Consulting/Training

[Richard Grasa]

I would like to hear any thoughts anyone may have on this subject. Any experience you may have, how much to charge, whatever. Would a high end dealer (or any dealer) want to hire someone to come in and analyze their current detailing dept and make changes to make it more efficient, higher quality, etc. It's just something that popped into my head and seems interesting to me.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

I would like to hear any thoughts anyone may have on this subject. Any experience you may have, how much to charge, whatever. Would a high end dealer (or any dealer) want to hire someone to come in and analyze their current detailing dept and make changes to make it more efficient, higher quality, etc. It's just something that popped into my head and seems interesting to me.

More efficient possibly, higher quality less likely. If you could find a way to decrease their costs in the long run it might interest them.



Can't hurt to offer the idea to dealers with in-house detail departments, but I wouldn't focus a lot of effort on it.

 

[Ron Ketcham]

My fee for in the USA is $300 day, plus air travel and a daily expense fee for food, hotel, rental car, etc.

Outside of the USA, the same per deim, however my daily fee is $400 a day.

Additionally, I charge a per mile fee to the airport, parking, and return to my home base.

Whatever the IRS is allowing as a per mile cost is what I charge, lately around 54 cents a mile.

If it is for a firm I am not farmilar with, there is an upfront deposit reguired that is based upon the amount of days, expenses etc that is one half of what I estimate to be the total cost of the consulting/training fee.

My terms of final payment are net 30 days, with a 2% per month interest charge for late payment.

All this is laid out in a written contract/agreement that must be signed and approved by me before any such travel/work is undertaken.

Grumpy

 

[safetyman2010]

I would like to hear any thoughts anyone may have on this subject. Any experience you may have, how much to charge, whatever. Would a high end dealer (or any dealer) want to hire someone to come in and analyze their current detailing dept and make changes to make it more efficient, higher quality, etc. It's just something that popped into my head and seems interesting to me.

I've been asked multiple times in the past and actually started laying the groundwork for operating a consulting business to set up dealers on how to properly run an in house detailing department, how to sell detailing profitably, train/re-train the staff quarterly and arrange their chemical/equipment for maximum efficiency/savings. Car market took a **** on right after I was getting geared up to start approaching dealers and hasn't really recovered yet. The problem is most dealers are so clueless with respect to this business they just won't spend a dime to save a dollar. I was going to charge $500 a day + expenses and even if I did a full 5 days initially can almost guarantee I could make most dealers that money back within the first 6-12 months on savings on supply waste alone. There are several guys trying to do this as a business right now - Ron Ketchum and Prentice St Claire being the 2 most prominent ones that come to mind. Tough gig dealing with dealers