What do you guys think about my services/prices before the website goes up?

I think your prices are a little too cheap as well. $25 is just fine if your at a fixed location but mobile I would start the prices around $45-$50 and add a disclaimer that you'll charge extra for very soiled vehicles. Matter of fact i think you should get rid of the "MaxWax Wash" altogether and just use that name in place of "The Works". From what ive found is that customers think theyre getting a huge value if you automatically include a spray wax in your washes. Of course they are since most spray waxes are cheap and you can always upsell a high quality sealant.
 
RhetoricMixes said:
Of course they are since most spray waxes are cheap and you can always upsell a high quality sealant.
Click to expand...
Yeah, and while he's at it he can tell them that the clay bar treatment is needed for the sealant to adhere properly and up sell the clay bar too.
 
tuscarora dave said:
so what sets you apart from the illegitimate guys driving around in pick up trucks?... A $70 gallon of Optimum Car Wax can go a long way if used as a drying aid to set you ahead of the no wax illegitimate guys. You'll get the work done in the same amount of time as if you didn't use the OCW and the looks of your end result will be better than and last longer than the other guys running around town.
Click to expand...

:dblthumb2:
 
So, I should remove the Max Wax wash, make my cheapest service "The Works" which would be a wash + spray wax and it would look like this?:

Services

The Works

-Hand wash using the Two Bucket Method with Grit Guard Inserts & a high quality, gentle automotive shampoo
-Dry using a gentle microfiber towel
-Wash & Dry Wheels & Tires
-Apply a water based Tire Dressing
-Apply a high quality spray wax
-Vacuum Interior
-Wipe down interior
-Clean windows inside and out
-Car: $25
-Small SUV/Pickup Truck: $30
Large SUV: $35

Time: 1-2 hours


Express Detail

-Max Wax Wash +
-Application of a high quality wax
-Shampooing and Stain Removal on interior carpets, mats, and seats
-All Leather/Vinyl cleaned, conditioned and protected
-UV protectant applied to all interior hard surfaces
-Cars: $150
-Small SUV: $200
-Large SUV: $250

Time: 3-5 hours


Premiere Detailing

-MaxWax Wash +
-Clay Barring of exterior to remove calcified bugs, dirt, rail dust and other surface bonded contaminants
-Application of a high quality wax

-Cars: $125
-Small SUV: $150
-Large SUV: $175

Time: 2.5-4 hours

One Step Paint Correction
-Recommended for cars with minor swirls and other paint defects. This will correct most swirls and surface imperfections.

-MaxWax Wash +
-Clay Barring of exterior to remove calcified bugs, dirt, rail dust and other surface bonded contaminants
-All in one product used to correct polish and protect in one step
-Application of a high quality carnauba wax
(+$20 for sealant, +$200 for Opti-Coat)

-Cars: $200
-Small SUV: $250
-Large SUV: $300

Time: 4-6 hours

Two Step Paint Correction
-Recommended for cars with moderate to severe swirls and other paint defects.

-MaxWax Wash +
-Clay Barring of exterior to remove calcified bugs, dirt, rail dust and other surface bonded contaminants
-Dedicated paint correction step
-Dedicated Polishing Step
-Application of a high quality carnauba wax
(+$20 for sealant, +$200 for Opti-Coat)

-Cars: $400
-Small SUV: $500
-Large SUV: $600



Full Paint Correction (3 step paint correction)
-This package is recommended for the true car enthusiast in search of a flawless show car finish and unsurpassed shine.

-MaxWax Wash +
-Clay Barring of exterior to remove calcified bugs, dirt, rail dust and other surface bonded contaminants
-Damp sanding to remove orange peel (if requested by client)
-Major Machine Paint Correction
-Light Machine Correction/Polishing
-Jeweling
-Application of a high quality carnauba wax
(+$20 for sealant, +$200 for Opti-Coat)

-Call for a free quote

Time: Dependent on services requested

Interior Detailing
-Vacuum
-Shampoo Carpets and Mats to rejuvenate and remove stains
-Clean and Protect all leather/vinyl surfaces
-Apply UV Protectant to all hard interior surfaces
-Clean Door Jambs

Car/Small SUV (2 rows): $50
Minivan/ Large SUV (3 rows): $75

Time: 1-2 hours



Headlight Restoration
-$30/pair
(+$35 for permanent sealant, 5 year money back guarantee)

Time: .5-1 hour


Engine Detailing
-Engine vitals protected
-Engine thoroughly cleaned
-Degreased if necessary
-Engine bay dressed
-$50

Time: 1-2 hours

If you didn’t find what you were looking for in the services above, feel free to take a look at our “A La Carte” menu below or give us a call at (954)-790-7087

A La Carte
Including but not limited to:
• Exterior Wash – 2 Bucket Method, Includes Door Jambs
• Basic Interior Detail
• Clay Bar – Removes road contaminants, overspray, etc
• Wax/Sealant
• Paint Correction – Swirl removal, minor scratch removal
• Windows/Mirrors (Inside & Out)
• Carpets and Seats Shampooed
• Interior Detail
• Engine Bay Degreasing/Dressing
• Headlight Restoration
• Vinyl,/Leather Cleaning and Protectant
Bug/Tar Removal
Orange Peel Correction

Of course I'll have to go back and change all the services where it says "MaxWax Wash". So I'll probably keep things the same for my regulars, but should I use "The Works" to replace my wash? And offer it as a weekly thing?
 
Great thread, definitely opened my eyes to 'see' how the seasoned pro's view the mobile market. I stumbled upon a site earlier called 'Gorilla Shine' and while the owner started off with a mobile detailing service, he now has a fixed location with the works: showroom, warehouse, store, employees, and I'd imagine a ton of overhead, but I really liked his marketing approach & pricing methods.

Like others have said; I think it's equally important to know what you are trying to establish. If you do $25 mobile washes, I agree you will lose your behind. Also, lose the 2 bucket method, grit guard, and any product names... the client will be more receptive to knowing; WIIFM? (*What's In It For Me?) - Keep It Simple, and high light "What they can Expect" and put a "Call to Action" where they feel they need your expertise, but never reveal the 'insider details.'

Honestly, from what I have gathered so far; those who succeed in this business have an eye for quality, are very artistic, know the science, and the psychology of 'impressing' the client. Once you have shown the client the importance you place on treating their vehicle as your own, and equally make the experience pleasant for them... the money will come, and the skies the limit!

All the Best and Good Luck!!
 
art72 said:
Great thread, definitely opened my eyes to 'see' how the seasoned pro's view the mobile market. I stumbled upon a site earlier called 'Gorilla Shine' and while the owner started off with a mobile detailing service, he now has a fixed location with the works: showroom, warehouse, store, employees, and I'd imagine a ton of overhead, but I really liked his marketing approach & pricing methods.

Like others have said; I think it's equally important to know what you are trying to establish. If you do $25 mobile washes, I agree you will lose your behind. Also, lose the 2 bucket method, grit guard, and any product names... the client will be more receptive to knowing; WIIFM? (*What's In It For Me?) - Keep It Simple, and high light "What they can Expect" and put a "Call to Action" where they feel they need your expertise, but never reveal the 'insider details.'

Honestly, from what I have gathered so far; those who succeed in this business have an eye for quality, are very artistic, know the science, and the psychology of 'impressing' the client. Once you have shown the client the importance you place on treating their vehicle as your own, and equally make the experience pleasant for them... the money will come, and the skies the limit!

All the Best and Good Luck!!
Click to expand...

Was gorilla shine located in Lexington ky? If so My roommates in college worked for him and I even did a little side work there.
 
PAR Detailing said:
Was gorilla shine located in Lexington ky? If so My roommates in college worked for him and I even did a little side work there.
Click to expand...

Yep... that's the site. I've never been there, but the website, advertising, and philosophy of the owner seemed worthy of mention.
 
Too cheap brother. If that takes you 2 hours your making 15 bucks a hour. You need to cut down on the wash package. A wash should just be strictly a wash. Make another package for vaccum etc.
 
art72 said:
Yep... that's the site. I've never been there, but the website, advertising, and philosophy of the owner seemed worthy of mention.
Click to expand...

The owner is a nice guy. My two roommates are the two twins in the Oscar meyer wiener mobile picture.

The shop is very large, ample room to work that's for sure
 
Jacob Perry said:
Too cheap brother. If that takes you 2 hours your making 15 bucks a hour. You need to cut down on the wash package. A wash should just be strictly a wash. Make another package for vaccum etc.
Click to expand...

Sorry, meant for it to look like this:

-Hand wash using the Two Bucket Method with Grit Guard Inserts & a high quality, gentle automotive shampoo
-Dry using a gentle microfiber towel
-Wash & Dry Wheels & Tires
-Apply a water based Tire Dressing
-Apply a high quality spray wax
-Vacuum Interior
-Wipe down interior
-Clean windows inside and out

-Car: $60
-Small SUV/Pickup Truck: $70
Large SUV: $80

Time: 1-2 hours


Express Detail

-Max Wax Wash +
-Application of a high quality wax
-Shampooing and Stain Removal on interior carpets, mats, and seats
-All Leather/Vinyl cleaned, conditioned and protected
-UV protectant applied to all interior hard surfaces
-Cars: $150
-Small SUV: $200
-Large SUV: $250

Time: 3-5 hours


Premiere Detailing

-MaxWax Wash +
-Clay Barring of exterior to remove calcified bugs, dirt, rail dust and other surface bonded contaminants
-Application of a high quality wax

-Cars: $125
-Small SUV: $150
-Large SUV: $175

Time: 2.5-4 hours

One Step Paint Correction
-Recommended for cars with minor swirls and other paint defects. This will correct most swirls and surface imperfections.

-MaxWax Wash +
-Clay Barring of exterior to remove calcified bugs, dirt, rail dust and other surface bonded contaminants
-All in one product used to correct polish and protect in one step
-Application of a high quality carnauba wax
(+$20 for sealant, +$200 for Opti-Coat)

-Cars: $200
-Small SUV: $250
-Large SUV: $300

Time: 4-6 hours

Two Step Paint Correction
-Recommended for cars with moderate to severe swirls and other paint defects.

-MaxWax Wash +
-Clay Barring of exterior to remove calcified bugs, dirt, rail dust and other surface bonded contaminants
-Dedicated paint correction step
-Dedicated Polishing Step
-Application of a high quality carnauba wax
(+$20 for sealant, +$200 for Opti-Coat)

-Cars: $400
-Small SUV: $500
-Large SUV: $600



Full Paint Correction (3 step paint correction)
-This package is recommended for the true car enthusiast in search of a flawless show car finish and unsurpassed shine.

-MaxWax Wash +
-Clay Barring of exterior to remove calcified bugs, dirt, rail dust and other surface bonded contaminants
-Damp sanding to remove orange peel (if requested by client)
-Major Machine Paint Correction
-Light Machine Correction/Polishing
-Jeweling
-Application of a high quality carnauba wax
(+$20 for sealant, +$200 for Opti-Coat)

-Call for a free quote

Time: Dependent on services requested

Interior Detailing
-Vacuum
-Shampoo Carpets and Mats to rejuvenate and remove stains
-Clean and Protect all leather/vinyl surfaces
-Apply UV Protectant to all hard interior surfaces
-Clean Door Jambs

Car/Small SUV (2 rows): $50
Minivan/ Large SUV (3 rows): $75

Time: 1-2 hours



Headlight Restoration
-$30/pair
(+$35 for permanent sealant, 5 year money back guarantee)

Time: .5-1 hour


Engine Detailing
-Engine vitals protected
-Engine thoroughly cleaned
-Degreased if necessary
-Engine bay dressed
-$50

Time: 1-2 hours

If you didn’t find what you were looking for in the services above, feel free to take a look at our “A La Carte” menu below or give us a call at (954)-790-7087

A La Carte
Including but not limited to:
• Exterior Wash – 2 Bucket Method, Includes Door Jambs
• Basic Interior Detail
• Clay Bar – Removes road contaminants, overspray, etc
• Wax/Sealant
• Paint Correction – Swirl removal, minor scratch removal
• Windows/Mirrors (Inside & Out)
• Carpets and Seats Shampooed
• Interior Detail
• Engine Bay Degreasing/Dressing
• Headlight Restoration
• Vinyl,/Leather Cleaning and Protectant
Bug/Tar Removal
Orange Peel Correction
 
Figure on 75 to 90 per hour or you will soon be a statistic.....and in 35 years I have seen quite a few. You can take that to the bank. Paintxpert.....on the wb as just that.
 
Paintxpert said:
Figure on 75 to 90 per hour or you will soon be a statistic.....and in 35 years I have seen quite a few. You can take that to the bank. Paintxpert.....on the wb as just that.
Click to expand...

You make a valid point, in the swimming pool trade (*16+ years) I averaged anywhere from $65 -$100+ per hour, and I still struggled to meet the demands (i.e. insurance, equipment, tools, vehicles, machinery, mortgage, wife, kids, day care, pets, etc...) - funny, cause already I was aiming to average $35 per hour detailing, and my "I need, I want, I gotta have list" just keeps growing!

Difference being, I don't have near the bills now, as I did then...Thank God!

However, I like the idea of shooting for triple digits per hour, but not an expectation right away.
 
I was just thinking, although I see the up side of my cheapest service being the wash & spray wax at $60 for a regular sized car. My only concern is that although theres definitely money in just appealing to the higher end, but since the 99% of people aren't the 1%, obviously, getting excluded from the average Joe may not be the best choice. What do you all think?
 
Click on my signature link, once on my home page click on services off to the left of the screen then click the exterior detailing box. I still feel my site is a bit too busy but as time goes by it gets better. Take notice that there is no "detailer terms" that Joe customer won't understand. They have a hard enough time with "clay bar" let alone 2 bucket method, grit guard inserts etc.

The words gentle automotive shampoo tells the average non detailing customer that the car won't be clean. The reason they would be calling you is because they know it's hard work.

They won't understand what the benefit of the gentle microfiber towel would be. They likely don't even want to know how you do it, they'll only want to have a clean and shiny car.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time here, I don't think anyone here is. We understand that you're new to this stuff. The customer on the other hand will not deal with you if they think you're new to this so you need to be confident and knowledgeable when you speak to them.

When you see a member post something and they have their website as a signature line, click it and look through their site at the way they have them set up. look at all of them that you can. this will help you to form your decisions on how to set yours up.

I find that only really simple services can be laid out with cookie cutter prices such as wash and wax services. There are so many variables involved in what actually needs to be done on site that someone always loses with set pricing unless you treat every vehicle exactly the same. That's why I list my prices as starting prices.
 
tuscarora dave said:
Click on my signature link, once on my home page click on services off to the left of the screen then click the exterior detailing box. I still feel my site is a bit too busy but as time goes by it gets better. Take notice that there is no "detailer terms" that Joe customer won't understand. They have a hard enough time with "clay bar" let alone 2 bucket method, grit guard inserts etc.

The words gentle automotive shampoo tells the average non detailing customer that the car won't be clean. The reason they would be calling you is because they know it's hard work.

They won't understand what the benefit of the gentle microfiber towel would be. They likely don't even want to know how you do it, they'll only want to have a clean and shiny car.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time here, I don't think anyone here is. We understand that you're new to this stuff. The customer on the other hand will not deal with you if they think you're new to this so you need to be confident and knowledgeable when you speak to them.

When you see a member post something and they have their website as a signature line, click it and look through their site at the way they have them set up. look at all of them that you can. this will help you to form your decisions on how to set yours up.

I find that only really simple services can be laid out with cookie cutter prices such as wash and wax services. There are so many variables involved in what actually needs to be done on site that someone always loses with set pricing unless you treat every vehicle exactly the same.
Click to expand...

I think I may have forgotten to add that the reason for the "Detailer Terms" is that anything like grit guards, two bucket method etc, will be hyperlinks that will take the user directly to the FAQ.

A wash clay and wax is your least expensive service, right? Do you offer a regular wash to former detailing clients?
 
MaxWax said:
I was just thinking, although I see the up side of my cheapest service being the wash & spray wax at $60 for a regular sized car. My only concern is that although theres definitely money in just appealing to the higher end, but since the 99% of people aren't the 1%, obviously, getting excluded from the average Joe may not be the best choice. What do you all think?
Click to expand...
With the state of the economy and fuel prices rising you're right about the 99%ers, that's where the money is right now. I suggest dropping all that other stuff from your menu, focus on inexpensive services (the 99% stuff) and set aside a whole new page for higher end stuff like multiple step paint corrections. Develop those other menus as time goes by. Get a customer base going with the simple services and when you see an opportunity to sell them a higher service, seize it then and there.
 
MaxWax said:
I think I may have forgotten to add that the reason for the "Detailer Terms" is that anything like grit guards, two bucket method etc, will be hyperlinks that will take the user directly to the FAQ.
Click to expand...
Well that changes things.

A wash clay and wax is your least expensive service, right? Do you offer a regular wash to former detailing clients?
Click to expand...

Yes, I offer a maintenance wash and quick wax within 30 days but I don't offer that as a stand alone service. They must start with at least a wash, clay and wax (or sealant)
 
Ok, so from what I've gathered here today, I think I'll continue offering a maintenance wash to only past detail clients for $30, $40 & $50, and I'll recommend "The Works" to clients 1-2 times a month. I think that way I'll hopefully sell more details, or at least enough to supplement whatever I would lose doing regular washes.
 
Your low prices are WAY to low, and your high prices may be too high; but your mid level stuff is right on. I also agree that you may want to break some of the higher end stuff off onto a separate page, or at least dumb down the descriptions a bit. All in all, good stuff.
 
I saw where you are trying to be competitive with your washes and I understand that. There are a few guys that do detailing in my area and their prices blow mine away. I am always busy and never short of work. I work a full time job and do detailing on the side and people are willing to wait up to a month for my services. Am I more expensive than them because I want to make more money?? NO, I am more expensive because I offer a better service.

My point that if you are not making money, the quality of you work will go down the tubes. Sure some people say I am too expensive and go to the other places yet others are more than willing to wait and pay for my services because they know they are getting a quality job. I would rather produce quality work especially since I am not high volume. It only takes one complaint to start a chain reaction of a bad word of mouth reputation. I personally cant justify $25 for my wash job when it includes $15 dollars of product. At that point, you will make more money after taxes at minimum wadge. Cosmin points that out rather well!

Best of luck to you my friend!
 
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