Match your services to your client or market.
Over the years here's the normal trend I see on detailing discussion forums...
- "Car Guy" or "Car Girl" joins car detailing forum reads, ask questions increases their knowledge.
- Purchases products, often times moves up to machine polishing because clear coats are too hard to work on by hand.
- Sees first hand, phenomenal results from their new found knowledge and skill sets
- Starts part-time detailing business
- Offers "Show Car Detailing" to a customer base that knowingly, or unknowingly wants and will only pay for "Production Detailing".
The above two terms for the purpose of this reply are generally described as...
Show Car Detailing = Multiple Step Process
Production Detailing = One Step Process
The point is, for most people just starting out the majority of your customers are going to be people with daily drivers and this demographic group are primarily interested in having a shiny car, black tires, clear windows and a vacuumed interior. They won't appreciate a 100% swirl-free finish and generally won't want to pay for it and also won't know how to maintain a swirl free finish after you with all your hard work create these types of results.
This this article,
The difference between a swirl and squirrel
Your goals are noble and I and many on this forum understand your passion as it is explained here,
The Mindset of a Professional Detailer
That said, you need to market or "match" your services to your target market and by this I mean,
#1: Wash
#2: Claying
#3: Swirls remover
#4: Polishing
#5: Waxing
The above is a multiple step approach, it will take you more time than doing a one-step but in most cases you won't be able to charge your demographic market enough to make enough profit to make it worth your time AND enjoyable. Working for free is a fast way to take all the fun out of a hobby turning into a business.
Instead,
- Wash
- Clay
- One-Step Cleaner/Wax
That is a one step, it's actually 3 steps but washing and claying are accepted normal procedures in this day and age for detailing cars whether you're doing Show Car Detailing or Production Detailing.
If you want to do show car work, that is multiple step processes, then I would recommend to first..
Evaluate your customer
Don't do show car detailing for someone that is going to run the car through a car wash as a normal maintenance procedure. It won't be good for you and it won't be good for them... offer show car work to people that will appreciate your work, the results and are knowledgeable enough to understand that clear coat paints are "Scratch-Sensitive" and require proper care to stay swirl free.
Since the majority of people that will pay to have their car washed and waxed so they don't have to do it themselves will fall into people that own "Daily Drivers", then this larger target market will fall into the category of "Production Detailing" or doing one-steps to the paint.
The general goal of this type of work isn't to remove ALL the swirls, but to simply make the paint shiny again and claying restores smoothness which creates gloss and also enables your choice of wax or paint sealant to bond better to the paint thus last long and thus protect longer PLUS make the paint look clear and shiny again.
Throw in some dark black tires, clear windows, a clean interior that smells clean and that's your basic service package for the majority of car owners and that's what they want, knowingly or unknowingly.
Try to keep things simple, for example offer 4 plans...
- Interior Detail
- Exterior Detail
- Interior and Exterior Package
- Simple Car Wash - Wash and dry car. Up-sell dressing tires, cleaning inside of windows.
Go for the show car work if that's what you're interested in but target the Corvette owner, or any owner of what you think of as "Special Interest" cars. Keep in mind that what you think is "Special Interest" may not be the same as your customer, so be sensitive to other's preferences.
For example, not trying to pick on PT Cruiser owners but just as an example, some people would view these cars as just a normal car while the owner may view their PT Cruiser as a "Special Interest Car" and marketing a multi-step process to an owner that will appreciate and take care of your hard work can be a profitable win/win deal.
Also, look at the websites of some of our regular pro detailers, (that have websites listing their services), to get an idea of what they charge for their packages. Don't try to re-invent the wheel.
I just wrote an new article on how to put up a website for about $20.00 a year, here you go...
How to put up a website for about $20.00 a year
Be sure to read these articles before purchasing a domain name...
olishing
