Am I undercharging myself?

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buzz123

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Hi everyone,

I've been doing paint correction for friends for roughly 2 years now on the side. I am wanting to do this as a business and break away from my bricklaying job.

My friends are rather 'tight' and are always nagging me to remove fine swirls. So my typical job is:
- medium cut (Menz PF2500 with orange LC pad)
- fine polish (Menz UF5000 with black LC pad)
- wax (Menz SW Protect) applied by hand

Water spots: removed from chrome/aluminium with some Megs Ultimate Polish.

Scratches underneath the drivers side door handles from scratches made by keys and rings are removed manually with Megs Ult Polish.

Rims are polished and wheels are scrubbed and applied with tyre shine.

Boot/bonnet/door jambs: cleaned with APC then applied with QD.

Glass: interior and exterior are cleaned.

Every part of the exterior is detailed including the roof for swirl marks (which I haaaaaate!).

I do this in roughly 5.5 hours, which I realise is a sloooow.

I charge $150 to my friends and have always considered this to be undercutting myself. The thing is I earn $21 from day time job, so detailing isn't bad money and I get to work in the shade without wheelbarrowing bricks back and forth!

What do you think? Am I grossly undercharging?

Thanks :)
 
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depends what area you live in , and where you wanna be....
i charge around 30-100/h ,depends of what type of projects i deal with.
overall i think you undercharging....
 
Cosmin said:
depends what area you live in , and where you wanna be....
Click to expand...

I live in on the fringes of area that is quite affluent situated by the marina. Most of the people drive either Audi, BMW, Mercs, Mazda CXs, some Porches. I mix with these people at my children's (private) school and know they like to splash their money around.

Cosmin said:
i charge around 30-100/h ,depends of what type of projects i deal with.
overall i think you undercharging....
Click to expand...

What type job constitutes a $30/hr and a $100/hr job and in between? Just trying to gauge which job is worth x amount/hr.
 
I was told by someone we all know. That he charges a set price. i.e. $700. Then he does his test spots and tries to figure out how to achieve the desired results as thoroughly and quickly as possible. So that would mean that he makes profit if he does the job faster. I am sure he does a 110% job each time.

He also said that if the customer takes the car to another Detailer and the customer then has to bring back the car to him. He then tells the customer he will charge even more because now he has to correct the other detailers work and the customer could save more than double the money if he just goes to him in the first place.

This put "test spots" to me in a whole different perspective.

I am not trying to quote btw it is just what I remember from the conversation.
 
Cosmin said:
depends what area you live in , and where you wanna be....
i charge around 30-100/h ,depends of what type of projects i deal with.
overall i think you undercharging....
Click to expand...

How do you justify such variances in prices?

hernandez.art13 said:
I was told by someone we all know. That he charges a set price. i.e. $700. Then he does his test spots and tries to figure out how to achieve the desired results as thoroughly and quickly as possible. So that would mean that he makes profit if he does the job faster. I am sure he does a 110% job each time.

He also said that if the customer takes the car to another Detailer and the customer then has to bring back the car to him. He then tells the customer he will charge even more because now he has to correct the other detailers work and the customer could save more than double the money if he just goes to him in the first place.

This put "test spots" to me in a whole different perspective.

I am not trying to quote btw it is just what I remember from the conversation.
Click to expand...

Mind mentioning this persons name?
 
I think you're undercharging but I'm not sure how you can wash, clay, 2-step correction and wax in around 5 hours either.

If the cars are coming to you ready to be polished you're still undercharging. My one-step corrections start at $300 (without interior).
 
It's takes me 3-5 hours to wash, clay,dress the wheels and clean the interior, then I start with the paint correction.
Takes me two days for a two stepper.
Maybe I'm slow but I'm on the anal side, my goal is to get the car I'm working on to be as perfect as I know how.

Today I have a 2010 Ultima. I'll be working on , a simple detail, wash, clay and wax and a simple interior cleaning , it should take me 5-6 hours.
It takes time just to clean the wheels and fender bay, that's the first thing I do, your looking at 10 minutes per wheel to get do it right.
If you can do a two stepper in five hours please share with us how you can do it that fast, I'd sure would love to know to save me time:)

I'm not being sarcastic I just want to know how it's possible my friend:)
 
The major swirling is removed, but not all swirling is removed and they are always happy with the result.

They're not enthusiasts by any means. They just want their car to 'sparkle and shine'. Removing swirls/scratches is a bonus for them. I normally concentrate on the bonnet and boot lid for swirls. I don't bother too much on the vertical panels. So yes, I do 'neglect' areas to speed up the process hence 5 hours.

I used to spend roughly 10 hours in my garage removing pretty much every single spiderwebbing, but for $150, I decided to do less and less to the point where I am now; focusing on bonnet and boot lid and sometimes the upper part of vertical panels, and they never questioned me since devoting less time to every panel.

I want to stop doing this and thought using Klasse AIO with Klasse Sealant to give them 'sparkle/shine' which is what they're always after. The swirl and light scratch removal will be a bonus to them *IF* any come out at the AIO stage, and if not, too bad; they're gonna have to compensate me for it! haha!

I feel my time is much more valuable...
 
You are basically doing a 1 step detail. I wouldn't even bother with the 2 step for that price unless they are asking for it, in which case you can charge more.

A full 2 step detail takes me 2 days. That being said though, are they your only pads? Do you always use the same pads and products on every car you do? If so then testing areas with different combinations is not something you are doing and thus saving you time.

If you are a providing a $150 detail, then you are charging the correct amount of money.. which sounds like the case.
 
You must be a good friend as some guys wont get out of bed for that kind of gingle.
 
What you appear to be doing is more of a polish than a correction and I agree with the others you are undercharging. A proper correction can take a day or more (how long depends on just how bad it is), only offer true correction as a seperate, quote on case by case basis service.

At that price you should be looking at using AIO's if they want more, explain why it costs what it does and they are welcome to look elsewhere.
 
buzz123 said:
The major swirling is removed, but not all swirling is removed and they are always happy with the result.

They're not enthusiasts by any means. They just want their car to 'sparkle and shine'. Removing swirls/scratches is a bonus for them. I normally concentrate on the bonnet and boot lid for swirls. I don't bother too much on the vertical panels. So yes, I do 'neglect' areas to speed up the process hence 5 hours.

I used to spend roughly 10 hours in my garage removing pretty much every single spiderwebbing, but for $150, I decided to do less and less to the point where I am now; focusing on bonnet and boot lid and sometimes the upper part of vertical panels, and they never questioned me since devoting less time to every panel.

I want to stop doing this and thought using Klasse AIO with Klasse Sealant to give them 'sparkle/shine' which is what they're always after. The swirl and light scratch removal will be a bonus to them *IF* any come out at the AIO stage, and if not, too bad; they're gonna have to compensate me for it! haha!

I feel my time is much more valuable...
Click to expand...

Megs D151 and top it with OPT Car Wax, for pretty good correction on a AIO and the spray wax takes another 5-10 minutes to apply if that.

Klasse AIO has never removed defects for me but it does clean the paint nicely.

If you feel your time is more valuable then charge more, but don't short cut the process, make it clear to your clients what they are getting and what you will be doing.
 
Thanks again for all the replies. I really appreciate it!

It seems D151 is the consensus, but isn't proving easy to acquire in Australia.

Even XMT360 is proving difficult as well. All I can find are xmt heavy smr, intermediate smt, fine and ultra fine smr; which I assume are for multi step.

Klasse AIO, can't find anywhere, only HGSG.

HD Speed, someone gave me a link to an Aussie supplier. I might have to bite the bullet and try it.

Will give ColorX a go as well and see how they go.

Will do a 50/50 test on my car which has plenty of swirls and light sctatches.
 
I was very curious as well how you were able to go over the car twice in 5-6 hours, plus all of the other stuff that you do. I was starting to think that I was extremely slow with a two step taking me normally 10-15 hours of work including interior etc. In the end, it all comes down to you. If you are comfortable hooking up your friends, and doing it for $150, then so be it. If you feel like you are killing yourself, and find yourself not enjoying it for the money, then it's not worth it.
 
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