Add on services. Who has them?

[TrueDetailer]

Does it match well? I've yet to see touch-up paint, even from the dealer, match up right or at least to my standards.

Yes! If you buy the paint from the dealership you will get the exact color. All of the chips and scratches that i have fixed come out looking like it was never there.

I would not waste my time with the bottles you can buy from autozone as most time they don't match well.

I also use a toothpick for appling the paint. You can get it in there better than if you were using a brush. theres nothing wrong with using a brush though i just prefer the toothpick method.

I'm kinda goin in another direction. Looking to add house washing, window cleaning, and deck restoration to my business. Been doing alot of house washing lately.

I also offer house and deck washing. As well as driveway and sidewalk cleaning. You can make some good money by offering these services. Normally you'll use the customers water supply as it'll take more water than you can carry in a tank.

 

[Jngrbrdman]

I've been slowly expanding into other areas. I do some small windshield chip repair as well as some touch up work. I only offer PDR when it is a dent I know I can remove with my Ding King. Say what you will about their marketing strategy, but that tool is using the exact same principle that $300 tools use. It works to pull certain types of dents.

I think the way to make some really good money with this gig is to get really well rounded. Someday when I get tired of working for 'the man', I'm going to move back to Dallas and buy a M.A.R.S. franchise and hit it hard core. I want to ultimately offer detailing, window tinting, gold plating, have an air brush artist, PDR, and paint chip and glass chip repair deal all under one roof. I just can't do that up here where most of the population seems to not care about their car for a large part of the year.

 

[Refctn Perfctn]

I agree with TexasTB on offering windshield repair as an (upsell) service on a full exterior Detail. I as well want to offer this service and in the very near future I am ordering a kit to do so......I am still doing research on kits thou. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Maxima Lover]

I dont know about that last statement. As far as profits being huge...I work at a glass shop, and considering the price of each repair and the cost of the repair kit and resin as well as mylar squares.....I *personally* dont think the profit is huge. You'll also have to plan on buying the specialty drill bits needed for the job if you want to do things right. Those kits you see at wal mart are a joke. We've got a few different kits at the shop here and they were all kinda pricey. Insurance companies will pay the whole bill but, you will have to work to get the money from them as well.

Also,

something else worth mentioning......Anytime you drill on the windshield you run the risk of the crack running on you. Then it's time for them to get a new windshield, and time for you to deal with a P*SSED off customer. Also, if you're doing these mobile in Texas it'd be a good idea to let the windshield cool a little bit before you start to work on it.

I'm not saying that there is no money in it, but I dont think you'll be making a huge profit (but I could be wrong). Call around some local glass shops and see what they're getting for repairs.

HTH

Your right, huge probably wasn't the right word. I just meant for the time it took, it was a pretty good extra $50+ depending on how many chips.

 

[LikeaRock]

The detail shop I used to work in was shared with a PDR guy. He and his uncle ran the shop, his uncle went out and did the mobile PDR. I watched them countless times when there was no work in our part of the shop, I'm thinking of finding some tools somehow/somewhere for a decent price and start going to junk yards and practicing. I'd even practice on my own car.
If you have the patience to learn it and become very proficient with it there is a lot of money to be made. I've seen the guys in the shop pop out minor dents in a matter of 10-15 minutes. If you have an easy acces panel and access point it's a breeze. I'm thinking it'll be a great thing to practice on rainy days.

Other than minor touch up work I don't offer any services...yet