Airport Service - Bad Idea?

[davisautodetail]

I live about 8 miles from the airport.

I'm thinking about offering what I'm calling my Tidy Trip service that would work like this:

Customer is taking a trip, and also wants to have their car cleaned when they get back. They book the detail and provide me with the outbound and return trip information.

Within about 4 hours of their departure, I'll go pick up their vehicle and keep it here for the duration of their trip. I'll detail the car prior to their arrival (day of or day before), and then deliver it back to the airport for their return.

The logistics could be a little hairy, but I'm thinking that they can text me with where they left the car, and then I can text them that same information when I drop it off. We're in a smallish area, but lots of flights in and out. It's not uncommon to leave your keys under the floor mat or some other location, so that's how I could get the keys to the car (or they could drop off a 2nd set before they leave.)

The liability is a bit sketchy, but it seems like the owner would take responsibility before I pick it up, and then I could lock the keys in it (they would need a 2nd key), so risk is minimized after. The risk for them might be worth not having to get me a set of keys.

I'm thinking that I could make it slightly cheaper than daily parking at the airport, which is financially appealing, and they know that I have the car, not just sitting out in the airport. Plus, the car is all clean when they get back.

It's the logistics that are snagging me here. Any one have any thoughts or ideas?

[mwoolfso]

Yes, liability would be interesting but nothing out of the ordinary. If you get into an accident while driving the vehicle who covers this? One thing I didn't see you acknowledge is that the parking fees would be 2x for the client and whatever costs you incur to even get to the car (I suspect you need to take a ticket as well).

I think it would become an administrative and logistical nightmare if it is successful in getting clients. Whether that success translates to sustained profitability is something else entirely. That said, very successful people are noted for their risk-taking. ;-)

I suggest you move forward with 1 or 2 clients and test it out.

You may need more than one process to accommodate some "client diversity". Here is another approach...

Your client parks in airport parking lot; you take the car when ready and leave it at your place. When they arrive at the airport you hire a cab to bring them over to your establishment. They inspect and pay you, then drive off a happy camper.

[davisautodetail]

Yes, liability would be interesting but nothing out of the ordinary. If you get into an accident while driving the vehicle who covers this? One thing I didn't see you acknowledge is that the parking fees would be 2x for the client and whatever costs you incur to even get to the car (I suspect you need to take a ticket as well).

I think it would become an administrative and logistical nightmare if it is successful in getting clients. Whether that success translates to sustained profitability is something else entirely. That said, very successful people are noted for their risk-taking. ;-)

I suggest you move forward with 1 or 2 clients and test it out.

You may need more than one process to accommodate some "client diversity". Here is another approach...

Your client parks in airport parking lot; you take the car when ready and leave it at your place. When they arrive at the airport you hire a cab to bring them over to your establishment. They inspect and pay you, then drive off a happy camper.

Yeah, I was planning to back charge them for whatever fees are associated with parking between the time they "pull the ticket" in the lot until I pick it up, which I was shooting for about a 4 hour window.

I also considered doing a "shuttle" service if they wanted to drive out here and pick me up, but that seems a little less professional (ie: the pick me up, I drop them off and bring the car with me.) Plus, those 5am departures would be a bit rough. ;->

They could also leave the car at their house with access to the keys (if they have 2 vehicles,) but that doesn't really give them much of an advantage since they have to pay for parking.

The taxi idea is an interesting one, the biggest challenge is that I think there are only a couple of cabs here locally, so that might be a problem.

The nice thing is that we run to town pretty much daily for one reason or another, and pretty much drive within a mile of the airport every time, so I can actually have my wife drop me off to pick up the cars, and then follow me in to drop them off (or I can put them in my car trailer and take them that way...which would mean a cleaner car.)

Not sure if this would be too expensive, but it would be kind of cool to be able to drop them off with a "another beautiful detail by Davis Auto Detail" printed car cover over it. To bad I'd have to get the car cover back though.

My thought process was such that the profit on the detail is the same, and then charging just under parking rates covers my time and expense of picking up the car and the hassle of not being able to leave my rig there.

It would be cool if I could do one of those little "bike in a bag" things like they use in the UK for "designated driver" services. You basically assemble a little moped, drive to the location, it fits in the trunk, and you drive the vehicle home.

[FUNX650]

Great Idea!!

Since you live within close proximity of the airport, you already
are aware of all the fallout caused by jet fuel-contaminates.

Suggestion:
Stock-up on plenty of "decontamination-systems"...
and charge your customers accordingly, I dare to say.

-I imagine that you're planning on making some real money at this venture...
But...
I didn't read of any ideas/thoughts of the logistics when you have more than one customer at a time.
Do you have the accommodations to store more than one vehicle at a time?


-What about the weather, if it's not 'cooperating', when the customer returns for the pick-up?
What would be the logistics with this scenario?


Just thinking out loud:
I personally would hate to come home from an airplane flight,
with visions of a beautifully detailed vehicle dancing in my head;
and be faced with inclement environmental conditions:
That would surely disfigure your detailing-mission of my vehicle.

Good Luck!!




Bob

[davisautodetail]

Great Idea!!

Since you live within close proximity of the airport, you already
are aware of all the fallout caused by jet fuel-contaminates.

Suggestion:
Stock-up on plenty of "decontamination-systems"...
and charge your customers accordingly, I dare to say.

-I imagine that you're planning on making some real money at this venture...
But...
I didn't read of any ideas/thoughts of the logistics when you have more than one customer at a time.
Do you have the accommodations to store more than one vehicle at a time?


-What about the weather, if it's not 'cooperating', when the customer returns for the pick-up?
What would be the logistics with this scenario?


Just thinking out loud:
I personally would hate to come home from an airplane flight,
with visions of a beautifully detailed vehicle dancing in my head;
and be faced with inclement environmental conditions:
That would surely disfigure your detailing-mission of my vehicle.

Yes, I do have room to store a bunch of vehicles here at my shop, outdoors, and probably 3-5 indoors after detailing. I'd have to limit "deliveries" to my available inside space.

As far as the weather goes, I had considered that for sure. We should know within some degree at about 7 days out, so for most trips, we could schedule or not schedule accordingly. if something changes in the last couple of days, a quick text to advise the owner of the situation would happen. I could always detail the inside of the vehicle, then schedule the exterior clean up (assuming it's not a paint correction job) on my next available mobile or in shop day. I would then either charge them for the whole thing with a "voucher" for the rest of the service, or charge them for the services and fees otherwise. They still come out ahead, and I don't necessarily lose anything other than follow up trip. I assume this happens with scheduling for other aspects of the business (I'm just getting started.)

For more than one customer at a time, I would just have to schedule according to arrivals, I suppose, and the window in which I do the drop off might have to be extended to make sure I can drop both cars or more in the time frame needed.

I was also thinking of a thank you "text" to the owner when I drop off the car, taking a couple of pics of it, advising where it's parked and at what time, and saying thanks, just in case they miss a flight, and it sits there all night, i want them to know it was clean when I dropped it off!

[rmagnus]

What about them dropping off their car to you and you drive them to the airport then pick them up. This way you minimize the risk of driving a customers car and the liability that goes with it. Client doesn't have to pay airport parking and come back to a clean car. I hope this would be for more than just a car wash.

Overall I still see more hurdles to hop over than what it's worth. What happens when you get 2-3 clients taking a week trip. Early and late departures, weather delays, equipment problems etc.

I say work a business plan that maximizes time working on cars and profits.

[davisautodetail]

What about them dropping off their car to you and you drive them to the airport then pick them up. This way you minimize the risk of driving a customers car and the liability that goes with it. Client doesn't have to pay airport parking and come back to a clean car. I hope this would be for more than just a car wash.

Overall I still see more hurdles to hop over than what it's worth. What happens when you get 2-3 clients taking a week trip. Early and late departures, weather delays, equipment problems etc.

I say work a business plan that maximizes time working on cars and profits.

Yeah, I had thought of that. I have a nice Yukon Denali XL that I could use to transport them, just not sure if you get into any type of taxi laws or whatever (doubt it out here.)

I might test it out to see if I get any "Play" from it, but limit it to what I can handle.

I like the idea in theory, but as usual, theory and execution can have a bit of a disconnect.

[Bunky]

One of the local off airport parking lots offers detailing and maintenance (oil change, state inspection services) along the usual transportation. I have not seen their operation.

[SANTA3013]

We are on vacation in Maui and we left our car at an enclosed parking lot and took their shuttle to the Atlanta airport. One of the first things I noticed as we were pulling in was that offer a detailing service for you car while you are gone.

I suppose they contract with someone to provide that service for their customers. I don't remember the prices but I do remember there were several options. That may be something to think about.

[rmagnus]

We are on vacation in Maui and we left our car at an enclosed parking lot and took their shuttle to the Atlanta airport. One of the first things I noticed as we were pulling in was that offer a detailing service for you car while you are gone.

I suppose they contract with someone to provide that service for their customers. I don't remember the prices but I do remember there were several options. That may be something to think about.

Back when business expense accounts were more robust I always got a car wash from my parking service at the airport. I'd never do it again, no way is it up to the standards of a private detailer on AGO. Just another swirl em, scratch em and get em out the door wash service. Those days it was a company lease car, not a big deal. 2 year lease, we'd rack up 60-70K miles then turn em loose.