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Automotive Guide Complete Detail VS Express Detail

By: Lance Winslow
Automotive Guide

The battle in the market place for the term; detailing is a hot debate amongst various practicianers in the auto detailing a professional carwash industry. This is merely a reflection of the serious competition for the higher end consumer with the expensive well-maintained automobile. Everyone wants to cater to them and collect their money. Meanwhile as car washes go for low costs and high volumes they inadvertently catch a big fish with plenty to spend and sell them “the works” including an “Express” detail.

Many auto detailers say that the car washes with their quicken version of the complete auto detail; the Express Detail; has cheapened the auto detailing profession and is ruining the artistic value of today’s professional auto detailing experts. Having been on both sides of the Industry, franchising car washes, detail shops and mobile detail units for some 27-years, I take a more observational and rational view. Let’s discuss business and free market philosophy for a moment.

Some of the communication problems come into play when a customer is convinced that the $50.00-$60.00 (sometimes as low as $35.00) he or she paid for an express detail is the same service they will get when they pay a $100.00+ complete detailing service. The problems are compounded when you throw the mobile detailer into the loop. Usually charging $60.00-$80.00 and then calling his detailing services a 'full detail'. This market player is fiercely competitive for price as he attempts to establish his new business and has the advantage of on-site service.

Many of these new small companies will be in business for a summer or two, or at most a couple of years. Many opt later to establish fixed sites and raise their prices due to increased capital expenditures such as a phone system, fixtures, electrical work, reclaim devises and work benches and increased overhead or rent, electricity, office supplies, water, and reclaim waste water removal. Established mobile detailers who last over two years generally develop a larger clientele and raise their prices simply because of supply and demand economics. Their prices will usually be $100.00+ for a complete detail. Many also offer a monthly program including washes, detailing services and monthly billing. Most mobile operations have not adopted the term Express Detailing because they believe they do a better job than the car washes with regard to quality.

Many mobile operations will continue the low price of their original full detail of $60.00-$80.00 but now use the term 'mini-detail'. This allows them to charge a full detail price to new customers but still offer previous customers and those original customers' word of mouth referrals a low price without giving away services. It also allows them to tap into the customers that may not be able to afford a real detail but still wish to have detailing services for ego reasons, being able to tell friends, "I had my car detailed." Why own a BMW if you can't have it detailed. This appeals to the young executive on his way up the ladder.

You see it is all sound and fury of many types of competitors vying for the same groups of customers. The important thing to remember is that in most markets there are more cars than people and this means plenty of business for everyone. Think on it.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Automotive Guide Tag : Car Wash Detail Express

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