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Take The Business... With A Safeguard Since she has some history, consider this: If she wants you to personally work on her car (not necessarily alone), stipulate that she will have to drop the car off at the end of the day and you'll work on it that evening, giving it your undivided attention...

Consider A More Adaptable Alternative I've watched this post for a while and wondered why you haven't prudently examined the Flex-Serve format. It actually fits your challenge because it provides the best of all options... with a minimum of labor while optimizing your profitability. And it...

Plastic Cleaner & Polish Works Great The same thing happens to plastic windows on convertible tops. Simply choose one of many plastic cleaners and plastic polishes (2-step process works best). Repeat the cleaning & polishing process until clean and clear. Similar to headlight lens...

Back-To-The-Future? The re-pour you're considering is not a viable option because tampering with the chemical integrity and stability usually ends badly. However, I understand your desire for a more streamlined method of going from product container to car body. It was done by a regional...

Back To The Future Bubble Machine In the 60's, we installed a long, narrow tub/tank just before the first mitter and plumbed it with a hot water line w/soap injector and a float switch. We wired a vacuum motor to blow air through a vac hose in the tub to blow bubbles and create foam. A long...

Fuji Imo! Your comment brought me back, Earl... and Fuji also matched it up with the first chamois drying system. Back then, showgirls and glitz were popular at ICA... and the year prior to Fuji showing up, there were dozens of Japanese businessmen snapping pictures of just about every...

PRODUCTION TEAM Finishing Area After-Care model: Bisect the vehicle. Team: 2 cross-trained attendants required; one on driver-side, one on passenger-side. [windows, door jambs, air-purge residual water wipe, etc. air-purge & vacuum interior, dash/console/door panel wipedown] Alternate inside...

Pneumatic Tools Are Great... But With Limitations Bud, I agree with pneumatic tools for detailing. Personally, I love them! They're lighter and more nimble. But they require a continuous supply of very dry air, often an impractical requirement for many detailers. And depending on the venue...

Couldn't Agree More For the longest time, newcomers in detailing would be so intimidated by the rotary buffer that they'd wind up avoiding work simply because they were intimidated by the risks associated with rotary buffers and a war stories told by other detailers regarding paint damage and...

After bringing the electric dual-action buffer into mainstream detailing years ago (motivated by the pneumatic D/A used in bodyshops), I've always contended that a variable-speed orbital with adequate torque should be able to duplicate the benefits offered by the high-speed rotary... but without...

Prove It To Yourself! While I agree with offering the service all the time, you may need to convince yourself. So, offering one service (Express Hand-Waxing) initially as a week-end special will provide the necessary feedback to persuade the full-time commitment. Some operators prefer...

People-Power: A Gift... and a Curse. Welcome to the world of customer service. Be advised that it can be a slippery slope! Having an attendant provide assistance (sales and prepping) is great, providing that person is pro-active and has a pleasing personality. The good thing is that you will...

Seeking an overview of pricing for EXPRESS WAXING by REGION, TYPE OF OPERATION, TIME REQUIRED and PRICE. 1. Where are you located: NE, SW, Central Sunbelt, Great Lakes, etc.? 2. Detail Shop, Carwash, Mobile Tech, etc.? 3. How long does it take, including wash? ______ Excluding...

HAND-CARWASHING — A Great Profit Center! HAND-CARWASHING ANYONE? How many of you who operate fixed-location detail facilities ACTIVELY MARKET your hand-carwashing services? Not merely offering it as an accommodation, but MERCHANDISING IT? If so, How? If not, Why? How about conveyorized...

How many of you who operate fixed-location detail facilities ACTIVELY MARKET your hand-carwashing services? If so, How? If not, Why? -Steve

The Other Side Of The Equation Earl's timely comment speaks volumes about any business. It reflects on the 2 fundamentals of profitability: 1. Reduce costs. 2. Increase Sales Optimizing the unused portion of the clock is nothing new... but nevertheless is one of the most underutilized...

Quick Question Since I'm not familiar with you... or the vehicle, I'd like to ask a basic question. :o Please don't be offended. If you're using a variable=speed rotary buffer, how would you rate your expertise in buffing... on a scale of 1-10? Be honest, because I may be able to offer a...

Re-Invent Your Operation! There is more value in packaging your operation as a meticulous hand-carwash & detailing service. And hand-carwash customers are a wellspring of business for hands-on after-care (detailing) services. However, profitable hand-carwashing requires that the process is...

Upgrade & safeguard It sounds like you are essentially offering a hand-carwash... with a Laser wash & rinse, correct? Air dryer... with hand-finishing? I invite you to share (privately, if necessary) more information about your site and surrounding marketplace. If the demographics and market...

Easy Fix! Upgrade to Flex-Serve. Want to know how? I'll show you... for FREE! :D As a professional courtesy, I guide a number of sincere & earnest operators step-by-step through the evolutionary process. ;) It's part of our Carwash Academy's effort to educate operators.