does the rupes have you reevaluating your pricing?

If you ever want to get paid more for what you are doing, you must start doing more than you are paid for.

 

I also use a apron for the same reason. I also have a little cart that gets loaded with the products that I need for the task at hand. This get loaded once to avoid going back and forth. It's not rocket science, but you need to pay attention to your processing steps.

 

That is fine, but where's the benefit to be efficent? If I used the process that I used to use, i make the same amount of money than if I had to bring more work to make the same money. Just trying to expand the thoughts of those who are trying to increase revenues. Adding more cars at the same rate doesn't increase your bottom line. You have earned through years of great service to charge a higher fee than the next guy. But why can't you earn more bob, isn't it your right to earn more for being more efficient? I mean you have perfection going, so how the hell do you top that?

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But when should it stop? Eventually you will top out and hit a peak and not be able to offer more, what then?

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But you aren't making more money. I am replacing one job's same rate with another. MY view is eventually you should be able to make more by being more efficient.

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If you get more done and move to the next car in a shorter time frame how are you not making more?, this is how high volume shops make their profit by doing more vehicles in a set time frame.

The reason to buy certain equipment be it buffers or compounds/polishes is the result is also a measured efficiency factor as you are not "Struggling" with poor performance and up the fatigue and frustration factor by whatever..................... the Rupes 21mm does this which cuts faster with a better finish(Depending on pad choice and product used) so you move to the polish/fine polish/LSP stage faster.

Now you are making more money with less effort= Effiency quotent..................................... dropping the mike "Jay-Z" style now.

 

offer coffee and donuts?

 

If you flat rate only, or cannot command a high hourly rate, then by all means quicker results mean more profit. In our trade though the client wants as much as they can get for less, in turn we want to do more(Better use of time) and get paid more as my personality gets in the way as I NEED to do the job right or I am grumpy so sometimes I hurt my own cause......................... but I have a stellar reputation and always have demand and advertise less.....much less than most.

There is a thread on the .ORG where a guy is trying to come up with creative ways to wring more profit out of the jobs with doing this or that, but remember good basics and truly thinking about the tasks you are going to perform with all the parameters involved(Vehicle condition, space, lighting, mobile or fixed location, cold or hot etc........) will have you re-evaluate what you are doing until you refine technique and business principles.

I learned from getting banged by bad locations, clients, nightmare vehicles that said "Uhm you are not going anywhere for awhile" so when you find equipment or products that get you thru it grasp onto those things and look for the next thing to evolve...........but do not try and re-invent the wheel either.

 

Were talking hourly rate, not per car. I one hundred percent agree with efficency and pushing stuff out. THat stuff was drilled daily at the Motors. What I am trying to state is the single man operations, that bill by the hour can be hurt by substantial gains in efficiency. 8 hours at 50 bucks is $400. Whether that 8 is split between 2 cars or one, the net amount is the same. You are not working less, but actually more, as now you need to find 50% more cars to fill the time. And that can take time and energy. Say your clients are used to a certain timeframe and dollar amount, say 10 hours at $65 per hour, they expect $650. Now you take 7 hours, at $65 which is $455. The customer may just do the moonwalk to dubstep bob, like actually do it. Would you be doing the moonwlak with them?

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+1 on the Apron.

You have pockets to hold things, and the good ones have a couple of tabs with velcro closures that are made to hold the electrical cord on your shoulder so that it doesnt interfere with your work.

"Never leave home without one"

Dan F

 

Here is something to consider, our occupation is physical so if the paint correction aspect is easier the other parts of the job (Windows,interior etc....) are the same unless Rupes makes a "Interior cleaner machine" thus you are putting less wear n tear on the body......you follow. Efficency is now attained in various other aspects of your total job task, I am 50 and how many guys are going EVERYday like I am? not many and why is I took care of my body for the most part and did things like squat down instead of bend down or purchasing my lift or having better lighting.....................they all culminate into better results across the board. :graduation:

So you see you are still making your rate even if hourly, just doing certain things better and better. A horse and buggy will get you there................a Porsche GT3RS gets you there now and with "The tightness" = Full of winnidge.

Now the above analogy of the hourly, if you quote 8 hours and come in a little better this a percentage that is advantages to you as "Book time" in the trade is the norm and dealerships derive high profits from this as most techs do the job for the shop at a FLAT rate but the client is charged book time.

I do not worry about this as I work the "Easy cars" as some suggest, but in reality many I do are destroyed(Look at some of my write ups for example) and I am billing many hours which comes with whopping invoices at times, but I still want the client to percieve value in the job for the vehicle is worth more now and most of my affluent clients understand the "Economy of scale" and use me over and over for this reason.

 

It'll never happen. 99.99% of your clients will never give you a blank cheque and say make it perfect. There is always room to do that little extra. Always.

 

I agree with you Brian that as we become better at what we do, either through experience or investing in better products/equipment, our rate should improve to a certain point. You can still charge by the hour, just don't mention the hourly rate to a client. Telling a client $400 and finishing in 5 hours isn't so bad but you will most definitely lose clients if you start quoting your services at $80 / hr ( I'm using that figure for arguments sake ).

 

I would listen to Bob.... but again that depends on who you are as a person and what you hold of ethics and value when it comes to business. I know I would rather have that extra time to make my service that much better and of unmatched quality. Do you see the value in that? It is going to bring you more business alone with your quality being that impressive. Bob hardly advertises because so many people talk about the quality of his work that its a no brainer on who to use. Who doesn't want to make more money but at the same time where do you cross the line? There will always be new, better gear coming out as in any industry of trade. Think about a performance shop or something similiar, do they keep upping their hourly rates for labor if they have been established? Not as far as i'm concerned, as I actually think you will lose business. I think if we were discussing a product being sold here, that is a different story as the trend on goods always goes up. Also, as mentioned by Bob, these things are to make it easier on us, as it is a very physically demanding job and I would trade my health over making a few extra bucks. I just purchased a lift as I see that it will be that much more beneficial in not only the quality and extension of services I will be able to offer, but also making my life a lot easier not getting so beat up in the process. Same goes for this, The rupes has made it easier on me as not having to put as much strain and effort on my body, so im personally gaining in that aspect in my eyes. On the note of efficiency, think about what you could do with an hour here or there freed up. Time value of money.... It's a simple yet brilliant concept that does apply here.

 

He doesn't understand, only worried and in it for the money

Not doing the job proper and taking shortcuts will also save time, combine that with the rupes and you save even more time.

Or what the guy claims as being efficient

 

No one said shortcuts. Efficiency is producing more out of the same system and arriving at the same end result. If you bought a car and the door pad fell off when you opened it because they decided against putting in clips because it was faster, that's a short cut and the end results are not the same. Now if they design some sort of apparatus that allows you to put that pad on with the "quickness" and it never falls off that's efficient. For those that know, I am not the cut corners guy.

Now put it differently. If Joe charges $50/hr and quotes you 8 hours labour that's a bill of $400. You go to Bob for the same job and he is $80/hr and quotes you 5 hours for the same job and quality as Joe, who is more expensive?

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Now I am not blind to the fact detailing is more than a rupes, its just a good example of business efficiency and maybe adding a bit more to your bank account. If you are a terrible business man with the personality of lurch, a rupes isn't going to make you squat. The guys that have the business sense, reputation etc in my opinion should see a payoff for being more efficient. Maybe Bob will spend more time golfing, or playing croquet whatever. Why wouldn't you want to leverage some of you pursuit for greatness thought.

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Do you think KB can focus less on paint and more of magically making windows clean and rims clean?

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But we have established that its not less focus, its just being done at a faster rate, therefore leaving time for other things to be taken care of.

 

Anyone seen a mechanics garage that looks more like an operating room than a garage. Shadow boards, labelled drawers, rolling carts, all the best tools. Specialty tools for this and that. The whole system of organizing stuff is because time is money as they say. I get that you may quote 8 and finish in 7, bonus. But what happens when you get so tuned that what used to be 8 is now 5.5, and you start doing it again and again. You now have to decide will I continue to charge for 8 (now more a per car than per hour rate) or start charging for 6. You cab always keep giving your efficiency to the customer. Nothing wrong with that, but why would it be wrong to charge more? Good discussion guys.

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