It is not about going out there to educate and sell people on something they don't want or think they need. It is up to you to figure out the need that you intend to fill and then find people who need and want what you have to offer.



Take a good look at how you view your business. Do you want to be in the car washing business? or in the detailing business? From a marketing standpoint, it is not easy to have it both ways and still attract the type of clientele who is going to pay top dollar for a complete detailing.
 
Porkanbeans said:
So, which service of yours do you find yourself doing most of the time? How do you like it, and do you wish you'd have more requests for other services of yours?
Click to expand...



I only offer complete detailings. No car washing services.



I like providing upscale detailing services at high end prices. I would never think of positioning my business in the same category as a car wash business.
 
mirrorfinishman said:
I only offer complete detailings. No car washing services.



I like providing upscale detailing services at high end prices. I would never think of positioning my business in the same category as a car wash business.
Click to expand...





ditto...

try advertising in the "better" neighborhoods.... me... i travel 2-3 miles and go through the $500,000 houses and Up.. which each have at least 2-3 cars... being the family car, the suv, and the toy... a benz-bmw-ferrari...
 
thecarguy said:
by these "all in one" products, are you talking about Klasse? Are there others?
Click to expand...



when you see AIO around here most times it refers to Klasse.



However there are othe All in One products which are out there. For example one that I use often is Megs ColorX.
 
I'm just a weekend warrior, but at least 90% of my jobs are just wash/AIO/wax. People never notice the swirls until I point them out, so they don't care about them. They'll probably never notice them again anyway.
 
Thanks for your advice Frank. I never looked at it that way, maybe I was a bit naive in my thinking. Perhaps I should emphasize full details in my advertising and how I present myself to the customer.



Thank you again. This is the perfect time to reconstruct my services for the new detailing season!
 
mirrorfinishman said:
Basically, you are out there washing cars because that is your choice.
Click to expand...



Not necessarily. I wash cars because my customers who pay for full details request I take care of all their car cleaning needs. Someone drops a couple hundred for a detail, I'm not going to act like I am too good to come back every week and wash their car. I really don't see the wisdom in detailing a car and then the customer taking it to the local swirly tunnel wash and having all my hard work undone. Besides, my regulars provide me with a steady income through the winter, tip weekly and great at Christmas.



If only doing full details works for you, that is great. But that doesn't always work for everyone. :)



=============



Back on topic:



It depends on the time of year. Spring and fall, mostly details. Summer and winter, mostly wash/polish/wax.
 
mirrorfinishman said:
I only offer complete detailings. No car washing services.

I like providing upscale detailing services at high end prices. I would never think of positioning my business in the same category as a car wash business.
Click to expand...



Frank,

I ask this in respect because maybe you didn’t completely finish writing down the whole story.



How do you get away with full detailing and not positioning clients cars with a professional hand wash? What are your high end clients doing, taking them to the swirl machine down the street? The whole part of this business is maintenance and full detailing twice a year. If you position yourself with high end vehicles this should be your goal.



Edit: Sorry, Scott I didn’t see your post. That’s exactly right!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top