Mobile detailing w/o water or electric.

[JayClark79]

I'd like to hear from those guys that either started or are still currently mobile detail with out water or electric.. The guys that bring a pressure washer and use the customers electric and water, not so much the waterless/rinseless guys.

Are you doing most of your work in the evenings when clients are home, or mainly on the weekends?

Have you still been profitable?

Any tips or hints on conducting business this way?

[Firehouse Mike]

I ask when scheduling if there is water and electric i can use. If I'm going to their home, it's never an issue, most people expect I will need it due to being mobile. Never had a customer say no, be sure to thank them too!

If working away from their home( work, ect...) it becomes much more of an issue then. I have a tank / pump set up i can use if needed along with a very quiet (Honda eu2000i) generator.

Mike

[jarred767]

I started out that way 10 years ago, and found out that it wasn't an issue at all, so didn't bother to change. I now have a 25 gallon water tank that I can use for rinseless washes if I'm in a bind, but I rarely even use that.

I do about 95% of my jobs at customers houses, and I think in 10 years, I've had one customer that was uncomfortable/weird about using their water and power. Like Mike said, they usually expect that I'll need it.

I have been working this as my full-time 9-5 Monday to Friday gig for the past 7 years this way, so it definitely can be done, and in my point of view, is even more economical cause you don't have those added expenses.

If you plan on doing a lot of jobs in business parks or that type of stuff, then a large tank and generator would probably be necessary, just gotta figure out what your target market is going to be.

Good luck!

[brondondolon]

When i initially started i was hesitant to do so because I was like "customers are going to think im a joke for not supplying my own water and power" however I am so glad I never invested the thousands needed for water and power as well as trailer. Only once have I ever had a problem. It was my fault too because I forgot to ask if there was going to be water and power on site.

Also I stopped using a pressure washer. Reason being as it took a chip out of my clear coat on my truck, cracked my parents hummer front windshield and also the time i saved blasting bug guts off a truck with them was nothing in comparison to how long it took to set up/put away and get started. Now the only time i use a pressure washer is with a foam cannon and if im doing an RV.

So here is all you do. When you are setting up a detail you just say at the end "great, now one last thing, will i have access to water and power?" 9.9/10 times they will say yes. Bring your own hose though and have a good nozzle. If you are doing an exterior just do a rinseless wash, if you are doing an interior well then youre gonna have to be a little creative if they dont have power.

[JayClark79]

So here is all you do. When you are setting up a detail you just say at the end "great, now one last thing, will i have access to water and power?" 9.9/10 times they will say yes.

Thanks for the reply, so a large percent of the work you do is at people's houses? I was assuming as a mobile detailer you would be hitting a lot of vehicles while the customer I'd at work.

If you are doing vehicles mainly at people's houses are you working long weekend hours, or late evening hours?

Thanks again for the reply!

[FinishingTouchA]

Thanks for the reply, so a large percent of the work you do is at people's houses? I was assuming as a mobile detailer you would be hitting a lot of vehicles while the customer I'd at work.

If you are doing vehicles mainly at people's houses are you working long weekend hours, or late evening hours?

Thanks again for the reply!

I was mobile for 2 years until I got my shop, never had any issues with water or electricity. I've found that most of our customers are affluent and the majority fit into these categories:
Works few hours for lots of money
Works 7-3
Doesn't work weekends
Retired
Works from home

With a healthy mix of these I rarely had to work late. Funny thing is now that I have a shop my average ticket and average hours spent went up and most of the time I don't stop working until 8 or 9.

[jarred767]

Thanks for the reply, so a large percent of the work you do is at people's houses? I was assuming as a mobile detailer you would be hitting a lot of vehicles while the customer I'd at work.

If you are doing vehicles mainly at people's houses are you working long weekend hours, or late evening hours?

Thanks again for the reply!

I'm in the same boat here. Second city that I've done this in (started in Seattle, now in Benc, OR) and I predominantly work at people's houses with an odd day at someone's work thrown in. It's amazing how many people work from home, have flexible hours, have an extra car or are simply retired.

I will usually work M-F 8-4 or 9-5ish (depending on the jobs) and work one or two Saturday mornings a month for people who just can't do weekdays.

It becomes pretty easy scheduling once you get some practice at it.

[JayClark79]

Wow everyone thanks for again for the great responses you've helped me feel more confident this can work with out portable water and electric!

[dannythekid]

I have been doing a lot of mobile stuff and water/electric is never an issue, but I am upfront about needing it first.