Wasting time!!!!

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Detailingtime

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Why do people waste their time on 96% of people who wont pay top dollar for detailing I am talking $500+ for a detail $200+ on wash/wax Just curious? Seems from reading alot the last few days quite a few people waste alot of time on folks that cant make you a very good living Just wondering.....I couldnt and wouldnt detail for less than +$150 a hour It is hard work and Yall should be getting payed.....
 
Because most people are not going to pay you $150 hour. The most successful detailer I know and only does paint correction charges $85 hour and he is booked 8 months out. I don't anyone detailing charging $150 hour. even skilled trades don't get paid that. If your starting out at $150 hour no one will come to you. The only way you would ever get paid that is if you only did high end cars. I do a lot of high end cars and a lot of those people are not willing to pay that.
 
Detailingtime said:
Why do people waste their time on 96% of people who wont pay top dollar for detailing I am talking $500+ for a detail $200+ on wash/wax Just curious? Seems from reading alot the last few days quite a few people waste alot of time on folks that cant make you a very good living Just wondering.....I couldnt and wouldnt detail for less than +$150 a hour It is hard work and Yall should be getting payed.....
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To fetch that kind of premium, you better have the reputation and the portfolio...... or like me I am waiting for AG to run a 20% off special on their Pinnacle line of "instant reputation".

To be honest, $15-$50/man hour is the average rate for newbs to decently experienced detailers. Anything more you have to be an "artist" or have the "ultimate trust" of your built in clientele who will pay that kind of money, in hopes that no one will come to underbid you.

Just my thought..
 
When you find a soccer mom to spend $150hr for you to do a wash and wax on her beat up van let me know...
 
Dr_Pain said:
To fetch that kind of premium, you better have the reputation and the portfolio...... or like me I am waiting for AG to run a 20% off special on their Pinnacle line of "instant reputation".

To be honest, $15-$50/man hour is the average rate for newbs to decently experienced detailers. Anything more you have to be an "artist" or have the "ultimate trust" of your built in clientele who will pay that kind of money, in hopes that no one will come to underbid you.

Just my thought..
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I make any where between $25-45 hour depends on job and how long it takes and most my customer tip me. My 10 best customers tip at lest $100 ever time I do there car. My average tip is about $30.
 
Detailingtime said:
Why do people waste their time on 96% of people who wont pay top dollar for detailing I am talking $500+ for a detail $200+ on wash/wax Just curious? Seems from reading alot the last few days quite a few people waste alot of time on folks that cant make you a very good living Just wondering.....I couldnt and wouldnt detail for less than +$150 a hour It is hard work and Yall should be getting payed.....
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Wow, $150 an hour!? Where are you finding your clients? I want in on that.

Pureshine said:
I make any where between $25-45 hour depends on job and how long it takes and most my customer tip me. My 10 best customers tip at lest $100 ever time I do there car. My average tip is about $30.
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I am in line with you on pricing
 
I did an S2K for $200 and it took me 7 hrs, so that's $29.00 an hour rounding up, wash, clay, wheels cleaned/tires dressed, machine polish, paint sealant and wowo sealant to finish. The following week I did his daughters car, 8 hrs @$150 for the job, wash, clay, machine polish and 1 paint sealant finish, so I made even less there but got the job nonetheless. I'm no pro and felt fine charging what I did. Would I like to make more, sure but to someone like me its about getting the job, performing the job and making the customer happy and putting some extra money in my pocket.

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
Let me know where you live, I want to go somewhere that I can make $6,000 a week on average!

In all seriousness though, where are you getting these numbers? It is somewhat rude to tell people that they are "wasting their time" making ONLY $25-$149 an hour...
 
I dont detail for money I just kept seeing such low prices and wondering how do some make money? That was kinda what i was getting at.
 
Detailingtime said:
I dont detail for money I just kept seeing such low prices and wondering how do some make money? That was kinda what i was getting at.
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Then how would you know what to charge? Most skilled trades like Plummer's,auto mechs, electricians make about $30 hour.
 
Let me put it to you this way. (i'll use low numbers)

$30/hr

Wash and Wax (most common (express detail in some cases) avg 1-3 hrs. most the time its on avg around this number give or take. $125 or if agreed upon for set amount per hour as shown above. would be 90 bucks.Lets throw an even higher number in Overhead per job. $10 for things like chemicals and needed tools for the job.

2-4 per day depening on how fast and how well you are at your detailing process.

(lowest form) 90x6 days a week @ 1 car!!! would equal out to this $540. For not very long (If you were to add together MAX hours) it took if you take the figures above into play. That's 18 hours on the week for $540 on a slow time.

On the other side $125 times 4x meaning a 12 hour work day is $500.

500x6 = 3,000 3kx4 = 12k a month!! or 144k a year..Which is very possible using the very (low numbers) as stated earlier in my post. For what your saying at 150/hr I wouldnt even have work! No one would pay!
 
$150 an hour, even if only for a 20 hour work week would still be $150,000 a year gig. If that was really the going rate I would hang up software design and go buy me a DA right now.
 
TroyScherer said:
When you find a soccer mom to spend $150hr for you to do a wash and wax on her beat up van let me know...
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Soooo true!

Recent client convo with wife:

W- "it costs so much just go to Bubbles"
H- "Its not a Bubbles job though"
W- "Does it really matter?"
H- "YES!"

As far as cost man. My longest package spans 25-30 hrs of work. Looking at a little under $4500 @ $150/hr. I do not have many bites at $900 for that package. Sure you can charge what you want, but its what people will pay for that counts. Don't say "oh the rich can afford it" because I know a guy whos got a new MP4-12C and if its cleaned, it done with cheap OTC stuff.

There are a lot of people out there that see detailers on the high end charging thousands for details and think "hell, give me some dish soap and turtle wax. I can do a better job". Detailing for money is not an easy or high paying job. There is no ripping people off in it. Its hard work, I am sure most of the guys on here can agree, in the spring after the big melt, you are happy to sleep in on the weekend.

I make 95% of my salary from selling industrial tools. Detail on the side for enjoyment.
 
It's a sad state of affairs...but true:

The majority of Small Businesses fail within their first year of operation.

It has been said that:
-Detailing Businesses are among the most hardest hit:
Their failure usually caused by the lack of having a proper Business Plan...
A Detailing Business Plan, like any other Business, that should include
parameters of what it takes to make a: "living wage".

Regardless of their Walks in Life...
-Folks have differing concepts/understanding of what a "living wage" should be.
Ofttimes these concepts/understandings may seem skewed to others.

-Although Business-failure-scenarios paints a dreary picture...
Often with the total loss of investment monies/assets...

I'd wager that many folks that have taken the plunge:
To go in; then, sadly, go out...of Business do not feel
that their efforts were a: "Waste of Time".

:)

Bob
 
Wouldn't that be nice! Please don't think that all of us are against you on this matter. Trust me, if you are charging this and your customers are paying this, that's awesome and we are happy for you. Now the average consumer won't pay that much at all, only high ends and even then they still think its too much. I average about the same, sometimes I am able to finish the car faster, improving on my own techniques to work faster and make a higher profit. Time is money. My average clients are willing to pay no more than 150-200 dollars, why? Those are cars that they drive everyday, so for them throwing a quick wax or sealant making the paint shine and interior clean ( Mom's specially ) that's what they care about! Most of the times and that's a lot of the times, either they don't know what a paint correction is or they don't care at all. It's just an opinion and yes, wouldn't we love to get paid that much by the hour but the reality is, most average consumers where I live at least wont pay not because its expensive but because they just don't care specially when they drive the car daily. For me it works out perfectly. Usually I get it all done in about 1.5 hour to 2 hours depending on the car or truck's condition. I do have some high end customers in my area but that's only about 2-5% the most that are willing to have their car fully corrected or ready for a show car finish.
 
Pure I know one thing i would be absolute highest in my area and only go after 2% of population and do it relentlessly and start parttime keep current job for 5 yrs and build a very very solid clientele That is based on Relationship/Skill not cost.I wouldnt even post prices because if they asked price probably not my kind of customer.I am just saying what i would do since YOU asked...Is this the wrong method to a solid business?
 
$150.00 an Hour!! Do you need a business partner?

There is a small niche of people that will actually pay that much to do the job, I am sure your skills are amazing and like ever profession you can apply Pareto Principle of 20% of your client provide 80% of the business.

Also I didn't realize it cost $150 to get a detail job by the hour.

I am Stockbroker and wifes a Doctor, I wish we knew this before spending a boat load on school....boy weren't we suckers to go to grad school....
 
Detailingtime said:
Pure I know one thing i would be absolute highest in my area and only go after 2% of population and do it relentlessly and start parttime keep current job for 5 yrs and build a very very solid clientele That is based on Relationship/Skill not cost.I wouldnt even post prices because if they asked price probably not my kind of customer.I am just saying what i would do since YOU asked...Is this the wrong method to a solid business?
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Wait you currently don't detail and thinking of starting a business, at $150 per hour?
 
I do not limit my self to high end customers thats because during winter most my customers want interior work and are daily drivers. You don't have to post prices but even my high end customers want to know prices.The only problem with going after high end only is getting them to trust you. Once I got my first vett and R8 I was set but was hard get them to give you a $160k car if they don't know your work or weren't recommended to you. Winter is slow time for most detailers in bad weather areas and I can still make great money just ding interior work for 4 months out of the year.
 
WOULD is the key word here....I can detail no problem but man how does anyone make money at less than $75 a hour with insurance,taxes,overhead, Just trying to learn
 
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