How much are you guys charging for Cquartz/Opti-coat or any other super sealants?

[anson89]

As titled. Now that all these super sealants are popping up in the market, how do you guys charge? It is a no wax deal for 2 years so it brings down revenue for wash n wax services? What are you guys calling this service?

[Flannigan]

Personally I charge different for cquarts and opticoat since they both do different things. OC is permanent where CQ is good for up to 2 years. That being said I charge for the price of the product plus an extra 2 hours of labor for CQ and a little more for OC since I usually go over it with a spray wax to give the slick feel at the end.

[LegacyGT]

I have heard OC marketed as a $200-$300 up sell on a professional detail.

[Flannigan]

I have heard OC marketed as a $200-$300 up sell on a professional detail.

Thats insane to me. It does take longer than waxing/sealing, but not THAT much longer...

[rwright]

Thats insane to me. It does take longer than waxing/sealing, but not THAT much longer...

The point is not how long application takes but how long the the application lasts. You need to market this product correctly, not based on how you feel about the use of it but the end results for the customer. Ask your customer if they enjoy waxing their car, chances are the answer is no because you are detailing it. Sell them on the fact that they don't have to wax their car for X amount of time. Time is money.

[Flannigan]

The point is not how long application takes but how long the the application lasts. You need to market this product correctly, not based on how you feel about the use of it but the end results for the customer. Ask your customer if they enjoy waxing their car, chances are the answer is no because you are detailing it. Sell them on the fact that they don't have to wax their car for X amount of time. Time is money.

The product on costs $60 and takes an hour, if that, to apply. I guess I just can't gouge a customer like that...

Sure it lasts for a lot longer than a regular wax or sealant but the price is the price. I could understand if the product was more expensive, but it's not. I don't see why applying a coating should pay more in labor than buffing...it just doesn't make sense to me.

[rwright]

The product on costs $60 and takes an hour, if that, to apply. I guess I just can't gouge a customer like that...

Sure it lasts for a lot longer than a regular wax or sealant but the price is the price. I could understand if the product was more expensive, but it's not. I don't see why applying a coating should pay more in labor than buffing...it just doesn't make sense to me.

You're not gouging them, you're selling them a product that requires no waxing and very little effort on their part. It's called making up for lost profit from traditional waxing that would be required up to 6 times a year and providing better protection. But hey, if you like to give stuff away then more power to you.

[Flannigan]

You're not gouging them, you're selling them a product that requires no waxing and very little effort on their part. It's called making up for lost profit from traditional waxing that would be required up to 6 times a year and providing better protection. But hey, if you like to give stuff away then more power to you.

If you are upset about losing profit on additional waxings don't set the service. just because you aren't going to make as much money doesn't mean you can pass that on to the customer. The product cost $60, thats what it's worth plus the labor. If it was worth more, it would cost you more to buy.

[Y2KSVT]

The product on costs $60 and takes an hour, if that, to apply. I guess I just can't gouge a customer like that...

Sure it lasts for a lot longer than a regular wax or sealant but the price is the price. I could understand if the product was more expensive, but it's not. I don't see why applying a coating should pay more in labor than buffing...it just doesn't make sense to me.

You can't look at it based only on your labor costs. Look at almost any product that varies in price. Tires for instance. Two identically sized tires can vary GREATLY in price, not because of the labor, but what the tire provides you. Both tires go through very similar building processes, but one may last you 60k miles while the other only lasts 30k miles. One may be a very aggressive tire while the other is just mediocre. They both have the same amount of rubber, but one costs $100 while the other is at $300.

I'd certainly pay more for a lawn mower that I knew would last me 15 years, than to pay just a little less for something that might only last me three years. Both mowers have approximately the same amount of materials built into them, and both took roughly the same amount of time to build, but one is of much better quality.

Now with that said, I'd certainly charge more for something that's going to last the customer two years, or for the life of their vehicle, more than I would a wax that lasts a month. Otherwise there's very little benefit to offering a standard sealant application, other than it costs a little bit less for the product.

Mark

[rwright]

And allow me to add this, say you charge $45 for a wash and wax and the customer comes back twice a year for 3 years, now you're at $270. You put more work into those 6 wash and wax sessions than you would for a 1 time application of the coating. What if the customer is a repeat customer for 5 years? Now you're at $450 for a traditional wash and wax performed twice a year. Now who's getting gouged?

*Please note this conversation is not intended to be taken in a hateful tone, just providing some basic scenarios to reflect upon.