Marketing Summer Deals

D

DT08

New member
Hey guys!!!

I can't remember the last time I posted on here. All I can say, it's been awhile.

The weather in Buffalo is starting to clear up. During the early spring and throughout the summer I like to offer wash and wax deals. Do any of you guys offer any interior specials during the summer months? I usually offer one once that last snow hits us. Carpet shampoo's kept me pretty busy last month. Also, Memorial Day is around the corner and I usually do a special for that weekend too.

Any ideas and advice is always appreciated.

Thanks!!
 
I offer specials on interior like you right after the main snow. It's not quite time then to do a correction and full detail.
If they want it they can have it. Just advise them extra care is needed till winter fully clears.
If they book the correction at that time before spring they get a discount. After spring it's full rate.
I do offer a slight discount with a full out correction detail always.
This has been an extremely rainy spring and some are still waiting.
 
Last Saturday I posted a "summer deal" for People here in Phoenix AZ, since the temp is pretty much over 100 DEGREES all summer long. I am doing 100 details in 100 days at $100. (the cost of Full detail is cheap, I know) but the purpose of this is to get me infront of new potential clients that will spread the word and help grow my business. Plus Im actually averaging about $140 per detail(tips, paint corrections, etc...) and has gone well (1 per day, so far) even though Im only a week into it Im already booked for the next week and sold more of my maintenance packages... Its hot as sh!t but Im getting it done
 
Here's one for you for during love bug season

The Love Bug Special

"It's a partial detail, at a partial price!"

Warning: Get the love bugs off the vehicle before they do costly damage to your paint! The focus of this detail is front facing surfaces to get the love bugs off and put the protection on! Your front bumper, grill, front fenders, hood and windshield are meticulously cleaned to remove all the bug splatter. Then we clay, polish and seal, leaving these surfaces clean, shiny and protected.

Give us a call to schedule your appointment today. Pricing is based on vehicle size and condition.

Feel free to use any of this that may be helpful to you.
 
For the last few years I have started offering wash & wax to the customers that get a full detail to start. I set them up on a maintenance program so I see the car once a month and in some cases twice. Its more work but, but I get a lot more income out of each customer. The one thing that I won't offer is a W&W special on just anyone until I've work done the detail. Reason is the car never comes out as nice as I want and I end up doing a lot more work than I want. Plus you are completing with the local wash places and that's a lose / lose for me
 
Beemerboy said:
For the last few years I have started offering wash & wax to the customers that get a full detail to start. I set them up on a maintenance program so I see the car once a month and in some cases twice. Its more work but, but I get a lot more income out of each customer. The one thing that I won't offer is a W&W special on just anyone until I've work done the detail. Reason is the car never comes out as nice as I want and I end up doing a lot more work than I want. Plus you are completing with the local wash places and that's a lose / lose for me
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Agree absolutely 100%. Get the detail first for easier maintenance and better results with the wash and wax.
 
Agree 100% Beemerboy. Another reason personally to avoid W&W service with no prior detail, is your not around if someone asks the client who did it.
You can't explain that's all you did. That potential client may see all the things that were not done.

Some people don't know what a detail is, some do. There could be a lost client and no opportunity to explain the type of quality work you perform.

I understand this is a source of money to be made. It does have reputation risks involved however. A consultation and explanation of what is needed could also lead to a full detail too.
 
Concours.John said:
Agree 100% Beemerboy. Another reason personally to avoid W&W service with no prior detail, is your not around if someone asks the client who did it.
You can't explain that's all you did. That potential client may see all the things that were not done.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I specifically list the Hand Wash service on my "menu" as being for prior detailing clients only. There's definitely a lot to be said for reputation management.

I understand this is a source of money to be made. It does have reputation risks involved however. A consultation and explanation of what is needed could also lead to a full detail too.
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There are a lot of sources of money to be made, but then one must ask themselves "how much money?" I find that if I can stay busy doing full details and correction work I come out ahead because those services carry a higher margin than just a basic wash.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
I find that if I can stay busy doing full details and correction work I come out ahead because those services carry a higher margin than just a basic wash.
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So much better to continuously work on one vehicle for 3 hours detailing than to do 3 basic car washes in 3 hours with driving in between each car if you are mobile.

Early on in my detailing career I made the mistake of driving around town doing washes then I learned that 1-2 details per day easily trumps washing 10 cars.
 
Dwayne said:
So much better to continuously work on one vehicle for 3 hours detailing than to do 3 basic car washes in 3 hours with driving in between each car if you are mobile.

Early on in my detailing career I made the mistake of driving around town doing washes then I learned that 1-2 details per day easily trumps washing 10 cars.
Click to expand...

That's why I started doing the W&W for my detail customers. At the end of last year I looked back over the full detail customers that I converted to W&W customers. The margins / profits where much better, I saw there car once to twice a month versus twice a year for spring and winter prep details.

Granted I worked harder at making more money, but the customer was much happier with their cars and I gained a lot more customers because of that.:D
 
Can I ask you "four" (beemerboy, dwane, shiny lil detlr, and concours.john) that have posted on this thread, How long have ya'll been doing details/washes for? I have some things going on here in my business and I would really like honest feedback. Im not good at personal messaging on here, havent really taken the time to do so, so I figure we can do it through this thread cause it will continue with the questions I have.
 
I've been detailing for 10 years, and doing work for others almost as long...

Whatever questions you have, fire away and I'm sure one or more of us on here will be able to give you some good feedback!
 
I started detailing (cleaning cars top to bottom in and out) 1989. I kept doing it part time till 1995 when I went full time with major paint correction also.
 
DSPlati said:
Can I ask you "four" (beemerboy, dwane, shiny lil detlr, and concours.john) that have posted on this thread, How long have ya'll been doing details/washes for? I have some things going on here in my business and I would really like honest feedback. Im not good at personal messaging on here, havent really taken the time to do so, so I figure we can do it through this thread cause it will continue with the questions I have.
Click to expand...

Detailing for fun 1989-present
Detailing professionally 1993- 2000
Detailing product sales 2000-present
 
WOW! Great job guys, Heres a quick back ground on me... I have been washing for a couple of years(5) through a car dealership while I was going through college. Left the dealer and went to sales for other companies lost my job and decided to open something that I know how to do "wash cars". Started my mobile company last year in April washing and some detailing's and waxing by hand. As the year past I can wash a car like no ones business and also detail the inside very well and Im fast at it. But I got myself locked up on just washes which is a good thing cause it keeps me busy through the week. But it interfears with customers that need details. See I started this Maintenance Package for $55 per month which gives my clients 4 exterior washes and 2 interior cleanings per month and I see them once a week. Ive sold 40, so its good and all cause I use that as my "Salary" but now I can only do 1 detail a day and thats if the new customer can have time in the afternoon for me to detail the vehicle.
So back to what ya'll wrote the past days about rather doing 1 detail in 3 hours vs 3 washes because its more money detailing... It makes sense but Im afraid to hire a guy or 2 to take care of my maintenance clients because I dont want them to take and steal money and chemicals from me and new business, HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT THIS?
Thats my first dillema:
Did that kinda make sense or did it sound confusing?
 
Just to make sure I have this correct.

$55 per month x 12 months = $660 per year

$660 divided by 52 visits = $12.69 each time you touch that car

That isn't enough for one person with no employees. I hope that you meant $55 per week!

If not, fulfill the obligations that you have sold and give them some advance notice of a price/package adjustment.

Make time for the complete details and then offer them a maintenance service only after you have completely detailed the car, including paint correction if it's required.
 
Its every 4 weeks so $715 per year... Goal "was 50 customers"= $35,750 per year just on the maintenance package, that was the big picture I was looking at...
See I kinda figured that if I get a bunch of them, then it would make sense, when I first came up with it I had a business partner and we were going to get 50 a week. Which made it easy cause we could spend 2-3 hours doing these washes per day(10 cars per day) and still have time to do 2-3 details a day together. But at the beginning of the year I had to let my partner go cause he wasnt working and was collection the money still :/...
I just resently raised my price to $60 and people are still buying them $15per week(vist)
Does that kinda make sense?
 
Your price point on the wash packages seems decent, but given your situation here's what I'd do:

1) Stop selling any NEW maintenance packages for a while -- just keep up with the ones you already have and focus on selling details instead.

2) If some of your maintenance package customers stop coming to you, then go ahead and sell a few more of them if you find yourself not keeping booked with details or other higher-margin services.

3) Consider eventually hiring an employee to handle maintenance packages if you get busy enough doing other things. You just have to set clear standards and guidelines for the employee(s) to stick to and keep an eye on things.

I don't want to sound like a broken record but if you plan to grow your business and you don't have any business background, seek out some education, training, or other assistance to help you along the way.
 
1) I raised prices to help stop the packages but they keep coming, everyone on my maintencance program will not got to anyone else (car washes, other mobile services etc...) In a way a good thing :)
I feel that if I can hire 2 guys at $8-10 per hour $240 per week ($120 per person) I can then take care of marketing, details and paint corrections etc (the bigger money makers)
2)I am running a summer deal "100 details in 100 days for $100" which is booking me and I cant seem to handle doing both cause its just so hot in Arizona, it drains me doing both details and 6-10 washes per day. That is why I feel I should hire another guy or 2 to handle these maintenance customers. What would you do if you were in a situation like this?????
My back ground is in sales so that is why its not hard to sell the packages to customers, I show them value and proof on there vehicle. per week.. I also have some business background but as far as education and training on upper detailing (buffing, wetsanding, paint corrections ect...) I am new to it and that is why I come here to see and read what everyone uses and what not.
If you were in a situation like this how would you go about it? cause the maintenance packages are growing about 3-6 per week and it is hard to say "no" to new customers (clients)
 
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