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Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
Detailing and Pricing feeler
- Thread starter lambchop
- Start date
Ephraimramodike
New member
@lampchop.. I'm in Midrand, please PM the details on what you do, etc.
MikeR
Well-known member
I do my own because its a passion...good 8 hours + - but at My rate :dropjaw:
Its a very difficult thing to charge for detailing, but a lot of your work is labor intense and you should have hired help at a very low rate to balance your time / cost. then you can make money at slightly reduced cost.
Its a very difficult thing to charge for detailing, but a lot of your work is labor intense and you should have hired help at a very low rate to balance your time / cost. then you can make money at slightly reduced cost.
lambchop
Member
MikeR said:Nah she was just dirty - wait till u see her after a washlambchop said:MikeR said:
You need some tips though
That Coupe looked dull
Well next time you and Steve come round make sure its clean and ill have a look
Black is a nasty colour TBH though , but you car did looks well looked after
MikeR
Well-known member
I will be working down the road from you at Melrose Arch from next week....she will be cleanlambchop said:Well next time you and Steve come round make sure its clean and ill have a lookMikeR said:Nah she was just dirty - wait till u see her after a washlambchop said:You need some tips thoughMikeR said:
That Coupe looked dull
Black is a nasty colour TBH though , but you car did looks well looked after
BTW I think Amend needs yr help..... http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=19268
M
Mike1
Guest
Bit late in my answer to this thread as I haven't been on the forum much.
With Detailing it is extremely subjective because there is a fine line between an actual detail on a car vs that of a good valet. For this reason I dabble in both these services.
I did a lot of detailing work part time, and in the last two weeks I relaunched my Detailing & Valet company in Cape Town to take on the challenge full time.
Often, we confuse a valet with a detail.
Detailing is striving for perfection, we spend time focusing on small things you would never look at. For example, washing the insides of the cars mags and then protecting them with wax. Or taking headlights/rear lights out to clean the body surface and protect. Another part of the detail is paint correction.
Paint Correction is what you are paying for when you have your car detailed. Removing swirls, light scratches and restoring clarity to the paint requires huge amounts of attention and skill. This is easy way to tell the difference between a detailer who details a car and a valet.
I often find that after a 2 day detail (8am to 6pm if not longer daily) I need a few days to recover because this is a labour intensive job. I have found on some cars where I have been physically ill afterwards because of the dirt, grime and effort that gets put in.
Because of this I charge more for a detail. If you go to a highly skilled and knowledgeable doctor that specialises then you pay more. In my case I provide a specialized vehicle maintenance service so my charge needs to be on par with that.
For my full package, the Definitive Detailing I charge R1250.00
I feel this is neither excessive nor is it too inexpensive. On good cars I can do this detail in one day, on some cars which I know will be a dog I will charge more. People seem to be happy with this, especially once they start discussing their car in detail and you explain exactly the transformation that is about to occur.
Strangely enough I find that more customers are willing to rather go for the Showroom Enhancement package I offer as it comes in at R750 and is a 5-6 hour valet if you are a dealer or a 1 day detail if you are an individual using my service.
With the Enhancement I am able to do more cars, earning more money and it is not as labour intensive as the Definitive Detail Package. With this more attention is placed on restoring the Showroom Shine to a car rather than focusing on the smallest detail. Naturally being a person that strives for detail the different between a R600 Auto Armour Valet and a Definitive Valet are extremely different.
Although more expensive than others even dealers are willing to use this service because of the value it adds to the car, the customer and to their showroom.
This is why I draw a very thick line between my R750 package and my full detail package at R1250.
Lambchop:
You need to price yourself in a position where you are making money, not overcharging and where your clients get what they pay for. When doing a Showroom Enhancement I constantly have to stop myself from doing full correction or quickly wet vaccing a seat just because I want to. They are not paying for that specialty, the client is paying for an enhancement.
I am not saying you must be rigid in your service, if I do an enhancement and see there is a stain on a seat then I will remove it as a courtesy but not if the entire interior is stained.
Your detailing is exceptional, therefore people will be happy to pay more. There is a huge difference between having your car washed at Engen and handing your car over to Lambchop, Don, Carn or myself even just for a quick wash.
I think you need to evaluate how much your time is worth, relook your products (I saved R350 this morning when ordering new products just by shopping around) and offer more variety in your detailing like a valet package or even a custom service which I do for clients who want specific services when having their cars pampered.
At the end of the day you provide a unique service, something which very few people have the knack or skill to do.
On the same note, if you do charge large amounts you need to be able to deliver. Customers want to see value, and if a customer doesnt see the value in the effort and time you spend on a full detail then offer something that falls in line with their budget.
Have you asked those who haven't gone ahead after quoting why they were no longer keen?
*My fingers hurt now*
Mike
With Detailing it is extremely subjective because there is a fine line between an actual detail on a car vs that of a good valet. For this reason I dabble in both these services.
I did a lot of detailing work part time, and in the last two weeks I relaunched my Detailing & Valet company in Cape Town to take on the challenge full time.
Often, we confuse a valet with a detail.
Detailing is striving for perfection, we spend time focusing on small things you would never look at. For example, washing the insides of the cars mags and then protecting them with wax. Or taking headlights/rear lights out to clean the body surface and protect. Another part of the detail is paint correction.
Paint Correction is what you are paying for when you have your car detailed. Removing swirls, light scratches and restoring clarity to the paint requires huge amounts of attention and skill. This is easy way to tell the difference between a detailer who details a car and a valet.
I often find that after a 2 day detail (8am to 6pm if not longer daily) I need a few days to recover because this is a labour intensive job. I have found on some cars where I have been physically ill afterwards because of the dirt, grime and effort that gets put in.
Because of this I charge more for a detail. If you go to a highly skilled and knowledgeable doctor that specialises then you pay more. In my case I provide a specialized vehicle maintenance service so my charge needs to be on par with that.
For my full package, the Definitive Detailing I charge R1250.00
I feel this is neither excessive nor is it too inexpensive. On good cars I can do this detail in one day, on some cars which I know will be a dog I will charge more. People seem to be happy with this, especially once they start discussing their car in detail and you explain exactly the transformation that is about to occur.
Strangely enough I find that more customers are willing to rather go for the Showroom Enhancement package I offer as it comes in at R750 and is a 5-6 hour valet if you are a dealer or a 1 day detail if you are an individual using my service.
With the Enhancement I am able to do more cars, earning more money and it is not as labour intensive as the Definitive Detail Package. With this more attention is placed on restoring the Showroom Shine to a car rather than focusing on the smallest detail. Naturally being a person that strives for detail the different between a R600 Auto Armour Valet and a Definitive Valet are extremely different.
Although more expensive than others even dealers are willing to use this service because of the value it adds to the car, the customer and to their showroom.
This is why I draw a very thick line between my R750 package and my full detail package at R1250.
Lambchop:
You need to price yourself in a position where you are making money, not overcharging and where your clients get what they pay for. When doing a Showroom Enhancement I constantly have to stop myself from doing full correction or quickly wet vaccing a seat just because I want to. They are not paying for that specialty, the client is paying for an enhancement.
I am not saying you must be rigid in your service, if I do an enhancement and see there is a stain on a seat then I will remove it as a courtesy but not if the entire interior is stained.
Your detailing is exceptional, therefore people will be happy to pay more. There is a huge difference between having your car washed at Engen and handing your car over to Lambchop, Don, Carn or myself even just for a quick wash.
I think you need to evaluate how much your time is worth, relook your products (I saved R350 this morning when ordering new products just by shopping around) and offer more variety in your detailing like a valet package or even a custom service which I do for clients who want specific services when having their cars pampered.
At the end of the day you provide a unique service, something which very few people have the knack or skill to do.
On the same note, if you do charge large amounts you need to be able to deliver. Customers want to see value, and if a customer doesnt see the value in the effort and time you spend on a full detail then offer something that falls in line with their budget.
Have you asked those who haven't gone ahead after quoting why they were no longer keen?
*My fingers hurt now*
Mike
Andy1GP
///Member
P1000 said:
This is so true and understated.
I don't have the free time to give my car the TLC it deserves, despite having xmas car cleaning kits and trying my best here and there, nothing can compare to such an all day treatment. It makes the car ageless.
Please let me know where you are situated and if I can bring mine around?
:ty:
The only way to fully appreciate the effort that goes into a proper detail is to spend a few weeks (minimum) researching the process it entails, products used and results that can / will be achieved. Afterwards, go out buy the products and try it yourself.
Thereafter, when you are lying in bed with your deep heat :biglol: for a few days, you will be thinking " :argh: I should have just fcuking paid someone to do this!!!".
It truely is back breaking work. I spent a lot of time researching this and over a period of time bought a host of products and even the DA polisher, simply because I could not find anyone in Durban that provides a proper detailing service. Having only attempted a "full detail" of some sorts (if I can even call it that) once (by hand), I know I would gladly pay someone else to do this for me provided that they were using quality products and could achieve quality results.
Unfortunately, its mostly people with an eye for detail (pun intended) that will appreciate the effort and results from proper detail work.
Thereafter, when you are lying in bed with your deep heat :biglol: for a few days, you will be thinking " :argh: I should have just fcuking paid someone to do this!!!
".It truely is back breaking work. I spent a lot of time researching this and over a period of time bought a host of products and even the DA polisher, simply because I could not find anyone in Durban that provides a proper detailing service. Having only attempted a "full detail" of some sorts (if I can even call it that) once (by hand), I know I would gladly pay someone else to do this for me provided that they were using quality products and could achieve quality results.
Unfortunately, its mostly people with an eye for detail (pun intended) that will appreciate the effort and results from proper detail work.
lambchop said:moranor said:
Yep Spot on with the price Moranor
Obtaining a paying clientbase isnt exactly easy
at least my car is clean
Even though i dont have that kinda of money to spend, i think its very reasonable to get your car detailed for R2K with good products, esp considering the effort and time, if i had that money i would definately consider sending my car for a detail esp it being an old car, i would get it detailed and try my best to maintain it in that condition.
For those think its not worth it i suggest you try doing it yourself by getting your own tools and car care products and you will find that even if you purchase beginner products and tools, it will total up to an arm and a leg.....but then you will be saying but atleast its a once off knock to your bank account....fair but then consider the time and the effort you gonna put into getting the car looking good and it wont be looking half as good as a professional detailers job. :nonono:
If you feel you have the time and patience it takes to detail your car, than by all means treat it as a hobby and have fun.:thumbs:
That is just an opinion
Check out this website and see the effort that goes in :
www.detailingworld.com
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