For what it’s worth, I personally feel that the only reason why someone can’t charge what they want isn’t because of their clients, it’s because of their own ability (or inability) to market themselves, their services and create/build value in their offering. Like the old saying goes:â€�Able to sell snow to an Eskimo…â€� is all relative to one’s ability quite frankly. Different markets *can* play a direct role in the price ceiling of what you’re able to reach on a regular basis, but it doesn’t mean the potential isn’t there. I have a client that has multiple (12) cars both here in Florida as well as Ohio. He is more than willing to pay me 3 times as much ($800) for my mid level service not because it’s Florida, but because I sell and represent myself better than his detailer in Ohio does for $250. I have no doubt that if the detailer in Ohio asked for more, he’d get it. He’s clearly underselling himself and ultimately not helping this industry. The real enemy isn’t the cost sensitive public, it’s the person offering low value services out of fear of rejection or because they feel it necessary to stay competitive to the market rate.
Now, as far as Jake and you’re rates. Do you feel that your rates are relative to what the market will bear? I’m not real certain about Flint, but I personally know shops in Lansing, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, City of Detroit and the Detroit suburbs and they are able to successfully charge *almost* one and a half times as much as you do. I know Flint isn’t the best city (financially), but neither is Detroit. My shop in Redford primarily focused(s) on “turn em & burn em� volume dealer work, but I still charged more for a retail complete detail way back in the 90’s than you currently do (based on your web-site). It’s not because I was “ripping off� my clients, but because my customers were taught and realized value in what I had to offer. Case in point, there was a car wash down the street from me that use to have a huge sign(25ft X 10ft) that advertised $100 COMPLETE DETAILS. People would shop and compare my rates with theirs and very rarely did I loose a sale.
Here in Florida, it’s flooded with mobile car washers that call and consider themselves “detailersâ€� doing glorified wash & wax “completeâ€� details charging $75-$100. They are the ones that are really killing the public’s perception of professional detailing. I know of less than a ½ dozen real pros here that focus and charge high end (realistic) rates. It’s not because they’re getting away with “ripping offâ€� their clients; charging $400-$800(or many times much more), but it’s because they make their clients aware that they aren’t on the level of the hack cheapie competitors. Many won’t stoop down and settling for only $100-$200 for that much hard work, even if it only takes 3 ½ hours. It’s all about building value and educating your perspective clients.
Post 3000. Thanks Autopia. :thx
