Why don't more people get their vehicle detailed?

So my future father-in-law and I were talking last night, and he brought up a very good question. We were talking about how so many people take their dogs/pets to get groomed (including him, because of his wife) every 2-4 weeks and spend $40-$60 each visit. I don't know about people in you guys' area, but here EVERYBODY has their dogs groomed that often and for around that price. Then he said, "If so many people will take the time and money to get their dog/pets groomed that often, why don't more people pay $200-$300 or whatever the price may be, to get their vehicles professionally detailed?"

So I ask you guys that same question. I mean obviously there are many people that do regularly have their vehicles detailed, but not nearly the amount that should. Isn't a person's vehicle or vehicles their #1 or #2 investment, depending on if they own a home or not? I don't care if the car was $5,000 or $100,000 when they bought it, it still is the first or second largest investment most people have, right? Even if they just pay for a one-step paint correction and a complete interior detail once every 6 months, to someone who actually knows how to detail such as ourselves - not a body shop, dealership, or Joe's Car Wash/Detail down the road. A simple one-step and an interior done right for a lot of us is ballpark around $200-$300, give or take a little either way... That's still not much to spend every 6 months for such a large investment.

What do you guys think is the reason?

 

Agreed, but for most people its just a means of getting from point A to B. Why spend hundreds of dollars when I can drive it through the local coin-op and its "washed."

 

Most people simply don't care about their cars enough to take care of it -- plain and simple. I've asked my mom so many times if she wants me to wax her car, but she tells me not to bother as she's just going to get a new one soon. It bothers me.

 

some people just dont want to pay that much to get it done right. I quoted someone at one of my jobs for a detail. I told them how much, and she looked at me like I had 3 heads. I explained all that would be encompassed in the detail, but she never bit. I charge pretty fair prices and it just floors me how people are about.

I have had some people say, well I can get it done for $100 down the street. I tell them ok, but dont bitch when I point out all the mistakes they made on your car.

Plus, the other facotr is, right now money is tight for a lot of people. no thanks to wall street.

but then again, some people dont take that great of care in their houses either.

this is just my :2cents: of course.

 

I love the people who say, "I can do all that with my Turtle Wax Ice. I don't need no fancy products or a pro detailer." With the economy as bad as it is, the average Joe would rather wash his car with Palmolive and dry it with an old t-shirt. Most people don't see cars the way we do.

 

Ty, stop asking and just do it for her one day.

 

She's never around when I am, but I plan on it. I'll probably polish it for her come time she's getting ready to trade it in.

 

its a great question, when you really answer it youll have more customers. Should the question be changed to why dont more people have "me" detail their cars? People will and are getting their cars detailed.

This is self examination. The beginning of change.

Another question you may have later on will hopefully be "How can I serve more people with less time?"

 

^^^^excellent reply!

 

people simply don't care about their cars...but then they feel jelous when they see our detailed cars, which in most cases look far better then theirs.

 

It is either or a combination of too much time consumed and costly for many people to detail their cars properly. Many people consider just taking their car to the local car wash every other week as really caring for their cars!

If you are paying for a detail, then the remaining issues are having the cash to spare and knowing someone that's talented enough to do the right detail. Knowing a good detailer is another issue that stops many people from seeking out detailing services.

Doing the detail yourself, IMO, is the most satisfying factor in detailing your car. It is time consuming, and somewhat a physical activity, but detailing your own car correctly is one of the most satisfying ways, I think, that you could enjoy your car.

 

+11ty billion!

 

were i live theres tons of Range rovers/Bmw 's ect . and they all look like crap . its a shame .

 

From what I've experienced it a combination of things. People don't have the extra cash. They don't see spending 200-300 on a detail worth their money, or they're just plain cheap. I've gone onto forums where people buy cars want to improve performance but always ask the simple question "what can i get that's good and cheap?". They want cheap body work, cheap paint jobs, cheap performance parts. One thing that really bugs me is when people want cheap tires. Tires are important as they're what contacts the road. Especially for performance enthusiasts. Cars are a horrible investment. The average person doesn't want to put anymore money into their car than they have to.

The other reason which has already been stated, people just don't care. They just want to drive it and get to where their going. The car looking good is not a priority that's why washing that car is good enough for most people. Those who do appreciate cars and how they look are a small niche and these are the people who will pay or take care of it them self.

 

very true....

 

They do care, they just dont know it yet!

Does home depot deal with "tire kickers"? No. The price is what it is. We all like a deal but Maaco isnt for everyone. If there are 3 paint shops in town, you, someone else and a Maaco you want to already have your quality and your service established and a pricing point. This eliminates the "tire kicker" and brings in the guy who doesnt want "the cheapest job". If thats the pricing point your offering.

Do you think Paul Dalton gets a lot of price haggling? Look at his perception, the van he drives, the way he talks about his process, his website and the way he presents himself. He is essentially tying the service in with the price.

What if Chemical guys had zymol wax prices all the way up to solaris. That would seem pretty funny and unfitting. Is that what some detailers are doing with there dim and wet shops and no uniforms?

Hopefully this makes sense in some way :shead:

 

a lot of people i know don't feel it's worth it to spend 300+ dollars to make their paint look good

also they like to look for stuff like fillers to just temp repair things

 

the best thing to do it well and inexpensive is to do it on your own...but some people would rather go out Friday night (I call it Friday night disease) and waste money on movie theaters and unbelievably priced popcorn and soda there instead of buying a tub of Pete's 53...
by the way, I don't go out Friday nights, and I'm proud of it!

 

See, this is what I don't understand to go along with what some of you are saying... Why go out and blow money on movies, popcorn, overpriced dinners all the time, stuff they don't need at the store every time they go, etc., and then not pay $200-$300 at least once a year to have your largest or second largest investment detailed? I just don't get it. :shead:

 

You gotta understand, people aren't as OCD like us. Most of the public think of the swirls, etc as wear & tear, and have no idea that those can be removed. It's a lack of information AND proper delivery of technique and results that can be achieved that has an " innocent ignorance" as I like to think of it, over the general public.

As OCD as I am, I never really noticed the wash induced swirls on my vehicles until it was brought to my attention a few years ago, and various angles in the sun that would expose them. I figured it was wear and tear, and that it just needed "wax".