What would you do

**Scott@IncrediblyDetailed** · 12-14-2016, 10:21 AM

How long have you been in business and what was your business like in the past during the month of December?

What are your business goals per week, per month, per year?

What's the population around a 5 mile radius of your business and what's the median income?

How are you advertising and how much are you spending monthly on those services? If you're not advertising I suggest using Facebook Advertising to drum up some inquiries and make people aware you exist along with the type of service you offer.

Why does your BUSINESS Facebook page have personal and political opinions on it and not 100% focused on your work and services?

Why does the name of your business have Car Wash in it, if you are aimed toward detailing services? The perception of a car wash is far different than a premium detail service.

If you believe your services are worth $60/per then DO NOT drop your prices. I would never compete on price, but I would focus on my sales skills on how to educate the customer on why you would be the best choice to solve their problems and meet their needs.

If I were you, I would be brainstorming ways of reaching more people and showing the value of your services, and how you've helped people with their car care needs. I wouldn't worry about the $20 establishments because your ideal client wouldn't find that work satisfactory, and the price would turn them off. Quality doesn't live at $20, but if you're marketing yourself (due to your business name) as a car wash, and those other businesses are car washes then you're going to have a problem because people will assume that you're just an expensive car wash providing a similar service for a more expensive price.

**LSNAutoDetailing** · 12-14-2016, 10:23 AM

Sparse area... also going into holidays, and, Mohave Desert can see winter... I lived in Lancaster CA for a year..

It's winter here in NH and we just have to face the fact, we're done for the season.

Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app

**KMG** · 12-14-2016, 12:33 PM

One thing you really need to consider is that you can't always charge your higher hourly rate for every type of job, at least not if you want to keep a steady flow of work. It sounds like you area does not support the prices you are looking to make. You will have a hard time getting wash & wax jobs when you have an hourly rate of $60. It is one thing to have a higher rate for a task such as paint correction or a more intense interior job, but for basic jobs you need to realize that you will have to drop your rates down to stay busy. Really it will all come down to your business model and what type of work your looking to get. My business is a part time business and I don't do maintenance washes or wash and wax type work. I don't touch a car unless I am using a polisher on it. There are plenty of cheap wash and wax guys or businesses in my area, and I was able to establish my own market with higher end services for my area. Pricing is always a very touchy subject though, and in the end you need to charge what you feel your work is worth.

**Eldorado2k** · 12-15-2016, 01:23 AM

Originally Posted by KMG

One thing you really need to consider is that you can't always charge your higher hourly rate for every type of job, at least not if you want to keep a steady flow of work. It sounds like you area does not support the prices you are looking to make. You will have a hard time getting wash & wax jobs when you have an hourly rate of $60. It is one thing to have a higher rate for a task such as paint correction or a more intense interior job, but for basic jobs you need to realize that you will have to drop your rates down to stay busy. Really it will all come down to your business model and what type of work your looking to get. My business is a part time business and I don't do maintenance washes or wash and wax type work. I don't touch a car unless I am using a polisher on it. There are plenty of cheap wash and wax guys or businesses in my area, and I was able to establish my own market with higher end services for my area. Pricing is always a very touchy subject though, and in the end you need to charge what you feel your work is worth.

This^

You say you've corrected their vehicles, and if $60 per hr. is what you charged for that then it's all fine and good... But if you're still planning on that $60 per hr. to simply maintain those vehicles from here on out you may be pushing it. How long does it really take you to "wash" a customers car? Proper job, inside and out, and with the premium price of $60 per hr. you better include extra bells & whistles such as leather conditioning, fully dressed wheel wells, dressed trim, level 10 vacuuming, full interior wipedown, and whatever else a normL car wash doesn't include. Now can you do all that in under an hour? You better be damn good, because in reality doing all that and doing it good can take 1.5-2 hrs. And when it's all said and done how many normL people are willing to pay $120 let alone $60 for a maintenance wash?

Be realistic, you can't price everything you do the same way you price a full correction.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**AutowerxDetailing** · 12-15-2016, 02:02 AM

Originally Posted by Eldorado2k

This^

You say you've corrected their vehicles, and if $60 per hr. is what you charged for that then it's all fine and good... But if you're still planning on that $60 per hr. to simply maintain those vehicles from here on out you may be pushing it. How long does it really take you to "wash" a customers car? Proper job, inside and out, and with the premium price of $60 per hr. you better include extra bells & whistles such as leather conditioning, fully dressed wheel wells, dressed trim, level 10 vacuuming, full interior wipedown, and whatever else a normL car wash doesn't include. Now can you do all that in under an hour? You better be damn good, because in reality doing all that and doing it good can take 1.5-2 hrs. And when it's all said and done how many normL people are willing to pay $120 let alone $60 for a maintenance wash?

Be realistic, you can't price everything you do the same way you price a full correction.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If it takes you two hours to perform a "swirl free" maintenance wash on a fully corrected exotic, and your hourly rate is $60/hr, then you should absolutely be charging $120 for the service.

**Eldorado2k** · 12-15-2016, 04:20 AM

Originally Posted by Nicholas@Autowerx

If it takes you two hours to perform a "swirl free" maintenance wash on a fully corrected exotic, and your hourly rate is $60/hr, then you should absolutely be charging $120 for the service.

True, but in this case where he's seeing his customers slip away to the $20-30 guys in his area, then it's a slim chance these cars are exotics with owners who are able to pay that kind of money on a regular basis.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**MattPersman** · 12-15-2016, 06:31 AM

Yeah for reference the popular chain automatic car wash here is $20 no interior no towel dry just spray it a little then through the tunnel

It's the area that will dictate price it's almost Christmas for those who celebrate it and most are not wanting to spend on non Christmas related things

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**AutowerxDetailing** · 12-15-2016, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by Eldorado2k

True, but in this case where he's seeing his customers slip away to the $20-30 guys in his area, then it's a slim chance these cars are exotics with owners who are able to pay that kind of money on a regular basis.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If that's the case I would just stop offering maintenance wash services all together. Except having "car wash" in the name of the business kinda seems like that's what they focus on.

**GSKR** · 12-15-2016, 12:24 PM

Zero money to be made at those prices and they will learn and work hard for zero profit.Even at 30.00 a car doing 10 cars a day split that between 2 people is barely enough to live on.I have 2 vehicles that I do maintenance washes for 60.00 a piece.They don't give me any problems and I don't commit to a certain day on being there.But for 60.00 those vehicles are getting wash vac Windows spraywax tires and wheel well dressed,inside wiped down rain X on windshield and a coat of collinite on the front end for those nasty bugs.Takes 1.5 hrs per vehicle.I dropped a customer with a huge black new Lexus.4 kids and a disaster on the inside.Rear floor mats shuffled under the front seats and candy wrappers in every pocket not to mention the owner was a slob as well.I stopped to ask myself is this worth it heck no.Stray from car washes those people don't care about quality work and you will never upsell them.

**vanev** · 12-15-2016, 02:51 PM

Here is what stands out to me, most of which has already been mentioned.

- The business name.
Car Wash in your name is not helping you.

- No website, that is not helping you.
I speak from experience on this point.

- Hourly rate.
This is something that gets talked about a lot in social media.
How you price your hourly rate is your business.
If you are comparing to what many any social media state their hourly rate to be, you are competing against a moving target, and a lot of locker room talk at that.
Consider the economics of your area, and the specific detail service you are providing.
Maybe take another look at your hourly rate.

- No second job?
I work a night job part time.
Without it, I would be in bad shape.
Business can be hit and miss.
Sometimes, I myself can go 2-3 weeks without business.
Highly recommend a second stream of income.

You might be the best detailer on the planet, but even still, all the logistics and economics have to line up in your favor.
Keep us posted.