$25 to polish a car!!!!!!!

[HateSwirls]

Even if I didn't know anything about detailing I'd know something was up for a $25.00 polish job.
Here where I live you can't get your car washed for that price.

 

[hamlyn]

Don't compete with the low end, target and go after the middle ground and high end.

:dblthumb2:

Fully agree with what Mike said. Don't sweat the little guy, focus on your craft and your service.
If you are providing truly top notch service, then the business will come.

 

[Squiigii]

Ive attendes some meguiars seminars that are very helpful. Perhaps the megs guys will be in your area in the near future. Start with a da polisher and learn by watching videos and resding post on here.

I have been cramming my brain on here with all y'all videos. It has been very helpful. Can you answer any of questions as for avg price and time?

Sent from my Prism II using AG Online

 

[Black's Magic]

Par for the course. I get the same thing with chemicals - cheap and nasty sold as something special. The worst thing is that most people actually don't know better. You say that people will see that they get crap, but the truth is that, to most people, they will pay the money and never know to look closely enough to find there is a problem. Net result, devaluation and a proper detailer loses out because the perception is that $25 is all it takes.

Amen,

We have lost countless jobs because someone "found a guy who would do it for a lot cheaper" I remind them that you get what you pay for and I will see you soon to fix it!

 

[Calendyr]

I have been cramming my brain on here with all y'all videos. It has been very helpful. Can you answer any of questions as for avg price and time?

Sent from my Prism II using AG Online

I think you can do 2 things here:

Check the websites of the members of AGO and decide what you want to charge. That's probably your best option for when you first start off because you won't have the routine down yet and it will take you more time to do the work than someone with a lot of experience. When I say use the same prices I mean fixed ones, not people charging by the hour.

Once you have worked long enough to know that your speed won't improve anymore, you could switch to an hourly fee depending on your local market, you client base, your reputation and how much you think your time is Worth.

I first started off charging by the hour and I was getting no calls at all. I think people want a fix price and don't want to be surprised with an hourly fee. I might be wrong but that is how it feels. I put my new price structure in place this week. I still need to tweek my websites, the packages are not there yet and there are few spelling mistakes I need to fix. Right now I simply have no time, we are super busy at work and I will probably not have any off-day this week. So when things calm down a little it will be back in the web design seat ;( I just want this thing to be done so bad LOL

 

[Black's Magic]

Exactly, I live in a very rural area where no one has even really heard of paint correction or even what it is. I point out swirl marks to my customers and they had no idea they were even there. Or they think only a body shop can take care of it. Doing my best to go through and educate every customer. One guy told me after dooing a 3 step to his truck that he didnt want a maintenance plan he'd just run it through the local swirl o matic all winter and have me do it again in the spring. :doh:

Swirl - O - Matic, that is great!!!

It is frustrating to work so hard on something, make it look so good and then know you aren't going to see them for another year or so.

 

[cardaddy]

Hand Wax - $99.00

Part of me thinks maybe they're just trying to appeal to the average "Joe Consumer" who thinks that's all there is to this thing called detailing.​

A simple machine application of just about any one-step cleaner/wax would not only be faster but do a better job than to actually apply and remove a wax by hand....​

How do we say it.....

CHURCH! :laughing:​

 

[Bates Detailing]

Funny - I charged less when I began polishing cars and it was with top notch quality....... with that said, educate your clients - the detailer with the best knowledge wins. Seriously, trust me on that :buffing:

 

[Joe@Superior Shine]

Kinda did that with a customer. He has a 2500HD crew cab and wanted the swirl marks out, I quoted him a price of around $400 for full detail and paint correction. Said This guy would do it for $25. He came running back after wasting $100 with more swirl marks on his rig this time. So far I have 10hrs into it. :buffing:

I hope your 10+ hour paint correction on that 2500HD isn't for $400!!!! If it is your no better than the other guy you started this post about that details for $105. Please tell me your not. :nomore:

 

[CLEARBLUE]

I hope your 10+ hour paint correction on that 2500HD isn't for $400!!!! If it is your no better than the other guy you started this post about that details for $105. Please tell me your not. :nomore:

I go off an hourly rate of $35 for any work of that type, he just wanted a ballpark the first time. I just finished his truck and he dropped off his trailer and two ATvs to be done next.

 

[Squiigii]

$35 an hour is a reasonable rate. This can compensate for a trained employee
Sent from my Prism II using AG Online

 

[CLEARBLUE]

$35 an hour is a reasonable rate. This can compensate for a trained employee
Sent from my Prism II using AG Online

Thanks, I believe that when I came to my hourly rate conclusion that it was what the market I am in would bear, along with it being what I am able to bear as well.

 

[jankerson]

Just found out that another "detailer" in town is charging $80 for a "full" detail and an extra $25 to polish. Just wondering if I'm missing something here, haha.

Yeah, you are missing those people who don't want to spend the money having their cars detailed..

Not really the type of customers you want in the 1st place....

Now if you get them in the rebound then OK.

 

[random]

I go off an hourly rate of $35 for any work of that type, he just wanted a ballpark the first time. I just finished his truck and he dropped off his trailer and two ATvs to be done next.

I think Joe's point is that the other "detailer" you mentioned in the very post of this thread is charging $105 for a full detail and polish. How long does this guy spend doing this? If he's spending 3 hours, he is also making $35 an hour just like you.

 

[Joe@Superior Shine]

I think Joe's point is that the other "detailer" you mentioned in the very post of this thread is charging $105 for a full detail and polish. How long does this guy spend doing this? If he's spending 3 hours, he is also making $35 an hour just like you.

rops:

 

[Calendyr]

Ya, someone with a rotary buffer can polish a car pretty quickly.

Check this out:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFH0L9KvBEE]Paint Reconditioning Cream in Action - YouTube[/video]

 

[CLEARBLUE]

I have no idea how long he spends on a car. All I know is when one rolls out of my bay door it's going to look a lot better. People will find out what a $25 polish gets them.

 

[cardaddy]

Ya, someone with a rotary buffer can polish a car pretty quickly.

Check this out:
Paint Reconditioning Cream in Action - YouTube

Can't knock the product he's using that's for sure.

Buuuuuuuutttttt..... (didn't listen to the sound) somewhere around 4 minutes in he's showing the side of the truck that hasn't been washed in looks like months and it pops up, "Clean, Polish and Protect with no Swirls". OMG!

 

[rwright]

A detailer in my area charges $50 to buff a car. Guess who has been getting his business? It doesn't look good when you have customers saying "my car looks worse than when I took it to them".

 

[Romans5.8]

You've gotta remember that folks who aren't "in" to detailing know little about it!

I'm brand new at this. I did what I was always told to do! I washed my car with a hose and old rags or a sponge, afterwards I'd wax it with a dirty old applicator in nice fine circular motions, buff it off with a towel from the kitchen; and sit back and marvel.

NOW that I know a heck of a lot more, I cringe at cars I used to sit back and admire! But you do have a couple different types of markets. There is a market that would pay that just to have a really clean car. Then there's the market that would pay well to have a DETAILED, blemish free car.