Agree,money or no money.Deosnt make you a hack.
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^^ Agree. I do a number of what I call option 1 for my services. Basically it's a Wash, Decontamination, Nano/Clay, and sealing up with Collinite 845 or 476. Depending on the car and exact condition I have gone so far as to buff the hood, tops of the fenders and doors and deck lid. Just a quick hit to shine it up and make the more visible horizontal to near horizontal surfaces look great. Usually no more thn 20-25 minutes. People love it and in fact I've just bumped my price up $20 to help cover the costs of doing this little added extra.
Why not just have a "new car prep package" in your package line-up? Here is the package, here is the price.. Done.
Interesting how things change even on AG. I can't believe that people are suggesting to not only not polish the paint prior to coating it but to just clay it AND coat it. I am sorry but that is indeed hack detailing. While the OP didn't give details about the car, like color or condition, at the minimum do a 1 step polish after claying the vehicle - being that the car is new both steps should be fairly quick to do. Btw OP, what coating are you applying and what are your prices? Are you under cutting the pro Detailers? No coating job should be inexpensive so what you charge should include proper polishing and all the needed steps. And why would you let the customer tell you what is and isn't needed prior to applying the coating? Do you ever tell the dentist what to do? Or would you (just give the customer what she wants) guys let someone change the oil in your car without replacing the filter?
I too wont clay without a polish of some sort after. I dont get tons of people asking for a coating yet but I still think that I should polish first at MINIMUM before the coat.
FWIW I dont do this for a living and dont need to eat from the income.
It's your name on it. I cater to the 1%. If you cater to the other 99, then "take her money" and do half a job. This is why guys like you exist,and guys like me exist. We all make the world go round.
If you say give the customer what they want, then the scratch they want gone you remove and the clear fails, who is responsible? I turn down coatings all the time, not because of money issues, but because my name is on it. If you don't prep the car right and the customer is unhappy they tell a lot more people about it then if they were happy!
"Pigeonholing"
•A long time ago, I came to terms
that people will call themselves what
they want to call themselves.
-They don't need any help
from me in doing so.
Bob
So a chef shouldn't make a dish if the customer asks for no onion? After all, his name is on it and if the customer doesn't like it because of the missing ingredients they'll tell everyone.....
Bear in mind that the car being discussed isn't a several year old swirled out wreck.
Apples and oranges. Even a new car will benefit from a 1 step polish in the gloss department. And as I mentioned above, a coating job should be priced accordingly. The OP needs to red up on the business side of detailing. Topic is similar to: what to charge for claying.