Owning A High-End Detailing Business Part 4: Have A Strong Sense Of Self

Be mindful of the reality the detailing industry has a 5% to less than 1% following, depending upon how niche your interpretation of auto detailing is.  Even amongst that following there may be some that cannot form a distinction in their mind from the popular local car wash.  The cost and time for authentic auto detailing is genuinely never going to make sense to many people in our world.  Some compassion about the general consumer market is reasonable and important.  That is not a license to apologize for running a profitable business on your terms.  1% is a lot of people.

Many of you have read the popular article piece circulated on a social media page about a father asking his daughter to get a rare car appraised.  Her first two options offered little for the car, while the third option placed tremendous value on the car.  It is meant to be an example on going where you are valued.   Bluntly it is an answer to the critique you are only worth what people are willing to pay.  It is also another way of communicating, ‘you pay for what you get.’  I read just about just as many people seemingly stunned about how commonly they receive a poor-quality service, or their vehicle is damaged.  But you have to believe in yourself for this to be manifested.

Message from Mike Medin

“For those who are uncertain about pricing.  Two customers yesterday, one with a Ford F150, black.  The other with a Silverado black.  Both inquiring about a two-step correction.  F150 – me that will run $700.  Guy laughs, mumbles something about that being insane, and hangs up.  Silverado – Literally the next call 30 seconds later – Me, that’ll run about $700.  Guy, ooh, I like that.  Let’s do that. Put me on the schedule.

DO NOT ALLOW PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW A SINGLE THING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO TO QUESTION WHAT YOU KNOW BETTER THAN MOST.  What we do is hard, it’s skilled work, it takes a lot of time.

The first guy will end up with a low-cost, low-quality job.  He might even be thrilled with it.  Who knows, who cares.  The second guy will get top notch work from one of, if not the best shop in town.  That shop will stand behind their work, we’ll field their calls and questions, and also likely gained a client for life.  You do you, let the others do them.”

Mike Medin is the owner of Horizon Detail.  He is also a founding member of the Organization Of Certified Professional Detailers.  He is also a professional Paint Correction and Ceramic Coating trainer.

I have many similar experiences.   Let’s not lose ourselves feeling sorry for people who make poor decisions based upon their negative perception of what we do.  If you do not treat what you do as a real business and a luxury niche service, do not expect others to as well.  You are going to attract more of what you do not want, cheap customers with highest of the high expectations. This means being okay targeting in your marketing efforts people who can afford and our genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

I need you to do something right now.  I want you to imagine this for me.  Someone decides to start a random (INDUSTRY UNKNOWN) business.  That person becomes successful providing a service.  That person makes $110,000 per year after taxes and expenses.  I told you that person really did not proverbially clock out.  He or she had a product or service that kept them busy.  Your thoughts and LIKELY MOST OTHERS would be this person DESERVES all of the profits he or she receives.  In fact, in 2024 you would expect this person to find ways to elevate those profits to $200,000 or $300,000.  Many people would too.  Now if I used the word detailing, that perception would be much different from some of the public.  Fortunately, you directly and indirectly have a choice who you push your message to.

I ran into someone I knew at a social gathering many years ago.  He realized I am the owner of a detailing business.  He mentioned, he has some cars for me to detail on certain specified dates (which were not realistic for me schedule wise).  I provided a professional response.  He told me that, “you must not want to work.”  Needless to say, we did not do business, and minimal interaction took place afterwards.  I will never call a service performed ‘a job’.  Starting a business means your rules and your responsibility.