What you are worth vs. where you want to be?

Very good point that people brag about sticker price.

This is good reason to have a 500 dollar multi day package.

I am digging this thought.


House, I just think there is multiple levels of detail attained.

Take for example a dealer wanting a full detail, really they want

a once over service as a full detail is too many hours.


Heck, look at carpets....i can extract for an hour and not be finished.

Obviously someone doing a 50 dollar detail isnt going to extract

until the water is clear, theres no profit in it.


I would say that one of the biggest factors on ehat you are worth

is professionalism. This is one of the only ways they can assume how

your work will turn out.
 
 

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">You need to remember...keeping a car in prestine condition is a lot different than 99% of the wash and wax jobs you will get asked to do if you go the volume route...I think that is where you are having trouble.


 
</blockquote>


 


Can you develop this thought further? I am not sure I understand the comment fully.  And I think what you are trying to communicate, in this line, is very important.  In what ways, can you tell I'm having 'trouble' here?  By all means, lay it out there... I'm here for feedback easy or hard.


 


I took your comments different ways...


A.) Keeping a car in pristine condition is a lot harder than doing volume work.  


B.) Keeping a car in pristine condition is easier to do than 99% of the wash/ wax jobs out there. 


C.) Volume clients are more picky than people who keep their cars in pristine condition


D.) Clients of well maintained cars are harder to please than people who go to volume based servicers


 


 


 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">"Stop thinking like a OCD detailer and start thinking like a businessman"


 
</blockquote>


 


 


I'm with you... and I appreciate your insights.
 
Let me throw my conceptualization of the situation out there  for rebuttal...
 
My ultimate concern with a base package can be boiled down to-  'product placement' and 'market entry'
Arguably, a wash/ wax will most likely will be the initial choice of many customers.  Not only because of price but also, a conscious consumer will want to 'try' my services before dropping coin on a more extensive package.... or, that's what I would do.
 
Regarding the the concept of product placement and market entry, if executed poorly, they have the ability to label my business and bury my vision for the future. 
 
Without an extensive portfolio and a customer base, I need to offer some basic services and execute them well.  If executed properly, I gain rapport and retain clients.  As time moves forward, my opportunity cost become greater (my time becomes more valuable) and I can decide to either increase price or drop/ alter my base wash/wax.
 
At this point, given my local market, I'm competing against car washes and body shops.  Not only because there isn't paint corrective services offered in a 15 mile radius but primarily because; my business is new.   So, if my basic package of a wash/ wax appear to be no different, results wise, than the tunnel wash or "mini-detail" at the local body shop... then all this is a moot point.
 
So, while I certainly agree that I shouldn't be thinking, necessarily, like an OCD detailer and more like a business man... I have to be cognisant that I'm separating myself from the car washes and high-volume detail shops in fundamental services.  And this is accomplished not only through execution but also demonstrating/ marketing to potential customers that proper technique and personalized service with a guarantee trump a $20 job.
 
 With that being said, you have decisively summed up my dilemma- my lowest package will be volume based, in nature.  How do I construct, market, and price this package that delivers results and value above and beyond a volume based car wash while making enough money to offer the service but not charging too much to stifle interest.
 
Thank again for all the comments and help,
-Gabe
 
 
 
 
 
 
Essentially, i meant that the are different levels of pristine based on the clients.

If a car lot owner wants "everything" done to his cars, only under rare circumstances

would he want a 6 hour job for each vehicle.


This is where we must find their view of a good look for a price that they are willing to pay.

This is tricky, because if you say too much, they are more than willing to say no.


I also meant that volume pclients are not as picky. I do hope that i get some picky ones,

as that is more money for me. All add ons increase my profit ratio significantly.


Pristine is much harder and much more satisfying. Unfortunately, if quoted

too high, the dealer is going to power wash and glaze his cars. They will look

.... Okay... to the customers.


I would also agree that well maintained owners would take a higher level of detail

to satisfy their desires.


....................


I personally would never advertise my volume prices.

Clients seeing this will expect comparable service a wash and wax

for rock bottom prices. Now another quandry, how to market to the people

who are looking into car washes, while protecting your image add a high end

detailer. You need people to give you credit as an expert. An expert wouldn't

have rock bottom prices.


I loved the idea of a 5000 dollar package. People like to brag about their excesses.

It is up to us to bring value along with the sticker price. My big tag item

might hit 1700, although 890 is more realistic. At the end of the day, if you never

ask for 5000, you will never know if someone would be willing to pay for it.


Heck, i could do a five thousand package and have my clients name and car

on each of the product bottles, plus their desired scent for each product.

Their spray wax can smell like bubble gum and the glass spray like wintergreen.

Things like that would make a memorable service. It is easy to appeal to the

high end clients, as opposed to the low end. Plus much more competition on the

low end.


Can you make money doing wash and waxes as a mobile detailer?

The most realistic way is to have a minimum car number for w and w service.

Someone who has 3 cars to wash, probably doesn't have clunkers.

This is the easiest foot in the door for high end work, in my opinion.

When i did this before for a business, i found that some clients like to

test out your skills. Lower packages are a good segway to this.

If you only have a 300 dollar package, will a testing client test you?

There is no answer to any of these questions.


All we can do is determine our clients. Determine the percentage of the

time that you will see that type of client, then use that information to

decide how to price your packages and market your business.

The worst business decision is the one that losses you a client.

As long as you make enough to be happy, and you don't mind working hard ;

the type of work that you choose is up to you.


Financial success allows pickiness. I have know detailers that never get business

because they had to high prices. They viewed themselves above lower packages.

Unfortunately, this caused bankruptcy. I also wouldn't suggest giving away the farm.


As you decide your prices, you also need to figure in discounts. How much coupon

savings are you going to give away? Military discount? Seniors? Disabled?

If you can figure discounts into your packages, you aren't losing anything but time.

If your profits are still protected, you just have new customers. You can always

give 20 percent off to military first time customer. Then explain to them that they still

receive the discount on other service, but is 10 percent on out.


10 and 20 is easy. Groupon tries to slice 50 at the start. You can negotiate it less,

which they don't tell you. Trick to advertising Groupon, is don't sell your product.

I mean don't sell your package for a price. If your package is 250,then you lose 125

right off the bat. Now, if you sell 30 dollars of service for 15,then the customer has saved money,

but you have gained much more from getting a client. 50 for 30 is attractive also.

Your entire marketing scheme should be figured into your packages.


I know that is a more complicated answer, but the more that you analyze your business

and competition then the easier it is to set packages. These experts here hyacinth done

just that through experience. It may be a "set prices and leap" thing. They can always

be changed down the line. I think it was Jean Claude who was talking about consistently

raising prices not being a problem to his clients. (wrong person?)



As to the problem of having your volume with stand out from other shoddy workers,

it is a tough one. If we don't polish, how can we improve it enough to where it is noticeable.

We can't really say that we improved the car, by not making it worse. This is the reality of the

volume work. If you had me from the beginning, there would be about less swirls.

You paid them to swirl it, now you are needing to pay me to unswirl it. It would've been

much cheaper just to go with me from the beginning. This isn't how the conversation would

go face to face. It is an example of the revelation you would want the client to have.


If you find an easy way to help them realize it, let me know. The guys who realize in their own are

few and far between. Most are obsessed with the bottom line. Your bargaining chip is money though.

How much more will a customer pay for a nicely polished car? Getting the volume guys to change to

high quality guys is where the money is. That path is trust and job security. I would imagine that 75

percent of volume clients will never become high quality clients.


But just imagine how much work you will have if you educate one volume client and end up doing

every single vehicle if his for 4 to 6 hours.
 
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