I've been doing detailing for about 10 years now, 5 years of that is when I started getting very serious about it and doing it as a side job. I was put into contact with a gentleman that wanted some audio work done to his car. In the process of doing this for him we started talking more and more about cars and detailing. He kept offering me detail work on my car in exchange for the work I was doing. I kindly refused. (I was even more happy about this later on) So because he has a large garage he decided to let me rent it out per car when I need it. After seeing my detail work on a few cars he became interested in my techniques and skills along with the products I use. I soon found out what he used. High speed buffer with wool pad, fast track compound (only step he uses), Gliptone detail spray, gliptone clay, surf city sealant and shine coat. So basically he would high speed every car that would come in saying that's the only way to get the oxidation off. I asked him two questions at that point. What about swirling, and if you just clay and wax what about the swirls you induce? His reply was simply there aren't any swirls when I am done either one of those steps. Here is what I am getting at, he has been doing this for over 25 years. I am slowly changing things he uses but he still is stuck with some of his ways. He has now hired me to help him because he is getting so many cars in for detail work. He turns to me the other day and asks. "I just don't get why your not getting this many cars coming to you." Kind of insulted by this comment. I did refer to his prices being much cheaper than mine (starts at 160 where mine start at 200-260 for a full detail) He has had a few cars come in where he had me do the correction sense they were very anal about their paint. He is instant that I need to learn to use (real buffer). Also aside from the vent, do you believe a one stage correction using some of his products and my pads and machine is worth just 50 dollars? To him he thinks that's all that is worth. Also how should I expand my clientele sense I would like a lot more work like he is getting.
bigaudiofanatic- It is pretty hard to compare "side jobs" to "full time" Detailing - which one are you wanting to do going forward, should be the first question you ask yourself.. Your contact is Detailing full time, right ? Well, that, and the fact that he is doing "production work" quality for what it is probably worth, should account for his traffic flow vs yours, which is a side job.. Looking at his finished work, is it swirled or hologram'd at all ? Did you ask him what his vehicles look like after all the clay fillers wash off the Client's cars ? Perhaps that is all they expect for the money they pay and they are good with it ? He is obviously stuck in the late 70's-late 80's production technology, and a lot of shops including auto body shops still do it this way - with dirty, 7" nasty wool pads, slinging stuff everywhere.. It is what he learned and what he is comfortable with.. Time is money, speed saves time, get the cars in, get them out. Go by any "regular" Detail shop and that is probably what you are going to see going on. For sure, his method will get everything off the paint - and perhaps more than is needed - unless he is really skilled and knows when to stop. It's what they do.... It's been going on since the beginning of auto body and paint repair and new car painting and repairing on the assembly line... It takes skill to use a Rotary and get a perfectly flat, no swirl finish. And on some softer paints, it is pretty much impossible because of the soft, finicky paintwork..So, you still need a random orbital to smooth out things occasionally. There is nothing wrong with using, say a L/C purple foamed wool pad on some really bad spot you want to knock down immediately, but you will have to go over it with a finer compound on a finer foam pad to get all the clarity back. Lastly, pricing will always depend on what the Market can bear... If all his Clients drive lower end cars, then they are never going to want to pay more than he charges perhaps. Do you really want to be working in that part of the Market ? Its production work.. I would rather do Custom, Reconditioning, work.. Takes longer, pays better, results are way more permanent and after washing it, the stunning clarity is still there and stays there a long time, until the Client scratches it all up at the dang Brown Bear Brushes Car Wash.... And the Client recognizes this extra effort and pays more and tips even more. I guess I would ask you to decide to find your niche and then work towards improving everything about that level to the point that Clients keep coming back every year for sure, and keep telling their friends and it just takes off... I keep suggesting this, and so far no one has ever said they tried it - go find a good, solid, Independent German Car/s repair shop, that you see a lot of nicer cars outside all the time, do a vehicle for them, let them see your portfolio, website, get in good with the guys at the counter, and pretty soon, you will have more cars than you can ever imagine, and they did all the work for you by looking at their Client's cars with the Client and telling them they could get all that stuff removed, cleaned, reconditioned, made new again, and the Client will end up with a perfectly Detailed, RENEWED, car for a very small fraction of the cost of a new one. And they will expect to pay easily double and more, of your starting pricing above, because it IS a fancy Bimmer, Audi, Mercedes, Porsche... The one most common thing I hear from their Clients when they come pick up their baby - "That is NOT my CAR ! That is a NEW car - That is NOT my car.. And it always is their car...... Good luck with your research ! Dan F
Actually no he does not do this full time. He has been doing it on the side for years and is always getting new customers. Yes his paint is swirled in the end and he has even admitted to me he has burnt through a few paints in the past few years. I understand what your saying and taking the time you took to spread it all out. His customers apparently only care about the shine a car gives off and not the swirls in the paint (except the very few that I have had to step in and help)
