Choosing a Detail Shop with Experience

I welcome new detail shops opening up. I have reached out to some local detail shops to ask if they want to network with me and get to know them. I love the detailing industry and I like reaching out to other local detailers to find things in common. I enjoy training and giving advice to new and existing shops. Maybe we can teach each other something in business. 

With that being said, there is a difference between a new detail shop opening and a 20 year old that thinks it would be cool to work for themselves and own a detailing business. They jump on Amazon, buy their tools, towels, and chemicals, load up their VW Golf and hit the road. Their prices end up being so bargain basement cheap because, to them, $100 is a lot of money. They live at home with almost zero overhead. Their business is most likely not a registered business with the local, State, and Federal government. 

I'm not for preventing this from happening, I'm more for educating them and helping them get established. The more fly-by-night operations there are the less value the industry offers. 

Detailing is a luxury service. This means that it is something consumers can pay for, but they don't have to. It's like going out to eat. Going out to eat is not nutrition, it's entertainment. I heard Dave Ramsey say this recently and I 100% agree. Since detailing is a luxury and running a shop is expensive. The cost is not going to be cheap. The services we offer produce amazing results. The result is what you are paying for. Someone who spends 4 hours detailing a car and charges $100 is not giving you amazing results. They are practicing on your vehicle and only putting a little money in their pocket. They are not making money. They are actually losing quite a bit.

My goal as a detailing business owner is to prop up the industry and help other detailers reach their potential. Most detailers that I reach out to don't take me up on any of my offers. That's ok. Maybe they are fine and don't need a detailing friend. No judgment. 

I want all of my current and potential customers to understand that experience matters. Just as you would not trust a cardiologist on his first day to operate on your heart, a brand new detailer may not be life and death, but you are not going to get the amazing results like you would with a detailer with experience. The reason that some have told me that they don't see a difference between the two is because they were swayed by the price and are ok with lesser results. I'm ok with that as long as you realize that there us a difference. 

Not only are the results between a new shop and an experienced one is that the experienced shop has a track record of satisfying customers and being open when you need them. Every single one of these shops that pop up and charge $100 for an interior/exterior detail NEVER endure. They close their doors every single time. 

On a similar topic, Hanover is a small town. There are only about 10 detail shops. On the other hand, there are almost four dozen Auto Repair Shops. Which tells me that there is room for more detail shops. Also, detailers that only offer mobile never stay around. This is just not a mobile friendly community for whatever reason. Most of the owners of the 10 detail shops in Hanover work full-time jobs. They run their shops part-time at night and on weekends. They only have so many appointments available. This is not a criticism, I am just contrasting the fact that my availability is much greater than theirs. 

When you book an appointment with us you are actually paying for the absolute best possible results out of any other detail shop in Hanover. This has been my full-time job since 2013. I have more hours of detailing than any two detail shops in Hanover. There is only one shop that has even close to our shop's age. They have seven years and we have 12. But, again, they work an outside full-time job. That matters because it means I HAVE to succeed. I MUST produce the best results I can. Their main jobs can fund their shop, so it's a side hustle for them. 

I have been detailing since the late 90's. I have surpassed the practice and advanced stage and have entered the expert stage. The final stage is legend. One day I will be there so long as my very loyal, amazing customers continue to use us. The stages are achieved over time. Spending those hours not satisfied with the results and continuing until they are achieved is the progression. 

Repetition with a focus on efficiency is the key to becoming a detailing legend. Not a legend in the detailing industry. Who cares about that. A legend in my market and area is what I am referring to.