Fair price for close friends?

sadler

sadler

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Some close friends of mine just got back from a trip to Colorado. They were talking about needing the car detailed, so i jumped in saying i would possibly do for $150 but want to check on prices first. I dont want to rip them off but they said they would rather have me do it since they know it will be a good job and pay me instead of some stranger. The car is a 2013 ford escape that is covered in mud and interior covered in dog hair. They want the car detailed inside and out. They mentioned they have a few scratches they got from some branches and would like removed. I looked at the scratches and they are not deep at all and can be removed with swirl remover. since they are friends i am using my top end products. I am sure i can just go over the car once with total swirl remover for all the light scratches. They run the car through automatics and are really just concerned with the big scratches. places around here charge around $170 without paint sealant and only 2 coats of wax. Higher end places using high end products charge someone around $300. A lot of these place that do jobs for$150-200 end up doing crappy work and put swirls in the paint with a top coat of glaze to cover them up. Do you think this is fair?
1. hand wash car and wheels/ remove bugs and tar
2. clay paint and go over car with Wolfgang swirl remover
3. vacuum and steam and shampoo interior
4.seal paint with klasse sealer for winter and apply 3 coats of wax, also seal plastic exterior trim
5. steam engine covers and plastic
 
I live not too far from Chicago, in a rural-type of area in Indiana. My prices are very low, I have no overhead because I work at home. for friends cars, full interior shampoo, exterior wash and AIO wax, I would charge about $100 for an Escape, most would be $120 if mud and hair. honestly, living in Chicago, I cant believe I'm saying it on here, but $150 almost seems low. that coming from someone who is often astonished at the high prices some people can get on this site. but, as always, its all about location. $150 is very fair I think, not too high, not too low.
 
I think it's a more than a fair price. Personally, I don't want to touch a car for less than 150 if I'm washing, decontaminating, one-stepping, then dressing. Some won't do that for under 250. You're also doing the interior. I see that as a freebie.
My philosophy is: family is free, and friends get 10% off (some friends are like family though).
 
That`s what i was thinking. If the inside was not covered in hair and dirt i would probably only charge $120. If it was someone i did not know, i would be charging way more. People that are like my friends will also see the job i did and tip if i deserve it. I am a detail freak and my friends know how i am with cars. Chicago has a lot of shops that charge way to much money for the job you get and it bugs me, and dont get me started on the scratch city auto washes.
 
sadler said:
That`s what i was thinking. If the inside was not covered in hair and dirt i would probably only charge $120. If it was someone i did not know, i would be charging way more. I am a detail freak and my friends know how i am with cars. Chicago has a lot of shops that charge way to much money for the job you get and it bugs me, and dont get me started on the scratch city auto washes.
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Sounds like a bargain....I have done the same for good friends for no charge and without exception it has been worth it for the friendship - they have all paid at least that much after seeing my work without even being asked.....friends could be more important that cash. :xyxthumbs:
 
yea i would def do it cheaper if i was not having to take off a days work to do this, also the products i use are not cheap.
 
that is going to be at least 7 hours of work probably more... $150 is a really good deal.. I'd charge $150 for prob the interior only if dirty and covered in dog hair.

I'd only focus on the scratches they are concerned with and seal it up. no sense in busting your booty for $150 IMO.
 
Well i would spend time getting the big scratches out and just go over the rest with a white pad and a few passes just to clear it up a bit. Assuming the paint is like my 2014 mustang and soft as can be. I am going to play by ear. Just wanted to get an idea if i was being a bad friend and charging to much lol.
 
HD.Detailing said:
that is going to be at least 7 hours of work probably more... $150 is a really good deal.. I'd charge $150 for prob the interior only if dirty and covered in dog hair.

I'd only focus on the scratches they are concerned with and seal it up. no sense in busting your booty for $150 IMO.
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different ballgame when dealing with friends. go above and beyond. under-price, over-deliver. in life, when it comes down to it, all you really have is your family and friends. that friendship should be held to the highest standard, its everything. work your tail off for them, shake their hand and say Thank You. life is short.
 
miad said:
different ballgame when dealing with friends. go above and beyond. under-price, over-deliver. in life, when it comes down to it, all you really have is your family and friends. that friendship should be held to the highest standard, its everything. work your tail off for them, shake their hand and say Thank You. life is short.
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Agreed.....not to mention it could be great word of mouth for future prospects...
 
Close friends want to pay you what is fair and trust you. So don't second guess and try to break it down and over explain yourself to them. Just charge what is right. Most of my best paying customers/clients are close friends.
Why are you planning on putting 3 coats of wax on a 12 month sealant? You know it needs 8-12 hours to properly cure before any topping or exposure to moisture, right?...
 
yeo i know its a 12 hour cure. I am going to spend 1.5 -2 days on it. This car is parked outside at all times and is about to see winter. Like i said before they do run it through automatics once in awhile, so the extra coats of wax i think would help save the sealer for at least a month.
 
rms64 said:
Agreed.....not to mention it could be great word of mouth for future prospects...
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This is the way I handle a close friend. Do them the favor, ask them to get you some more jobs and tell them to keep the price, you charged them, to themselves.

When they recommend you tell them to double the price and say that's what you get. They're telling the truth and what you charged them is no one else's business.
 
yup for sure. They know if they went somewhere and asked for what i am doing they would get sticker shock.
 
I would be charging close to $550-600 for a full interior, wash, Clay, Polish and sealant.

I would charge $225. Wash, Clay, LSP. Full interior shampoo, steam and clean all surfaces. $325 total to use an AIO and $500 total to polish.
 
Great advice guys!

I run into this issue ALLL the time and am also trying to be as fair as possible. I work myself all day sometimes and have also done jobs for under $150 for friends while I know for the quality I am doing for them another pro detailer would easily be in the $200-$225 + range.

I see a good amount of you say $150 for a friend is more than fair for a wash, clay and AIO and after reading through I do agree the same.

However, in the case your friends cars needed much more work than a 1-step with more neglected paint, how would most of you break down the various multiple step prices for friends?

1-step - $ ?
2-step - $ ?
3-step - $ ?

Add sealer to any steps - $ ?
 
sadler said:
They run the car through automatics...
sadler said:
Like i said before they do run it through automatics once in awhile, so the extra coats of wax i think would help save the sealer for at least a month.
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The extra coats of Wax, even if they would add any measurable amount of thickness, will be history: their first joyride down the conveyor line!

•If you're going to add something on top of the Sealant...
make it another coat of the Sealant.


Notes:
-$150.00 is more than a fair-friends'-price. :dblthumb2:
-"Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Into Tunnel Washes!!" :)

Bob
 
I've charged a few friends two hundred dollars to do only their exterior.

That included a wash, clay, machine applied aio, and spray wax lsp. Tires dressed and door jams cleaned, as well as all the glass.

When they watched me work and saw the level of care I put into their vehicle(s) they were more than happy to hand over the two hundred dollars.

They also come back to me whenever they need more work. I did a friends car over the summer and at the time his headlights were pretty bad. We didn't have time to do it then so we planned for another day. Five months later and we got around to doing them - I told him to come over whenever he was free and I'd do them. We didn't talk about price, he's a good friend.

The restoration to his headlamps took maybe thirty minutes and I also washed his car and put tire shine on for him. He treated me to lunch and also covered my dinner and a case of beer for us to drink that night while playing music (we're in a band together).

Friendship is more valuable than money.
 
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