So I talked to a guy today about DETAILING!!!

:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree:
 
rwright said:
In my opinion there should be 2 separate entities - Clean Up Shop for those who do basic services (wash, wax, vac), and Detail Shop for those that offer machine polishing, odor removal (not air freshener), on top of washing and waxing. This may ruffle some feathers, tick off someone, etc., but think about it - you work hard to stand out from the crowd.

Celebrity or not, in the end you're still cleaning a car. It's your attention to details or quality of your work that sets you apart. You can be that person who charged a celebrity $150 to wash and wax their car only to be forgotten about because you didn't do anything special, or you can be the person that charged them that or double because you made their car look "complete". You attended to all the details.
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:iagree:100% :applause::buffing:
 
Spicy McHaggis said:
Let me add, that I will use my PC to apply a paint cleaner and/or glaze on most of those jobs, but never for correction. So I guess in reality I touch a buffer, but don't do any correction.
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Oh ok, that makes sense then.

I didn't mean to say you were getting away with anything in a negative manner. I just more so meant to ask what it is that you do. My apologies, came across the wrong way. Didn't mean to imply that you were doing something wrong. I was just curious as to what your steps were.

I can see that though. Cause I do the same thing. My average level details are mainly a one step with the PC as well. When it gets into correction...I'm the same as you, the bucks go up!:cheers:
 
Kristopher1129 said:
Oh ok, that makes sense then.

I didn't mean to say you were getting away with anything in a negative manner. I just more so meant to ask what it is that you do. My apologies, came across the wrong way. Didn't mean to imply that you were doing something wrong. I was just curious as to what your steps were.

I can see that though. Cause I do the same thing. My average level details are mainly a one step with the PC as well. When it gets into correction...I'm the same as you, the bucks go up!:cheers:
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No worries buddy. I didn't take offense, and even if I did thats not your problem..lol.

When I started I did ALOT of one steps and wash and waxes for next to nothing just to try and get my name out there. I got lucky and got hooked up with a local radio personality who in turned hooked me up with several football and basketball players. Since then I've been able to get alot more money for the same services.

Now I do alot more actually correction work with the wash and waxes thrown in every so often.
 
Spicy McHaggis said:
When I started I did ALOT of one steps and wash and waxes for next to nothing just to try and get my name out there. I got lucky and got hooked up with a local radio personality who in turned hooked me up with several football and basketball players. Since then I've been able to get alot more money for the same services.
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This pretty much relates to everyone, the difference being what you decide to do with it from there.

Leading to...


Spicy McHaggis said:
Now I do alot more actually correction work with the wash and waxes thrown in every so often.
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One thing that I wish to note - I see nothing wrong with your career if all you offer is a wash, wax, and vac service. If it pays the bills or puts money in your pocket, great! I was told once from a friend of mine - it's great to do correction work and big money details, but the soccer mom's who just want a clean car don't really care about swirls. They just want a clean & shiny car. You can make a killing off of them. My friend does offer machine polishing and does great work.
 
Towards the OP's original topic...

I had a guy attend one of my detailing classes while I was teaching them at Meguiar's at their corporate office in Irvine, California and he told me when he arrived that he had been hired to detail Jay Leno's cars and they gave him a box of car care products and a polisher and he was taking my class to learn how to use both the products and how to use an electric polisher!

He was mad because the first portion of the class is a Power Point Presentation, (where you get head-knowledge), and the second half is the actual hands-on portion and he only made time in his schedule to be there in the morning.

He left after the Power Point Presentation and although I offered to work with him one-on-one at his house on his schedule I never heard from him again. I've spoken to Jay a few times in my life and have had two people that know him give him copies of my original PC DVD with the 1960 Corvette but all to no avail.

Once while working for Meguiar's I had a special class for members of Autopia, Scott Wax was one of the attendees, and we were able to take a tour of Jay's Garages and it looked like most of the cars needed some attention to meet the swirl-free show car finish we here in the online detailing world consider acceptable for cars of these stature.

While we were there that day, I saw a guy showing someone how to wipe the cars down with a microfiber and a spray detailer, it was obvious the person had never done anything like this before, I cringed.

I've actually had a number of people go through my classes over the years because they had been asked to work on something important and wanted and needed to learn how to machine polish paint, once such person was hired by Chip Foose to detail his projects. I've also met with Chip on 3 different occasions to discuss doing all the wetsanding, cutting and buffing on his projects but nothing ever came from it. I count Chip as a friend and the door is always open to both Chip and to Jay as I would love the opportunity to work on any of their project cars.

Maybe someday...


:xyxthumbs:
 
Spicy McHaggis said:
No worries buddy. I didn't take offense, and even if I did thats not your problem..lol.

When I started I did ALOT of one steps and wash and waxes for next to nothing just to try and get my name out there. I got lucky and got hooked up with a local radio personality who in turned hooked me up with several football and basketball players. Since then I've been able to get alot more money for the same services.

Now I do alot more actually correction work with the wash and waxes thrown in every so often.
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I hear that. In the beginning for me, I had a tendency to bend on price a lot. Now, I know not to do that. But, when you're starting out, it's hard to separate the people who try and talk you down, and the people willing to pay.

Eventually I learned that if they are more concerned with price than quality...you're better off pointing them in a different direction. That's why I split my packages up into bronze, silver, gold, and platinum this year. if they want cheap...bronze it is, ha.

It all depends where you want your business to end up. Would you rather do a LOT of cheap details, or do a fair amount of top end ones? I'd rather do the expensive details! :dblthumb2:
 
Kristopher1129 said:
I hear that. In the beginning for me, I had a tendency to bend on price a lot. Now, I know not to do that. But, when you're starting out, it's hard to separate the people who try and talk you down, and the people willing to pay.

Eventually I learned that if they are more concerned with price than quality...you're better off pointing them in a different direction. That's why I split my packages up into bronze, silver, gold, and platinum this year. if they want cheap...bronze it is, ha.

It all depends where you want your business to end up. Would you rather do a LOT of cheap details, or do a fair amount of top end ones? I'd rather do the expensive details! :dblthumb2:
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Thats a good idea to figure out who wants what. For me, I don't even deal with people that balk at the price. it's just setting myself up for some sort of problem. One of two things can happen with a customer who doesn't like the price

1. They can try and nit pick you to death and find a reason not to pay full price, or at all. I had a customer tell me he wasn't going to pay me because I didn't fix his wheels that were curbed. I kindly told him that not only was fixing curbed wheels not listed in any of my packages, but that he would not be getting his car back until he paid me in full. This little incident lead me to fill out a pre-detail check and make the customer sign it, which would relieve me of any responsibility for damage that was on the car prior to me working on it.

2. They will bad mouth you to other people and say you are a price gouger. I had a neighbor tell me his co-worker had me detail their vehicle. The customer balked at the price initially but went ahead with the deal and basically did backflips when they saw their vehicle. They told me how great it looked, and how they would tell all their friends. Well I come to find out from my neighbor that he had been basically telling everyone that I was too expensive and so one. This time I sent the guy an email and politly told him that he was not welcome as a customer of mine any longer.

So for those two reasons I don't even give people the time of day who want to try and talk down my prices. I stay plenty busy with customers who are willing to pay to keep their cars looking great, and will tell all of their friends to come see me. I even have people give me tips every once in a while b/c they are so happy. Tips are never expected, but it's nice to know people really appreciate your hard work.
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Towards the OP's original topic...

I had a guy attend one of my detailing classes while I was teaching them at Meguiar's at their corporate office in Irvine, California and he told me when he arrived that he had been hired to detail Jay Leno's cars and they gave him a box of car care products and a polisher and he was taking my class to learn how to use both the products and how to use an electric polisher!

He was mad because the first portion of the class is a Power Point Presentation, (where you get head-knowledge), and the second half is the actual hands-on portion and he only made time in his schedule to be there in the morning.

He left after the Power Point Presentation and although I offered to work with him one-on-one at his house on his schedule I never heard from him again. I've spoken to Jay a few times in my life and have had two people that know him give him copies of my original PC DVD with the 1960 Corvette but all to no avail.

Once while working for Meguiar's I had a special class for members of Autopia, Scott Wax was one of the attendees, and we were able to take a tour of Jay's Garages and it looked like most of the cars needed some attention to meet the swirl-free show car finish we here in the online detailing world consider acceptable for cars of these stature.

While we were there that day, I saw a guy showing someone how to wipe the cars down with a microfiber and a spray detailer, it was obvious the person had never done anything like this before, I cringed.

I've actually had a number of people go through my classes over the years because they had been asked to work on something important and wanted and needed to learn how to machine polish paint, once such person was hired by Chip Foose to detail his projects. I've also met with Chip on 3 different occasions to discuss doing all the wetsanding, cutting and buffing on his projects but nothing ever came from it. I count Chip as a friend and the door is always open to both Chip and to Jay as I would love the opportunity to work on any of their project cars.

Maybe someday...


:xyxthumbs:
Click to expand...

I actually got to meet Jay Leno in Cali one time - sure he doesn't remember it at all but was still kind of cool. I worked the Concourse De' Elegance (spelling?) in Monterey for a couple of years..... Funny thing is that I could have cared less about these rare cars cause I was more into aircraft at the time and detailing them..... Now I would love to go out there and detail those rides!!! I got to start up a million dollar Italian car lol (hand made race car - have no clue what it was called) - and didn't care so much! I would love to go out there again with my current business and go to town on those rides - then I could imagine charging 200 to 300 for a wipedown/ ?detail? .

I may send this guy towards the direction of your classes so he can learn the techniques and tools.
 
B&B Tennessee said:
I actually got to meet Jay Leno in Cali one time - sure he doesn't remember it at all but was still kind of cool. I worked the Concourse De' Elegance (spelling?) in Monterey for a couple of years..... Funny thing is that I could have cared less about these rare cars cause I was more into aircraft at the time and detailing them..... Now I would love to go out there and detail those rides!!! I got to start up a million dollar Italian car lol (hand made race car - have no clue what it was called) - and didn't care so much! I would love to go out there again with my current business and go to town on those rides - then I could imagine charging 200 to 300 for a wipedown/ ?detail? .

I may send this guy towards the direction of your classes so he can learn the techniques and tools.
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Who said anything about just doing a wipe down?
 
Spicy McHaggis said:
Who said anything about just doing a wipe down?
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Im talkin about the guy I originally posted about - - - - - He said he "details" these celebs rides for a ridiculous price without having the knowledge of buffing. His process is the same that I do to my fleets - which turn out great, and only take roughly an hour per exterior if I am alone (I call it a wipedown). I can see charging maybe 50 to 75 for an exterior this way - but this guy was saying somewhere in the 140 to 150 range. Its great that he is making this much, but I think he is going to run into a customer that knows what a true detail is and ruin his rep..... so I figure I'll toss him some buffing knowledge and/or send him here to take autogeeks classes, would totally benifit him I think.

Anyhow - Wipedown is what I have always called a basic exterior package - if there is no correction or polishing goin on.
 
Larry A said:
Some people have had bad experence with hack detailers with buffers. A detail is supposed to make a car look better , not fill it with swirls.
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This is so true ^ :props:

B&B Tennessee said:
Flash - I won't move in on his clients - I'll end up showing him how to polish.... there's more than enough clients out there then to take his few from him! Just not in me I suppose.
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I'm glad to hear you say this :dblthumb2:
 
B&B Tennessee said:
I can see charging maybe 50 to 75 for an exterior this way - but this guy was saying somewhere in the 140 to 150 range. Its great that he is making this much, but I think he is going to run into a customer that knows what a true detail is and ruin his rep.....
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Yeah, but...you said his clientele was celebrities, etc. I'm just thinking, if I was a celebrity, it might be worth it to me to pay double for a service like that to get someone I knew I could trust around my house/cars, be discreet, etc. So it might not be the service that is commanding that premium, but the person.
 
I can agree with that TOO MANY SECRETS - totally love your name man!! Can't get past that everytime I read one of your posts lol!
 
...lol sorry

Setec Astronomy said:
7418d1296485738t-so-i-talked-guy-today-


Boy you really lost me on this one...drying with paper towels makes your roof rusty and your gf used to be married to your goddaughter's uncle???
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SeaJay's said:
I thought the same thing! I'm lost!
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ooops sorry guys....two different cars the one with rust is my 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor and your right this car has nothing to do with nothing on this post ....lol Sorry it was early and before coffee :dunno:

My goddaughters are my GF niece's, I wish they were his I would have had my paint fixed along time ago.

Once again sorry guys ...lol
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Yeah, but...you said his clientele was celebrities, etc. I'm just thinking, if I was a celebrity, it might be worth it to me to pay double for a service like that to get someone I knew I could trust around my house/cars, be discreet, etc. So it might not be the service that is commanding that premium, but the person.
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I agree with this. I have clients that don't want me even to tell people I go to their house to detail their vehicles. I have one who made me sign a non disclosure form saying I can't talk about anything I see or hear while at their house. He was cool and said it was something his lawyer made everyone who worked at the house sign.

On the other hand I have guys that will pose for pictures and say I can put them anywhere I want.
 
Spicy McHaggis said:
Thats a good idea to figure out who wants what. For me, I don't even deal with people that balk at the price. it's just setting myself up for some sort of problem. One of two things can happen with a customer who doesn't like the price

1. They can try and nit pick you to death and find a reason not to pay full price, or at all. I had a customer tell me he wasn't going to pay me because I didn't fix his wheels that were curbed. I kindly told him that not only was fixing curbed wheels not listed in any of my packages, but that he would not be getting his car back until he paid me in full. This little incident lead me to fill out a pre-detail check and make the customer sign it, which would relieve me of any responsibility for damage that was on the car prior to me working on it.

2. They will bad mouth you to other people and say you are a price gouger. I had a neighbor tell me his co-worker had me detail their vehicle. The customer balked at the price initially but went ahead with the deal and basically did backflips when they saw their vehicle. They told me how great it looked, and how they would tell all their friends. Well I come to find out from my neighbor that he had been basically telling everyone that I was too expensive and so one. This time I sent the guy an email and politly told him that he was not welcome as a customer of mine any longer.

So for those two reasons I don't even give people the time of day who want to try and talk down my prices. I stay plenty busy with customers who are willing to pay to keep their cars looking great, and will tell all of their friends to come see me. I even have people give me tips every once in a while b/c they are so happy. Tips are never expected, but it's nice to know people really appreciate your hard work.
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Yup, I'm on the same page. I find it extremely helpful to have a busy shop with 3-5 vehicles going on. When customers see that, they tend to not bother haggling with prices. It's obvious I'm not desperate for work.

I sent quite a few people packing last year. A lot of them actually came back. One guy actually went somewhere else, then brought the vehicle back to me...and asked what I would do differently. First thing I did was take out the swirls, haha. Needless to say, he paid my price, AND tipped. I've seen him twice since then. Gotta hold your ground!:buffing:
 
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