How to charge when you are starting out?

[MannyUrrego]

Howdy!

I've been fanatically reading the forums on here for a few months now. The material and wisdom floating around here is incredible and has answered many...many questions that I was curious about. So thanks to everyone in advance for all the time you take to share your experience's. Anyway, Ill get to the point, I'm really looking to taking on some part time work detailing and have set out and researched almost every avenue I need to understand before starting. I already bought and read front to back Renny Doyle's book How to start a home based Car detailing business. It was recommended on here and it was awesome! So now the actual question.

When you are starting out low key how did you actually receive payment from a customer? I am not opening a huge shop or have $10,000 sitting in the bank as capital. Im a guy who just wants to make some money doing something he loves. So in the beginning, did any of you experience people ripping you off after the job was completed? i.e. you agreed on $150 and when the job is done they only want to fork over $100. Also do you always receive payment after the work or do you ever get it before? That may sound stupid but I really am curious in the beginning stages if there are things I should stray away from. This is nothing in regards to low balling myself to make absolutely no money. But just want to know the best route to take with those first legitimate customers. Thanks again for whatever you all can provide
Feed back please
apologies for the long winded question!

 

[Eldorado2k]

Nope, never been ripped off. I've dealt with alot of cheapskates, but never been flat out cheated or anything like that.. I only accept payment once I'm completely done with the job. There's been times when it's taken more than a day, even several days, and I've had the customer offer to pay me some money, but I always decline and wouldn't feel right accepting any of the money until I'm done with the job.

 

[GSKR]

Howdy!

I've been fanatically reading the forums on here for a few months now. The material and wisdom floating around here is incredible and has answered many...many questions that I was curious about. So thanks to everyone in advance for all the time you take to share your experience's. Anyway, Ill get to the point, I'm really looking to taking on some part time work detailing and have set out and researched almost every avenue I need to understand before starting. I already bought and read front to back Renny Doyle's book How to start a home based Car detailing business. It was recommended on here and it was awesome! So now the actual question.

When you are starting out low key how did you actually receive payment from a customer? I am not opening a huge shop or have $10,000 sitting in the bank as capital. Im a guy who just wants to make some money doing something he loves. So in the beginning, did any of you experience people ripping you off after the job was completed? i.e. you agreed on $150 and when the job is done they only want to fork over $100. Also do you always receive payment after the work or do you ever get it before? That may sound stupid but I really am curious in the beginning stages if there are things I should stray away from. This is nothing in regards to low balling myself to make absolutely no money. But just want to know the best route to take with those first legitimate customers. Thanks again for whatever you all can provide
Feed back please
apologies for the long winded question!

If try to rip you off on the agreed price no keys for them,and one bounced check for 300.00 that I got recovered thanks to the worthless check division by our finest sheriff.

 

[2011 Kona Blue]

Howdy!

I've been fanatically reading the forums on here for a few months now. The material and wisdom floating around here is incredible and has answered many...many questions that I was curious about. So thanks to everyone in advance for all the time you take to share your experience's. Anyway, Ill get to the point, I'm really looking to taking on some part time work detailing and have set out and researched almost every avenue I need to understand before starting. I already bought and read front to back Renny Doyle's book How to start a home based Car detailing business. It was recommended on here and it was awesome! So now the actual question.

When you are starting out low key how did you actually receive payment from a customer? I am not opening a huge shop or have $10,000 sitting in the bank as capital. Im a guy who just wants to make some money doing something he loves. So in the beginning, did any of you experience people ripping you off after the job was completed? i.e. you agreed on $150 and when the job is done they only want to fork over $100. Also do you always receive payment after the work or do you ever get it before? That may sound stupid but I really am curious in the beginning stages if there are things I should stray away from. This is nothing in regards to low balling myself to make absolutely no money. But just want to know the best route to take with those first legitimate customers. Thanks again for whatever you all can provide
Feed back please
apologies for the long winded question!

My wife and I own a small home occupational detailing business and accept cash or check. They pay me when the job is done. My detailing prices start at $140 for small to mid size vehicles.

 

[briarpatch]

I am in a similar place...looking to start out. When doing landscaping work, I always walk around the property and go over the job with the customer, so they have no issues with anything I've done. It takes a few extra minutes.....but I've never had anyone try and talk the price down. I have had people ask me to do work outside the original plan, but I am firm on the price for that, too.

 

[Calendyr]

Welcome to the world of detailing

I have never been ripped off, or ever had a customer wanting to pay less. On the contrary, I have received tips for many jobs, sometimes as high as a 100$.

So in order to avoid payment issues, what you need to do is go over everything the customer expects from you and decide on a fair price for that job with him. Once that is decided, have an estimate ready and ask him to sign it. Make sure to explain what form of payment he can use. Personally I only take cash and credit cards using the Square service. If I was in the US I would also be able to accept bank cards with the same reader but here in Canada it's not possible. I do not accept checks because there is a risk of it bouncing and I am not interested in dealing with that.

When the job is completed, have the customer get a look at the car and make sure everything is to his liking. Sometimes you can forget something even with a checklist and if that item is something the client value it's better to find out now, when you are there and can fix it right away then having him not being happy with the job, or him calling you about it later where you will be forced to go back and fix it.

One trick I have learned here, to avoid having payment issues, don't go after low end customers. Go after high end ones. People with regular cars are much more likely to be super demanding and cause problems than people with super expensive cars. Strange but that's the way it is.
When someone calls me, I always pre-qualify them and if I feel they will be the type of person to give problems, I decline the job.

To finish, when you design your service packages, avoid doing car wash style ones like just a wash or a wash and wax... there is no money in that and you will just be wasting your time. If you are gonna be part time, make sure every job you do is worth your time, that means polishing with an AIO should be your minimum package.

Keep us up to date on your progress, this can be a really fun career if done properly.

 

[2011 Kona Blue]

Howdy!

I've been fanatically reading the forums on here for a few months now. The material and wisdom floating around here is incredible and has answered many...many questions that I was curious about. So thanks to everyone in advance for all the time you take to share your experience's. Anyway, Ill get to the point, I'm really looking to taking on some part time work detailing and have set out and researched almost every avenue I need to understand before starting. I already bought and read front to back Renny Doyle's book How to start a home based Car detailing business. It was recommended on here and it was awesome! So now the actual question.

When you are starting out low key how did you actually receive payment from a customer? I am not opening a huge shop or have $10,000 sitting in the bank as capital. Im a guy who just wants to make some money doing something he loves. So in the beginning, did any of you experience people ripping you off after the job was completed? i.e. you agreed on $150 and when the job is done they only want to fork over $100. Also do you always receive payment after the work or do you ever get it before? That may sound stupid but I really am curious in the beginning stages if there are things I should stray away from. This is nothing in regards to low balling myself to make absolutely no money. But just want to know the best route to take with those first legitimate customers. Thanks again for whatever you all can provide
Feed back please
apologies for the long winded question!

I would say be firm on your prices. Someone may detail the car for cheaper and you may have to walk away from it. Your time is worth something. I charge roughly $25 to 30 hr. People may be willing to do a job for $100 where I'm at $140. I won't come down to that price. I feel my detailing results are worth the $140 and some, so stick to your price.

I'm getting $ 175 for large vehicles and $ 210 for extra large vehicles. That's just for basic details. That's not even for any paint correction services or paint decontamination services via iron deposits or clay bar. If someone wants me to remove the oxidation, surface scratches and swirls, that's gonna run $30 hour on top of the base price. It may take me 2, 3, 4 or more hours to correct paint. This depending on the size of vehicle and how bad the paint is.

I only have a porter cable 7424 XP in my arsenal so I can only cut and correct so much. I plan on stepping up and adding a flex 3401 in the future so I can get better, faster cutting and correction.

 

[MannyUrrego]

Welcome to the world of detailing

I have never been ripped off, or ever had a customer wanting to pay less. On the contrary, I have received tips for many jobs, sometimes as high as a 100$.

So in order to avoid payment issues, what you need to do is go over everything the customer expects from you and decide on a fair price for that job with him. Once that is decided, have an estimate ready and ask him to sign it. Make sure to explain what form of payment he can use. Personally I only take cash and credit cards using the Square service. If I was in the US I would also be able to accept bank cards with the same reader but here in Canada it's not possible. I do not accept checks because there is a risk of it bouncing and I am not interested in dealing with that.

When the job is completed, have the customer get a look at the car and make sure everything is to his liking. Sometimes you can forget something even with a checklist and if that item is something the client value it's better to find out now, when you are there and can fix it right away then having him not being happy with the job, or him calling you about it later where you will be forced to go back and fix it.

One trick I have learned here, to avoid having payment issues, don't go after low end customers. Go after high end ones. People with regular cars are much more likely to be super demanding and cause problems than people with super expensive cars. Strange but that's the way it is.
When someone calls me, I always pre-qualify them and if I feel they will be the type of person to give problems, I decline the job.

To finish, when you design your service packages, avoid doing car wash style ones like just a wash or a wash and wax... there is no money in that and you will just be wasting your time. If you are gonna be part time, make sure every job you do is worth your time, that means polishing with an AIO should be your minimum package.

Keep us up to date on your progress, this can be a really fun career if done properly.

Thank you so much for your input, very solid advice I will take wholeheartedly. I just want to use everyone's experiences here as much as I can so I can avoid certain hassles. But some are obviously gonna pop up. But like you said I do want to do it properly! Also you pretty much reminded me of Joe Fernandez from Superior Shine, he likes to say "poor people suck" not literally but as far as customers a detailer is searching for. Lower income households are realistically not going to be long term repeat customers. Also many times they could potentially be the more demanding ones to deal with. So I understand being in that bracket myself as a college student lol. But I have realistic expectations and know I need to market to more affluent clients.

I would say be firm on your prices. Someone may detail the car for cheaper and you may have to walk away from it. Your time is worth something. I charge roughly $25 to 30 hr. People may be willing to do a job for $100 where I'm at $140. I won't come down to that price. I feel my detailing results are worth the $140 and some, so stick to your price.

I'm getting $ 175 for large vehicles and $ 210 for extra large vehicles. That's just for basic details. That's not even for any paint correction services or paint decontamination services via iron deposits or clay bar. If someone wants me to remove the oxidation, surface scratches and swirls, that's gonna run $30 hour on top of the base price. It may take me 2, 3, 4 or more hours to correct paint. This depending on the size of vehicle and how bad the paint is.

I only have a porter cable 7424 XP in my arsenal so I can only cut and correct so much. I plan on stepping up and adding a flex 3401 in the future so I can get better, faster cutting and correction.

You're so very right, that I think is the number one piece of advice I hear all over. Don't underquote yourself and make sure you are getting paid what you want to make not what a customer wants to pay. So I am going to live by these words!rops:

 

[MannyUrrego]

Also I can't believe how fast I got responses! I left and went to the gym, come back and boom 6 replies already. Thanks again everyone

 

[Eldorado2k]

Also I can't believe how fast I got responses! I left and went to the gym, come back and boom 6 replies already. Thanks again everyone

That's what's great about this forum. It says there's 350 people logged in right now, of which maybe 70% are lurkers.. And there's also 1,700+ guests [legit lurkers] online on top of that. Just imagine how many more posts there would be if lurkers suddendly broke out of their shell! Lol.
IMO It's great to see new people who post. Welcome online

 

[MannyUrrego]

That's what's great about this forum. It says there's 350 people logged in right now, of which maybe 70% are lurkers.. And there's also 1,700+ guests [legit lurkers] online on top of that. Just imagine how many more posts there would be if lurkers suddendly broke out of their shell! Lol.
IMO It's great to see new people who post. Welcome online

Well I just happen to have been one of said "lurkers". Makes me feel like I was violating you all a little lol. Anyway Happy to have made the jump to start socializing with this awesome community!. Cheers

 

[Eldorado2k]

Well I just happen to have been one of said "lurkers". Makes me feel like I was violating you all a little lol. Anyway Happy to have made the jump to start socializing with this awesome community!. Cheers

I was just thinking how crazy it would be if a large percentage of the 2,000 people online would be posting at the moment. I wonder if it would crash the servers. Lol.
I've also noticed just in these past couple of weeks that alot more people seem to be online compared to just 3 weeks ago. It's amazing how a shift in time and better weather seems to bring out the inner detailer in so many people. Detailing season for sure.
Smart planning for Detail Fest.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Back to your original question.. If they refuse to pay, I let the cat out of the bag. And the cat's trained to unleash vengeance, and furious anger upon the paint. Scratching it up 2x worse than it was before I polished it. Lol.

View attachment 42073

I've made the cat believe that the detailing money pays for her food.. And if they don't pay, she can't eat.

 

[MannyUrrego]

Back to your original question.. If they refuse to pay, I let the cat out of the bag. And the cat's trained to unleash vengeance, and furious anger upon the paint. Scratching it up 2x worse than it was before I polished it. Lol.

View attachment 42073

I've made the cat believe that the detailing money pays for her food.. And if they don't pay, she can't eat.��

Lol well I'll see what I can do, my wife might not appreciate me training our cat to be an attack Cat.