am I charging too much??

flb18r

flb18r

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Im just start detailing 1 1/2 month ago. some of my friends who paid $30 into it, got a free detail from me. one sliver 08 vw passat *happy customer* and other is Honda s2000 which i created a lot of halograms, which i will be fixing for free.

Now im charging friend's friends at around $ 75 for a black Acura TSX and $ 90 for a red pickup truck. and no answer yet. even $30 for a new car prep for a 2010 GTI is too much? should I be charging nothing? sounds crazy to me if I do, cause I spend near $2000, just hoping to get little back.. they all getting

1)a foam wash or ONR,
2)vacuum/clean interior and protect, clean windows,
3)clean and protect wheels and wheel wells,
4) clay,
5)OPT poli-seal AIO,
6) wax/sealant.

I duuno how yous start off, but for sure im not doing it for free. I will be doing a 3 step for a mazda miata this weekend, wash*clay*MEG 83* Meg 205* ultrafine* pinnacle series II wax, since they paid $30 into it a month back and im a friend who keeps promises. :props:
 
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happned to me a long time ago. friends who are too close arent the best customers because they expect a discount. people who dont know how much product and time into it dont know the true value. communicate to them what you are doing and what kind of products you are using.
 
Plain and simple, set your prices and stick to them. Unless your friends or friends friends do something for you in exchange they do not deserve a discounted detail. If you start doing 3-steps for $30 you are setting yourself up for failure. Never deviate from your prices for anyone.
 
If you do make it known you're doing it at a severe discount just to get your name out there and ask if you do it at a discounted price they help you get your business out there. I'd also ask them not to share the price or deal they are getting because if it gets out you couldn't do it for them anymore.

I've spent 15 hours on a car for $60 because it was family and I was experimenting. I've then did the same for $100 but actually got paid $150 because they were happy with the work.

One question, why are you doing both steps 5 & 6? Trying to make money I would do one or the other.

Do you have an accounting package or spreadsheet to keep track of your time so you can get an idea of your costs.

I'm coming to the conclusion, when I count for equipment, product, utilities etc, etc, your expertise etc. Plus you should consider Insurance if you're using a machine just in case. Whether you have it or not you need to be charging for it because if you do enough you'll either want it or pile the money up to self insure.

So unless I'm trying to drum up business, I planning on taking in somewhere between 30 to 40 an hour. If I don't get it, I'll buy some junk panels and have fun and give directions to the nearest Auto Bell.
 
Only people I give a discount to are repeat customers,my mother and wife. If they get more than one service at a time, I lower the total price. ie detail,odor removal,headlight restoration.I know way too many people to give friend discounts. I'd go under quick!
 
Since I'm starting out, I like to do friend's car for 50%, sorry if I didn't
mention that. The $30 job is something I promised, and she knows it's a one time deal and she'll be taking me to have sushi, can't complain about that. I order some ragtop to clean the top, but won't be making it to NJ til next week.
 
02blackout said:
happened to me a long time ago. friends who are too close aren't the best customers because they expect a discount. people who dont know how much product and time into it don't know the true value. communicate to them what you are doing and what kind of products you are using.
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I have to agree. Friends are always looking for a deal. Find some local car forums and post your work. You will get some work from there. Also your prices are a bit low.

Your can take a look here for prices. Home Page My are considered to be very cheap. Also offer your first time clients 10% off. It is a great way to get them hooked.
 
You need to jack up your prices quite a bit IMO. I usually aim for at least $40-50 an hour when detailing. Since you're starting out, you may want to discount this rate a little bit, but the customer will most likely not feel like they're getting quality work done if they're only paying $30-90 for a full detail.

My advice would be to detail whatever friends cars you're already obligated to, make up some flyers, take GOOD pictures of your work, build an online portfolio and get your work out on some forums.
 
Showroom Shine said:
Only people I give a discount to are repeat customers,my mother and wife. If they get more than one service at a time, I lower the total price. ie detail,odor removal,headlight restoration.I know way too many people to give friend discounts. I'd go under quick!
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:iagree:Well stated.
 
When your starting out, doing friends cars for cheap...consider it hands on experience and product experimentation. For really close friends, consider giving a detail as a gift for a birthday or such. You get the experience and they get a great gift. This way they wont always expect it to be cheap because your friends.
 
sullysdetailing said:
I have to agree. Friends are always looking for a deal. Find some local car forums and post your work. You will get some work from there. Also your prices are a bit low.

Your can take a look here for prices. Home Page My are considered to be very cheap. Also offer your first time clients 10% off. It is a great way to get them hooked.
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:iagree:

i'll be ur best, best, best friend in the world with those prices of $30-90 bucks. Nothing wrong with taken care of friends just make sure they help out some it's alot of work for one person. Sullysdetailing prices is a great place to start at, but i would check around ur local area to see what they are charging.:xyxthumbs:
 
sullysdetailing said:
I have to agree. Friends are always looking for a deal. Find some local car forums and post your work. You will get some work from there. Also your prices are a bit low.

Your can take a look here for prices. Home Page My are considered to be very cheap. Also offer your first time clients 10% off. It is a great way to get them hooked.
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sully thanks for the pricing info,It helps a lot in knowing what to charge and what guide lines to use :xyxthumbs:
 
flb18r said:
Since I'm starting out, I like to do friend's car for 50%, sorry if I didn't
mention that. The $30 job is something I promised, and she knows it's a one time deal and she'll be taking me to have sushi, can't complain about that. I order some ragtop to clean the top, but won't be making it to NJ til next week.
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I'm in north west nj and i started out with 125.00 per car 150.00 per suv. That is interior and exterior. from soup to nuts.
 
well I have about 4 days to detail this Mazda Miata.I will do the best I can do, take some befores and afters. build up my profilio. I just want some hands on, thats why im charging dirt for it. but once I know what im doing, then I will be charging more. My cousin has a brand new 2009 bmw 535ix black, I told him $50 and he declined it, because he lease the car and don't care about it. is $50 that much? lol I enjoy having a clean car, people think I paid $$,$$$ for my 2000 Audi a6 when I paid $5,000 for it. it just feels good to have the cleanest ride on my block ( no hype, its the truth).
 
You're not charging enough. I base mine on time. No set prices because I tend to get a lot of work vehicles and cars that people have absolutely not taken care of. How could I expect to spend 8 to 10 hours on a vehicle for $50 or $75? With my overhead, I would be out of business in a week. I recommend charging 25-$30/hr. I've had some jobs that have paid 600-$700 but those are jobs with color sanding and paint restoration. On average,$125-$350 is normal for vehicles that are fairly well taken care of for me. I also have a program set up where customers can get half price detailing after a certain amount of return visits.
 
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flb18r said:
well I have about 4 days to detail this Mazda Miata.I will do the best I can do, take some befores and afters. build up my profilio. I just want some hands on, thats why im charging dirt for it. but once I know what im doing, then I will be charging more. My cousin has a brand new 2009 bmw 535ix black, I told him $50 and he declined it, because he lease the car and don't care about it. is $50 that much? lol I enjoy having a clean car, people think I paid $$,$$$ for my 2000 Audi a6 when I paid $5,000 for it. it just feels good to have the cleanest ride on my block ( no hype, its the truth).
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If your doing in and out for that price i'm coming to you for my next detailing :buffing:
 
I use my friends' cars as examples. I'll put alot of effort into it and in return I ask for them to spread the word. I will normally only ask for about $100 give or take a little bit so I can still make a small profit. Most of my friends have cars, not trucks or SUVs, so it works out. I've gotten quite a few jobs doing it.

If I was actually running my own business, I'd charge probably $25-35 an hour. Those prices also need to be based upon the economic state of your area. I live a rural area where the average income level in the tri-county area is only like $35K a year, so it makes it a little diffcult to ask what alot of you other guys ask.
 
I live in a rual area as well. That is why I get a large amount of work trucks (semis as well) and cars that have been driven on gravel roads...a mess!! What needs to be done on your end is to figure what it costs you, in expenses, to detail a vehicle, ie. cost of water, sewer, materials - pads, polishes, etc. Then figure how much you need to pay your bills: rent, mortgage, insurance and determine how many vehicles a week it will take to cover your weekly expenses. This will help you in setting your price. I understand the rual area issue and yes a lot of people will sqwauk at prices but that is when you have to become a salesman and sell them on the benefits of your service. You can even negotiate a happy medium on pricing with some customers (I have a lot of people on fixed income) but never let the price meet or fall below your break even price...that's just bad business.

Another point you might want to consider is that not every customer wants a true professional detailing--compounding, swirl removal etc. Some may just want a good wash and wax and a good cleaning on the inside. You can sell this just as easily AND your expenses are very low on these types and the price will be well within their means and it allows you to still make money while keeping your costs low. SELL, SELL, SELL!

If you get a chance, I posted pics of my 94 GMC truck I bought off a farmer in Febuary and had spent roughly 18 hours just on the body. Remind you, it was a farm/work truck when I bought it.
 
Thanks guys, I'm trying to get help spreading the work I do. I also post the products and tools I have in facebook, just to give my friends an idea of what quality work I'm trying to accomplish.
 
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