Price Sharing questions

[Znig22]

So I own a small mobile detailing business in the upstate of SC. My question is would it be inappropriate to ask fellow members how much they are charging for all the work they are putting in there paint corrections and interior details? I'm just trying to see where I stand on my pricing.

I use a vapor system steamer, a mytee lite 2, I have everything from a dewalt 849 to a PC 7424 and a flex 3401. I do the best I can considering I am mobile and work out of a express 3500 and use my own power, water and can do most work on site unless it's extensive paint correction.

My full details consist of but not limited to, steaming,extraction, clay baring, a light polish with a polish of my choice depending on the severity of the condition of the paint but only 1 step and is done with a PC 7424 or a flex 3401, Followed by a WG total sealant 3.0 and I normally charged $175 up to $250. When I discuss with the customer full paint corrections a rule of thumb I go by is its $100 for each additional step I think it will need.

Is this fair for both parties?

[thebamboo23]

prices change by how everyones economy is doing and the target audience youre working for

you should have an hourly set rate that way you dont underpay yourself.. quote the customer 2 hours over how long youll take (just in case you run into any problems) and multiply that by your hourly rate

[Znig22]

I'm just trying to get an idea of the going rate. In our area most of these detail guys are pretty much out to make a quick buck with cheap products and no knowledge and a butt load of chemicals. I just don't really know where I stand. My helper and myself can normally knock a full detail out in 4 hours.

[Scott@IncrediblyDetailed]

First, I would post this in a more relevant section so you get more replies.

Find the one about making money detailing cars.

Second, check out other detailers websites. The prices are usually listed.

Thrid, pick up Renny Doyle's book. It's priceless.

Found here: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/new-car-care-products/55486-renny-doyle-s-book-now-available-autogeek.html

The economy, your location and how you market your business will determine your prices. People will pay for perceived value. For example. European steam cleaner vs steam cleaner. One suggests a higher quality product even tho it's the same machine.

Hope that gets you started.

[Evan.J]

What is your current menu?

[thebamboo23]

youre leaving out to much information

[cardaddy]

So I own a small mobile detailing business in the upstate of SC. My question is would it be inappropriate to ask fellow members how much they are charging for all the work they are putting in there paint corrections and interior details? I'm just trying to see where I stand on my pricing.

I use a vapor system steamer, a mytee lite 2, I have everything from a dewalt 849 to a PC 7424 and a flex 3401. I do the best I can considering I am mobile and work out of a express 3500 and use my own power, water and can do most work on site unless it's extensive paint correction.

My full details consist of but not limited to, steaming,extraction, clay baring, a light polish with a polish of my choice depending on the severity of the condition of the paint but only 1 step and is done with a PC 7424 or a flex 3401, Followed by a WG total sealant 3.0 and I normally charged $175 up to $250. When I discuss with the customer full paint corrections a rule of thumb I go by is its $100 for each additional step I think it will need.

Is this fair for both parties?

Wow, where to start with this one. You've dropped a ton of money in tools but you are charging bargain basement, darned near wholesale "dealer" prices.

Going on the idea that you said you and a helper can do a "full detail" in 4 hours, that is averaging $25 an hour. Might be fair for the owner, might even be fair for you.

I'm thinking though that you need to be very VERY careful what you classify as a "full detail". People will come to expect every little thing to be done, and I mean EVERY LITTLE THING!

Honestly, it sounds like what you are trying to say is you're doing an AIO and putting sealer on it. Getting that done in 4 hours is really quick.

Pricing though is totally dependent on what business model you are wanting to build on. Do you only want quick, half day jobs? Or do you want to be known as the only guy in town that'll spend 2 days on a clients car? Drastically different target market.

Honestly, I understand that most people don't want to pay more than what you are charging, and that's fine. Just be careful calling that a full detail. Nothing wrong with pumping out two of them a day either.

OTOH, saying you are doing the best you can do by only being mobile isn't saying much for your own talents to do paint correction. It is just as easy to do total paint correction in their garage as yours. Their driveway as yours. Their power or yours.

The one big selling point of being mobile (not talking about the convenience to the client) is the 'perceived value' that they get by seeing what you are doing to the vehicle. If you setup lights in their drive and even in their garage and work all day on their vehicle, only to come back tomorrow to finish. And by the time it's done you've got some 25 man hours in the job. Then and usually ONLY THEN will they begin to understand what all you do, and EXACTLY why you are charging what you are.

When they don't see all the hard work they tend to not understand it. That is something that you want to consider as you grow your business. Short, quick, down and dirty. Or long and detailed (pun intended) and painfully obvious to the client why they hired who they did.

Is that enough to make me want to be mobile? Not really. That is neither here nor there however. Would it make me go mobile if I wanted to work full time detailing, and needed it to pay the bills? Probably so.

Get Renny Doyle's book. It will NOT tell you how to detail cars. But what it WILL tell you is how to run a detailing business, (at least how Renny went about it). Most of what he says is something that anyone that's ever worked for themselves has gone through however. I did it for 18 years, so it was stuff I'd learned many many years back, but well worth the price paid if you really want to gain some insight into the business end of detailing.

Pricing is only going to be decided based on what everyone else in your market is doing. If you find they are all charging $275 then you need to be fairly close, FOR THE SAME SERVICES. But what you NEVER want to do is cut cost to the customer just to get their business.

I say that because the client that will save $10 to come to you will just as soon rip you off for that same $10. You are better off charging $25 more than the competition and providing 1 or 2 little quick things that the don't do. TRAIN your customers to expect more, and DELIVER MORE to them!

Finally, quality of work is where you want to build your reputation. As you do that you can also build your price point. If the quality isn't there, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. Doesn't take the best tools in town to do that either. For all they care you can have a gold plated steamer, and solid platinum buffers. That and 50¢ won't buy you a cup of coffee.

It takes the best attitude in town, period. ;)