Pricing for exotic cars

I charge the same rate I would charge for any other vehicle. The only thing that would affect the price would be the condition, special requests, size, etc.
 
I was gonna say the same as aj...I guess the only reason I could see charging more for those type of cars is due to the vehicles design in most cases. Lots more curves, vents, edges, and etc to deal with than "most typical" vehicles which makes machine polishing at that point more difficult. Another would be the owner of such a high end vehilce demanding PERFECTION, in cases like that you need to set their expectation realistically and charge accordingly! Just because some people have more money to spend doesnt mean you should treat them differently! (I'm surely not implying that you are, but that's just my opinion on the matter in general.)
 
I have done my fair share of exotics and in my experience the people who own these cars are typically cheapskates, they want extras, that they havent paid for, for example, a customer with a high end car who wants just a wash and wax will frequently request that I vacuum out the interior "real quick" as if it's no trouble whatsoever and only takes just a second.

Now don't get me wrong I am not saying that all rich people are rude like that, but as a result I have a basic price list that I give to high-end customers with each "little extra" added on at $5 or $10 apiece depending on what it is. So a wash and wax is $40, they can get trim detailing for another 5, vacuum for $10, wheel sealant for $10 etc etc.

I have found that by breaking down the pricing like this for high end cars will prevent the customer from taking advantage of you. Whereas a "typical" customer, if they want a full detail then they request a "full" detail.

Basically I don't charge more for high end cars, I simply make the customer pay for what they are getting.
 
LastDetail said:
I have done my fair share of exotics and in my experience the people who own these cars are typically cheapskates, they want extras, that they havent paid for, for example, a customer with a high end car who wants just a wash and wax will frequently request that I vacuum out the interior "real quick" as if it's no trouble whatsoever and only takes just a second.
Click to expand...

I think you are viewing this as the glass being half-empty. Think of it as an opportunity to hook a repeat customer. Do as they ask, give it a quick Vac, and let the customer know they are getting a freebee that you normally charge money for and next time you will have to charge them.
 
I may charge a bit more for a high end car. I put lots of attention into all cars I detail, but when working on a $130,000 porsche you can bet that I am putting unbelievable attention into every move I make. Screw up and you are looking at some serious damage. Also, the owners of cars like this tend to expect absolute perfection and as such I may make one more pass when polishing or spend a few extra minutes after the detail to make sure everything is on par.
 
I agree with LastDetail to a small extent. . . buuuut... there are many different breeds of people and I feel its unfair to group exotic car owners into one category of pushy, cheap-arses. I would assume that many are Type-A personalities; ambitious, direct and intense. Not as easy for most to deal with as compared with a more relaxed individual.



If I were to compound a 2005 Camry and a 2005 Murcielago, you better bet your last clean microfiber that I am going to charge more for the L. There is the same physical risk in dealing with the two vehicles but the financial liability is greatly different. . . . as would be the assumed repercussions on a local level if i were to damage a vehicle of such high stature.



I do charge more because my meticulous meter flips to the umpteenth degree. This auto owner has purchased a very special vehicle and my job is to deliver a detail that commands the same respect.





edit: Agreed Eric. :bigups My reply got held up while changing my fantasy league lineup :bolt
 
pssstue said:
I agree with LastDetail to a small extent. . . buuuut... there are many different breeds of people and I feel its unfair to group exotic car owners into one category of pushy, cheap-arses. I would assume that many are Type-A personalities; ambitious, direct and intense. Not as easy for most to deal with as compared with a more relaxed individual.



If I were to compound a 2005 Camry and a 2005 Murcielago, you better bet your last clean microfiber that I am going to charge more for the L. There is the same physical risk in dealing with the two vehicles but the financial liability is greatly different. . . . as would be the assumed repercussions on a local level if i were to damage a vehicle of such high stature.



I do charge more because my meticulous meter flips to the umpteenth degree. This auto owner has purchased a very special vehicle and my job is to deliver a detail that commands the same respect.





edit: Agreed Eric. :bigups My reply got held up while changing my fantasy league lineup :bolt
Click to expand...





I agree, because of the increased liability and the greater attention to detail expected I think they should be charged more. I'm basing this on my previous expirence working on very expensive cars and thinking they really need to be charged more then the basic rate because they typically demand special service.
 
I would give the same delicate and sharp eye attention to details to produce a flawless finish interior and exterior to a Bentley, Lambo, SL500.....& a Honda Civic. Like I mentioned earlier, one of the things that would affect my pricing is special requests. Special requests includes a customer who wants me to go that extra mile, want extra layers of wax applied, etc., and in most cases, that is the way most luxury vehicle owner's are as mentioned before. My whole thing is dealing with the base price. No matter what type of vehicle you have, the base price is the same depending on the size. Once I have the chance to view your vehicle and it is in bad shape, and/or if you have "special requests", that is when the price will increase.



Imagine your pricing schedule looking like this...



Small Cars - $xxx

Regular size Cars - $xxx

Minivans/Med SUV/Med Pickup - $xxx

Large SUV/LG Pickup - $xxx

Luxury Vehicles - $xxx



In my area, if people with luxury vehicles saw this, I would be detailing Fords & Chevys for the rest of my detailing career. :D
 
I set my prices to make about the same hourly rate but will end up making a bit more for equal work on a high end car because I will add in an extra polishing step, 2nd coat of wax, etc. I spend more time on them because the owners have high standards. The average soccer mom isn't going to care or pay for it if I do a 5 step on the exterior because they really don't care as long as it shines and they aren't going to maintain the vehicle at that level anyway. A high end car owner does care, is willing to pay the extra (in most cases) and either will have me take care of the car regularly or do so himself and like me, will be able to maintain the car at a higher detailed level.
 
“Type-A personalities; ambitious, direct and intense. Not as easy for most to deal with as compared with a more relaxed individual�.



That explains me to a tee!!! The up- side is, once we find a good service, we are loyal and talk to are friends about it. Are friends are also Type-A personalities.



“wants just a wash and wax will frequently request that I vacuum out the interior "real quick" as if it's no trouble whatsoever and only takes just a second�.



Why would you offer a wash and wax service without a vacume?
 
I would set the pricing all the same, high.



If the guy with the 150,000 mile Civic doesn’t want to use you, it’s his choice. But if he does, he is doing it for love of the vehicle and wants the best.



I run my current business like that, but I only work on exotics. I’ll go to a $450k house and give them a $75,000 estimate for a kitchen. They say, "Oh my, that’s out of our league!", and they end up recommending me to their friend with the $1.5mm house that deserves the $75k kitchen. The word is now out that a high end kitchen guy is available. I pass all of the lower end work to a fellow contractor that buys the jobs from me. If someone wants to pay me the money to put that kitchen in the $450k house, I will do it. But I won’t compromise my materials, standards, or profits for a customer. To me this leads to business failure.



One point I need to make, its all perception.
 
Maybe this will help!!!



Are the exotics “parts & labor� more expensive and how about Insurance? All Yes.

Should you charge more for detailing a exotic? Yes, about 20% to 30%+.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top