Need advice on Prices

I

imported_FLAWLESS

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I searched on this quite a bit, but every situation is different of course.



My landlord has quite a collection of cars, as well as a great deal of respect for the detailing work I do.



I recently detailed his Lamborghini Countach (black) which was in terrible condition. Looked like it was washed with a brillo pad. We initially agreed on one free month of garage for me in the winter. He would have charged me $80 for the month. After the job I talked him into 2 months of free garage for the time I spent on the car. I washed, clayed, PC&SMR, PC & #7 Polish, PC & Gold Class Wax, PC Final Buff, Windows, Interior Cleaning & Leather treatment, wheel cleaning & dressing. It looked immaculate when I was done, I still think he got a good deal.



He now wants me to detail his wife's Porsche Carerra (2003) in dark green. I think it's in decent condition. He just wants to prep it for winter, so hopefully I can get away with just wash and wax (sealant). I don't know if I'll have many swirls to fight. What should I charge for this? He said give him a price and he'll do it if he can afford it. He is not cheap but wants a good price of course.



He also wants his Ferrari F40 done. This needs more work, most likely the process I did on the Lambo. What do you think is a fair cash price for this?



Finally, they both just got brand new (yesterday), a BMW X5 SUV in silver and a Nissan Z Roadster in silver. I mentioned that they both should be waxed for the protection they need. What's a good price for this?



Again, I don't want to beat him up, but I don't want to work for free. I can't bring myself to do a mediocre job, so I want to get the right price for the time I put in. Thanks in advance for the help guys.
 
~One man’s opinion~



$200 – 250 for a full detail (like you described for the Lamborghini Countach) sounds OK



I do detailing for money/fun (not necessarily in that order) but not for a living, and have the luxury of charging, “What the market will stand� (a quote from Rolls Royce on how they priced their cars)



If you work out a per hour rate (that includes materials, water and electricity rates, telephone, etc) it comes down to estimation of how long it would take x X$ PH





Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/



justadumbarchitect
 
If he can afford it???? WTF. He's got more than 1,000,000 USD in vehicle's and he's not sure if he'll be able to afford. Considering how he is depreciating his vehicles by not maitaining them, I think he doesn't have a choice.



I'd go with the $35 (if not more).



Paco
 
For a basic wash/polish/wax or sealant on the cars, about $75 assuming the paint is in good shape, probably an extra $15 is they need claying (usually on the horizontal surfaces) and $30-35 an hour for swirl/scratch removal. $100 for the X5 to start.



I don't know how long the job takes you, but I price my work so I average at least $30 an hour.
 
All of that sounds pretty fair. I don't really want to charge hourly, I'd prefer to charge for each vehicle.



I figure $90 to wash/polish/wax the Carerra, $150 to machine and full detail the F40, $90 for the Nissan Z, and say, $120 for the X5. Am I right in there, way out there, or right on with those numbers? Thanks again.



I should add, he's a great landlord and takes excellent care of our needs while living here (and it's a great place for a good price), and we've developed a good friendship with him and his wife. So factor in the business-oriented friendship factor too. He's someone who will "return the favor" if I take good care of him. Sorry to make it more complicated.
 
The prices I gave were based on the paint being in good condition, anything extra it takes to bring the paint back, add on to the base price you would charge.



Without seeing the cars, I don't know if what you want to charge is in line or not.
 
As someone that details for fun money, is it in his/her interest to 'undercut' the market if effort to obtain the business? Outside of knowing someone, what is the benefit of having this guy do it over the next if there is no pricing advantage? Maybe pricing isn't the deciding factor when it comes to having a vehicle detailed?
 
I say that you ripped yourself on the Lambo. We charge $160.00 for a full detail. And that is on a compact car. You never want to undercut your prices. That will only hurt YOU in the future. Yeah, you might get two cars for every one car the higher priced guy gets BUT you also work twice as hard, use twice as much product, and take twice as much time for less money. Thanks is just my opinion though.
 
gusman said:
As someone that details for fun money, is it in his/her interest to 'undercut' the market if effort to obtain the business? Outside of knowing someone, what is the benefit of having this guy do it over the next if there is no pricing advantage? Maybe pricing isn't the deciding factor when it comes to having a vehicle detailed?
Click to expand...



If you use price as your hook, all you will get is cheapskates who will bolt the minute someone cheaper comes along.



Pricing is not nearly a big a factor as quality is. When I started out, I thought that being cheap was the way to go and I was only charging $60 for cars and $85-100 for SUVs and vans (about 10-12 years ago). Several of my customers told me I wasn't charging enough for the work I did and that I should raise my prices. I took their advice and did....and my business improved! Seems that people would see my flyer and all the work I said I would do and figured at that price I was either using cheap products or rushing through the job.
 
Same thing with me. I use to charge real cheap prices and didn't get any business, but when I started to charge much higher prices, the business picked up. In fact, I think I'm still charging too cheap, and I am currently in the process of increasing the prices. I do too much quality work for the prices I charge. ($85-$135)
 
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