How to ease the shock from buffing costs to customer?

This is a tough situation we all face with the famous question

"How much do you charge for buffing"

And there's so many answers to that question and a million things go off in our head because.

We know how to properly fix.

They ask other guys and they tell them

"I'll give you a 3 stage buff with a full interior for 200$"

And when they come to me and say I want all my scratches and swirls gone and I tell them 500 with no shampoo they look at me like Im a alien.

I found out go by the car if a 2013 Minivan comes in I doubt they want full paint correction give them a 130-150$ HD speed job that is still going to be better then the "other shops" "3 stage buff"

And make your money.

And NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER tell then you work by a hourly rate. Its a flat rate .

They get spooked by that, when you tell them that they imagine you on the phone eating a whopper for 2 hours.

Tell then Its a flat rate even tho you already have a figure in your head how many hours your going to take. But they don't know that.

Read the person. If someone wants to pay me 75 bucks to go around there car in 35 mins with a cleaner wax or HD speed I'm all game. Give them what they want.

Now if a guy pulls up in a 2014 gt500 and its black I'm going to sell him the whole entire package and process.

The minivan guy I'm going to tell him your going to get a buff and wax (HD speed) and you can tell him he's getting a 25 stage process he won't know the difference.

Every person is different. As for the daily drivers don't sell them full paint correction give em production buffs

Now if there saying they want full swirl n scratch removal of course its different. Let them go to the other shop for 130 then. So they can have rotary holograms in there paint.
 
Heck hole - A big part of pricing depends where you are and what/who you are competing against. If the bulk of consumers in your market are really only willing to spend $130-150 then you need to find a way to simplify your process and get everything done in 2-3hrs for that $130-150. I am guessing the other shop is just filling swirls vs you attempting to remove swirls?.

Using something like HD Speed might be a good option. There are still going to be customers that will want more and you can offer those customers your 'gold' treatment.

Sometimes we try to over complicate things, that is when consumers get disconnected. Keep things simple, set realistic expectations and set the appointment.
 
Few years ago (depends on your perspective) there was a Laurel and Hardy about painting a room. They started out hourly and were using tootbrushes. When switched to flat rate they grabbed 6" brushes.
 
GSKR said:
If it's white I don't bother doing a sample,but when I do always on the drivers side upper door or fender or quarter panel depends on the model car ,you want a big flat surface when they approach the drivers side.
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I would agree with this, unless it is single stage white that is really oxidized. It doesn't take long to make a huge difference. I have had cars go from chalky white to gleaming white with just a few passes.

Walter
 
Give them the good, better and best scenarios. Wash, clay, wax for the cheap end and explain the benefits of getting your current vehicle thoroughly clean and shiner from removing bonded contamination, then adding wax for a little extra shine and protection.

1-Step or AIO for better, it includes everything previous but we add a polishing step to ENHANCE your exist paint work to give more shine, gloss and color clarity. I add a sealant or some protection with around 6 months of longevity to add more value to the service.

I never bring up swirls unless the customers does, most people don't have a clue or let alone will be able to maintain the finish even when you explain how to properly wash the car, etc. Most people want different levels of clean and shiny paint, not perfect paint because they can't see the difference, nor do they want to pay for it because they don't see the value.

I can't tell you how many times I've done a basic wash, clay and wax and the customer is blown away saying it looks better than new. Dress the trim up, detail the wheels and it looks better than they could ever make it.

If you are offering coatings ask them how much protection they are looking for. Then explain the prep work involved prior to coating, which the vehicle needs clayed and polished. You can then ask between a two-step and one-step correction and ask to do two different test spots on the hood so the customer can see what the difference is.

After 3 years of being in business I've had 1 customer talk about swirls. The irony is I did a correction and he brought it back in 6 months and it was the same mess we started with because even with all the knowledge and trying to teach proper wash techniques reality is it doesn't last with all the external variables. He still loved the detail 6 months later and said the paint is holding up great. I never mentioned the vehicle being swirled out again but the customers perception and my perception are two different realities.

Hope that helps. :)
 
I had a guy early in the week stop while I was working (Talking from the car window) and ask did he need a paint job, i said more like not as to try a paint correction (Polishing) first, since the vehicle was a 2008 INFINITI M45X (BLACK). He asked how much I stated it won't be cheap, he gets sarcastic and says how much I state $35.00 per hour, he says have a blessed day and drives off, lol I guess I'm not QUALIFIED since I work from my driveway or the guys on the side of the road and some shops will do the whole car for $50.00. not realizing they are buffing using one product and one pad lol
 
How much is it to detail a interior and how long.
 
215Detailing said:
I had a guy early in the week stop while I was working (Talking from the car window) and ask did he need a paint job, i said more like not as to try a paint correction (Polishing) first, since the vehicle was a 2008 INFINITI M45X (BLACK). He asked how much I stated it won't be cheap, he gets sarcastic and says how much I state $35.00 per hour, he says have a blessed day and drives off, lol I guess I'm not QUALIFIED since I work from my driveway or the guys on the side of the road and some shops will do the whole car for $50.00. not realizing they are buffing using one product and one pad lol
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I hate to say this.. but that was really poor salesmanship. By tell him it 'wasn't cheap' you are automatically implying that he is incapable or will be unwilling go pay your price.

Before a $ amount is EVER mentioned, you should be explaining the process, comparing it to others processes, the price of a repaint, then showing examples if possible. After that make a proposal to the customer "I can bring your cars paint back to like new condition for a total price of $425, would you like to set up an appointment today?"

Explain the difference, propose your contract, ask for the sale, close the sale.
 
Not everyone cares for or wants perfect paint. Most just want clean, shiny cars and can't tell the difference between a swirled out mess and a show car shine- just as long as the paints shining they happy.

Unfortunately they the bulk of the market and you need to cater for their needs as thats your run rate business or bread and butter. The masses are the reason why AIO's were invented.
 
Thanks for the input guys.

My walk ins know all about swirls. I've yet to run into someone interested in a polishing who was 100% uneducated. They seem to be aware, which has been good. I see the opportunity to sign them up.

I never gave thought of a return free wash and wax a week or two later. I will try that today, I expect a walk in or two while I'm at the shop this afternoon.

The other shops are uneducated with buffing. It's poor work. It appears they wool pad and glaze. The cars shine, but they are holographic and you can watch a car drive by and know where they've recently been. I have fixed several cars in 5 weeks that just left the other shops, that is no exaggeration.

Because of these guys working cheap and doing terrible work, I have focused on the niche of real buffing, because I don't want to be lumped in with their terrible work.

A full interior is $150, included wash and wax with a wipe down of the engine bay. 2 guys on the car, interior vacuum, carpet shampoo and seats if needed, door jambs, vents, the works. My guys can do that, high quality and pass my inspections in 2 1/2 to 3 hours. They are fantastic with bonuses offered at the end of the week for volume & if someone picks up their car impressed and then schedules a buff without me having to sell it.

Majority of my 2/3 stage buffs start at 300 and these people will more than likely ask for an interior when picking up their rides with huge smiles. I'll have 6-9 hours on their vehicles for anywhere from 300-500, then they will pay $150 for interior. Many complete bills are 550-650.

I guess I have some thinking to do about these all in ones. I can blast one of those out in 2-3 hours. I'd expect one of my guys to do it in 3-4.
 
VP Mark said:
I hate to say this.. but that was really poor salesmanship. By tell him it 'wasn't cheap' you are automatically implying that he is incapable or will be unwilling go pay your price.

Before a $ amount is EVER mentioned, you should be explaining the process, comparing it to others processes, the price of a repaint, then showing examples if possible. After that make a proposal to the customer "I can bring your cars paint back to like new condition for a total price of $425, would you like to set up an appointment today?"

Explain the difference, propose your contract, ask for the sale, close the sale.
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all valid points but he stopped by one day and was watching me work and asked questions which I had explained, he saw my customer whom he know that is what had him walk over (as he drove by).As I pretty much know the folks thought process in my area (bargain shoppers) very frugal If you view my website and see my prices my SILVER DETAIL for cars starts at $35.00 no one EVER pays the listed rate so when I offer a discount ad of $20.00 OFF everyone including the devil comes, So it's hard to put your true value out. There area shops in the area that charge $20.00 for less services in my silver package and are struggling to run profitably and are using generic products. In Philadelphia the average shop and side street detailer charges about $10.00 to $15.00 per car to less than my SILVER package
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/off-topic/44091-10-00-hand-car-wash-detailers.html
So being that this guy has come by several times and has had a pricelist and asked questioned and I tried to educate him but wants to come by for a deal NO, he wants to get a great deal for hard labor and pay $50.00 nope go get it painted, and they will probably do the PAINT CORRECTION but charge him for a PAINT JOB
 
This maybe a option if your getting walk ins everyday,get a dark colored hood from a junk yard trash it more,then correct one side and use it as a sales tool say to Johnny the customer is this what your looking for then educate them on the process involved and price.It might help if you need to do 300 dollar exterior polishing.If you do regular car washes there's a great opportunity to upsell .I know you said brick and mortar is suiting you but The benefits of financial burden on brick and mortar is so costly,it's November I will close out this year at 80 k working by myself with very few deductions and I don't do car washes just detailing services.what are you truly netting on 300 dollar job after the brick and mortar,your in a very tough situation and I completely understand but maybe just look into being mobile profit wise.I had a great opportunity to rent a nice high traffic location at a Valero gas station for 300 dollars for the first year,I declined it because I didn't want costly growing pains,I'm not gonna wash a car for 25 dollars and hire 3 people do that and do detailing because at the end of the day I won't be left with 80k.So I hope everything works out for you detailing is hard work and we should be compensated for it so best of luck to you .
 
While you find enjoyment in paint correction, 99% of your customers won't understand what that is.

Qualify what they expect, and what they use the car for. A daily driver that is a kid hauler along with 2 dogs and 3 cats isn't going to go for paint correction. That car will be trashed in a week. Those folks are more impressed by impeccably clean interior and an exterior that shines with tire shine.

A guy that has a 70k car on up, don't hesitate to pitch the better package fist. Odds are that group is a bit more discerning.
 
GSKR said:
This maybe a option if your getting walk ins everyday,get a dark colored hood from a junk yard trash it more,then correct one side and use it as a sales tool say to Johnny the customer is this what your looking for then educate them on the process involved and price.It might help if you need to do 300 dollar exterior polishing.If you do regular car washes there's a great opportunity to upsell .I know you said brick and mortar is suiting you but The benefits of financial burden on brick and mortar is so costly,it's November I will close out this year at 80 k working by myself with very few deductions and I don't do car washes just detailing services.what are you truly netting on 300 dollar job after the brick and mortar,your in a very tough situation and I completely understand but maybe just look into being mobile profit wise.I had a great opportunity to rent a nice high traffic location at a Valero gas station for 300 dollars for the first year,I declined it because I didn't want costly growing pains,I'm not gonna wash a car for 25 dollars and hire 3 people do that and do detailing because at the end of the day I won't be left with 80k.So I hope everything works out for you detailing is hard work and we should be compensated for it so best of luck to you .
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Interiors pay the rent and utilities, 3 full time employees and a healthy profit in a matter of 5 weeks. I keep the buffing profit separate, the buffing is nothing more than a supplement to profits. One 300 dollar buff means I made 300 minus materials, which I had plenty of before I went brick and mortar vs my garage. Right now I am averaging 2000 in 7 days from buffing alone, so far I have about 140 invested in extra pads, compounds/polish/wax. In 5 weeks it's generated almost 11,000. It's been lucrative.

My only concern has been closing those walk ins who want the work, but don't want to spend the money. Can you see why I haven't been interested in dropping my AIO price when true buffing has been my bread and butter?

I see the AIO customer as more income for my employees and some extra profit overall for the business, but certainly won't earn any where near as much as interiors and washes. Electricity will go up, heat will increase and so on. Everyone is starting at $12hr with a total completed cars bonus at the end of the week. I can't quite justify the added payroll & utilities & materials for say 10 AIO'S at $130ea. I think my only option is to not offer it or do some at that rate for a few weeks , have 15-20 cars around town with referrals coming & advertise that service for the rate I want to make it profitable.
 
I know where I used to live weschester New York they will get 160 to 200 all day long for exterior only,and here I thought Florida is tough,I guess it's a promblem everywhere.I worked at mb dealership huge like 14 years ago for a retail detail in the service dept for a 1 step including the interior was 130 plus tax ,for a 2 step which included compound was 224 we would get 4 to 7 cars a day plus new cars and used cars for the line.and in the winter they would do a special for 99.00 and spend no more than 3 hrs on it.There was a total of 7 detailers,I left that place at 17 hr to move to fla.came here got a job at a mb dealership on commission only I quit before lunch traded a 1999 Ford Expedition in for a brand new f 250 econoline van ,and never looked back.
 
How long have you been there ,maybe just ride it out for sometime and see where it goes .Is your rent high to you pay taxes on employees,are there any dealers around that can give you a steady stream of work,if so you can hold your ground to the retail segment and try like hell to close on paint corrections ,if a person is seeing a lot of metal in your shop it may ring a bell that you are truly worth what you are asking not saying your not but that's the mentality of some consumers.Even if you get some dealer work it will take some of the financial burden off your shoulders but don't expect a lot of money per car you have to look at the stability,and if you get a trashed car you just inform the used car guy and say it's gonna take more time I need more money.This subject can go on forever but it's a really good subject so let us know how you are doing.
 
Just curious how much do you charge for a carwash and how many roughly do in a week,and where are you located do you get 2 guys on a wash or 1 .
 
Have a contract with the largest dealer in the zip code.minimum 20 cars a week, with a few being buffed for MY going rate. 2 other dealers send several cars a week for interiors, with a lot of walk ins for interiors.

It basically started by doing a free car for a dealer inside and a show worthy buff. They saw the added value on their lot & at auction. Rent is low, considering we are on the same road about 500 yards away from the auto mall of the county. 4 dealers within a mile, side by side of eachother. The dealers don't offer cleaning services and sub everything out, the only do PDI'S and wipe downs on new cars.

It has been a home run. We have 2 cars in the shop with the doors open and one being cleaned outside for visibilityas people drive by.
 
Ok so your good there,what about the carwash how much how long does it take 1 or 2 guys how many a week in total?
 
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