What % of people get their cars detailed?

[BLACKWRX]

THIS IS a good thread..........and definately realistic
fact most people defi a a clean car buy washing the outside and vacuuming the interior......and to be honest its not worth my time and energy to do that.
i do alot of business out of my house and drag my stuff outside practically takes the same amount of time to do a wash and vac..JUST NOT WORTH IT and i tell people that, there are tons of places around here that do a wash and vac for 20 bucks
however most people can be talked into a full 100 plus dollar detail like once or twice a year you have to justify the price NOT EVERY WEEK OR ONCE A MONTH (though that would be sweet)
its like buying a car ; imagine what life would be like if automobile companies invested no time and money into advertising and product reasearch.....just pictures no words or descriptions just PRICE car A and car B both cars look good however why is one car $10,000 dollars and why is the other car $70,000, why on earth would spend 70,000 on a car when i can get one for 10g.......thats how people view car detailing........you gotta sell yourself
and your quality job
i have never met a person that would not spend about 100 bucks for car detail.......SELL SELL SELL
iam a sure everyone on here does A++++ WORK........so you have to SELL A PLUS WORK.....if you are not good at sales DONT EXPECT TO MAKE ANY MONEY DETAILING......just work at a car dealership detailing cars getting ten bucks an hour, or whatever
50% is your quality job..........50% is selling the job
YOU HAVE TO SELL YOURSELF LIKE A WHORE.......

 

[Joe's Detail]

Even with a wash n vac type of package, how can I compete with the local full service wash that does it for $15. Sure mine is a hand wash, but once again, to most people clean means, having no visible dirt on the car.

People should expect you to charge more and you have too b/c it wouldn't be worth your time to do it for 15$, . Dont worry what their charging, charge enought that makes it worth while for you. I mean you are goin to their home or business right?....They don't even have to move. You'll find some people will love this convenience and will pay for it, as long as you do a good job. Bottom line is don't cut yourself short trying to compete with a local car wash, b/c most likely your work is much better than thiers.

 

[Joe's Detail]

Thankfully there isn't much competition around here and only a couple that do mobile detailing that I could find and they are a decent distance away from here. That may be a bad thing though being others couldn't make it...

Not a bad thing, it looks like a great opportunity.

 

[CalgaryDetail]

most of the people who get there car detailed are economicly secure. I find that the majory, but now all detail jobs are on sports cars and high end cars. The people dont want to spend 150k + on a car to have it get wrecked. Also the people who can aford those cars can afford 200+ for a detail. I thik you will have to market to the people with money.

 

[Maxima Lover]

THIS IS a good thread..........and definately realistic
fact most people defi a a clean car buy washing the outside and vacuuming the interior......and to be honest its not worth my time and energy to do that.
i do alot of business out of my house and drag my stuff outside practically takes the same amount of time to do a wash and vac..JUST NOT WORTH IT and i tell people that, there are tons of places around here that do a wash and vac for 20 bucks
however most people can be talked into a full 100 plus dollar detail like once or twice a year you have to justify the price NOT EVERY WEEK OR ONCE A MONTH (though that would be sweet)
its like buying a car ; imagine what life would be like if automobile companies invested no time and money into advertising and product reasearch.....just pictures no words or descriptions just PRICE car A and car B both cars look good however why is one car $10,000 dollars and why is the other car $70,000, why on earth would spend 70,000 on a car when i can get one for 10g.......thats how people view car detailing........you gotta sell yourself
and your quality job
i have never met a person that would not spend about 100 bucks for car detail.......SELL SELL SELL
iam a sure everyone on here does A++++ WORK........so you have to SELL A PLUS WORK.....if you are not good at sales DONT EXPECT TO MAKE ANY MONEY DETAILING......just work at a car dealership detailing cars getting ten bucks an hour, or whatever
50% is your quality job..........50% is selling the job
YOU HAVE TO SELL YOURSELF LIKE A WHORE.......

Well if I could get my detail price down to $100, I think more people would be willing to take the jump, but unfortunately I can't. That $125+ price point is enough to put it above most people. I don't want to drop the quality of my service just to get it down to $99 though.

Thankfully I can sell, and I love it. A huge part of selling is confidence. I think a lot of people that try to sell just don't have it. I love when someone without confidence tries to sell me. I tear them apart until they give up.

BTW, good example using the price of cars. I might use that while selling certain people.

 

[Maxima Lover]

People should expect you to charge more and you have too b/c it wouldn't be worth your time to do it for 15$, . Dont worry what their charging, charge enought that makes it worth while for you. I mean you are goin to their home or business right?....They don't even have to move. You'll find some people will love this convenience and will pay for it, as long as you do a good job. Bottom line is don't cut yourself short trying to compete with a local car wash, b/c most likely your work is much better than thiers.

True. On a nice day, the wait to get a wash and vac can be 25 minutes. For some people the extra money would be more than worth it if they could be doing something productive at work or home during that time.

 

[jdoria]

Rich or poor, its always good to have money! - I love that quote.

There are 2 jobs in life, the job you love and the job you have.
Typicallly the job you love doesn't pay the kind of money that one would want to live on, but there are non monetary rewards. (I, for one, am stressed out of my mind most of the day, that is not a benefit, it is a requirement of the lifestyle I lead.)
You need to figure out what makes you happy. I thought of opening a detail garage recently for a friend, I canned the idea only because I didn't have the time to reinvent myself, the bills just keep coming.
every job/business has its share of problems.

 

[Maxima Lover]

Rich or poor, its always good to have money! - I love that quote.

There are 2 jobs in life, the job you love and the job you have.
Typicallly the job you love doesn't pay the kind of money that one would want to live on, but there are non monetary rewards. (I, for one, am stressed out of my mind most of the day, that is not a benefit, it is a requirement of the lifestyle I lead.)
You need to figure out what makes you happy. I thought of opening a detail garage recently for a friend, I canned the idea only because I didn't have the time to reinvent myself, the bills just keep coming.
every job/business has its share of problems.

That's a great point and something that I needed to hear. I could probably make more money doing what I was doing last summer, but I really disliked it. If I had a few more hours each day, I would detail for free. Since I won't be able to have another job and detail at the same time, I want to make enough that makes it worth while.

 

[jdoria]

That's a great point and something that I needed to hear. I could probably make more money doing what I was doing last summer, but I really disliked it. If I had a few more hours each day, I would detail for free. Since I won't be able to have another job and detail at the same time, I want to make enough that makes it worth while.

Here is an easy one to relate to:

When I was in high school ,1988,my father made me work in our autobody shop and paid me $100 per day. I loved doing the work, I got to work at 6:30am and left at 5pm. I was the man!

When I graduated college he made me the GM of our Cadillac/GMC Truck dealership. (no longer my job or business) I was getting paid $1000 per day + a portion of the profit + any car(s) I wanted to drive, I didnt really like the day to day job but the money justified the work. I had to pull myself out of bed on Saturday to go in and work.

I may have been happier painting cars and working in the bodyshop, it was a lot of fun. The job earned me instant gratification. A car would come in smashed and I would make it like new in a matter of days. Pride.

But now I am 35 and my body most likely would not have held up to that abuse forever. I didnt think about this type of stuff when I was 20. Without sounding arrogant, having the money makes some things in life easy, leaving you with less to worry about.

 

[The Pad Man]

The trade magazines that I receive info from are showing that more people are keeping their cars longer, and spending more time and money on aftermarket items to keep their car nice looking including car care items. Just my .02

 

[jdoria]

if interest rates for loans and leases rise, you have a shot.
Watch that $399 per month BMW lease be a thing of the past. People may buy used and have to take care of their cars a little better if they want to make them last.

 

[Maxima Lover]

if interest rates for loans and leases rise, you have a shot.
Watch that $399 per month BMW lease be a thing of the past. People may buy used and have to take care of their cars a little better if they want to make them last.

You mean people would start taking care of their cars??? :shock: HAHA That'll be the day...

 

[dtailthis2]

maybe the detailing industry needs to change. Maybe someone needs to come up with product that can cut detailing time, thus lowering price while increasing volume of sales.

like someone said, today's cars dont need much babying and people jsut dont care.

gotta change with the times

 

[74 thing]

JSATEK,

If you do not have any experience working in a dealership, but would want to what job would you recommend, sales, service advisor, financing dept, body shop etc....? Thanks.

 

[ajbarnes]

The trade magazines that I receive info from are showing that more people are keeping their cars longer, and spending more time and money on aftermarket items to keep their car nice looking including car care items. Just my .02

I think that is one thing alot of detail business owners may overlook. It's not just competition that you need to worry about, or people not wanting to spend such and so amount on detailing, you also have to worry about those who decide to do it their selves. Some people could think that simply washing ($5 for soap) their car and applying some Eagle One Wax as u Dry ($5 a bottle) that they've just detailed the outside of their car. Then they get some interior foam carpet cleaner ($4) and take care of the interior. Although the results are far from a real detail, the car may actually look somewhat better (in their eyes) and not to mention, they just spent $14 compared to $160 minimum (my starting price) to have someone else do it.

I totally agree that marketing to those with disposable money, busy, etc. is the route to take.

 

[sneek]

most of the people who get there car detailed are economicly secure. I find that the majory, but now all detail jobs are on sports cars and high end cars. The people dont want to spend 150k + on a car to have it get wrecked. Also the people who can aford those cars can afford 200+ for a detail. I thik you will have to market to the people with money.

not sure this is 100% true some people with G35 get their cars detailed... i dont know if this is "high end" but i have also done RAV4s and their not exactly high end eather

sometimes it is worth spending the extra time with someone who doesn't think their car needs to be detailed. Tell them how detailing is protecting their 30-300G investment. take out a xenon gun and show them what swirl marks are. I find that 20% of the people i talk to will give me a call back

 

[CalgaryDetail]

the oprative word was most. I know there are people with lower end cars that get them detailed. And just becasue you have money dosen mean you spedn 200k on a car. I think a g35 is out of alot of people price ranege (maybe not in cakgary with the oil boom) but this people who can afford $40k+ cars can afford a detail (most, but not all, of those people are fincial secure or pretendto be) But a peron with a $5k car most likely dosent have the dispoable income to detail there car. You have to remember that detailing is very econmicly driven. It is based on disposable income and those with more money NORMALY have more dispoable income to spend on there cars. I have yet to find a person making 20 bucks and hr living by themselvs paying rent who had 200 bucks to spedn on a car. Your just used to a city that is flowwing with money (which is a really good thing for the small buisiness owner) but im not sure were everyone else is from or the economic situtation of that location.
Take eastern and western canada. In calgary the average house price is one of the highest in canada, meaning we have a booming ecnomy and lots of disposable income and a result. If you compare this to Newfound land you may be supprised. They are a have not provinve to the chances of having a lucrative market is smaller
p.s its fincial secure meaning they make enough to support and average life, im not talking about indepently wealthy thats a whole nother issue

 

[MysticVenom96]

Here is an easy one to relate to:

When I was in high school ,1988,my father made me work in our autobody shop and paid me $100 per day. I loved doing the work, I got to work at 6:30am and left at 5pm. I was the man!

When I graduated college he made me the GM of our Cadillac/GMC Truck dealership. (no longer my job or business) I was getting paid $1000 per day + a portion of the profit + any car(s) I wanted to drive, I didnt really like the day to day job but the money justified the work. I had to pull myself out of bed on Saturday to go in and work.

I may have been happier painting cars and working in the bodyshop, it was a lot of fun. The job earned me instant gratification. A car would come in smashed and I would make it like new in a matter of days. Pride.

But now I am 35 and my body most likely would not have held up to that abuse forever. I didnt think about this type of stuff when I was 20. Without sounding arrogant, having the money makes some things in life easy, leaving you with less to worry about.

You make some good point's! Out of curiosity what was your major in College?

 

[sneek]

the oprative word was most. I know there are people with lower end cars that get them detailed. And just becasue you have money dosen mean you spedn 200k on a car. I think a g35 is out of alot of people price ranege (maybe not in cakgary with the oil boom) but this people who can afford $40k+ cars can afford a detail (most, but not all, of those people are fincial secure or pretendto be) But a peron with a $5k car most likely dosent have the dispoable income to detail there car. You have to remember that detailing is very econmicly driven. It is based on disposable income and those with more money NORMALY have more dispoable income to spend on there cars. I have yet to find a person making 20 bucks and hr living by themselvs paying rent who had 200 bucks to spedn on a car. Your just used to a city that is flowwing with money (which is a really good thing for the small buisiness owner) but im not sure were everyone else is from or the economic situtation of that location.
Take eastern and western canada. In calgary the average house price is one of the highest in canada, meaning we have a booming ecnomy and lots of disposable income and a result. If you compare this to Newfound land you may be supprised. They are a have not provinve to the chances of having a lucrative market is smaller
p.s its fincial secure meaning they make enough to support and average life, im not talking about indepently wealthy thats a whole nother issue

You’re right people that don’t make a lot of money USUALLY don’t get their cars detailed, but people that you meet at car shows 95% of the time aren’t extremely affluent they just love cars and the way they look. Also Calgary is an easy place to find people that want their cars detailed, I am just 17 and I have detailed about 25 cars for money including a silver SL500. I don’t consider it a business because it’s more or less a hobby that gives me a little bit of extra spending money from time to time. When I was referring to educating the un-educated (in detailing) customer I was referring to people at car shows mostly because they usually don’t know that there is something wrong with their paint. Just tell the people about the 3P’s, as Mike Phillips calls them, Paint, Products & Procedures.

Moreover the on the first part of the post, I would say that there is a large group of "Financially Secure" people in Calgary. People with tons of money are everywhere. An example of this was when I when to the Calgary International Car Show and I saw a guy just bought a Rolls!! he literally wrote a check for over 300g and bought the car on the spot!!

 

[CalgaryDetail]

lol that's Calgary for you 300g is alot but I know a few people who could afford cars like that. I totally agree it's only a hobby at this point but I'm sure at least for myself that will change. I'm not disagreeing with you however Calgary is a very different market than most. Which is great for detailers but in other makets it's not so easy so I would personally cater to the people with more money