Finding clients, need suggestions

I'm not a fan of videos most people do not spend that much time on your website to watch a video. Have before and after pictures. Stay way from yelp they are the Mafia I'm part of a huge class action law suite against them. We just won one law suit and waiting on the other 2.
 
I really think videos involving detailing are 99% horse pucky. AG produces some nice ones as does the Junkman because they educate the viewer.

Most videos just demonstrate and give you no history of the car or environmental conditions or things to watch out for. Seeing some knucklehead spraying a car with foam tells me nothing. Seeing some schmuck applying wax tells me nothing.

I want to be educated, not just watching a demonstration of the persons ability turn on a camera. Most videos have lots of background noise and annoying camera jerking movements.

Stay away from videos unless you are prepared to educate the viewer of not only what you are doing but why you selected the products you chose, why you chose the process you are showing and you can produce something that doesn't look like a circus clown produced it.
 
Pureshine said:
I'm not a fan of videos most people do not spend that much time on your website to watch a video. Have before and after pictures. Stay way from yelp they are the Mafia I'm part of a huge class action law suite against them. We just won one law suit and waiting on the other 2.
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Ok I did not see it that way, you have a good point there. I will add some pictures.

Ya, Yelp is not something I was interested in either. Seems to me only time people will take time to write reviews is when they are unhappy (really unhappy) about something or if they are the competition trying to bring you down.
 
silverfox said:
I really think videos involving detailing are 99% horse pucky. AG produces some nice ones as does the Junkman because they educate the viewer.

Most videos just demonstrate and give you no history of the car or environmental conditions or things to watch out for. Seeing some knucklehead spraying a car with foam tells me nothing. Seeing some schmuck applying wax tells me nothing.

I want to be educated, not just watching a demonstration of the persons ability turn on a camera. Most videos have lots of background noise and annoying camera jerking movements.

Stay away from videos unless you are prepared to educate the viewer of not only what you are doing but why you selected the products you chose, why you chose the process you are showing and you can produce something that doesn't look like a circus clown produced it.
Click to expand...

Have you watched Paul Dalton's videos? Do a search for Miracle Détails on Youtube. All his videos are before/after videos. He does not educate but he can sure show how awesome his work is. I still need to work on my video production abilities but what you are describing sure isn't what is in my videos.
 
All right. I have set 4 hours aside to update my website today. Let's get started ;)
 
Pureshine said:
I'm not a fan of videos most people do not spend that much time on your website to watch a video. Have before and after pictures. Stay way from yelp they are the Mafia I'm part of a huge class action law suite against them. We just won one law suit and waiting on the other 2.
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pls explain Feed back please
 
thebamboo23 said:
pls explain Feed back please
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Ok I had 5 reviews that are 5 stars yelp contacted me to advertise and when I told them I did want to 15 min later all my reviews went to filter reviews. When I asked them why that happen they told me they where not legit reviews and thats why they are filtered. Which then he told me over the phone that if I advertise with them they would put them back up. In are law suit we have over 1000 business complaining about the same thing its like the mafia.
 
Got a phone call today from the president of the local Antique Car Club ;) I am going to their meeting next week.

I offered to have a raffle with a 1 step polishing package given for free to one of their members. I will also try to talk a little bit to them all regarding washing techniques if I can. Of course I will give my business card to everyone.

I'll make an other post regarding this. I need some advice regarding antiques.
 
It takes the kind of effort you are putting into it but give it time as others have already have said. I have been running my mobile business since last October and I recently had a break through using a groupon idea. I picked up 20 customers and filled my calendar. The second best source of customers has been my network of friends. I have been leaving my cards at auto mechanic shops, used car businesses and picking up new business that way. My web site has been a source as well. I tried a mailing, sending a thousand cards to a test area announcing my business and got I one new customer. Good luck,

Fred
Fred's Mobile Auto Spa
Northern Virginia
 
I thought id give my 2cents.
Most of my work is dealers. And a have all the work I can handle.
I would not approach new or big cars lots. Just small lots that are run by the owner. I specifically target the ones with clean shiny cars with no shop in the back- this tells me they are already paying someone to detail.
My aproach is very simple- Hi Im Edgar how are ya...well I detail cars and wanted to see if you could use help with that...
(already have a guy)- that's fine, I'm not trying to run anyone out of a job, I'm just looking to do one or two a month, maybe if he's too busy or you need something right away. Well give me a call or shoot me a text, here's my card. *after they see my work, I get called more often.
I also tell them I fix scratches/swirls/water spots with a buffer, in fact I have different buffers, pads and products I use for different situations, I can make a car look better than new but that's a little more.
I learned to have a price ready. They want a flat price regardless of the car. Keep it simple. I say- I charge $XX and that's for the inside and outside. Engine is $XX more and headlights are $XX more. If you want a full correction I'll have to quote a price after inspecting the vehicle.-they never ask for this.
When dealing with dealers, you cannot give them a FULL detail, all they want is a shiny car( washed and spray wax) and clean inside that smells nice(carpets and seats washed if needed, plastics wiped down and an air freshener) I aim for 4hrs per car, some take me 2hrs and some 5hrs.
A little pscicology- I collect $$ on every other car. That way they don't fell they're always paying me. But I won't go more than 2 cars because then the amount on the check gets high and they realize they could be spending that somewhere else. I'm trying to convince them to just swipe a card(paypal Here on my smartphone*free) but that's a work in progress, a freebee here and there will do wonders for your relationship with you clients.
 
Edse30 said:
I thought id give my 2cents.
Most of my work is dealers. And a have all the work I can handle.
I would not approach new or big cars lots. Just small lots that are run by the owner. I specifically target the ones with clean shiny cars with no shop in the back- this tells me they are already paying someone to detail.
My aproach is very simple- Hi Im Edgar how are ya...well I detail cars and wanted to see if you could use help with that...
(already have a guy)- that's fine, I'm not trying to run anyone out of a job, I'm just looking to do one or two a month, maybe if he's too busy or you need something right away. Well give me a call or shoot me a text, here's my card. *after they see my work, I get called more often.
I also tell them I fix scratches/swirls/water spots with a buffer, in fact I have different buffers, pads and products I use for different situations, I can make a car look better than new but that's a little more.
I learned to have a price ready. They want a flat price regardless of the car. Keep it simple. I say- I charge and that's for the inside and outside. Engine is more and headlights are more. If you want a full correction I'll have to quote a price after inspecting the vehicle.-they never ask for this.
When dealing with dealers, you cannot give them a FULL detail, all they want is a shiny car( washed and spray wax) and clean inside that smells nice(carpets and seats washed if needed, plastics wiped down and an air freshener) I aim for 4hrs per car, some take me 2hrs and some 5hrs.
A little pscicology- I collect $$ on every other car. That way they don't fell they're always paying me. But I won't go more than 2 cars because then the amount on the check gets high and they realize they could be spending that somewhere else. I'm trying to convince them to just swipe a card(paypal Here on my smartphone*free) but that's a work in progress, a freebee here and there will do wonders for your relationship with you clients.
Click to expand...

Great advice for production work.
 
Edse30 said:
I thought id give my 2cents.
Most of my work is dealers. And a have all the work I can handle.
I would not approach new or big cars lots. Just small lots that are run by the owner. I specifically target the ones with clean shiny cars with no shop in the back- this tells me they are already paying someone to detail.
My aproach is very simple- Hi Im Edgar how are ya...well I detail cars and wanted to see if you could use help with that...
(already have a guy)- that's fine, I'm not trying to run anyone out of a job, I'm just looking to do one or two a month, maybe if he's too busy or you need something right away. Well give me a call or shoot me a text, here's my card. *after they see my work, I get called more often.
I also tell them I fix scratches/swirls/water spots with a buffer, in fact I have different buffers, pads and products I use for different situations, I can make a car look better than new but that's a little more.
I learned to have a price ready. They want a flat price regardless of the car. Keep it simple. I say- I charge and that's for the inside and outside. Engine is more and headlights are more. If you want a full correction I'll have to quote a price after inspecting the vehicle.-they never ask for this.
When dealing with dealers, you cannot give them a FULL detail, all they want is a shiny car( washed and spray wax) and clean inside that smells nice(carpets and seats washed if needed, plastics wiped down and an air freshener) I aim for 4hrs per car, some take me 2hrs and some 5hrs.
A little pscicology- I collect $$ on every other car. That way they don't fell they're always paying me. But I won't go more than 2 cars because then the amount on the check gets high and they realize they could be spending that somewhere else. I'm trying to convince them to just swipe a card(paypal Here on my smartphone*free) but that's a work in progress, a freebee here and there will do wonders for your relationship with you clients.
Click to expand...

Thank you, that is very good information. How much do you charge as a flat fee? My usual rate will be 40% per hour but I know I can't charge that much for dealers. So. Is 125$ too much for a flat fee?

Also do you do the work at their place or do you go pick up the vehicles and do them at your place?

One of the place I visited could not do business with me because I did not have an X plate (not sure if that exists everywhere but an X plate is a dealer plate you can put on an unlicenced car to move it around).
 
Another thing about having pictures instead of videos is that:

People are skimmers. They don't want to sit there and watch an X minute long video when they can just skim through pictures really quickly.
 
Bump.

I will be putting packages together today for used cars dealers.

So what should I charge and what should I include?

Here are my basic ideas, please tell me if you have experience with UCD if these are packages that can work...

Basic package would be:
Exterior and interior cleaning
Carpet shampoo
Seat shampoo if fabric, conditionning if leather
Spray wax on exterior
Dressing of interior, trims, tires
I was thinking of charging 125$... is that too much?

Second package would be a one step correction that would include everything in the basic package plus the 1 step correction
Was thinking of charging 200$.

Last package would be 2 step correction that would include everything in package one plus the 2 step. Would charge 25$ per hour including products.

I need to know today if possible.

Thanks!
 
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