Need some advice on detailing packages

I

Irkie500

New member
Hey Friends,

I have a great opportunity this spring to detail on the weekends out of a friends auto repair shop. Last fall he said he had plenty of customers asking if he did detailing in house, and after he discovered I was trying to go out on my own this year, he offered me some space on the weekends to detail. With a near guaranteed customer base at least to start, and with spring fast approaching I am trying to get some material together for him to place on his counter. I have the basics laid out, but after a lot of research and going off the company I used to work for it is usually laid out in "tiers" of detailing packages. I am struggling to find a good balance of time/value in some higher end packages, which is why I look to the community to help me out. A basic outline below:

Wash N Wax $45 - Pretty much the standard fair here, wash, wax, quick vacuum and wipe down, no clay bar for time sake. Aimed at customers who I have already serviced.
Brilliance Interior $80 - Vacuum, shampoo, leather(if applicable), vinyl dressing, inside windows, some other odds and ends.
Brilliance Exterior $80 - Wash, Clay Bar, Wax, Wheels/wheel wells scrubbed and polished, tail pipes and exterior chrome cleaned and polished, tire dressing, plastic trim dressing, outside windows.
Brilliance Complete $140 - Combines both packages for a savings of $20
Brilliance Pinnacle $250 - ???

My biggest competitor is a family owned chain of carwash/detail shops. They have packages ranging from $160 for their main full detail, to $340 for a showroom detail, which frankly is a joke. They use those, "You don't need to wax your car for 2 years!" products which as we know, unless its Opticoat there really isn't anything that can last that long. Also included is a supposed 4-6 hours of machine polishing, yet nobody knows how to use a rotary there.

What I would like is a package above the Brilliance Complete that involves some type of polishing but does not take me 8-10 hours. Due to time constraints I will only have Saturday and Sunday to detail, and I cannot keep the car overnight. So I was thinking of including the Meguiars microfiber polishing system in there as I have used it in the past with great results. The only issues is that it does leave some marring behind, then again it is a one step product. I would aim that package at people looking to improve the appearance of the vehicle without breaking the bank, perfect for after winter. With that system I can usually get a sedan done in 2-3 hours, so I would aim for a price point of about $250 or so.

Any ideas on other items I could add into a package that would appeal to the masses? Things like engine details and headlight restorations seem to be a more "as needed" basis around here.

Thank you to anyone who can assist!
 
I think I'd leave the Wash n Wax at $45 for the local tunnel wash people. You know if you offer it to your established customers at that price that first timers and one timers will be asking for it also. Fact is a tunnel wash will charge more than that. There is no way that I (me personally) could make money at that rate.

I'd think a top notch wash, trim, wheel arches, Windows, tire's, wheels etc. would figure in at at least an hour, a wax, vacuum, tire dress etc. another hour an a half. Yeah, I know I'm probably just slow. Your time has got to be worth $35 - $40/per hour anywhere in the country and probably much more. Figure your packages off of what you are worth per hour. How much money does it take to steal your weekends to make it worth while?

If your work justifies the charge and people are asking for a detail beyond a tunnel wash you'll likely have business. I think all too often Detailers value their time far below what the market will pay and their actual worth. Please understand that I don't do this for money on a regular basis so what I think is worth it exactly what it cost you to read this post. I wish you well.
 
what about using a good AIO polish like Poorboys PWS and a spray wax as additional LSP

I've got some really good results with PWS alone as a one step. (even done spotted glass with it before with good results)

Just at face value it seems like you might need to have a package filling the gap between the "brilliance complete and pinnacle" perhaps right around the $200 mark
just my thoughts
 
Definitely leave the quick wash n wax stuff to wash tunnels. Nobody calls any good detailer for something similar to what a wash tunnel will do. You can't justify the high price for something they can get for $10 in 2 minutes. These customers typically will think swirls are just part of owning a car too (which is sort of true but you get the point).

Id say your prices are way too low. How fast can you really do that much work and do a quality job? Would you even be making minimum wage? You also need to factor in how big the vehicle is. A Ford Expedition will take you twice as long to detail than a Ford Fiesta. Are you really willing to do the bigger vehicle for half the pay basically?

If you know that you can put out better work than the other shop, then start at or around their prices and once people realize you do the better job, you can probably increase them a little bit (this can be tricky so be cautious with this approach). In your case, if you're confident in your abilities, charge more than the other shop. Sounds like you already have a foot in the door for finding customers so that will help tremendously. Do high quality work, and they will see the value, especially if they used to go to the other shop them come to you, and you can really impress them.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys!

Its always hard starting out and getting your prices right, too low and you attract the wrong crowd, too high and people usually will not pay. Now I will agree that I should be basing the prices off a $/hr rate, so I will adjust that, so thank you for reminding me of that.

I'll take a look at some AIO products, I have used Poorboys in the past and been very satisfied with the results.

When it comes to large or oversize vehicles, do you charge a flat rate that is in line with how much extra time it will take you, or do you charge a per hour rate on top of your package? I usually charge $30 extra for a standard SUV(Honda Pilot, GMC Terrain) and would step that up to $50-$60 for something the size of an F350 or something along those lines. Would the better approach be "I can estimate it will take me X hours for a Brilliance Complete, and anything over that will be charged at $40/hr?

Thank you again fellas for all the help, gives me some good things to go and adjust.
 
What I started doing was charging by the number of rows of seats and cargo areas. Look at the pricing page of my website and see how I split up the interiors. Basically narrowed it down to number of rows of seats. With the way I work, I figure about 4 hours for 2 rows of seats, 5 hours for 2 rows with an interior cargo area (think Ford Escape) and 6 hours for your large SUVs with 3 rows and cargo area.

Also every customer I talk to I make sure knows that my prices are estimates. You really any quote a price until you see it. Sometimes I charge less and sometimes I charge more. Once I see it I have a better idea on how long it will take
 
I agree your prices are low and to leave the cheap stuff to the tunnel wash guys, you do not want those customers if you want to focus on quality and take pride on your work. I do this part time as well and the way i figured my prices was i did a few vehicles for friends free of charge and i was timing myself to see how long i'd spend on the interior and exterior separately offering the same "stage" of service. Out of doing a few freebies, i now have steady monthly maintenance details from clients that only want me and no one else to clean their vehicles .

Even after i set my prices based on that, i have a had a price increase since then because i found myself under quoting and going a bit over my estimated time, so since i did not want to cut back on quality i decided to increase the price to where i'd be profitable by working on 1 car a day (if machine polishing and 1-2 cars if doing cleaning without polishing). I've taken a bit of a loss here and there with $, but i've gained insight and managed to re-adjust my prices while discovering new ways to be more efficient with my time . Focus on being better than you were yesterday and keep thinking progressively on being profitable while keeping your quality. With my price increase, i've increased the quality of some of my products and tools as well to ensure the customer gets what they are paying for.

Find a good AIO product (mine is HD Speed, LOVE it) that you like and doesn't give you a hard time ,and that will help you knock exterior work out in a day for simple "stage 1" machine polishing.

Customer Service is huge as well, be confident with your prices and business, don't be the guy that offers a discount every time someone is nice to him otherwise you'll be known as being that guy and as mentioned above, make sure that when giving a price without looking at a car, that you make it clear it is an estimate and not final. Remember there will be plenty of "NO"s before getting that "YES" . That is a sweet opportunity you have there,take full advantage of it and i wish you the best of luck. That could turn into something big for you.
 
Migue said:
I agree your prices are low and to leave the cheap stuff to the tunnel wash guys, you do not want those customers if you want to focus on quality and take pride on your work. I do this part time as well and the way i figured my prices was i did a few vehicles for friends free of charge and i was timing myself to see how long i'd spend on the interior and exterior separately offering the same "stage" of service. Out of doing a few freebies, i now have steady monthly maintenance details from clients that only want me and no one else to clean their vehicles .

Even after i set my prices based on that, i have a had a price increase since then because i found myself under quoting and going a bit over my estimated time, so since i did not want to cut back on quality i decided to increase the price to where i'd be profitable by working on 1 car a day (if machine polishing and 1-2 cars if doing cleaning without polishing). I've taken a bit of a loss here and there with $, but i've gained insight and managed to re-adjust my prices while discovering new ways to be more efficient with my time . Focus on being better than you were yesterday and keep thinking progressively on being profitable while keeping your quality. With my price increase, i've increased the quality of some of my products and tools as well to ensure the customer gets what they are paying for.

Find a good AIO product (mine is HD Speed, LOVE it) that you like and doesn't give you a hard time ,and that will help you knock exterior work out in a day for simple "stage 1" machine polishing.

Customer Service is huge as well, be confident with your prices and business, don't be the guy that offers a discount every time someone is nice to him otherwise you'll be known as being that guy and as mentioned above, make sure that when giving a price without looking at a car, that you make it clear it is an estimate and not final. Remember there will be plenty of "NO"s before getting that "YES" . That is a sweet opportunity you have there,take full advantage of it and i wish you the best of luck. That could turn into something big for you.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words. Actually after reading this thread I went back and redid my packages, removing the Wash N Wax package, and taking the advice from above, added another package in between the Brilliance Complete and Brilliance Pinnacle. I did raise my prices, however my market does not have established detailers in the area, and even being in an affluent area I don't think I could push much farther without turning away too many people. Its hard because I know that on average I can get a basic wash, wax and full interior done in about 3 hours if I don't stop. One of the positives from working in the commercial "get it in and out" was perfecting my work flow to be as efficient as possible without sacrificing quality. My problem comes when adding paint correction to the mix.

If I am aiming for $40/hr profit, and knowing that a Meguiars microfiber correction takes me 2-3 hours on an average sedan, that adds at least $120 on top of the Brilliance Complete. For a full 2 stage correction? I haven't gotten that far with a customer, nobody seems interested in really going the distance so for me its a tough area as I don't really have any time studies on how long its going to take. For a 2 stage correction the assumption is that most defects will be removed, with severe RIDS, and scratches being left behind. On average how long does it take you all to compound and polish a vehicle with say 85%-95% defect removal? I would guess at least 4 for compounding and another 3-4 for polishing?

Doing some basic math here:
Brilliance Complete: $160
Brilliance Prestige: $240 - adds 1 step polish and wax via AIO product.
Brilliance Pinnacle: $480-$520? going with 2 stage correction it shoots the price pretty high. Is that alright to have such a large gap between packages? seems like quite a large leap going for the top. Then again your car would be delivered looking better than when you bought it so...

Anyway, thank you all again for the help.
 
You may find yourself doing a lot of AIO jobs before nailing that "full correction" client that wants to pay extra, so i would not stress over it especially since you are part time. I'd rather do an AIO customer since it takes less time and can sometimes be more profitable when it comes to time spent and a full correction job can surprise you and take more than expected . There's really not too much of an accurate time on how long it takes to do a 90% correction job since IMO (and many others i'm sure) it varies from vehicle to vehicle and individual . Some vehicles may allow for a quicker process and some will not depending on many factors.
 
Migue said:
You may find yourself doing a lot of AIO jobs before nailing that "full correction" client that wants to pay extra, so i would not stress over it especially since you are part time. I'd rather do an AIO customer since it takes less time and can sometimes be more profitable when it comes to time spent and a full correction job can surprise you and take more than expected . There's really not too much of an accurate time on how long it takes to do a 90% correction job since IMO (and many others i'm sure) it varies from vehicle to vehicle and individual . Some vehicles may allow for a quicker process and some will not depending on many factors.
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I agree, and frankly I don't really care what the spread of customers are as long as I am getting them in the door! My girlfriend and I are saving for a house, and looking to buy this coming Fall so any money I can get in the bank will be a massive help. From the sounds of it the customers are very eager to find someone to clean their cars. The advantage I have is they trust the shop owner with mechanical repairs, and now telling them that he has a trusted detailer to take care of the rest of the vehicle is a massive advantage I cannot shy away from. I am confident I can deliver on the quality aspect, I have done some serious turn arounds when I was working for a commercial chain.

Also very anxious to get my hands on a Flex 3401. Currently have a PC which is fine, but just wont be as efficient going forward. I am going to relegate that to headlight duty and small areas, like bumper lips and such. Got my shopping list ready for the must haves, just need the damn snow to melt!
 
yup, it is very attractive to get your car detailed right after it gets worked on mechanically, most people may want to go for it since it's already out of service and at the Shop . They can do it all in one trip.

I did the same you are planning on regards to the machines, went from a PC to a 3401 and now my PC stays with the 3" backing plate or brush for tires.
 
Here is what I offer after doing completes for over 40 plus years. I can do any exterior only, with 90 percent "correction" where possible depending on the paint and its capabilities. The price is usually 240.00. I am really tired of interiors. I still do them, by estimate only. Dont focus so much on what other detailers are doing. Dont put out any "meat cutters" work. "Hacks" are a dime a dozen in this industry. They the "hacks" mostly focus on volume. . . money hungry fiends.
 
Paintxpert said:
Here is what I offer after doing completes for over 40 plus years. I can do any exterior only, with 90 percent "correction" where possible depending on the paint and its capabilities. The price is usually 240.00. I am really tired of interiors. I still do them, by estimate only. Dont focus so much on what other detailers are doing. Dont put out any "meat cutters" work. "Hacks" are a dime a dozen in this industry. They the "hacks" mostly focus on volume. . . money hungry fiends.
Click to expand...

Its kind of funny, the more click and brag threads I read I always wondered why interiors are seldom covered, then realized that a lot of detailers either just focus on the paint or the customer didnt pay for it. That kind of surprised me actually as in my experience the customers knowledge of what paint correction actually is is so low that most just want the interior done. Now I guess that means it is our job to educate our customers on the importance of proper exterior care :)
 
Interiors are very important, but it is my "Paint Correction" that is the main thrust of my business if you will. Consider that ninety percent of the cars I "correct" are "car wash beaten" BLACK cars. When I do completes, I price them way over market price. Perhaps upward to 350.00, which is still very affordable. If your labor rate is not 80 plus per hour. Change it to at least that. Consider this to be close to the minimum hourly rate you need to make things happen. Your in business to make MONEY, not give the store away. Good Luck!
 
I dont see many clients paying high prices for detailing. In Fairfield County, it rains 3 to 4 times per week. Very hard to keep a car nicely, unless it is a fair weather only car. I think you should not depend on doing too many 500.00 dollar details. That has been my finding here in Ct. I have only been out here for 42 years. Every part of the Country has a different market for detailing. My niche has never been volume, rather, quality, is of the utmost to me. Educating my clients Since 1969! Search: "Auto Polishing" see who comes up. "Quality" is the difference, in any businesses ability to survive in today's detailing industry. Or any industry for that matter. 100_0244.JPGRead it again.
 
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