Price sensitive customers

[Waxman]

I have the highest priced car wash in the area and I get very little pushback from the customers on the car wash pricing. I realize that detailing is far more expensive, but I don't think it's any less of a value for what the customer gets. Despite this fact, I still get customers who experience sticker shock when I tell them the price of a detail.

detailing is a highly involved process and very labor-intensive. We keep the car for a full day for most detail services and we use specialized equipment and high-quality products. I have a hot water carpet extractor, two steamers, buffers, air compressor, Torador guns, blow guns, ozone machine etc.

The other day I vacuumed out the trunk of my own car it had some dog hair from the previous owner and it probably took me 20 minutes of hard vacuuming and using a pumice stone to get rid of all the dog hair and dirt.

How can I be less put off by the occasional shocked customer who thinks detailing is too expensive?

 

[washnshine]

You mentioned your car wash is the highest priced in your area. How do your detail prices compare to competitors? I know detailing is extremely labor and time intensive and can’t imagine that anyone would take issue with appropriately priced services. The cost of professional plumbers, electricians and automobile techs is most likely above the highest priced detailers. Other things to cite may be the price of a carpet shampooing company for to come in your home, or house cleaning service, or a Serve Pro - type company.

 

[Waxman]

Our pricing is in line with a dealership 25 miles away. We are lower than shops 30 miles away. There is one local competitor working out of a dim, dirty dungeon and I do not know his pricing.

 

[washnshine]

It sounds like a few of your customers are just unaware of what the current pricing market is for the services. Maybe tell then to check the prices at the dim dirty dungeon!

 

[edredtop]

Every single car that drives past any business ever owned is saying "no" in that moment, so certainly don't take it personally if they come inside, look around and still say "no."
Attempt to take advantage of that opportunity to describe your services and possibly pivot to another service, get personal with them and try to win them over as a friendly neighbor with a cup of coffee, etc.
That person will walk out of your location with a story they will repeat for years, the question is: "What story will they tell?"
-If that doesn't work, remind them to keep choosing the politicians that are destroying the economy and their ability to participate in it and let the door hit them in ass.

 

[Randy]

Along with owning a car wash we sell and service Hamilton and Standard bill changers. Every now and then we get a person who will buy a so called rebuilt/working Mars bill validator on eBay and send it in for repair. Most of the time they are in sticker shock when they find that there score on eBay isn’t a great score after all. We don’t call them “Price sensitive customers” we call them cheapsters.

 

[Car Wash Man]

We have been doing professional detailing for the last 10 years. Do not lose sweat over the customers who do not want to pay your prices. It sounds like you are inline with your competitors pricing. The customers who don't want to pay are usually the ones who aren't appreciative of your work, and expect a level that is unattainable. It always come back to the "If you don't want to pay our prices you are always welcome to do it yourself and home". That is the thought that always goes through my mind when we are running into customers who are unhappy with prices. A rule of thumb for success long term, Do not give away detailing work for free. If a customer asks for a basic detail and then mentions a few extra things they would like done, don't just give away the work for free. Once you do it once for them, they will always expect it as long as they keep bringing the vehicle back and will be unhappy when you won't do it in the future.