$10.00 hand car wash/detailers

All so often you hear the words see what the competition is charging or what your demographic area is willing to pay, survey of services no one wants to do surveys now a days, then like myself hate to put so much PASSION into my business and have to hear or see the will DETAIL/WASH $10.00 because that is what so many or a custom to now paying paying, then you hear separate yourself from the crowd, but customers don't see why do or charge for that service.
Most customers just want quick clean and cheap rate, care less about skill level, products, training, equipment and so on.

I try to educate guys that want to do $10.00 DETAIL/WASH whether mobile or shop with this example ----- MINIMUM WAGE $7.25 per hour = $290. for 40 hour work week. So if you charge $10.00 per car with two people working that totals 40 hours a week equals $400.00 minus how many cars a day you complete, divide the $400 by 2 = $200.00 a week.

Now add in the fact of Rent, insurance,gas, water, electric, phone, and at the least supplies how can you JUSTIFY CHARGING ONLY or PAYING ONLY $10.00

Therefore you as a business person or customer have to question HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE AND IS THERE A VALUE HERE,

this excludes the specials OF $10.00
 
these are hacks...not detailers. Very distinct difference.

Anyone charging those kinds of prices should not be taken seriously or have the ability to do quality work.
 
This is why I don't wash cars.
I charge a min of 60 to wash a car, only a detailed car, no crappy cars, exotics or my good customers only.
If I show up to do a wash only, your lucky.
 
tigerwash said:
these are hacks...not detailers. Very distinct difference.

Anyone charging those kinds of prices should not be taken seriously or have the ability to do quality work.
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I don't think calling a $10 wash guy a hack detailer is fair

I don't think these guys consider themselves to be detailers

My local carwash does not claim to detail your car for $11.99. They do exactly what is posted on the price menu signage

I am actually surprised by how good the work is for the price. If you charge $60 and it takes you 60 minutes....how much work could you get done in 12 minutes?

If customers weren't satisfied that they were getting what they pay for, there wouldn't be a line every Thursday, Friday & Saturday

Not the business model I would want, but car washes can be very profitable. Remember, a lot of those cars are unsold to more costly packages, that require only a few more minutes of labor
 
allenk4 said:
I don't think calling a $10 wash guy a hack detailer is fair

I don't think these guys consider themselves to be detailers

My local carwash does not claim to detail your car for $11.99. They do exactly what is posted on the price menu signage

I am actually surprised by how good the work is for the price. If you charge $60 and it takes you 60 minutes....how much work could you get done in 12 minutes?

If customers weren't satisfied that they were getting what they pay for, there wouldn't be a line every Thursday, Friday & Saturday

Not the business model I would want, but car washes can be very profitable. Remember, a lot of those cars are unsold to more costly packages, that require only a few more minutes of labor
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Very good points and thoughts taken, now how many repeat customers, I have gained other folks customers because I may have done a little extra (example smell good AIR FRESHNER placed under seat) that next company did not do
 
Well, he does say "and up." LOL. Are you sure the $10 isn't for bicycles? Tricycles? Power Wheels?

I understand what you are saying. The math doesn't add up to where you think it would be worth it. I guess they still think it is.

I don't know if I'd want them touching my vehicles...
 
damaged442 said:
Well, he does say "and up." LOL. Are you sure the $10 isn't for bicycles? Tricycles? Power Wheels?

I understand what you are saying. The math doesn't add up to where you think it would be worth it. I guess they still think it is.

I don't know if I'd want them touching my vehicles...
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EXACTLY, I see $10.00 as a SPECIAL, but not day in day out I'll even accept it as just a MAINTENANCE DETAIL (exterior only) but not much more
 
He sprays crops on the side? That is a big-azz tank.
 
I remember going to $15-$25 car washes back before I knew anything about detailing. For the money, they weren't that bad if you don't care about swirls.

Frequently they have a line so long that people wait over 1hr just for a wash. They also have a store with snacks, drinks, sandwiches, etc (all overpriced)...

I talked to the owner he once he said they do about 100 cars a day on average. He pointed out that in the summer they can finish them off outside with a few extra guys. Another thing is everyone working there was FOB (fresh off the boat) and were clearly getting less than minimum wage.

So if you're paying 10 guys $5 an hour (plus tips customer give) for 16 hours and they complete 100 cars a day at a $20 average per car (upsells and snacks) that's $2,000 a day -$800 in labor and -$200 for utilities, bills, and supplies per day -> Then the owner clears near $1,000 a day, not to mention the other activities going on in the background...

I for one do not want to run anything like that, but that's how it's done in a profitable way from what I've seen.
 
Hah! That sounds like Hollywood on des Sources or Steve's on St John's! Steve's gets lots of higher-end cars through, but their bread and butter is the low-cost wash by the make-work-project hires. Hollywood is still workaday, nothing but a lineup of dailies all day long, all year long.
 
goldendodo19 said:
How does one make money on a ten dollar wash?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Wow , you guys get $10 a wash? I went to about 5 car dealers last month and told them I would wash and dry all their cars for $5 a car and use my own chemicals. I either got a no or try me back in the springtime
 
Local detailer in my small town charges $10 for a basic wash $25 for a basic wash & interior wipe down! He has done my truck many times, & does an awesome job may I add! He does cars for pretty much everyone in our town and does actual "detail" jobs but I believe a majority of his business is the basic $25 wash & wipe down. It is part time and he has a really good full time job though.
 
There is no money to be made washing cars period,I don't do them I have 4 customers that I do car washes for,and I get 55.00 and they don't give me a headache.when I first started I did a lot for 25 total waste of time.The only thing you benefit is exposure while being mobile and you can get some detailing jobs.
 
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