Doing a BMW i3 on Thursday

Still have zero feedback on this dang tiny electric car, lol! Figured I'd go with the flow I guess.
 
@Finishing Touch. That clarifies things alot more. I had a feeling things were simply misunderstood for the most part.. My bad for the prior derailment of Jays thread.
 
Eldorado2k said:
@Jam Master Jay. Does the customer have a preference on how shiny he likes the tires? What dilution do you apply D170? And what method do you use to apply it on tires? I'm guessing he wants everything including the tires to be as shiny as possible? If so go 1:1 spray directly on the tires and allow to dry.

Use spray wax on all exterior glass minus the windshield. It's adds a good finishing touch of gloss.
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@Jam Master Jay. I did mix in some feedback.👆🏽😉
 
Take some after pictures. We're going to want to see it now👍🏽
 
Not worried, just never put my hands on one yet.
I have been asking the client how shiny they like the tires when I show up. I talk to them for a couple minutes and walk around the car using my handy dandy vehicle inspection form (mahalo Mike). Some just want matte, others wants that wet look.
I also ask them what they expect over the phone, I give a price and tell them what that includes. This way hopefully there's no surprises when I arrive.
 
Take some after pictures. We're going to want to see it now👍🏽

Indeed I will
 
JamMaster Jay said:
Still have zero feedback on this dang tiny electric car, lol! Figured I'd go with the flow I guess.
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We have shot and tested the i3 many times. I've done write-ups and data-mined the car to hell and back. Despite the visual appearance, the body lines are actually quite less complex than a lot of modern vehicles out there today. There's nothing to watch out for here. No fragile parts or materials. No need to take it being electric into consideration since you're only doing exterior. Treat it like any other small car and you're good to go. :dblthumb2:
 
Washing an electric car is not as complex as it might initially seem. After all, these cars do drive around in the rain and drive through puddles.

I don't know the anatomy of the i3 well, but with my Tesla, I pressure wash it all the time. The only thing I'd recommend is being careful around the charge port. There is the remote potential for a short or accumulation of moisture in this area. On the other hand, with the Tesla you can plug this car while it's raining and let it charge out in the rain and snow without a problem.

Just be mindful of the charge port. Make sure the port door opens freely when you're done.

(Sent via my mobile device)
 
Sorry for bringing up the price aspect of this again. I'd love to do a car or 2 on my day off to make a few extra bucks but I'm hesitant because of all the difference in prices. Unless people are getting their cars detailed once or twice a year, I can't imagine people paying some of these prices once or twice a month. I know i certainly couldn't afford that. And by know means am i saying it's not worth it
 
frankprozzoly said:
I can't imagine people paying some of these prices once or twice a month. I know i certainly couldn't afford that. And by know means am i saying it's not worth it
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There's a reason why these drive through car washes and quickies are so popular, and it should be obvious to anyone. These washes are inexpensive, take less than 10 minutes and 99% of people think their cars look fantastic after these swirl-o-matic hoohas. Swirls? What's a swirl?

It's easy to convince a group of OCD detailers that a good wash with wax and wheels is worth $100-$200. But, to the average middle class individual - and many high earners I might add - the VALUE of a $100-$200 wash is the issue. For some, $200 may not be much money, but that doesn't mean it's worth it to the customer.

Like you said, it may be worth it to pay for a $200 wash, but having it done a few times could break the bank.

(Sent via my mobile device)
 
I have clients who pay $400 a month to keep their 2 daily driven vehicles in pristine condition. They have kids, live extremely busy lifestyles, and enjoy driving in a clean ride. Some people see the value, some don't. The people who don't are not my target market.
 
kevincwelch said:
There's a reason why these drive through car washes and quickies are so popular, and it should be obvious to anyone. These washes are inexpensive, take less than 10 minutes and 99% of people think their cars look fantastic after these swirl-o-matic hoohas. Swirls? What's a swirl?

It's easy to convince a group of OCD detailers that a good wash with wax and wheels is worth $100-$200. But, to the average middle class individual - and many high earners I might add - the VALUE of a $100-$200 wash is the issue. For some, $200 may not be much money, but that doesn't mean it's worth it to the customer.

Like you said, it may be worth it to pay for a $200 wash, but having it done a few times could break the bank.

(Sent via my mobile device)
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Your reasoning is exactly what Nick is talking about. Lower/middle class individuals aren't the demographic looking for OCD AG style detailing. Yes, Nick operates in a higher income area so he is surrounded by his demographic. But I'm in a small town where the median household income is 35k. Does that mean I charge prices the median wants to pay? No, I charge what is profitable for my shop yet still provides value to the customer.
You MUST decide on your target market whatever that may be. If it's a $40 wash and wax then maybe you should ask yourself why you're even bothering with using quality microfibers, the 2BM, or wiping the door jambs. In that demographic does the customer really care if you put swirls in their car and leave water spots in places that don't always get a close look?
I spent plenty of time targeting the wrong demographic. I know what it's like to get underpaid for a good service. I'm not in any way telling you to overcharge the customer, just understand that for a business to stay alive (and grow) it needs to show a profit. I promise you will get burnt out on detailing if you can't afford to buy new tools after a year of working your butt off. Making enough to live isn't enough; making enough to purchase better tools and high quality products so that you can provide an even more valuable service to your customers, that's how you do it. If you aren't growing you're shrinking.

Nicholas@Autowerx said:
I have clients who pay $400 a month to keep their 2 daily driven vehicles in pristine condition. They have kids, live extremely busy lifestyles, and enjoy driving in a clean ride. Some people see the value, some don't. The people who don't are not my target market.
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:iagree:
 
Great, I was looking for any advice and being careful with the charge port was dead on. Didn't think about this & thank you!

Also this car is somewhere around $50k so I'm sure he doesn't mind spending $100 a month to keep it clean. Most people don't want to pay that for their cars and that's OK, I'm not targeting those clients. I find plenty of value in my service at that price point and I'm sure my clients will to.
 
Couple of pics of today's work.
Before
View attachment 40347
View attachment 40348

And after
View attachment 40349
View attachment 40350

I was rushed and it was raining all morning. The lady wanted it done by 11a which only left me with my 1.5 hours. I wished there was more time since the wheels were very very bad. They live off a dirt road and mud was caked in the wheel wells. Would've liked another 30 minutes to do a bit more but it turned out nice and they were happy. Charged the $105 since it was sooooo dirty and neglected.
 
FinishingTouchA said:
You aren't getting 2 bucket method, d156, and service on your doorstep for 10 dollars. ;)



Take into consideration he's spending over an hour in drive time alone. If you you guys are content working for minimum wage come on down to my shop with an application.

This is the reason so many people give up after a year, they never grasp the business side of things.
Allow me to tally up the costs of this simple wash & spray wax:
Insurance $2-5
Shampoo, wheel cleaner, tire shine, spray wax $5
Depreciation of supplies [towels, grit guards, buckets, hose, nozzle, mitt, brushes (total ~$200)] $1-5
Cost to drive vehicle ($.50/mile) $20-30
_______
Can we agree upon ~$40?
Now his time
1 hour driving
2 hours on vehicle, talking to customer, loading/unloading, etc.
_______
3 hours total
at $100 this comes out to $60 profit, right?
Wrong, Uncle Sam takes 40-50% from self employed persons.
so you're left with a measly $10 an hour (not including customer acquisition costs/time)

Yeah, my figures might be a little off but lets pretend you don't have any of these costs, you take home $20 an hour after taxes, that's a decent living.

Why in the world would you do all this and charge the customer $40-50? THIS is what holds the detailing industry back, customers not understanding the true value of a quality detailer because there are plenty of people who will do it for nothing (either because they aren't paying taxes or they are just in it to make some money part time and never actually build a business out of it)
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Finally checked this thread again. I didn't take into account the driving or anything like that. I probably would have charged the same gas fee to drive that far. So you're right, I would have been right around $80-100 to go do that.

However, I'm content to drop an hour and a half of time into an exterior wash & wax for $40-50. Obviously, not making real money on those, but those are not the bulk of my services. Just fillers to pass the time. I don't think I could sell a basic exterior wash and wax/sealant to any of my normal clientele for over $100. I seem to be priced fairly competitively for my area so I am super jealous of you guys who can charge stupid amounts of money for details.

As for filling out an application, you know I want to! But not for minimum wage lol. Imma keep bugging you til you hire me.
 
JamMaster Jay said:
Couple of pics of today's work.
Before
View attachment 40347
View attachment 40348

And after
View attachment 40349
View attachment 40350

I was rushed and it was raining all morning. The lady wanted it done by 11a which only left me with my 1.5 hours. I wished there was more time since the wheels were very very bad. They live off a dirt road and mud was caked in the wheel wells. Would've liked another 30 minutes to do a bit more but it turned out nice and they were happy. Charged the $105 since it was sooooo dirty and neglected.
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Awesome job, well worth the cost to the customer!
 
OTSDetail said:
Finally checked this thread again. I didn't take into account the driving or anything like that. I probably would have charged the same gas fee to drive that far. So you're right, I would have been right around $80-100 to go do that.

However, I'm content to drop an hour and a half of time into an exterior wash & wax for $40-50. Obviously, not making real money on those, but those are not the bulk of my services. Just fillers to pass the time. I don't think I could sell a basic exterior wash and wax/sealant to any of my normal clientele for over $100. I seem to be priced fairly competitively for my area so I am super jealous of you guys who can charge stupid amounts of money for details.

As for filling out an application, you know I want to! But not for minimum wage lol. Imma keep bugging you til you hire me.
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My theory is not to compete on price, but rather to compete with quality products, knowledge, and customer service. :xyxthumbs:

Sounds like a plan buddy, I'll hit you up when I open the second shop and need a head detailer.
 
FinishingTouchA said:
My theory is not to compete on price, but rather to compete with quality products, knowledge, and customer service. :xyxthumbs:

Sounds like a plan buddy, I'll hit you up when I open the second shop and need a head detailer.
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Not disagreeing with that. I honestly probably use some of the better products of my local detailers. Not that I have gone around to scope it out, but I like to use pretty high quality stuff, and I'm sure most of them don't use the best of the best due to price.

Sweet. Always down for a move. Now all the way over there in the rain I'm not so sure but maybe we can make things work! haha
 
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