Stand-Alone Detail Center/Department

[SantoC]

Anyone out there successfully utilizing a stand-alone detail center/dept within your dealerhship with FRH compensation plan? If so, how and where did you find or establish FRH time and pay scale for cars - compact, mid, full/lux and trucks - compact, mid, full/lux? What is you current pricing scale?Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

[Ron Ketcham]

I may be able to help you.

We are not only a well known car care chemical manufacturer and marketer, make many products for 8 of the largest vehicle manufacturers in the world, but operate 4 New Car Prep Centers in our local market, provide the only OEM recognized Prep and Reconditioning school in the country.

Our centers did over 14,000 new car preps last year for local dealers.

So, if you would like to chat about your questions, would be happy to give you some input regarding pay, etc.

Am eastern time zone, 800-543-7156, Ketch

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Ron Ketcham

[Mike Vogel]

We set up 3 detailers on flat rate in our service dept. to handle used car detailing. Without making it too difficult we found 4 hours to be a good average charge for a complete detail bumper to bumper. Some cars/trucks they make up time on, some may take a little longer. We charge the used car dept. $85.00 for each detail with $76.00 going for labor and $9.00 for supplies. All supplies are ordered and ok'd by my asst mgr or myself for controls and are mixed down to proper usage. We do approximatly 150-175 used cars a month with 3 full time detailers on flat rate. We also do service customer cars at $129.95 but have found our customers to be a little nit picky. We also do courtesy details on large repair bills that we pay for at our cost. It's not a big money maker but does put gross to the bottom line and gets the used cars done a lot quicker than hourly detailers. Also if car was not done up to used car mgr standards that detailer has to redo at no charge. That helps stop them from flat rating the detail.

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Mike Vogel
Claremont Toyota
Claremont, CA

[SantoC]

Thank you for the guidance. Best Wishes.

[brianw]

We started a stand alone clean up centre within our service dept. Gave it a new name.
Not related to the dealership except for the address. This allowed the clean up supervisor to sign up accounts within the local area (especially other dealerships). Found they were more than willing to write checks to this stand alone company but certainly not the dealership. We average $8000 / month in extra clean ups. We have 6 flat rate clean up staff working mon to friday 6am to 5pm and some saturdays. Tha manager is paid a bonus only on outside work brought in.

[SantoC]

Brian,

I applaud your efforts. How do you handle setting the FR time and rates. What did you purchase in tolls, supplies and materials or did your Techs sign on prepared? Please advise. Thanks for the response.

SantoC

[brianw]

flat rate is as follows - 3.0 for a car, 4.0 for a truck - extras include compound if req - payable in .5 increments. .5 for a redo and 1.5 for a partial clean (no shampoo).
Quality standard is very high, all the guys know it and understand that a job will be redone if not up to the level our customers demand. Our proudest moment was having a competiting dealership owner's plymouth prowler sent over for a detail that they paid for.

Supplies are paid by the dealership and charged out by the job - approx $30 a full clean. we found that having the guys pay for their own supplies cost us in quality.

Hope this helps.

[SantoC]

Absolutely. Prowler moment is a howl! Last question, I think, what are you paying your guys per FRH? Thanks again for the insight.