Detailing at a Self Serve

Hey Gang! I am have been approached by a local man who wants to detail cars at my SS. Who has experience with this? What do I charge him? Flat-rate? % of his gross?

Help!?!

As a rule it's a bad idea. He may do something that will reflect badly on your business just by being there; he may steal from you by tying up your SS bays to do his detailing; he may solicit your paying customers for detailing work; you'd have to allow him some access to get water and electricity, and if you base the charge to him on his income he can easily lie about it...the list of "cons" can go on and on, and there's not one really good "pro."

I had a freelance detail guy there for a while, then I was receiving complains from his customers about appointments etc. It wasn't worth the money he was paying me. Maybe I should have made him the attendant as part of his rent.

I think the only way to do this with any success at all is for you to open a detail shop and hire employees. Otherwise you lose control and control is very important.

Detailing is a tricky, difficult business with its own specialized skills, equipment, procedures and chemicals. It's a whole separate business model that can fit in well at a car wash,but it needs to be professionally managed. I should know, cause I've been detailing cars since 1985 and have owned and operated my detail shop since 1996.