Charging by the hour vs...

theclock12

theclock12

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I was curious do any of you part time or full time with a business charge by the hour instead of set prices. I know many people charge paint correction by the hour but I am talking like even express detail and regular jobs done by the hour. I feel like it would relieve the stress of trying to finish quickly rather than doing it in whatever time it takes. Mind you, my jobs never exceed 7+ hours. Just a thought. Also I wonder customers reaction to just by the hour and not knowing a set price. Thanks:xyxthumbs:
 
i quote every new project , regular cars i know already what it takes , so my prices are based of hour pay , but given to the client as a project price, total price.
so i estimate the time it takes to complete the job , and a bit extra just in case i run into any issues.
overall is been great for me , yes i may be able to charge a bit more , but i am happy to be affordable and keep the client.
 
Thanks Cosmin, I have been on your website before very professional. But even still you list prices on your website to give people an idea. I was curious if maybe as a headline say service is charged at $xx an hour and just list how long each service takes.
 
I charge by the hour only when there are things that are not included in the price of a detail. Things like deep scratches, excessive dog hair, tons of sap or bad stains. I charge $40hr for stuff like that.

An example would be a customer that has inquired about a deluxe detail ($179) when I inspect the car and they point out some scratches that I know won't come out using an AIO. I will say those won't come out unless I spot compound them. I tell the customer I will need to spend an extra hour on them ($40) so the total for the detail and the scratch removal would be $219. This system has always worked fine.
 
theclock12 said:
Thanks Cosmin, I have been on your website before very professional. But even still you list prices on your website to give people an idea. I was curious if maybe as a headline say service is charged at an hour and just list how long each service takes.
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i list the price to don`t waist my time on calls like :
A: "i have an honda/toyota , that needs wash and wax ,full package"
me: what`s your budget?
A: "10? 50$"


i also estimate the time , and usually i finish earlier, but in case i work alone or i run into any issues i am still in the estimated time.

plus i have this under the packages:
These prices are BASE ESTIMATES and may change depending on the condition of the vehicle upon inspection.


if i run into any custom detail i can always say up front here is my service $/hour , and what ever takes, or if is with a package after i finish what was quoted initially than for extra work i charge this xx per hour, and let the client decide what he wants


the best way is to know how much time , what process you use , and what`s involved in the whole process /tools , driving , products , risk. based of this than you charge or quote the job.
 
Yea that makes sense, I was just curious if people ever write all work is done by the time it takes and I charge 40 an hour so people pretty much to the math for an estimate.




rustytruck said:
I charge by the hour only when there are things that are not included in the price of a detail. Things like deep scratches, excessive dog hair, tons of sap or bad stains. I charge $40hr for stuff like that.

An example would be a customer that has inquired about a deluxe detail ($179) when I inspect the car and they point out some scratches that I know won't come out using an AIO. I will say those won't come out unless I spot compound them. I tell the customer I will need to spend an extra hour on them ($40) so the total for the detail and the scratch removal would be $219. This system has always worked fine.
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Thank you this helped me a lot


Cosmin said:
i list the price to don`t waist my time on calls like :
A: "i have an honda/toyota , that needs wash and wax ,full package"
me: what`s your budget?
A: "10? 50$"


i also estimate the time , and usually i finish earlier, but in case i work alone or i run into any issues i am still in the estimated time.

plus i have this under the packages:
These prices are BASE ESTIMATES and may change depending on the condition of the vehicle upon inspection.


if i run into any custom detail i can always say up front here is my service $/hour , and what ever takes, or if is with a package after i finish what was quoted initially than for extra work i charge this xx per hour, and let the client decide what he wants


the best way is to know how much time , what process you use , and what`s involved in the whole process /tools , driving , products , risk. based of this than you charge or quote the job.
Click to expand...
 
I have set prices for everything except pet hair removal and scratch removal. My set prices have a start at till I see the car then I go from there.
 
Recently I started giving people the "secret" for pricing, and it's been well received. Having been burned a couple of times by over-the-phone descriptions of the condition of the vehicle, I find this helps set the right expectation for the client.

I tell them that the price is typically $xx, but it basically comes out to about $xx/hour. So, I use the typical price as my starting point, then if it comes in really dirty, I have a little padding so I don't spend 10 hours on an interior for $150.

It seems to be working well for me.
 
davisautodetail said:
I tell them that the price is typically , but it basically comes out to about /hour. So, I use the typical price as my starting point, then if it comes in really dirty, I have a little padding so I don't spend 10 hours on an interior for $150.
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I actually like getting service work quoted that way. It gives one a sense of the effort involved.
 
I have starting prices for my services to give people a general idea of what they will be paying. Upon inspection of a vehicle I can tell more or less how long it will take me.
If I am over the phone I gather as much info to give a accurate quote. I also inform the client I charge a fee for neglected vehicles. (Saves me from getting those "oh my car isn't that dirty").

With that being said, I'm usually bringing in $50-$60 a hour. My lowest being $30-40. Also my listed starting prices are based upon these amounts but the client get the full amount.
Took me a while to play around with the pricing through trail and error but final found something that works for me. :D
 
I have a starting price for interior work but I don't give them a price till I see the interior. I have been burned in the past I quoted someone $125 and it took me 10+ hours it was the worst interior yet and will never get burned again.
 
Pureshine said:
I have a starting price for interior work but I don't give them a price till I see the interior. I have been burned in the past I quoted someone $125 and it took me 10+ hours it was the worst interior yet and will never get burned again.
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This happened to me on my last interior job. The lady swore it wasn't that bad and from her description (she was over an hour away) I told her $150. She had pet hair everywhere. I told her my website says $150 as a starting point but price is subject to change depending on size and condition of vehicle.. She didn't understand but was pleased with the work. That one I bit down and smiled.

Now with ANY services I give an "idea" for pricing, but nothing is final until I inspect the vehicle with the client and figure what their problematic areas are ( These must be top notch as they will be looking there first). Than I proceed to tell them why it costs more than the local car wash and what sets me apart from them. (Makes them feel like they know where their moneys going). Finally after walk around with client I quote the job firmly and with confidence stating I have xx available date open. Before they can agree I throw in the old ( And for a first time client I can take 10% off too earn your trust/ business). I don't lose money because that extra 10% off was already included in my price. It just makes them feel I'm going the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction and that their not over paying. Most the time that locks in the deal. Hope this helps with getting the price you want/ your worth. - Tory
 
Jobs like these are best quoted by the job imo. If you throw out a dollar per hour number the first thing that the client will do is compare it to how much THEY make per hour so you'd better hope is mpre than what you're charging because people generally don't like paying more per hour than they themselves earn. If you give them a dollar amount for the whole job they won't know exactlty how long the job takes and they probably won't question it and will have an easier time accepting the cost.
 
kimokalihi said:
Jobs like these are best quoted by the job imo. If you throw out a dollar per hour number the first thing that the client will do is compare it to how much THEY make per hour so you'd better hope is mpre than what you're charging because people generally don't like paying more per hour than they themselves earn. If you give them a dollar amount for the whole job they won't know exactlty how long the job takes and they probably won't question it and will have an easier time accepting the cost.
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:iagree:I don't detail for money, but that statement can describe a lot of folks in my area.
 
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