Move away from washes and towards corrections

[RiverCityAutoSpa]

Hi all I have been thinking a lot about my business lately and it seems all I really do is maintenance washes. Normally when a first time customer calls I just sell them the $60/$80 package because I want to book the job plus I’ve realized a lot of people don’t want to spend $125-$200+ on getting their car clean. They just want it shiny. Now that customer thinks it’s always $60/$80 to get their car done. I recommend wax, clay, headlight resto, etc based on the vehicles needs but the customer usually just spends the minimum.

My big question is how do I start to move away from maintenance washes and into more full details and corrections?

[Dan Tran]

If I went to you, what would $125-$200+ cover?


Dan Tran
High Quality Car Detailing at the Comfort of Your Own Home

[Dan Tran]

At least you have maintenance options. I currently don’t.

But the way I look at it is when I chase after AIO, 1 & 2 steps, I have a tendency to present a quote for what they are looking for and a quote for something they weren’t thinking about to begin with.

Ex. I come to you for a maintenance wash for a minimum of $60-$80+, would you have right away presented your next option to me at $125-$200+? Or would you have just stopped at saying you can do XYZ for $60-$80+?

The difference from $60 to $125 is another $65. So right away, if I was a consumer, I would have said for another $65 your now offering WAY MORE in value.

Let’s start here.

PS:

I had a client come to me recently with a Porsche 911. He ONLY intended to purchase a wash & wax for $100. I said to myself, that puppy would look sick buffed!!

I also presented him an AIO option of $250 and a 1 step option of $350+ (I forget what the true numbers are). Either way, I now gave him something to think about for a little bit. SO now he is booked up for at least the 1 step.

My problem right now is I don’t offer maintenance plans. So that’s money lost and I know it.


Dan Tran
High Quality Car Detailing at the Comfort of Your Own Home

[RiverCityAutoSpa]

If I went to you, what would $125-$200+ cover?


Dan Tran
High Quality Car Detailing at the Comfort of Your Own Home

I don’t have a shop so u can’t come to me you could but it would be the garage at my house. 200 for a car will get u a AIO, clay, and pretty good interior detail.

[DetailedByPrecision]

Do you have any social media or website to showcase your work or pictures? Would be a good start to build your foundation to present yourself as a paint correction specialist.

[Dan Tran]

Do you have any social media or website to showcase your work or pictures? Would be a good start to build your foundation to present yourself as a paint correction specialist.

I was going to suggest this.

There is nothing wrong with presenting yourself as a Paint Polishing Expert. I know when I first started out, I was an interior only guy. But when I moved states, I did rebrand. I don’t know how much of an affect it had on my mission statement, but when I branded as The Buffing Moose, I told people over the phone looking for express interiors that...

While I do interiors, I currently offer full interiors only, otherwise, everything else I offer are ALL OTHERWISE Paint Care.

So advertising yourself as a PAINT CARE SPECIALIST is where I would start.

Also what had helped me is the fact that everyone around me are detailers (express work). The fact that I consider myself a paint polisher—this IS what makes me different in my area for sure.

Another thing that had helped me in the past is networking with pro detailers in the area who do offer paint correction. I’m the only mobile detailer in the area who offer paint correction. So when they need an outlet. I’m there guy and vice versa when someone is looking for protection film I support them.


Dan Tran
High Quality Car Detailing at the Comfort of Your Own Home

[Calendyr]

Here is my issue with gaining clients offering low end details. Once someone uses your services at 60$, in their minds that is what they will be willing to pay if they use your services again. So you will build a customer base of 60$ details. Now, I guess there is nothing wrong with that. If you can line up 8 of them in a day you can make a good living doing it.

What I think is better, is to get customers using high end services like paint correction and coatings. Once someone pays you 800$ for a service, it will be much easier to sell them lower prices services or get them on some kind of maintenance plan. Also, you are garanteed a lot of money each time you work. I don't know about you, but for me the idea of driving 30 minutes to do a maintenance wash at 60$ then drive back 30 minutes is not very appealing. If you only do them at your place, it's different, no wastes gas and no time spent commuting. But it's still not a lot of money. Probably looking at 20 to 30$ per hour max. And that doesn't take into account expenses, which should be low for a maintenance washes, but still have to pay them.

If I were you, I would keep the maintenance wash in the service menu, but push the higher end services both with your marketing and when people are calling you.

[sudsmobile]

I've read several of your posts on different subjects and there seems to be a similar theme. Just above you say and I'm paraphrasing "I realize a lot of people don't want to spend $125-200." That's just plainly not true and a big part of your problem. YOU THINK that $80 is the most people want to spend. You've targeted people with a household income above $100k and yet you've somehow capped the price of your services at $80 because IN YOUR MIND that's what people want to spend.

We are by no means the highest end detailers in town, nor do we portray ourselves as only doing high end jobs. I'll give you an idea of my last few tickets:

$125 interior detail only 2015 Honda Civic
$370 coating on a 4 day old car almost zero paint work involved
$450 coating with a 1 step
$150 wash/wax and paint correction on a the trunk lid (car is garaged and sun beats on the trunk lid through windows causing oxidation)
$160 interior detail and wash on 2016 Honda Civic
$130 interior detail only 2015 Honda Accord
$220 interior detail and wash/wax on a Porsche Panamera

Plus we did an entire day at the local hospital on Friday. $550 on 8 jobs. I mean this is production work essentially and I'm still getting almost $70 a ticket.

It's not super high end jobs or super high end cars. Just cars that belong to regular people that want them cleaned up nicely.

The money is there. YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR IT. You're the salesman. People are not going to give you money if you don't ask for the sale.

[Belo]

If I went to you, what would $125-$200+ cover?


Dan Tran
High Quality Car Detailing at the Comfort of Your Own Home

really like your website. In all honesty as a hobbyist, my quality is average at best but I'm showing this to the wife so that I can help her understand and justify the time and money spent/saved on our cars haha.

[briarpatch]

I've seen other detailers mention they would get a correction job by doing a test spot for the customer, illustrating how much better their car can look by just spending a little more. Sometimes, the 50/50 shot is the moneymaker.