How to approach dealerships & what to offer??

Wills.WindowsAndWheels

Wills.WindowsAndWheels

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Ive got a few used car dealerships around me....I know some have in house 'detail shops' *snickers*...but im sure some of them dont. I'm just wondering, first how would you guys recommend approaching one of these dealerships....second what would you offer (i DOUBT they want to spend the money it would take to have a full 3 step process done...or would they??)

Third, how much cheaper of a price would you offer compaired to what you usually charge a customer?

Lastly, do you draw up a contract with them or just work with them as you are needed.

Its not the type of work i want to get drug into 100%....but to make some extra money for now i wouldnt mind doing it and then maybe have my cards out there so if a person does buy a car and wants a full 3 step process...or a weekly wash or whatever. I'd really like to hear your guy's ideas...just really trying to build up a stronger clientel since im going to be doing this as more of a full time thing than before and want to really make some money and once i get my foot in the door, have my name get spread around enough to where i can start getting some show car jobs...but for now...help with dealerships would be nice for some constant income :)
 
i actually know someone who has a roll n wash van who has some contracts with car dealerships...just bid as low as you possibly can i would say and if thats still too much for them then oh well because thers no money in it..

just keep it real basic with a wash and dry vacuum interior wipe down

legit dealerships will draw a contract up...however some mom and pop types will just let you know when they need it or w/e

i also know people who work for places like enterprise and they pay a hired company employee to wash cars i think its like 9/hr here

like i said your best bet is smaller used car lots and mom and pop types because any big or really legit dealership is going to have contracts and employees hired on to do it..also they will want to see mad credentials im guessing
 
Do you have an established shop, or are you moble? We targeted dealers right off in our shop. 3 years ago when we firs started we were hungry, and had our prices way too low. As we progressed, we raised prices, and quality of products. With the big dealers around town (we have 3 of the 5) we went in and offered to take any recon overflow they had. This helped keep us busy in the begining.

Once the dealers saw our work, they started sending all their customers wanting details done to us. We did a better job than their recon departments, and they didnt have to train their employees for detailing. Just recon.

The little dealerships around town want cheap. When we talked to them they balked at our price. So we offered to do one car per lot (when we were slow) for 50% so they could see our work. In every case they gave us the worst car on the lot. All 4 dealers we did this for sold the cars within a week. After you have them hooked then you negotiate.

Sometimes they want just a basic cleanup of a vehicle, other times they want the full meal deal. Just be carefull, if you take on too many dealers, you wil have to sacrafice time to them and might have to turn down off the street clients. For us dealers help pay the bills, but clients grow our shop, and return time after time. Just let your work speak for its self, and word will get out.
 
j994k said:
Do you have an established shop, or are you moble? We targeted dealers right off in our shop. 3 years ago when we firs started we were hungry, and had our prices way too low. As we progressed, we raised prices, and quality of products. With the big dealers around town (we have 3 of the 5) we went in and offered to take any recon overflow they had. This helped keep us busy in the begining.

Once the dealers saw our work, they started sending all their customers wanting details done to us. We did a better job than their recon departments, and they didnt have to train their employees for detailing. Just recon.

The little dealerships around town want cheap. When we talked to them they balked at our price. So we offered to do one car per lot (when we were slow) for 50% so they could see our work. In every case they gave us the worst car on the lot. All 4 dealers we did this for sold the cars within a week. After you have them hooked then you negotiate.

Sometimes they want just a basic cleanup of a vehicle, other times they want the full meal deal. Just be carefull, if you take on too many dealers, you wil have to sacrafice time to them and might have to turn down off the street clients. For us dealers help pay the bills, but clients grow our shop, and return time after time. Just let your work speak for its self, and word will get out.
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We're mobile right now. And we still require access to water and electricity (do you guys bring your own or do you just use the dealerships'?)

When you say recon. cars you're talking about trade in's correct? I was thinking of the same idea about offering to do one car for 1/2 price just to show them our work (if they wern't cool with our prices right off the bat) and then see what they say.

So what do you offer (as far as service and price) for a full detail for dealerships? I wouldnt think there would be a lot of money in just a 'basic clean up'...what would that include...a wash/tires/rims/and quick interior with some dressing on everything to make it 'shiney' ...maybe a wax?

Sorry dont mean to keep pressing for 'details' but i just want to make sure ive got all my ducks in a row when i walk in the door to one of these guys...after all...they are used car salesmen:laughing:
 
i recently received a call from a mom&pop dealership b/c their in-house detailer had family emergency. i've done 3 cars and they were impressed and have called me back. i charge $85 for a exterior wash/dry, interior vacuum, inside/outside window cleaning, tire clean/dres, interior dress. from what i see they pretty much want "make-ready". i just make sure i fully clean all surfaces i can reach on the interior. their in-house guy does have all the products for full paint correction, but for my price im not doing that and I dont know how much they pay their guy. as a consumer/detailer, i just feel you have to go all out on the interior. they are still clients so it's a must. potential buyers kinda figure on a few exterior defects here and there, but there's no excuse for halfway done interior. most have their own water and electricity, as do i. my first day there i used my own h20/power and products. they told me i could use their products. i only used some int dressing they had. the next day they told me i could use their pressure washer/electric so i did, but just felt more comfortable using my products. not to mention it rained that day, so i was able to wash/rinse cars in rain. good luck to u
 
Bullitt AK said:
i actually know someone who has a roll n wash van who has some contracts with car dealerships...just bid as low as you possibly can i would say and if thats still too much for them then oh well because thers no money in it..

just keep it real basic with a wash and dry vacuum interior wipe down

legit dealerships will draw a contract up...however some mom and pop types will just let you know when they need it or w/e

i also know people who work for places like enterprise and they pay a hired company employee to wash cars i think its like 9/hr here

like i said your best bet is smaller used car lots and mom and pop types because any big or really legit dealership is going to have contracts and employees hired on to do it..also they will want to see mad credentials im guessing
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:props:
 
Dealers around here are very pushy! They want a full interior detail including vaccuum, shampoo, full interior wipe down and dress, door jams, and complete exterior detail including engine compartment, minor scratch removal and complete dressings. They only want to pay $95.00 for this. I ended up telling them where they can put it and just walked away. You have to choose your jobs carefully and know when to walk. It's your reputation at stake here, not theirs. Choose Wisely!
 
With both of my previous shops I had also taken on work from a couple of large dealerships in the area. At the time I had a few employees and more time allowances for fleet/volume type work.

The deal I had worked out with the dealers was to do a "quick" wash & shine job on vehicles that were either being sent to auction or trade-ins going on the lot. With 2 employees working on a car I was able to spend up to an hour per vehicle not including pick up & delivery.

These cars fetched $45 - $60 per vehicle & as stated above; this became my bread & butter for the quieter days. Dealers want the cars prepped even with the rain which is always nice ........

Now, I'm taking work in from a local body shop as well as starting to accept Fleet Services type work. The volume stuff will keep you alive & if business picks up enough you could always have a dedicated person for dealership detailing or whatever ......
 
Midnight1700 said:
Dealers around here are very pushy! They want a full interior detail including vaccuum, shampoo, full interior wipe down and dress, door jams, and complete exterior detail including engine compartment, minor scratch removal and complete dressings. They only want to pay $95.00 for this. I ended up telling them where they can put it and just walked away. You have to choose your jobs carefully and know when to walk. It's your reputation at stake here, not theirs. Choose Wisely!
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Wow, I do all of that regularly for 80$. That's 15 more than what I usually make!!! Pass that contact this way if in north Florida
 
Midnight1700 said:
Dealers around here are very pushy! They want a full interior detail including vaccuum, shampoo, full interior wipe down and dress, door jams, and complete exterior detail including engine compartment, minor scratch removal and complete dressings. They only want to pay $95.00 for this. I ended up telling them where they can put it and just walked away. You have to choose your jobs carefully and know when to walk. It's your reputation at stake here, not theirs. Choose Wisely!
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You passed on one of the higher paying dealer preps.

The idea behind accepting this price is volume. Any new/used car dealer account you're able to secure is ultimately going to become your bread and butter when the regular detailing business dies down. Dealers need this work completed rain or shine and will obviously send more than enough business you're way if you prove you can handle it.

Hire 2-3 people to do the work ay minimum wage. Car wash guys are great for this. Train at least one person to handle a buffer to handle the scratch removal and you're on your way. Typically, you should expect 10-15 cars per week, if not more. The employees are going to be hitting these cars with 3 people at a time bringing the actual work time down to minimum ...... you'll be able to handle 5-7 per day at that rate. I know you're able to do the math. I see a great profit with little more overhead than the hired help.

You shouldn't have walked away .......... that is actually the going rate for the majority of dealerships outsourcing. Hell, used car dealerships are a goldmine if you can snag one. I bring in an annual new of nearly $76k from a single used car dealer here. 15-20 cars per week @ $90 per. With as many vehicles needing the work; there are as many that need minimal reconditioning. It all balances out.

Hope you didn't burn the bridge with that dealer.
 
touring said:
Wow, I do all of that regularly for 80$. That's 15 more than what I usually make!!! Pass that contact this way if in north Florida
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Here in Southern Oregon, we get anywhere from $189.00 to $300.00 depending on the car. How long does it take you to do a detail like that? Are you doing it as a side line or is this a full time business?
 
Shade Tree said:
You passed on one of the higher paying dealer preps.

The idea behind accepting this price is volume. Any new/used car dealer account you're able to secure is ultimately going to become your bread and butter when the regular detailing business dies down. Dealers need this work completed rain or shine and will obviously send more than enough business you're way if you prove you can handle it.

Hire 2-3 people to do the work ay minimum wage. Car wash guys are great for this. Train at least one person to handle a buffer to handle the scratch removal and you're on your way. Typically, you should expect 10-15 cars per week, if not more. The employees are going to be hitting these cars with 3 people at a time bringing the actual work time down to minimum ...... you'll be able to handle 5-7 per day at that rate. I know you're able to do the math. I see a great profit with little more overhead than the hired help.

You shouldn't have walked away .......... that is actually the going rate for the majority of dealerships outsourcing. Hell, used car dealerships are a goldmine if you can snag one. I bring in an annual new of nearly $76k from a single used car dealer here. 15-20 cars per week @ $90 per. With as many vehicles needing the work; there are as many that need minimal reconditioning. It all balances out.

Hope you didn't burn the bridge with that dealer.
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Well, so far, we've been able to generate enough $$$$ during the season that we'll be able to take the winter off. We'll of course keep our shop open, but we won't be worried about making it. We're not known for being a "Production Detail Shop" the quality keeps our clients coming back. We've seen many of the cars setting on the lots of used car dealerships around here, and to be honest, I wouldn't stake our reputation on work like that. Besides, they are asking us to give them a 50 - 70% discount from our normal prices. Will they do the same for me if I were buy a car from them? Probably Not..
 
Midnight1700 said:
Here in Southern Oregon, we get anywhere from $189.00 to $300.00 depending on the car. How long does it take you to do a detail like that? Are you doing it as a side line or is this a full time business?
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Part time about 3 hours min.
 
touring said:
Part time about 3 hours min.
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If you're only doing it part time and not depending on the details to make your day to day living expenses, at just over $30.00 an hour isn't too bad. Sure it helps to make a little side money once in a while. If the dealerships volume increase, and in turn demands more of your time, are you ready and willing? Dealers don't like to wait for their cars to be returned and usually expect them back within 24 hours. If a detailer can't meet their demand, they have no problem sending the work elsewhere. Good luck.
 
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