$10.00 hand car wash/detailers

Diesel pressure washers going for 3K and up. I wouldn't be charging 17 bucks for a car wash.....


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I used to charge $10 for a hand wash...in 1995! Even then it was just barely profitable.

I did it because Steve's Detailing (a one time large and prosperous shop in So Cal) was doing it and I thought I could compete (my shop was pretty close). While I was able to upsell a fair number of the customers, I still should have recognized I was a different shop and charged more.
 
I guess they shop for wholesale rates on products and do not care about safety of product usage, such as using Hydrofluoric acid for wheels without gloves and so forth, So many car washers here calling themselves detailers do not know how dangerous these cheap costing chemicals are or how they can cause long term damage to vehicle and their health to wash a car day in and day out FOR JUST $10.00....... My DOCTOR COPAY VISIT IS $20.00 ALONE
 
They are back, lol leaving work and saw them with a brush (long broom handle type) going to town,lol
 
up here there is a mobile guy that charges $20.00, at your house!!
 
dabirdz said:
up here there is a mobile guy that charges $20.00, at your house!!
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With the cost of gas, he is not likely making much money even if he does not value his time that much.
 
My hand washes are $45 but I go way above and beyond and my customers know that. If the car has tar I take it off for them, ect... Basically its like a mini exterior detail. I have even spent 45 minutes polishing oxidized chrome wheels just because I didn't have anything else to do for the day.
 
UGH, 4 cars with one bucket of water and soap? Yikes, I could never do that either.
 
With Waterless, I can wash & wax an average to small car by myself in under 13 minutes (not including rims)

Me + 2 guys can leisurely stroll through a wash & wax on an average sized car in under 10 minutes rims, door jambs, Tire shine.

We do an extrerior wash & wax for $20, and a basic in and out for $30... but don't let that fool you. These packages exists for the purpose of upselling to bigger jobs. It's called a "loss leader", even though we don't really lose money on these jobs, but they obviously don't make any money worth getting out of bed for. But from there we upsell our details, headlight restores, waterspot removal, paint polishing/correction, etc.

Lets be real, finding someone to wash or detail your car is easy.. we all deal with all kinds of competition and the bottom line is, that most customers dont really know the difference between a car wash and a detail. Not to mention that it seems that less and less people care about their cars nowadays with all these leases and such. The sad truth is that in most markets, the cheaper you are - the more customers you will see.

If you master the up-sell, it really doesn't matter what your starting price is.
 
When someone tells me they can get there car wash done for $10.00 I politely tell them I cannot compete with this and they should take advantage of this great price...I also tell them to bring it back to me and I'll do it correctly.....for $25.00.....
 
BobbyG said:
When someone tells me they can get there car wash done for $10.00 I politely tell them I cannot compete with this and they should take advantage of this great price...I also tell them to bring it back to me and I'll do it correctly.....for $25.00.....
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Had one like that yesterday BOBBY G pulls up yelling from car window how much as I was working on another vehicle, my wife sees the frustration on my face (shounting from moving car, come on) before I turn to reply and she says politely to lady $20.00 TODAY (discount) her passenger says too high the driver replies how much did she say and passenger and wife repeats $20.00, quietly saying that's too much says ok and drives off, at time I was work on a JAGUAR XF (BLACK) of a repeat customer,lol
 
215Detailing said:
Had one like that yesterday BOBBY G pulls up yelling from car window how much as I was working on another vehicle, my wife sees the frustration on my face (shounting from moving car, come on) before I turn to reply and she says politely to lady $20.00 TODAY (discount) her passenger says too high the driver replies how much did she say and passenger and wife repeats $20.00, quietly saying that's too much says ok and drives off, at time I was work on a JAGUAR XF (BLACK) of a repeat customer,lol
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My friend, they're out there and their multiplying! :laughing:
 
Its even worse when your loving neighbors walk up to you while you're washing your car, striking up a conversation and asking you to hurry up so you can start on theirs (as in free).

Those that know better....know never distract me once I start working on my car, two...I gave up working for free a million years ago.

Now my new attractive, rich, single lady neighbor...she might be able to violate my principles.

Chuckles.
 
I honestly don't mind the super cheap guys. They just make my work look better and my business model more appealing.

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I do a lot of traveling when in the US. I have come across only one place that did a job I was happy with. My wife often says why do you pay them $20 only to go back after them and clean up.

This place was on the corner of !8th and Ashland ave on the South Side of Chicago. I went there every week in college. For $10 the hand washed exterior (foam blasting exterior), dried with a spray detailer, blew out the water all around the car, cleaned the windows (streak free), vacuumed the interior and cleaned dash and cuo hoolders, as well as dressed the tires. Now it was a cash only place and were likely non-leagl workers, but they did a phenomenal job on my black Jeep Grand Cherokee. The cloths were always fresh and clean, never once did they leave a swirl.
 
BobbyG said:
When someone tells me they can get there car wash done for $10.00 I politely tell them I cannot compete with this and they should take advantage of this great price...I also tell them to bring it back to me and I'll do it correctly.....for $25.00.....
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Thanks BobbyG, Most do not understand a wash from a Detail,lol or the value of quality products are the business side of it. Most think the worker is out for the quick job and dollar
 
silverfox said:
Its even worse when your loving neighbors walk up to you while you're washing your car, striking up a conversation and asking you to hurry up so you can start on theirs (as in free).

Those that know better....know never distract me once I start working on my car, two...I gave up working for free a million years ago.

Now my new attractive, rich, single lady neighbor...she might be able to violate my principles.

Chuckles.
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Well technically it wouldn't be free. It's an exchange of services if you do it right. More like a barter. So no violation of your principles at all! :P
 
JUST VENTING - FORGIVE ME

SOME THOUGHTS ON DETAILING
MY BUSINESS
A GOOD POST TO READ BY ALL THAT ARE USING DETAILING & PAINT SURFACE CORRECTION SERVICES:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/off-topic/50747-production-detailing-defined.html
WHY DO I DETAIL FROM MY HOME?
CONVIENCE, LOWER OVERHEAD (COST), I CAN BUY HIGHER END EQUIPMENT & PRODUCTS.
WHY DO I CHARGE THE SAME OR MORE AS THE SHOPS AND MOBILE DETAILERS?
SEARCH DETAILING RATES AND PAINT CORRECTION SERVICES ONLINE. YOU WILL NOTICE MOST (PHILA) PLACES OR TECHS UNDERCHARGE IT'S ABOUT THAT QUICK DOLLAR.
I HAVE A NINE TO FIVE (MAIN JOB) SO DETAILING IS MY PASSION (STRESS RELIEVER) BUT I HAVE MY BUSINESS LICENSE SO I PAY TAXES ON MY DETAILING JUST LIKE THE SHOP AND MOBILE FOLKS SUPPOSE TOO YEARLY THAT IS ONE REASON FOR ME CHARGING WHAT I CHARGE.
I WILL NOT MAKE ANY FALSE CLAIMS AT THIS TIME TO SAY I KNOW IT ALL IN DETAILING OR PAINT CORRECTION, OR I AM THE BEST IN THE CITY OR WHATEVER, BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS I LEARNED BASIC DETAILING IN GERMANY AND I HAVE VERY GOOD KNOWLEDGE AS TO THE WORKING OF THE TRADE.
WHEN IA SHOP DOES YOUR VEHICLE SAD TO SAY BUT TIME IS MONEY AND THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE RENT AT THE LEAST SO THEY NEED A FEW VEHICLES TO BE DONE, ME I WORK FROM HOME RENT IS PAID THROUGH MY REGULAR JOB SO IF I HAD A SHOP (PRODUCTION) WORK ASSEMBLY LINE DETAILING I WOULD BE TRYING TO RUSH CARS AND THAT MEAN EITHER LOW BUDGET PRODUCTS AND EQUIPMENT, LOW COST LABOR, OR SHORTCUTS.
I TAKE PRIDE IN MY SKILLS AND YOU ARE PAYING ( A MINIMUM) AT THE CURRENT TIME FOR HIGH QUIALITY SERVICE, THIS IS WHY I WORK BY APPOINTMENT AND MOST WORK IS DONE BY ME.
PRODUCTION DETAILING, YOU MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL WORKING ON YOUR VEHICLE EVERY TIME.
YOU SHOULD VIEW THE PRODUCTS (CHEMICALS AND EQUIPMENT THE YOUR TECH IS USING,
IF AND WHEN I DO GO MOBILE OR SHOP MY THERY IS STILL THE SAME QUALITY SKILLS AND PRODUCTS BUT MORE CASH VALUE FOR MY SERVICES AND TIME (BASICALLY VERY LIMITED DISCOUNTS).
I HAVE BEEN APPROACHED SEVERAL TIMES BY SO CALLED INVESTORS AND BUSINESS FOLKS THAT HAVE TAKEN TO MY SERVICES AND SKILLS AND ASK ME TO GO INTO THE COUNTY AND WORK IN THEIR SHOPS, NOPE I REFUSE TO DETAIL FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHEN I HAVE A REGULAR JOB, THAT STATE MY PAY WOULD BE MORE IN THE SUBARBS AS IF I DON'T KNOW THIS BUT HOURS WOULD BE LONGER AND I WOULD BE WORKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
THEY TELL ME TO FIND A SHOP OUT IN THE COUNTY AND THEY WOULD INVEST IN ME AND MY COMPANY SO I STILL SAY NO... IF I CAN'T DO IT MYSELF I WILL NOT DO (WHILE HAVING A REGUALR JOB TO FALL BACK ON) .
THEY SEE THAT I HAVE THE CUSTOMERS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EQUIPMENT AND PASSION, BUT ASSUME BECAUSE OF MY RATES AND OTHERS IN AREA (DETAILERS) THAT I DO NOT KNOW MY VALUE. I'M VERY WELL AWARE OF MY TRADE VALUES AND THE BASES OF DOING BUSINESS, AND QUITE A FEW MOBILE AND SHOP GUYS DO NOT UNDERSTAND AS WELL AS CUSTOMERS THE MEANING AND TERM DOING BUSINESS - AS IN COST OF DOING BUSINESS TO THE OWNER/TECH,
IF THEY KNEW THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS NOT TO MANY PLACES WOULD CHARGE UNDER $30.00 FOR A BASIC EXTERIOR (ONLY) WASH.
COST OF BUSINESS IS FACTORING IN AMOUNTS FOR THE COST OF YOUR SKILL AND TIME, THE COST OF RENT AND BILLS, THE COST OF PRODUCTS AND REORDERS AS WELL AS THE COST OF EQUIPMENT WITH REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS FACTORED IN.
YOU HAVE TO FACTOR IN BUSINESS INSURANCES, GAS, WATER, ELECTRIC, TAXES, PHONE, ADVERTISEMENT, PAYROLL, MEDICAL JUST TO NAME A FEW SO FOR EVERY DOLLAR YOU MAKE HOW MUCH HAS TO GO INTO EACH POT FOR COST OF BUSINESS, ALOT TO KNOW AND THINK ABOUT BEFORE CALLING YOURSELF A BUSINESS AND DOING BUSINESS.
SO WHEN YOU GO CHEAP SOMETIMES YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.GET TO KNOW YOUR DETAIL BUSINESS (DETAILER) AND SEE WHAT REALLY GOES ON WITH THE BUSINESS.
THEIR IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CAR WASH, A DETAIL AND PAINT CORRECTION SERVICES
RESEARCH WHAT AND WHEN YOU CAN.
I POSTED THIS AWHILE BACK GOOD READ:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/off-topic/44091-10-00-hand-car-wash-detailers.html
AS YOU MAY NOTICE I AM IN SEVERAL DETAILING FORUMS TO STAY ABREAST OF THE TRADE.
 
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