Got my first job!

[Justin A]

I was emailed this morning by my first prospective customer. He has a Volvo S60 and needs a wash, cleaning, and wax. My ad says $75 for that service and hopefully he'll get back to me soon and make an appointment!
I'm pumped!

[Maserati Mario]

Re: Got my first job!

Congratulations!
Here's my thoughts.
To me $75 sounds to cheap.
What is your experience?
Are you a great detailer or average?
Have you checked out your competitions prices?
I'm thinking around $150ish.
How many hours do you plan on working?

[Justin A]

Re: Got my first job!

$75 is a bit on the cheap side for the area, the hacks in the area go for about $40 or so, and the established pros go for about $120-$140.
I'm experienced with my own vehicles and my family's vehicles, which means that I don't have any references to provide to customers - just my own vehicle.
I set the package at $75 to undercut the established detailers in the area, bring in customers to build my portfolio and reference stack, and have my name spread around quickly. I'll be increasing the price to ~$100 after 10-15 details. Keep in mind that the $75 is exterior only - no engine or interior.

I'd like to think that I'm pretty good - the G100 and meguiars products make anybody pretty good though.
My big advantage is that I truly care about the customer's cars, and that the detail is free if they're not satisfied. This ensures that I get to practice on different paint types without running the risk of really pissing people off by not getting the results they were expecting.
I'm expecting between 5-7 hours for this guys S60.

[Alex C.]

Re: Got my first job!


Congrats man. Try and have a good breakfast and keep fluids on hand so you don't fall apart.

[Still Learnin]

Re: Got my first job!

Try and have a good breakfast and keep fluids on hand so you don't fall apart.

listen to black150.. bring snacks , fluids, eat before starting the job... ive woken up, and just went straight out the door to get to the detail spot. without eating youll start to feel all weak n what not... i now bring a cooler with stuff, and a chair to take my quick break. be prepared, especially if its hot

[Megafast13]

Re: Got my first job!

Sounds Great. Hopefully your business will take off!

That sounds like a nice price to me. I am disgustingly under priced with my customers, but they always come back so I still make good money. Word of Mouth has been the best for my business, Hopefully you will satisfy your customer so he'll recommend you to others.

[Justin A]

Re: Got my first job!

Sounds Great. Hopefully your business will take off!

That sounds like a nice price to me. I am disgustingly under priced with my customers, but they always come back so I still make good money. Word of Mouth has been the best for my business, Hopefully you will satisfy your customer so he'll recommend you to others.

He lives in a rather affluent area, so I'm really hoping that he's satisfied with the results and spreads my name around to his friends .

I hope things take off too, I'm just going to have to regulate things to not get too busy - I'm a student first and the detailing is for fun and some money.

Good call on the snacks everybody! At home I usually have to come inside for a granola bar or something after a few hours, so out on a job I should have food handy.

What do you guys do about water and electric power? It it fairly standard to use the customer's electric and water? Bring bottles and a generator? I was planning on a few extension cords and a hose...

[MaksimumAutoDetailing]

Re: Got my first job!

He lives in a rather affluent area, so I'm really hoping that he's satisfied with the results and spreads my name around to his friends .

I hope things take off too, I'm just going to have to regulate things to not get too busy - I'm a student first and the detailing is for fun and some money.

Good call on the snacks everybody! At home I usually have to come inside for a granola bar or something after a few hours, so out on a job I should have food handy.

What do you guys do about water and electric power? It it fairly standard to use the customer's electric and water? Bring bottles and a generator? I was planning on a few extension cords and a hose...

Normally I use their water and electricity. For $75 the customer expects and knows (hopefully) that you're not a seasoned pro with a full rig.

[kty10]

Re: Got my first job!

What do you guys do about water and electric power? It it fairly standard to use the customer's electric and water? Bring bottles and a generator? I was planning on a few extension cords and a hose...

You might want to double check with your customer, just to make sure it's OK. That way there won't be any surprises.

Congrats and Good luck!

[Alex C.]

Re: Got my first job!

Bring along a 50 and/or a 100 ft cord for power. You don't want to get there and realize you can't reach the outlet. As far as water, you might want to look into something like ONR. Much more convenient if you don't have a generator and pressure washer to call your own.

[Maserati Mario]

Re: Got my first job!

I use the customers electric all the time with no problems.
You don't want a generator running all day, that's just annoying for everyone.

[Justin A]

Re: Got my first job!

I asked him if he has electric and water available at his location, so I'm assuming he know's where that question was headed.

[Alex C.]

Re: Got my first job!

Right on Justin. Best of luck.

[Calais]

Re: Got my first job!

Hopefully, I just got my first job too. I'm undercutting myself pretty bad (Quik interior, vacuum, wash and glaze for ~$60) but I need return customers, a good reputation and some pocket money. Besides, it's a friend.