Stuck on Choosing Prices for New Detailing Business

PerformanceDetailing

PerformanceDetailing

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Hey guys, I recently started my mobile detailing business. I'm having a hard time getting new customers, and I'm looking online, and I find that many detailers in the area offer really low prices. Now, even though I just signed up to the forum, I've done a lot of reading through it, and I know you guys always say not to lower prices, but rather outperform the competition. I agree with that 100%, but as a new business, and someone who is going to be doing this full time, I need as many new clients as I can get. There's a local guy around here who gets tons of business and offers interior and exterior detailing for $85 (He also does Interior or Exterior detailing for $60) . He doesn't polish at all for that price, but still, I was thinking of charging $150-160 for a complete detail with polish. I'm mobile, but do not have my own water supply at the moment, so I'm not sure what exactly I should be charging. I want to be as competitive as possible and bring in as many customers as possible to begin getting word of mouth, and I'd be okay with charging less, and increasing prices once I have a stronger client base. Can somebody give me some tips please?
 
It really comes down to how much an hour do you want to make. Then know your overhead.

I have had good results running facebook ads for 5 or 10 dollars a day, just zero in on your location when you set it up.
 
I struggled with pricing a bit when I started (I'm still new) and what has worked for me is saying that all prices are individually assessed based on the needs of each client.

I did "introductory pricing" and was doing any full interior and exterior detail for $150 which brought in a good amount of people and got me more work than I could handle. It also sucked sometimes because some jobs were really big, but word spread quick.

Now with individual pricing I can give discounts or charge more for big jobs or less for cars that don't need much correction or offer a light polish for cheaper than a full correction, etc.


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Set pricing didn't go too well because I would do an SUV for $150 or $200 and the same client would also have something like a civic and not want to pay the same price they did for an SUV on their small car.


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PerformanceDetailing said:
Hey guys, I recently started my mobile detailing business. I'm having a hard time getting new customers, and I'm looking online, and I find that many detailers in the area offer really low prices. Now, even though I just signed up to the forum, I've done a lot of reading through it, and I know you guys always say not to lower prices, but rather outperform the competition. I agree with that 100%, but as a new business, and someone who is going to be doing this full time, I need as many new clients as I can get. There's a local guy around here who gets tons of business and offers interior and exterior detailing for $85 (He also does Interior or Exterior detailing for $60) . He doesn't polish at all for that price, but still, I was thinking of charging $150-160 for a complete detail with polish. I'm mobile, but do not have my own water supply at the moment, so I'm not sure what exactly I should be charging. I want to be as competitive as possible and bring in as many customers as possible to begin getting word of mouth, and I'd be okay with charging less, and increasing prices once I have a stronger client base. Can somebody give me some tips please?
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what part of central fla.
 
PerformanceDetailing said:
What's your turn around been on those ads if you don't mind me asking?
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I ran the ads for my snow removal company right before winter, so people were motivated. It wouldnt take much to make the phone ring 30 times a week from a FB ad THAT WENT TO A LANDING PAGE WITH CONTACT FORM ON MY WEBSITE.

The most important thing you can do it keep records of your different ads and the results so you know what works and what doesnt. This is called testing or A/B testing.

If its dry and dusty run something about that, if there is hail damage and you have a PDR contact run an ad about that. Rainy, mention road slime in your ad. Use specials sparingly, and gather emails for future use as someday you may want to use mail chimp for email marketing.
 
Your competition has it nailed as far as low pricing.Time will only tell if that area can sustain 150 to 200 for a detail on a consistent everyday basis.you will know in 1 year if that will happen,and your biggest hurdle will be educating the customer from a 80.00 detail versus your prices.quality minded clients will be the answer as far as making this work and be profitable.
 
as jeffm stated know what you want to make an hour rate,then no the cost of doing business, have a service/price menu set up, then have a few coupon/discount cards made up with a expiration date. example you want $25.00 per hour. standard detail for car is $50.00 =hand wash & dry-light bug & tar removal-clean tires,wheels and wells-dress tires & wells-wipe door jambs-clean all glass-quick vacuum. have special (coupon/discount card as half off for limited time for $25.00 only should take about an hour to hour and half of work.View attachment 49064View attachment 49064
 
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I also give a small discount if the client has their car washed before I get to it.


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215Detailing said:
as jeffm stated know what you want to make an hour rate,then no the cost of doing business, have a service/price menu set up, then have a few coupon/discount cards made up with a expiration date. example you want $25.00 per hour. standard detail for car is $50.00 =hand wash & dry-light bug & tar removal-clean tires,wheels and wells-dress tires & wells-wipe door jambs-clean all glass-quick vacuum. have special (coupon/discount card as half off for limited time for $25.00 only should take about an hour to hour and half of work.View attachment 49064View attachment 49064
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I'm getting $170 for a small to mid size vehicle including clay bar. My paint correction charge is $37 hour. Getting it all day long but im in Maryland
 
Thank you everybody for the advice. Yesterday I did an interior detail I regret charging 90 for. Took me well over 6 hours, it was filthy.
 
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