Need opinions on forum 'advertisement'

[Don M]

2 step paint corrections I charge $300 for a small/mid size car and truck and $360 for large trucks and SUVs.

I guess I AM a bit off in my pricing

[cardaddy]

Hey... I don't want to sound like an Elitist... but then again... we SHOULD BE. At least when it comes to how to properly car for, and appreciate what (for most people) is BY FAR the second most expensive purchase they've ever done. (For those that haven't bought a home, their vehicle is usually THE most expensive purchase they've made.)

Case in point; No big secret that I owned a flatbed towing business for almost 20 years. In that business there are a LOT of jackleg, snaggletooth, chain smoking, greasy, nasty, just unprofessional dirt bags out there. However... there are also a TON of business owners that have MILLIONS invested in state-of-the art equipment, and/or themselves and/or their employees are attending training seminars to be better at what they do. And in the case of heavy recovery operators study the physics and mechanics of how to best upright/recover rigs that outweigh their own by a factor of 10 at times! It is truly an art form to see a 60 ton rotator recover a mangled tractor trailer off the side of a bridge, or down an embankment when it's 200' away and weighs in at 80,000 pounds, while not ripping it apart getting it back to the roadway.

But... (as usual) I digress.... who'd a thunk-it?

In my situation, I always, ALWAYS kept my trucks spotless. Kept a change of clothes in my rig, new jeans, new polo type pullover shirt (with a collar). I'd show up at a "wrecker yard" where they didn't know me, (and had a bunch of greasy trucks sitting around the place) to pick-up a vehicle for a client (dealership, body shop, insurance company) and you wouldn't believe how many times the person on the other side of the counter thought I was an insurance adjuster. I'd say I was there for a particular vehicle and they'd tell me what lot it was in, and I could just walk down there and do my estimate etc. Then I'd say "Uh I need you to open the gate, I need to get my rollback on the lot to load the vehicle up". They'd just look puzzled and literally tell me "You don't look like no wrecker driver!" Of course that both made me laugh, and it'd infuriate me!

My reply... hundreds of times... would be; I am NOT a "wrecker driver", I am a Professional Towing Operator, there is a difference!

Of course with the professional attitude goes professional pricing. Where your local garages only wanted to pay $25~$30 for a 'local tow', my Mercedes Benz dealership would START at $75 +$1.75~$2.25 per mile. State Farm would start at $45~$55 hook-up and $1.25~$1.75 per mile. (And this was in the late 90's!!!)


So when I see the typical Autogeek follower, with the passion, (and pocketbook) that's spending time and money WANTING TO BE THE BEST, but not getting PAID like the best, then yes... it does bother me.

Of course it's not always OUR fault that we're not getting premium money all the time, but there is premium money to be had. Just have to figure out how to make that happen, and dedicate oneself to the realization of that goal. The tricky part is how to stand by your principles and demand your prices, while competing with those half your price, yet not starve to death in the process. As I've always said, one's work will speak for itself. The problem however is finding those that truly APPRECIATE that work, and the cost associated with it.

I've seen guys (know one that used to live up the street, and he has over a dozen 60's to 2015 sport/hot rod vehicles) that don't know a swirl from a squirrel! This guy only wants "shiny" and LITERALLY can't see swirls.... even when I show them to him! He's just not interested! For him.... he'll pay $125 for a good wash job, nice clean wheels, tire gel, and a liquid wax/sealant. But he's yet to drop $595 for a (friend's discounted) single step paint correction, and full exterior detail that includes taping up everything, sealing all the exterior trim after the fact, treating all the jambs with a WOWA sealant, applying premium exterior sealant (WGDGPS 3.0) doing ALL the vinyl & rubber with either protectant or sealant (or both), polishing exhaust tips, and a quick interior detail which includes protectant, cleaning all the vents, console, seats (his don't get dirty), and spot cleaning all the (removable) mats. (Which I would take two, if not three days to do.)

Just remember.... Good stuff ain't cheap, and cheap stuff ain't GOOD! (Speaking of the services a REAL detailer does more so than the product(s) themselves, because we ALL know that Duragloss makes some killer products, and they're way too cheap to be THAT good.)

[Don M]

Cardaddy, your wealth of knowledge is impressive AND invaluable. Just from your posts on this subject it's obvious you're a professional, not just with your tow/recovery work and detailing, but in life. The fact that you'll spend probably a good hour just to respond to a guy with just his toes in the water and an uncertain "future" in detailing speaks volumes.

At this stage in my life, I have a full time career which puts food on the table etc. and still have 7 more years until retirement. Detailing is still 'just' a hobby (passion) and (when I do get a job) I prefer to use the money to replenish/expand my detailing supplies and get toys for my car (my wife prefers me to use it for bills ) So while I have a good career with decent (not great) pay, detailing money can help ease the burden of today's economy (that's all I'm going to say politics-wise).

It's probably a contradiction, but the 'ad' I put on the enthusiasts forum I guess was meant to accomplish too many things. Establish myself as the "Go To" detailer for the enthusiasts, make some extra money and meet new people-possibly make new friends. I know, a lot to expect from a few words on a forum.

[cardaddy]

Cardaddy, your wealth of knowledge is impressive AND invaluable. Just from your posts on this subject it's obvious you're a professional, not just with your tow/recovery work and detailing, but in life. The fact that you'll spend probably a good hour just to respond to a guy with just his toes in the water and an uncertain "future" in detailing speaks volumes.

At this stage in my life, I have a full time career which puts food on the table etc. and still have 7 more years until retirement. Detailing is still 'just' a hobby (passion) and (when I do get a job) I prefer to use the money to replenish/expand my detailing supplies and get toys for my car (my wife prefers me to use it for bills ) So while I have a good career with decent (not great) pay, detailing money can help ease the burden of today's economy (that's all I'm going to say politics-wise).

It's probably a contradiction, but the 'ad' I put on the enthusiasts forum I guess was meant to accomplish too many things. Establish myself as the "Go To" detailer for the enthusiasts, make some extra money and meet new people-possibly make new friends. I know, a lot to expect from a few words on a forum.

Thank you Don... I am humbled sir.

I guess you can attribute my whole 'attitude' back to an old saying my Daddy used to tell me, "If you have time to do it the first time, then do it right! Because you're probably not going to have time to do it over." What my Daddy was saying, was that you are getting paid to do it RIGHT, and it cost you more to do it twice than do it right the first time and have more time to do more jobs right. Now he was a Dry Cleaner (with a shoe repair shop as well), then later in life he and my Mother opened a string of beauty salons. Talk about a CAREER change! My Daddy wasn't an educated man, but he knew his math, and he knew how to treat people.

This June will be 10 years since I lost him (13 for Mom, and both on the same day). But the lessons he taught me I only hope ONE DAY my son will realize are more important than gold. Although at 22 he thinks he knows everything and I'm just talking to argue with him.

What I can say about detailing (and this is no secret around here) is I *don't* do it to put food on the table. I do it because, quite simply, I enjoy it. I mean I REALLY like doing it! I find it as GREAT therapy, for both my body and mind. I'm disabled, have been for 13 years now, and detailing isn't easy for me, and takes a HUGE toll on my back.... but I'd rather do it than yard work FOR SURE. I'll take my time, and I'll do it right, period. Or I'll not do it at all!!!

Doing it right the first time though is just something I can't get around. I literally HATE having to do something over. Yard work isn't my favorite, so I try and avoid that. But... if I could... I'd paint more, but I'd only do it ONCE. I found Corona brushes some years back, then pair those with a quality house paint from Sherwin Williams ($70+ a gallon) and it's poetry in motion. Yup... I'm a weird old dude!


I've always invested in tools to get the job done right. Studied architecture in school, which means whenever there is a project to do around the house I'll usually do it. If that means I need a new tool, then I'd rather buy it than pay someone else. Especially if that's a power tool! FWIW.... Like you... I roll mine back into more tools to do it right. (Just last weekend I dropped another $1600 on another new Flex, more gallons of product, a HighLine II meter, and a Mytee Lite III Extractor with the extra "Dry Upholstery Tool".) Now if ONLY my order WOULD have been shipped out in less than 4 days, like Autogeek says they'd do!

Speaking of power tools....
My Father-in-law passed in Feb, and he had a woodworking shop in his back yard. He used to go to country craft shows all over, selling hand made toys, picture frames, cars, trains, VERY intricate scroll saw work, and just some really cool stuff. Now I've got to enlarge my shop out back to make room for a bunch of his tools that I can't bring myself to sell at an Estate Sale. Figure I'll be bringing down 12~13 or so tools. Everything from belt and drum sanders, to planers, jointer, standing drill press (already have a bench mount press), table saw (have a radial arm saw), standing 12" band saw, table mount 8" and 9" band saw(s), lathe, routers, router table, plus all sorts of bits, blades, and hand tools, clamps, thingamajigs and such. AND... a cool pot-belly stove! Do I *need* all those tools? Pffffffftttt... are you KIDDING ME?????!!!?!?!! But if something comes up and I *DO* need them.... then by George.... I'll have those suckers!

They're not as cool as the 1930 Model A that's also coming to my garage, but they might get more use! Heheheeeeeee.......