Gaining Credibility ?

G

GoonOnfire

New member
So, I want to start small, maybe in my neighborhood. I'm 20 years old and I think now people SHOULD find me somewhat credible. I do the standard stuff ok, I'm not doing exotics. That is not to say that I have set my standard low and that I have no intention on getting better, I am just being honest and stating my current skill set. I know you should sell yourself, but not to the point where you can't deliver the quality that you speak of.





So, I know a lot of people out there who charge high just because of the location they are based in...that may work to my advantage. I live in a rich town (I, myself am FAR from wealthy, which is why I intend on making money by doing something I like) and the prices actually don't seem that bad from 2 detailers I just picked out now.



Auto Car Detailing Philadelphia, Newtown, PA 18940 Richboro, Langhorne, Willow Grove, Abington | All Pro Detail



(no prices on this one but just an idea of what they do)



Louie V's Auto Detailing





So, I can do the basics-



Wash

Clean

Polish/Wax

Interior cleaning/vacuuming



Pretty much the typical, low grade cost- Here is a pic of my brothers car I did http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/551620_2734964788030_1674630171_1851870_643570740_n.jpg





So, this may come off as me looking really clueless, and I'll swallow my pride and say I AM!



Where do I start? How much do I charge? And most of all, how do I make it look officially (Even though it may only be some of my friends, friends of friends, friends of family, ect). I really don't wanna look like a 12 year old girl pitching why YOU should buy the "worlds best cookies" or some **** like that.



I know I will get good advice on this forum, and I plan on following this goal of making some money detailing, I'm actually excited about it because I just love making cars look shiny again, or at least to the best of my ability.
 
To gain credibility, you must 1st gain the ability. Without that, you're cheating your clients and yourself. Being able to do the basics, doesn't mean you can do them well, or even as good as the people you are comparing yourself to.



Beyond this, I think it will be critical to soak in as much information(feedback) from this forum, your clients both prior to and after detailing their vehicle, as well as potential shadowing another Autopian in your area.
 
GoonOnfire- I'm not a Pro, but I get my share of "oh *please* do my car for the upcoming Concours.." requests and I'm OK enough at this stuff that none of my local Pros will be touching *my* vehicles lest they mess 'em up ;)



Here are some sorta-random suggestions and food for thought:

-Don't work on strangers' cars for pay until you *really* know what you're doing. You don't want to get stuck with some problem (much less have a real "oops!") on a customer's car. I'd be all about family/friends stuff for now

-Get your own vehicle really nice a) as a learning tool and b) so you look like you can deliver

-As David Fermani said, *learn* this stuff. It's not rocket science, but it's a lot more complicated than many would think. For instance....can you do a basic wash on a perfect, but dirty, black vehicle without marring it? Hey, few people can. Can you identify the various types of automotive leather/fabric/other materials and know how to treat each one? Do you know what you can/can't get wet (or touch with microfiber towels) in engine compartments? What about all the different materials/finishes used for wheels? What tires are/aren't safe to use plastic bristle brushes on? If you're working with affluent customers, you'll need to know all that stuff lest you do some real damage..yeah, damage...and we haven't even touched on doing good work yet, just concerns about messing things up
 
Best advice I can offer - Read the "Guides" section of this forum. It is really a free incredible boon of information. Read them and re-read them until you have truly digested the information. This will take longer than a week, it may take a month or two. Perfect your technique on your car or a friends car. Not just polishing, but wash technique. You want to be organized, efficient, and above all safe when getting paid. Watching a detailer going back and forth to his truck for different items he needs because he is unorganized is painful and it looks amateurish.

If you truly want to do this, understand it is a craft to be learned, like carpentry, plumbing, etc. There is a methodology to it. The more patient you are the better you will become. Family cars are easy to find and detail. Do them over and over. They wont care, at least my family never did....cheapskates. hehe



In all honesty though, you are in a great position just having found this website. Read, read, then read some more. Send Pms to people if you have questions, sometimes you wont get an answer, dont get snarky about it. If I can help I will, just PM me. Your 20, the truly incredible detailers on this site didnt become so overnight. Its like weightlifting, they all started off as puny little runts at some time in their lives.
 
How much do you think you should charge?

You set your own prices. Decide what you are worth and put the number down.

A few factors I would consider is:

Is this a full time job?

A future career?

A side gig?

What niche are you catering to?

What are you worth?



As for doing friends and family's vehicles, what's the difference between their vehicles and a future customers? At the end of the day they are still vehicles and you should pride yourself on your work and neither cheat yourself or them of what you are capable of.
 
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