Kleen Car Auto Detailing Blogs

- by Kevin Farrell

When the New York Yankees, or NY Mets, or any other New York area team signs a big time free agent ballplayer, it’s always an interesting press conference. The player says how happy he they are to be in New York and how he will love the New York media and all the scrutiny that goes along with playing for a New York team. They say “I love New York” and have always wanted to play here. However, they generally also have said…..long before they ever signed the big contract….. That they hated New York and would never play there no matter how much money they were paid. They hate New York traffic, the scrutiny, the high cost of living, the mean cab drivers, etc. Then at the press conference the savvy New York media always asks why that particular player changed his mind. He explains that the “school system” in the Jersey suburbs is great, and the theater in New York is wonderful, and how great the New York fans are. But they never say that they came here because they were paid a god awful amount of money that no other team would come close to. Many times they say “it wasn’t about the money”……You know what…..when they say it’s not about the money……It’s always about the money!!

 How does this relate to detailing? Well, as much as a high line player wants all the money he can possibly scoop up in his next contract, a detailer would like to charge as much money as possible (as would any business if they could). But it’s generally about a customer looking to save money and get a deal. Let’s face it; we all want the best deal. We want the best deal on a new car. We want the best deal on that new TV, or the house you may be buying. If we all could buy the best possible product or service and get the price of a mid level or low end product or service, we would all jump for joy and tell everyone we know what a deal we just got.

 This is where the problems start for any business. Giving a great deal once in a while can boost sales and lead to happy customers and move excess inventory. However, people from that point forward, now will always expect and think they deserve a great deal every single time. This is also a dangerous way to do business. If you are detailing cars to perfection and know your skills and the end result of a perfectly detailed car deserve a higher price, then you have to charge a higher price. You are entitled to your money and just because a customer asks for a deal (and they will) and just because they demand a perfect job at a low price (and they do), that does not mean you have to cave in all the time.

 It’s hard to be more expensive than everybody else in the area. It’s hard to have the best and most expensive product to sell. You will have to do much more educating the customer and of course your work will have to be that much better than the competition. Assuming that your work is top notch and you can make a car look perfect, then the price needs to reflect that. Here’s the issue. We are not dealing with a tangible item. You are not selling a car or a TV. Customers are used to comparing. They compare a TV, model number to model number, and then shop for the best price. It’s the same with buying a new car. They are comparing apples to apples so to speak. With detailing that’s not the case. The customer does not understand what it takes to make a car look its absolute best. They think everything is a “wax job”. This is partly our fault. When we complain that a customer is price shopping and wants to compare you (a top flight detailer) to the low life down the street that is half the price, this is your opportunity to sell yourself, and not complain about the “competition”. In my last article I spoke about making sure you are aware of the right competition. If a customer has gotten a lowball price from the “guy down the street”, they generally do not know the difference between a quality detail job and a “wax job”. It’s your job to educate them on why you are so much better and why the car will look so much better after you are done with it.

 You know why you are better. Maybe you have had great training and paid to attend a class somewhere. You use the best tools, equipment and products available. You have the best shop in the area and perfect working conditions. You can properly explain exactly what needs to be done to get that particular vehicle back to showroom new. The other guys have no equipment, have no training, and don’t really know what they are doing….and so on. You know why you are better. You just have to educate and explain why you are better, and why more money has to be charged

 But you know what?? This is a pain in the ass. It’s always more difficult to justify why something has a higher value and is worth a higher price. You sometimes become defensive and instead of just being an “order taker” you have to sell something. This is not easy for many of us. The easy thing would be to just book the appointment for a low price because it keeps the customer happy. But in selling quality, you now have to tell them how much more expensive you are and that is intimidating sometimes. But if they understand how much more you know about detailing than the “guy down the street”, and why you can and will make the car look perfect, and the labor involved in doing that, thus adding to the price, in many cases they will pay more. The guy with a super high end car is generally not looking at the low ball detailer anyway. He won’t trust his car to a guy like that and a detailing “connoisseur” will want to be pampered and told how much care you will take and what you will do and he wants that trust that not only you wont screw the car up, but make it look perfect. Again, these guys are tough to deal with also. Most often they are wealthy and a bit intimidating. But remember, you are the expert in this case. I have never….ever….ever….ever….EVER and I never will…. meet a customer who knows more about detailing than I do. So when I know that he is in my ballpark, playing my game, and I know he cant play it better than me ( I equate everything to sports it seems), that puts me in total control of the situation. I dictate the price and what the car needs, not just what a customer wants.

 If he wants a “wax job” and the car needs so much more, I let him walk. If he wants to play “let’s make a deal” (I don’t play that game) I let him walk. If he says that the guy down the street (they are always down the street it seems) can do the job for half that price, I let him walk to that guy and let him do it (or screw it up). If people want a price over the phone, I never, ever do that. I need to see it and then educate the customer about what the car needs. Lets face it everyone is lazy. They are phone shopping the best deal. When the first question to you over the phone is “how much do you charge”? You know they are price shopping. You may never get this person, but its still worth trying to get them in to see you.

 Sure we can complain that the “competition” is killing us on prices, but again why compete with that kind of detailer? I want the low ball guys to deal with all the crappy 12 year old SUV’s that need tons of work. The top end detailer knows how much time and effort will be involved in bringing that kind of vehicle back to life, if its even possible, and the amount of labor involved will be enormous and so will the price. To take a job like this at a low ball price will eventually kill you. Even if you are slow, it’s still not a great idea to low ball the price. Here’s why

 If you start off cheap and do good work, you will always have work, but you won’t make a lot of money. If you always give out “deals” and always take money off the price or meet the other guy’s price, guess what? The customer will now always expect that from you. The first time you hold firm or raise prices, they will most certainly complain and demand a deal, or possibly go somewhere else where the deal is. There is no loyalty there and you will always draw in the cars that need the most work. If you want to do high end details, and assuming you are professional and know precisely what you are doing at all times, it takes much more work and effort on your part to command that kind of price. It’s never easy to sell something more expensive. But when you believe in what you do and truly know that you are providing something much more in value, you will be able to sell quality at a higher price. But as always the customer needs to be properly educated and if they are not, then why blame the customer or the poor competition. Its always about the money but soemtimes its not always about a “deal”.

 To learn even more about our detail training, our products and equipment, please visit us at www.kleencarauto.com