Paint correction

D

Dmurdock101

New member
As all of you guys being professional detailers....when you get a car swirled to hell and back do you charge just to wash/polish/wax or do you charge more to fix all the swirls or is it included in the detail.



I know around here in Pa. Pittsburgh area when you get your car detailed that usually entails ( i'm refering to the outside ) wash, clay bar, polish, ( depending on price and were you go sometimes a sealer is included) then a wax



but I know of places that will fix the swirls included in the price of say a $200 detail ( hypathetically speaking price range ) and others will just do the norm...then charge say $20 a sq. ft. to fix the swirls





Thanks guys
 
I tailor my services around the client's needs. I explain every viable option and discuss the pros and cons of each one.



You're right about PA. Not too many highly skilled paint correction specialists. There's one person that knows it like the back of his hand and his name is Barry Theal. Do a search to check him out.
 
Do any of you guys do a core charge like say $150 for materials, then charge the labor part by the hour? If so, how much do you charge an hour?
 
BumbleBeeGTO said:
Do any of you guys do a core charge like say $150 for materials, then charge the labor part by the hour? If so, how much do you charge an hour?
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I charge $45 / hr for extra paint correction.
 
BumbleBeeGTO said:
Do any of you guys do a core charge like say $150 for materials, then charge the labor part by the hour? If so, how much do you charge an hour?
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if you go through a normal one day or two day detail and blow through 150 in material, you are either using too much product, or your stuff is really expensive!!!! at most its about $0 in product for a two day detail for me, with the biggest cost being the 105 compound, but since the price drop, its less of an issue (drop from 90-56)



yes you have to charge for PAINT CORRECTION as that is NOT part of the "normal" detail.



However, a normal detail is subjective because I consider it standard and dont really like doing the wash and wax details...but they pay the bills!
 
toyotaguy said:
yes you have to charge for PAINT CORRECTION as that is NOT part of the "normal" detail.



However, a normal detail is subjective because I consider it standard and dont really like doing the wash and wax details...but they pay the bills!
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A normal detail is what the detailer wants it to be. So a dealers normal detail might have paint correction.
 
toyotaguy said:
if you go through a normal one day or two day detail and blow through 150 in material, you are either using too much product, or your stuff is really expensive!!!! at most its about $0 in product for a two day detail for me, with the biggest cost being the 105 compound, but since the price drop, its less of an issue (drop from 90-56)



yes you have to charge for PAINT CORRECTION as that is NOT part of the "normal" detail.



However, a normal detail is subjective because I consider it standard and dont really like doing the wash and wax details...but they pay the bills!
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I said that as if you were making a profit on the product. Say I use SIP and FPII and Dodo Juice wax. I would charge $150 to replace everything I dipped into and make money off of it like that too. Anybody do this?
 
BumbleBeeGTO said:
I said that as if you were making a profit on the product. Say I use SIP and FPII and Dodo Juice wax. I would charge $150 to replace everything I dipped into and make money off of it like that too. Anybody do this?
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Are you serious? I might use $4-5 worth of product per car.



I do the amount of correction my customer is willing to pay for. I try to take into the intended use of the vehicle when I make suggestions and work with my customer to make sure they get the most for their money.
 
Scottwax said:
Are you serious? I might use $4-5 worth of product per car.



I do the amount of correction my customer is willing to pay for. I try to take into the intended use of the vehicle when I make suggestions and work with my customer to make sure they get the most for their money.
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I don't think you understand what I am saying. I understand the few dollars on a car, but I am asking if any of you guys charge that much for the products, and make the labor rate cheaper? That way a customer thinks that the rate is much cheaper, but you also make a profit off the products.



Say you were only going to clay bar polish and wax a car for the customer. The clay bar cost $10. (I am making prices up, so if they are off it is just an example) The polish cost $30, and the wax cost $30. So, you charge the customer $70 even though you barley use any product. By doing this you can then charge a cheaper rate for labor because you are making money on the product, and in the customers eyes they get a better deal.



Do any of you guys do this? It is just a marketing strategy.
 
With me, detailing includes/is correction.



On the interior, if it can be cleaned, I clean it, if it can be treated, I treat it. On the outside, if the paint needs to be clayed, 99% of the time it does, I clay it, if the paint is scratched, that's why they called me, so of course I cut the scratches and remove my swirls. The swirls left by the previous detailer don't survive my initial cut, so they're irrelevant.



I don't look for ways to renegotiate my price up, it is what it is. I set it at a point I don't have to think about while I'm working - I'm not worried I'm not giving my client good value for money, or that I'm not making what I think I should for the quality I provide.



Do good work, be honest, explain what you're doing and why, don't do something if there's no advantage to your client - for example cut paint really thin to get a scratch out just so you can say you got it, while leaving a thin spot for possible failure at a later point.



Robert
 
BumbleBeeGTO said:
I don't think you understand what I am saying. I understand the few dollars on a car, but I am asking if any of you guys charge that much for the products, and make the labor rate cheaper? That way a customer thinks that the rate is much cheaper, but you also make a profit off the products.



Say you were only going to clay bar polish and wax a car for the customer. The clay bar cost $10. (I am making prices up, so if they are off it is just an example) The polish cost $30, and the wax cost $30. So, you charge the customer $70 even though you barley use any product. By doing this you can then charge a cheaper rate for labor because you are making money on the product, and in the customers eyes they get a better deal.



Do any of you guys do this? It is just a marketing strategy.
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if you start at a base of, say, $70 for products what will you be charging for your labor? the labor is what sets the paint corrections specialists apart from the car wash washers. you shouldnt devalue your skills, as i feel thats what my customers pay for. i cant start off at $70 and charge $35-$45 and hour. my details would be in the $1000's if it took 2 days. besides any one can apply wax, and any one can buy wax, no matter the price. i usually will add a trip charge if the customer is far, but i work my supplies into my hourly rate.



the other day i did an interior only and made $37.00 an hour. it took 3 1/2 hours and i charged $130. i figure i paid for the 1/10 gallon of gas for generator, 8oz of carpet cleaner, and gallon of water i used.



my basic opinion is, dont devalue your skills, period
 
You have to keep it simple... If you start charging for materials at such a high mark up (especially considering the true cost of product/metarials per detail) it begins to sound shady



If you cant be honest about it meaning "this bottle of polish costs me $60 and I am only going to be using an ounce of it and I am going to charge you $40 for that ounce" - I would not suggest doing so



I keep it REAL SIMPLE, I charge a flat hourly rate for any/all of the services I provide.





WhyteWizard said:
With me, detailing includes/is correction.



On the interior, if it can be cleaned, I clean it, if it can be treated, I treat it. On the outside, if the paint needs to be clayed, 99% of the time it does, I clay it, if the paint is scratched, that's why they called me, so of course I cut the scratches and remove my swirls. The swirls left by the previous detailer don't survive my initial cut, so they're irrelevant.



I don't look for ways to renegotiate my price up, it is what it is. I set it at a point I don't have to think about while I'm working - I'm not worried I'm not giving my client good value for money, or that I'm not making what I think I should for the quality I provide.



Do good work, be honest, explain what you're doing and why, don't do something if there's no advantage to your client - for example cut paint really thin to get a scratch out just so you can say you got it, while leaving a thin spot for possible failure at a later point.



Robert
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^^ Very well said Robert... I agree 100%:2thumbs:
 
WhyteWizard said:
Do good work, be honest, explain what you're doing and why, don't do something if there's no advantage to your client - for example cut paint really thin to get a scratch out just so you can say you got it, while leaving a thin spot for possible failure at a later point.



Robert
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did that last night! some of the stuff was too deep for me to keep going after. he asked why it was still there, I explained and he understood and said thank you for being honest and careful!
 
There's no reason why people can't charge a fair amount for products above and beyond their hourly and/or normal rates. Body Shops & Service Departments do it and it's an actual cost that has legitimacy. It's usually based off a percentage of the pre-taxed labor. And, you can also charge sales tax too.
 
David Fermani said:
There's no reason why people can't charge a fair amount for products above and beyond their hourly and/or normal rates. Body Shops & Service Departments do it and it's an actual cost that has legitimacy. It's usually based off a percentage of the pre-taxed labor. And, you can also charge sales tax too.
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Key word in your post is "fair".... In my understanding of the OP it seemed like he was pondering the use of "un realistic" product charges to inflate a low labor charge..



I would (and have) built product cost into my normal hourly rate - excluding high end waxes of course... Keeps it simple for me and my customers
 
I don't know any detailer who breaks down the bill and charges for the materials. I know some who talk about how much all their products cost and brag about buying exotic wax that has to rubbed in by hand, etc. But even they don't break it down to parts and labor.



I think if I went to a detailer and they were claiming to be spending more than about $15. per car on product I'd be skeptical of their honesty. I say this because I buy whatever I think is the best stuff I can find and test, doing side by side comparisons, to be more certain I'm right and I don't spend more than that on a typical detail. In fact, $15 is on the outrageously high side just to be as fair to the other position as possible.



This strikes me as one of those times when the saying, "Don't re-invent the wheel, somebody else all ready did." applies.



Robert
 
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