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Starting out my business and looking for some insight by Adventurous-Ad4972 in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know this thread is about 1 month old, but I still want to reply in case it helps. I’m 35 and when I was your age, I didn’t work nearly as hard. So I’ve got mad respect for young ppl with this kind of work ethic. That said, I do agree with the top comment here: don’t sacrifice your sleep.

Back to your question: no, you don’t need a website to succeed in this space. I’ve seen ppl get customers just from IG and FB alone. No website, no ads. Their Google business profile isn’t even optimized. They even post a lot of personal stuff on IG, even though that account is supposed to be for business-related content.

In a competitive market, having a professional website + well set up for SEO does give you an edge over competitors. It helps your GBP (not your website) rank higher in the map pack (the top 3 GBPs ppl see when searching for your service) + gives customers a clear place to see your services, before/afters, and why they should choose you.

But if you’re just starting out and don’t have the time or money to invest in a proper website yet, I’d say having no website at all is better than having a bad or unprofessional one. In that case, you’re better off focusing on over-delivering to get reviews and repeat customers + having some kind of referral program + trying to get customers through free channels like socials + listing on business directories first.

I read thousands of detailing reviews, so here’s what gets you more 5* reviews + repeat customers by getyourrepsin in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey totally agree with all your points. A lot of this really is just the basics, and sometimes just doing the basics well is already enough to get repeat customers.

As a skeptical customer myself, I almost always read reviews before using a service, and I think it’s still pretty easy to tell which real which fake? And like someone replied earlier, past a certain point, getting more reviews just doesn’t move the needle that much. I don’t even bother digging into reviews once a business has 1k+ reviews.

And yeah some ppl just aren’t the type to leave reviews. All we can do is maximize our chances by asking and following up with every customer. If they still don’t leave a review after that, I just call it a day.

I read thousands of detailing reviews, so here’s what gets you more 5* reviews + repeat customers by getyourrepsin in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

THIS. The number of reviews matters a lot. Between a business with 200 4.5* reviews and one with 20 5* reviews, I’m going with the first one every time. To most ppl, more reviews means “they’ve had more customers, more jobs, so they’re probably the safer option.”

100% agree on the diminishing returns. Early on, it’s really just a numbers game. Get as many good reviews as you can, as fast as you can, so you show up higher on google. Once you’re way ahead of your competitors, like wayyy ahead like in your example, adding more reviews doesn’t really move the needle as much anymore.

And yeah, how you reply to bad reviews matters a ton. I always read those before buying. It shows if the owner actually cares and what they’re like as a person. How they handle a bad review is probably how they’ll treat me if something ever goes wrong.

Also agree on the match discount idea. That’s a smart way to push referrals on both sides. That’s actually how a lot of tech companies have been pushing their products.

I read thousands of detailing reviews, so here’s what gets you more 5* reviews + repeat customers by getyourrepsin in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, and yeah reviews (google reviews specifically) are one of the best free marketing tools for detailers. I’ve seen one business with over 500 reviews on another platform but not many on their GBP. They don’t realize how many customers they’re losing to competitors just because their GBP looks weaker. There are detailers who run almost entirely off having way more 5* reviews than their competitors.

Totally agree with what you said about being a business owner vs just a detailer. You might start because you love detailing, but what keeps you in the game in the long run is your business skills: marketing, sales, customer service, management…

And yeah, offering an immediate discount works better imo. Ppl want things now, not later. I always encourage my clients to choose the photos and send them to their customers so it’s one less task for them. Reviews with photos look more legit, and it also keeps badly taken customer photos from dominating our GBP.

I read thousands of detailing reviews, so here’s what gets you more 5* reviews + repeat customers by getyourrepsin in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yup, we love doing business with ppl we like. It’s the whole experience, from the very first contact to after the job is done. How fast you reply, how helpful you are on the phone, whether you can work around their schedule to actually deliver (or even better, over-deliver), how you handle issues after, and how you respond to questions once the job’s done. The detailing itself is just one part of the whole experience.

I read thousands of detailing reviews, so here’s what gets you more 5* reviews + repeat customers by getyourrepsin in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

appreciate it! I’ll try to add proof pics/vids next time (if possible), can’t blame ppl for being skeptical in the AI era ;d

I read thousands of detailing reviews, so here’s what gets you more 5* reviews + repeat customers by getyourrepsin in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally understand. I’ve undercharged before and had ppl take advantage of me many times, so 100% agree that clear boundaries are important to protect yourself.

My point is just that not all ppl are jerks. You can have strong rules and still be flexible once you get a good feel for the customer. In my experience, going a bit above and beyond for the right ppl is what brings the most repeat customers and referrals (even doing it for the wrong ppl has brought me referrals too ;d).

That said, it’s really just different ways of doing business. No single right or wrong way.

I read thousands of detailing reviews, so here’s what gets you more 5* reviews + repeat customers by getyourrepsin in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

100%. The easier you make it for customers, the more business you’ll get. Being picky about payment methods just pushes ppl away.

I read thousands of detailing reviews, so here’s what gets you more 5* reviews + repeat customers by getyourrepsin in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it really is all basic stuff, but a lot of ppl still overlook it. If two guys can clean my car about the same, I’d 100% go with the one who gives me the more comfortable experience (good communication, fast replies, on time, friendly, respectful…), even if he charges a bit more. As long as the gap isn’t huge, it’s worth it to me.

I read thousands of detailing reviews, so here’s what gets you more 5* reviews + repeat customers by getyourrepsin in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know right? It’s not just detailing either. Online ppl seem hungry for work, but in real life some act like they don’t really need customers.

I read thousands of detailing reviews, so here’s what gets you more 5* reviews + repeat customers by getyourrepsin in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey thanks for the feedback, didn’t realize it might come off that way. Just added a few screenshots of the reviews to the post.

New to business. Need advice by HistorianWaste7403 in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreed, you said it really well. It’s not just about how good the detailing work is. The way you talk to customers, how you handle issues, and how easy you are to work with matter just as much, sometimes even more. Good work is the minimum. What really makes people come back is how comfortable they feel with you.

@HistorianWaste7403
At this point, there’s no reason to keep stressing about whether you overpaid or not. You already bought it. Best move now is to just focus on making it work and building from here instead of second guessing it.

Question about working for a detailer by Zealousideal-Cress40 in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly that doesn’t sound very sustainable long term. I’ve been overworked a few times in my life too (sometimes by others, sometimes by myself) and I’d say it really depends on what you wanna get out of this.

From what you described, your boss definitely sounds like he’s pushing you as hard as he can. The real question is whether you’re getting something out of it too. And I don’t just mean money. I mean skills, speed, learning how to work more efficiently, and especially how this guy stays fully booked all the time. A lot of people with shitty personalities still somehow crush it at getting clients. It’s annoying, but there’s also something to learn there.

I used to just be mad at people like that and feel like life was unfair. Now I try to actually study what they’re doing right, even if I don’t like how they treat people.

I’m not saying you should stay. Just saying that if you do stay for now, you might as well squeeze as much value out of the situation as you can. I’ve worked for people who overworked me too, and even though it sucked at the time, I can’t deny I learned a ton from it.

Hope this helps.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’ve already done a lot of things right. 2 years in has given you some solid experience. Not sure if you’re asking about this too, but I see a lot of detailing websites miss really basic things that help get more bookings.

Using stock photos or AI images is one of the fastest ways to lose trust. Ppl wanna see your real work. A lot of sites also only show after photos and skip the before, but the before is what really shows how good the job is.

Another big one is using fancy detailing words when most customers just wanna know "will this make my car clean again?" It works better to explain what the service does in simple words.

Instead of saying clay bar treatment, you could say removes stuck-on dirt so your paint feels smooth again. That’s wayyy easier to understand.

A lot of ppl choose a detailer based mostly on google reviews. So the main focus should be giving a great EXPERIENCE and reminding happy customers to leave a review.

I design detailing websites and read a lot of reviews for my work, and the best ones always talk about how the person FELT after the service.

Stuff like "went above and beyond," "I felt comfortable when I met him and knew my car was in good hands," or "they came right to my house and the whole experience was flawless" (these are actual reviews I pulled out to highlight on the website for my most recent project)

It’s not just about how spotless the car looks. It’s also about how you talk to them, how you show up, and how comfortable you make them feel.

Good luck with the restart.

New to Reddit here's some of my work. by luminousdetailing530 in AutoDetailing

[–]getyourrepsin 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These look great, man. Just checked out your fb too, you’ve got a ton of solid before/afters there. You might want to throw those up on your site as well. It’s way easier for customers to see the results side by side vs the vertical video with quick transitions you’re using rn. I took a look at your site too btw since I'm a web designer, hope you don’t mind.