National Association for Professional Detailing and Reconditioning

N

nedatony

New member
Hello Everyone. We thought the pro's over here on this great forum might be interested in getting some information on the NAPDR and our efforts to improve the industry.



CAR CARE WORLD EXPO 2007- 2/2/07

NAPDR has 3 days of Detail Educational Session at the ICA in March. If you thought the detail industry would not be represented, well you are in for 8 detail sessions, we will be posting sessions, descriptions and speakers in the next few days. Tune in you won't want to miss this.....



Tony Stubbleield

NAPDR Memebership Team

Bulletins

617.464.4481
 
Just curious how we can improve the industry if we can't stop hackers from setting up shop and dealerships allowing their detailers to do such lousy work?
 
Scottwax said:
Just curious how we can improve the industry if we can't stop hackers from setting up shop and dealerships allowing their detailers to do such lousy work?
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Scott the association will not be the cure all for everything bad about the auto detailing industry but it sure is a step in the right direction.
 
Superior Fine said:
Scott the association will not be the cure all for everything bad about the auto detailing industry but it sure is a step in the right direction.
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I still wish we could do something about the dregs of the industry dragging us all down.
 
Scottwax said:
I still wish we could do something about the dregs of the industry dragging us all down.
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How are dealerships and people doing crappy, cheap work dragging us down??? If anything, it helps us out. :secret The more we complain about the things we can't control, the more it brings attention to us. How many cars have you fixed from these dealers/shops that didn't know what they were doing? Probably alot. Now imagine how much you'd get if they all learned the right way to detail. If dealers and the people they sell cars to think this level of work is acceptable, leave it alone. I found my niche by catering my services to dealerships that couldn't figure out the "art" of stabilizing a prep/recon department and it paid off big time for me. Stick to the doing things the right way and figure out the tricks to becoming profitable by repeat customers and using cost effective chemicals. It sometimes not how much you make, it's how much you save. :think2
 
Superior Fine said:
Scott the association will not be the cure all for everything bad about the auto detailing industry but it sure is a step in the right direction.
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I agree, if anything it's a resource that is better than not having a National Association. At least "True" Detailers will have the ability to observe, learn, and hopefully get incentives. Anyone know the fees involved with registering with the NAPDR?
 
David Fermani said:
How are dealerships and people doing crappy, cheap work dragging us down??? If anything, it helps us out. :secret
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Where it hurts us is by dragging prices down and acclimating the customer to substandard work. They think all detailers perform roughly at the same level and balk at paying my higher prices, thinking the work I will do is the same as Joe Hacker down the street is doing for half the price.



It doesn't affect me as much when I get referrals or business from my website but it did with my yellow page listing-which I have since dropped.
 
Scottwax said:
Where it hurts us is by dragging prices down and acclimating the customer to substandard work. They think all detailers perform roughly at the same level and balk at paying my higher prices, thinking the work I will do is the same as Joe Hacker down the street is doing for half the price.
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My prices didn't do anything but climb up over the years. Most of the cheapie detail shops couldn't stay in business doing low budget detailing and I actually witnessed dozens open and close throughout my career due to them not seeing the big picture with respect to pricing smartly. There was a guy a 1/2 mile down the street with a big sign up advertising $100 complete details & I constantly had people price shopping me against them. You have to explain and educate misinformed consumers that cheap isn't good and good isn't cheap. There is not an association between the 2. It's apples and oranges. I went out of my way and spent a generous amount of time with potential customers explaining and alot of times showing them what true "detailing" is and I think I stuck out of the crowd. I knew the guy down the street was just handing out a flyer/price sheet and hoping for the sale because they were the cheapest. Those type of *detailers* don't last.
 
David Fermani said:
My prices didn't do anything but climb up over the years. Most of the cheapie detail shops couldn't stay in business doing low budget detailing and I actually witnessed dozens open and close throughout my career due to them not seeing the big picture with respect to pricing smartly. There was a guy a 1/2 mile down the street with a big sign up advertising $100 complete details & I constantly had people price shopping me against them. You have to explain and educate misinformed consumers that cheap isn't good and good isn't cheap. There is not an association between the 2. It's apples and oranges. I went out of my way and spent a generous amount of time with potential customers explaining and alot of times showing them what true "detailing" is and I think I stuck out of the crowd. I knew the guy down the street was just handing out a flyer/price sheet and hoping for the sale because they were the cheapest. Those type of *detailers* don't last.
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I realize all that and I have built my business to the point that the effect isn't large because so much of my new business is referral so those new customers already know what to expect to pay and what level of quality to expect. Where it is hard is when I meet someone and it gets around to what I do for a living. About half the time, I hear "I have this shop who details mine for (as an example) $85, if you can match it, I'll let you do it next time. Those type of people (who honestly, aren't really our market anyway) have no desire to hear what steps and products I use that greatly exceed what they get for their $85 now, all they want to hear is "yes, I'll match the price." They never hear it though!
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The ones it really hurts are the new autopia level detailers who are offering high quality details at a premium price. They don't have their customer base built up enough to ensure a steady stream of repeat and referral business.
 
Scottwax said:
I still wish we could do something about the dregs of the industry dragging us all down.
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Scottwax said:
I realize all that and I have built my business to the point that the effect isn't large because so much of my new business is referral so those new customers already know what to expect to pay and what level of quality to expect. Where it is hard is when I meet someone and it gets around to what I do for a living. About half the time, I hear "I have this shop who details mine for (as an example) $85, if you can match it, I'll let you do it next time. Those type of people (who honestly, aren't really our market anyway) have no desire to hear what steps and products I use that greatly exceed what they get for their $85 now, all they want to hear is "yes, I'll match the price." They never hear it though!



The ones it really hurts are the new autopia level detailers who are offering high quality details at a premium price. They don't have their customer base built up enough to ensure a steady stream of repeat and referral business.
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At 1st you mention it's hurting you and then you say it's not? I think low balling shops may bother you and I both, but I don't think established detailers/shops that do quality work should care. You, being a mobile operation, need to weed out the cheap skate consumers, but me on the other hand (with a fixed location) will try everything I can to get the sale with my normal rate. But, if I see that the customer is hell bent on just spending a $100 for a *complete* detail, I'll sign them up for $100 and give the job to my newest beginner detailer for practice and still make a profit. It's a balance between integrity to the industry and $100 more in my bank account. :hide:
 
David Fermani said:
At 1st you mention it's hurting you and then you say it's not? I think low balling shops may bother you and I both, but I don't think established detailers/shops that do quality work should care. You, being a mobile operation, need to weed out the cheap skate consumers, but me on the other hand (with a fixed location) will try everything I can to get the sale with my normal rate. But, if I see that the customer is hell bent on just spending a $100 for a *complete* detail, I'll sign them up for $100 and give the job to my newest beginner detailer for practice and still make a profit. It's a balance between integrity to the industry and $100 more in my bank account. :hide:
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By dragging us all down, I mean crappy work by others makes all detailers look bad, whether or not it actually affects our individual bottom line. Take the steriod problem in baseball for example. Only a few have been caught but it has tainted the whole sport. It may not affect each individual ballplayer monetarily but you know the steriod issue bothers them in the way that it paints professional baseball as a whole.
 
I know how you feel scott as I am in your same shoes. It is hard to explain why you are double the price, but have no overhead. Also how come the shop down the road with all the expenses can do it for cheaper and you as a independent person with no building expenses charge more.



Although it is quite frustrating and then it is tough to explain quality versus quantity and how you do not have $5 an hour people that can't get a jo anywhere else touching your pride and joy. Also explain on how some use silicones and I use only the best and I take pride. Some listen and give in and then you get tons of referrals or the person just looks at you and tells you to speak english, cause they have no idea about products and think wax is wax and how can your wax be better or how can you have a better process than that established business down the road. Hmmmmmm. I agree chasing caravans down are not your paying customers, but I do chase down the kids with nice cars, adults with expensive cars and go to car washes.



I know how you feel scott and sometimes it can be frustrating! Sometimes I will give in and give them a $100 special and do a $200 job and tell them to help me out and do not tell anyone what they paid and send me work. 9 out of 10 times they send the most work...wierd! I just barter before the detail and hope they keep there promise.
 
rydawg said:
Sometimes I will give in and give them a $100 special and do a $200 job and tell them to help me out and do not tell anyone what they paid and send me work. 9 out of 10 times they send the most work...wierd! I just barter before the detail and hope they keep there promise.
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I usually don't do a $200 for $100. They get what they pay for & maybe a little more. They probably can't tell the difference anyways. Sometimes it's better to work for less profit margin and keep the sale, then to loose it all together.
 
Sometimes it's better to work for less profit margin and keep the sale - Yes Sir Buddy, I agree 100%, I've dropped my price to get a car and in return got 2 cars from other members of the same family at my price! Another thing I had to learn was that what I expect (show car) and what the customer expects (clean car) are different animals. Don't kill yourself on daily drivers doing a 7-8 step detail on paint that the customer only washes every few months at a car wash.
 
JuneBug said:
Don't kill yourself on daily drivers doing a 7-8 step detail on paint that the customer only washes every few months at a car wash.
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Agreed but at the same time, you don't want to do a true short cut detail for an ultra low price either.
 
I understand what scott has been saying.

In australia, the common motorist goes to a detail shop for a complete detail. The shops complete detail is like wash & dry compared to what I do and the car looks nice to ok or worse than that and after a few weeks the car looks crap again



They either go to another one and get it done with same result or presume that all detailers are the same and stick with just washing the car themselves and that's it

It's been hard for me early on but the referrals are coming more and more and the word spreading. Takes time



Problem I find in south australia is too many shops and their results are below average to ok. A few excellent detailers working for companies that don't pay them enough, buy the cheapest bulk products and expect them to do it as fast as they can



I started out using that crap in the 80's as a kid and have tried alot and today refuse to use anything other than the boutique brands talked about here since 2001.

It's costly but you use far less, get amazing results and it's easier to work with and any car that comes my way stays the same for years as the owner gets trained before and after the car is done.



That's why I call myself a refinisher, not a detailer. That's basically what we do with cars
 
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