Mobile Detailing...here goes!

A

Allred00535

New member
Thanks to you Autopians I have started my venture into mobile detailing for myself...no more shop space searching for me.



I started off thismorning by renewing a few online ads, ordering some sweet business cards and am in the process of printing up some pricing menus.



My plan of attack will be putting the pricing menu and business cards anywhere I can... a friend that is a mortgage broker suggested putting pricing menus in the open glass cases by community mail boxes. He is fairly sharp when it comes to sales and advertising.



My question for you guys is this: Should I try to go with the Bread and Butter monthly wash packages? Also any marketing tips? I am starting on a somewhat limited budget so Im not able to get a wrap around sticker or likewise on my vehicles just yet.



I look forward to sharing my progress with you..



Thanks for your support.



Chris
 
Allred00535 said:
Thanks to you Autopians I have started my venture into mobile detailing for myself...no more shop space searching for me.



I started off thismorning by renewing a few online ads, ordering some sweet business cards and am in the process of printing up some pricing menus.



My plan of attack will be putting the pricing menu and business cards anywhere I can... a friend that is a mortgage broker suggested putting pricing menus in the open glass cases by community mail boxes. He is fairly sharp when it comes to sales and advertising.



My question for you guys is this: Should I try to go with the Bread and Butter monthly wash packages? Also any marketing tips? I am starting on a somewhat limited budget so Im not able to get a wrap around sticker or likewise on my vehicles just yet.



I look forward to sharing my progress with you..



Thanks for your support.



Chris
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WAIT! We where all kidding! Go back to the other job! :lol



Good luck! You should be happier on your own vs. working for someone.
 
Danase said:
WAIT! We where all kidding! Go back to the other job! :lol
Click to expand...



Oh that would be so cruel! Good luck with the venture. I'm sure you will do fine. Keep us update as to how it goes.
 
I ran a small two bay operation in Salt Lake City. I never had to do any advertising because I more or less fell into it. The guy who ran the shop before me had to move to Florida as a spur of the moment type thing, so all I had to do was keep my dealers and the existing customer base happy.



The past week working for the mobile company was my first time working for someone else since 2002.



Thank you for the good luck...alot more nice cars here...without the road salt!
 
No road salt would be nice! My truck will be covered in salt for the next two months. I was it when it gets above freezing but that won't happen for a while now.
 
Regular scheduled washes are great. Unless you plan to just wash cars you may have to find a way to limit wash customers. Price hikes have a way of limiting them or just stop doing them for anymore people. I didn't intend to end up being a car washer. I just kept adding weekly, biweekly customers and eventually filled my schedule completely. I've cut off new customers but am thinking about taking details if I can move some people around. Also thinking about moving two states away which would definately free up some space :)
 
Alright.. one day has passed and I have 2 details lined up, both with several hours of color sanding and clay work.





Yesterday afternoon I did a full detail on an 06' Roushe F150. I quoted pretty low at $150 and the job took about four hours. When the vehicle was completed the customer told me he would like me to clay the entire vehicle because there was a tad bit of overspray from the racing stripes he had put on it. There was no mention of this during the estimate. I told him it would be an additional service to which he became furious. He said I would not be paid because the detail is not done until the truck is gone over with the clay bar. I explained the process to him and that it was not in the original estimate. He went inside and came back out with a check for $75 and said "You will get the other $75 when the clay work is done!" I was unsure what to do in that circumstance? Do I call the police? The service he paid for was complete and the truck looked spectacular, I packed up my equipment and left with the $75.





A nightmare of a first customer.
 
No. He was just purchasing my full detail package which includes nothing about overspray removal...overyspray removal is listed in additional services. The guy actually just called me to tell me he would be home in 15 minutes so I could complete the job. What the hell am I going to do about him lol?!?!



Geez.
 
Allred00535 said:
Alright.. one day has passed and I have 2 details lined up, both with several hours of color sanding and clay work.





Yesterday afternoon I did a full detail on an 06' Roushe F150. I quoted pretty low at $150 and the job took about four hours. When the vehicle was completed the customer told me he would like me to clay the entire vehicle because there was a tad bit of overspray from the racing stripes he had put on it. There was no mention of this during the estimate. I told him it would be an additional service to which he became furious. He said I would not be paid because the detail is not done until the truck is gone over with the clay bar. I explained the process to him and that it was not in the original estimate. He went inside and came back out with a check for $75 and said "You will get the other $75 when the clay work is done!" I was unsure what to do in that circumstance? Do I call the police? The service he paid for was complete and the truck looked spectacular, I packed up my equipment and left with the $75.





A nightmare of a first customer.
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:grrr

What a way to get started. I'm not sure, you might try to force the issue but it sounds like you don't have anything in writing, so there's a good chance you'd still come out on the short end plus you'd have someone looking to bad mouth you right as you're getting off the ground with your business. Tough call, and an excellent example why to have everything in writing. You can either write it off or go ahead and kowtow to him. Not sure I'd want to do that considering he's already making it plain he's willing to be a jerk and screw you over.



On the bright side, you still made a lot more the $10 hr!
 
Allred00535 said:
No. He was just purchasing my full detail package which includes nothing about overspray removal...overyspray removal is listed in additional services. The guy actually just called me to tell me he would be home in 15 minutes so I could complete the job. What the hell am I going to do about him lol?!?!



Geez.
Click to expand...





just go back and do it. Sometimes when it rains it pours.



Be the better man.



Let us know.
 
Apparently he liked the work you did, finish it and he might give you the correct money and possibly a refferel.
 
Tough call to be honest. WORD OF MOUTH is the best form of advertising, so you may want to explain that what he paid for included X,Y, &Z but not claying. In order to keep him happy and prevent him from trashing, you may have to suck it up and redo it (Clay and seal) and hope he returns or doesn't talk smack.



In the future, I woudl have you menu on a sheet, check off what the client wants, and have them sign it when they hand the keys over. This way you can always go back and show them what they did or didn't pay for. May make it easier fo you to upsell them too. Be sure that each menu option clearly indicates what is included and maybe even more importantly what is not.



It may also be beneficial for you to do a prelimianry review and highlight those menu options you would recommend so that customers don't always ceck off teh old wash n wax box.



I suppose since you have the time, make this guy happy and shut him up. You're getting the sh1tty end of the stick for sure but like my old man says....."I'll eat a miles of someones crap to get to their pocket".
 
Here is my take on this. I wouldn't make clay an option on a package that I called "full" or "complete" detail. I would include it in the price or use another word for the package. When I think full or complete I think it's the best you have to offer. Any optional detail related services I would assume are included in the package. On your menu for full detail does it say "does not included Clay work" or "Clay work not included"? Customers are already confused enough on what detailing is. If the overspray was substantial and obvious I would automatically assume the customer would be expecting it to be corrected. If I was not prepared to correct it without more money I'd have stopped where I was at and talked to the customer. If it was minor then I'd just knock it out during the detail.

I understand your position that it was an optional service and you should be paid for it. Being right though leaves you with a pissed off customer. At this point go fix the car and get paid. I'd bite my tongue and apologize.
 
Wish me luck.. heading over in a few to do some charity clay work. I guess I will have to be a little more through on my explainations...
 
lol... guy wasnt home and wouldnt answer his mobile...



hmmm..



Another question.. I am getting lowballed out here pretty bad. I did a quote on an 05' black jetta with a nice coat of off-white overspray and an orange peeled drivers side door and front fender. I figured I would charge him $400 even for the complete detail, the extensive clay work and the color sanding. Still seems low to me but the guy has multiple vehicles in need of work and I would like to have him as a customer.



He informed me that he was also awaiting quotes from 3 other guys and would be in touch. Then WHAM BAM he calls back saying he found a guy that will do it all for a hundred bucks and if I could match he would rather I do the work.



This seems to happen alot... Am I being low balled by a butcher or am I being bullsh**ted by my customers??
 
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