full time pros can use Pro...because they can charge accordingly for the product. and doing $300 a month shouldn't be a problem at all. so those two things alone will separate the full timers from the part timers. and also, a fringe benefit is it will separate the guys who do it right as opposed to the pros who use the OPT auth status as a means to sell cheaper (inferior) products on a consistent basis. it's not hard to tell - a pro posts 15 cars a month on his facebook page and 14 have CQF installed? yeah, not a good deal for OPT to have them on their auth installer list.
if you aren't a full time pro...you can install Gloss-Coat and make a lot of money off of it using a great product. no warranty to sell, no quotas...just install and sell a product that has a durability claim that matches the warranty of the competitor's pro product.
if the customer wants a better product than Gloss-Coat, they will have to go see an auth installer for the more expensive Opti-Coat Pro. makes sense.
as far as the price increase...it's all relative. so, relative to the original price? yes, that's wild...600% is a lot. but i think he was SEVERELY underpriced to begin with. like..by a large margin. here's why: 40 cc of coating for $100? that's crazy. generally speaking, that's four cars worth of product. so, $25 worth of product can be installed and then resold for 15 or 20 or 25 times the cost? that means that the detailer is making MASSIVE margin and OPT is making peanuts. i am sure they weighed it out and said this isn't sustainable. so, they increased the price so now the shift is more in line...more reasonable margins shared between the supplier and the reseller/installer. they can sell less to those who really want it and can sell it for what it actually is...and make reasonable margin.
from my vantage point, this is what i think OPT's thought process was like:
- the reseller is making exponentially more money than we are. that needs to be adjusted - we made a mistake and are selling it for WAY too little money given the technology
- we are underpriced vs. the competition given our warranty and durability
- our dealer network is not living up to its name and not buying what we are advertising them as having...and in fact, many are selling competing products way more often because they are cheaper because they don't have the same durability.
all of that makes sense to me but what do i know!!!
