Grimm said:
I think the question on what would you pay was flawed. You should not include people that do detailing themselves. I would think a big portion of that lowest dollar value are actually the ones that detail the car themselves. If you are doing it yourself, a big reason is because you don't want to pay someone else to do it. So naturally, you wouldn't be willing to pay the higher cost.
Surveys are not simple or cheap. I looked into getting this outsourced, but got quotes in the $1000s so I did the best I could.
Do-it-yourselfers skew the numbers, but I did want to "get the whole picture." One of the goals of the survey was to find out what % of enthusiasts are do-it-yourselfers (48%). I actually expected this to be around 75%.
Those who marked that they only willing to pay $75 - $125 for a detail are clearly the do-it-yourselfers. That's just not a retail price anyone offers.
The pricing contradictions are common in every survey. If we surveyed Autopians what they'd be willing to pay for: massage, interior decorating, party planning, limo services...any of these "luxury services" we'd likely see a prices that didn't match the expectations of companies offering those services.
Some important conclusions to draw from this admittedly small, but useful survey:
1. 52% of these enthusiasts pay for pro detailing. The general population: about 5%. Thus they are 10 TIMES more likely to buy your service...so SEEK THEM OUT.
2. Word-of-mouth, apparently, is not as strong as word-of-website. Customers expect websites, and they expect reviews.
3. Enthusiasts apparently prefer fixed location detailers. Your marketing should persuade them that you can meet or exceed fixed-location service. Many perceive your mobile status as a shortcoming.
4. 60% would consider buying a gift certificate at a price of $200. Let every current and potential customer know about your gift certificates.
