Getting detail work from auto dealers???

[joedirt]

My shop is on a major road with at least 12 new car dealers within a mile the problem is none of the dealers will give me a shot at detailing their used cars or even doing some overflow work. I have done some work for a few of the smaller mom and pop used car dealers on the strip but can’t break into the “Big Time” anybody doing business with the new car dealers? If so what’s your secret to get the job?

 

[jfmoran]

Persistence! Keep on a regular schedule of getting in touch with them (Used Car Manager and Service Manager) there will come a time when they need you and if there is, you better deliver! Be aware though dealers can be a nightmare to deal with. When and if you do get cars they will be dogs and they will expect them to look like new and pay peanuts for it. In addition, they may want it back in an unrealistic time frame. Dealers can be both a blessing and a curse. More than likely they will call you at a time when you don't really need the work. Ain't that the way it always goes.

 

[mjc3333]

I have a used car lot along with a detail center at my one location.

For years, I tried to do outside "dealer" work from small lots like mine, to the new car lots. Being on both ends of the spectrum, I would want it both ways.
Cheap and fast for the car lot, then, always trying to "beat" the clock for the detail portion.
In the end, I had a major account with a franchise dealer with 17 different makes at one location. I did all the overflow work which was plenty. The only problem was they didn't pay what it was worth, I had to pick up and deliver each vehicle, and it took forever to get paid.
Most dealerships really don't care about detailing. Remember, every dollar they spend on a vehicle, is one less dollar they make. Detailing is at the bottom of the list, especially when it comes to outside overflow work. I was dropped by the dealership after 5 years and vowed never to do outside wholesale work again. I ended up having to hire more detailers and did not make anymore money. Lost cause. Trust me, they will want everything for nothing and expect you to jump at a moments notice.

 

[dirty harry]

When I had my full service tunnel & detail shop, I recruited a couple of dealerships and got their work. In summary, they are demanding, want to be moved to the front of the line, pay as little as possible,and were slow pay. In the end, my retail business grew to the point where I did not want, or need, their business.
Consider yourself warned!

 

[buda]

Dealer work

Personally, I think that one should not take such a negative view of auto dealer work.

I know a detailer in the Pacific NW that does in excess of $3 million dollars a year in detail and cosmetic car care business for 8 dealerships.

Another in New York does over $500,000 a year and over 85% of the work is from dealers.

It is all in how you run your business and how your present yourself to the dealer.

These two operations are professional and businesslike,They do not go to the dealership like a groveling beggar looking for handout which is what too many detailers do.

Granted some people in dealerships are "jerks" namely the used car managers who used to be in charge of dispensing detail work.

However, most dealerships have given that to the service manager; the fixed op manager and sometimes the body shop manager.

These people are busy and would not rather have the responsibility so if you can solve a problem for them at a reasonable price you can get it.

For example, the company in New York was considering their costs and found they needed to raise the price to the dealer. They went in for a meeting and told the dealer that they needed to increase prices by $25 a car. The dealer of course went into a litany of why they could not pay this amount and one of the owners said, "excuse my Mr XXXXX, we are not asking you we are telling you we are increasing prices by $25 a car."

Guess what? They did not loose the business and got the incease.

When you deal with auto dealers with the attitude that has been expressed here you will get what you have always got.

Certainly, if the dealership representative is a jerk, then no problem, do not deal with them. In most towns there are enough dealers from whom you can get work.

Just like targeting the right retail customer, target the better car dealers: Mercedes, BMW: Audi; Porche; Cadillac, etc.

As for why you can't get in the door it could be for several reasons:

You are talking to the wrong person
They have an inhouse department
They are satisfied with their current outside detailer
They do not like how you look
They did not like your presentation

Keep in mind that a dealership in most cases is taking care of their detail needs either inhouse and with another shop when you approach them, and if they are satisfied why would they change?

You have to either get to them when they become dissatisfied with their current detail company or they have an overload.

Since most detail shops close on Saturday offer to take any weekend work they have, that is, if you are willing to work on Saturday's and Sundays.

When I owned shops we did a lot of work on Saturday's for the dealerships because we were the only shop open on Saturday in the area.

And we got our price too.


Just some well intentioned thoughts.

Bud Abraham

 

[joedirt]

Thank you! I am opened on Sat. I'll try that approach!

 

[jfmoran]

I agree with most of what Bud says, I work for a company that does in-house detailing for two Benz Dealerships and a mega-franchise outlet. Ultimately, it is about the management that runs the dealerships and not the franchise they have. I have worked for a Ford/Jeep dealer who paid us $500K a year to detail their cars and treated us as art of their team. The Mercedes dealers I work for now I have been with for 2 1/2 years. The dealership sold to new management a year ago. The new owner is a former client from the 90's. His mentality is totally different from the previous owners, detail to to him is nothing but an expense and one he wished he could erase. He told my brother back in the 90's, if he could find a machine to do what we do, he would buy it and fire us in a second.

One last point to the dealers are a slow pay. Our dealers pay us weekly or we don't do business with them (we are a $1M+ business), the most they get into us for is two weeks. We have been told we are worse than the IRS when it comes to collecting our money. The good dealerships always have the check ready, the shady ones you gotta watch like a hawk. I have stood in the showroom for two hours waiting for a check.

 

[Waxman]

I say yes to dealers because I love nothing more than making sales; well, I guess I love a healthy profit more.

I have definitely had my share of frustrations with all types of customers and dealers are no exception.

However, I have found that the best way to be well paid for detailing is to streamline the process wherever you can. I have done it in the following ways:

1. Use the carwash to prep cars.

2. Use good equipment; extractor, tornador, typhoon guns, d/a polisher etc.

3. Use nice chemicals that are effctive, strong and rich.

I like being busy and keeping my staff nice and busy. Establishing a price point for dealers is key, as is looking at your sales at semi annual or annual intervals to see how sales match up with labor and chemicals and utilities. Any spike in productivity comes with an associated spike in certain variable costs.

Streamlining operations is how I plan to make all detail sales more profitable for me and that certainly includes doing dealer work.