Rasky's Auto Detailing Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 So I have a little bit of an odd case with a client. The owner is having me do a paint correction on his 2010 FX35 this weekend and he wants OC applied but he is on a tight budget and can't afford my cost of applying OG for him. I mentioned to him that he can now pick up OC 2.0 and apply it himself, which he was very interested in. The problem comes in that he will have to drive the vehicle for a week or so after the correction before he can apply the OC himself. With all the bugs, pollen, road work, and other crap in the air I don't want to leave his paint unprotected. So my question is what would you suggest I apply for an LSP that can be remove rather easily and what should I tell him to use for removing that LSP to prep the surface when he goes to apply his OC? I was thinking of just going over it with Poli-Seal after my initial correction and then having him pick up some OPC and spray that on his panels as he washes with a strong mix of car soap, or add it to his foam cannon if he gets it in time. Thoughts? Thanks, Rasky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Driven Auto Detail Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Personally, I think OCW would be good enough. Plus, its much quicker than applying OPS. On a side note, how can this guy afford to do the paint correction but not the application of OC? You don't have to share your pricing, but isn't the correction much more of an expense than the OC application? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasky's Auto Detailing Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 Personally, I think OCW would be good enough. Plus, its much quicker than applying OPS. On a side note, how can this guy afford to do the paint correction but not the application of OC? You don't have to share your pricing, but isn't the correction much more of an expense than the OC application? Guess he has a budget of $300. I charge $200-300 to apply Opti-Guard to a vehicle, which is on top of any correction. At the moment I have no OCW...had a bottle and gave it to a client to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Driven Auto Detail Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Guess he has a budget of $300. I charge $200-300 to apply Opti-Guard to a vehicle, which is on top of any correction. At the moment I have no OCW...had a bottle and gave it to a client to try. Gotcha! I guess I was under-valuing OC from a product/application standpoint. I just applied it to my own truck for the first time a couple days ago. I hadn't even begun to come up with a price point for customer cars. Anyway, I think any spray wax would be just enough and not too much protection if he's only driving it for a week w/o OC on the paint. My fear with all that is that when he goes to wash it, he induces swirls, even minimally. But seeing the work you do, I'm guessing you'll school him on wash technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasky's Auto Detailing Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 Gotcha! I guess I was under-valuing OC from a product/application standpoint. I just applied it to my own truck for the first time a couple days ago. I hadn't even begun to come up with a price point for customer cars. Anyway, I think any spray wax would be just enough and not too much protection if he's only driving it for a week w/o OC on the paint. My fear with all that is that when he goes to wash it, he induces swirls, even minimally. But seeing the work you do, I'm guessing you'll school him on wash technique. Hahaha! Thanks Mike! Marring the finish is also a big concern with the owner as well. He's owned it for a year now and IMO it still looks better than 99% of the cars I see. I've provided him wit a guide to proper washing and he's placing and order for soap, mitts, towels, QD ect. So I think he should be fine...I'm more concerned with his OC application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasky's Auto Detailing Posted May 25, 2011 Author Share Posted May 25, 2011 I don't recommend Opti Coat 2.0 for anyone who cannot machine polish to correct a mistake if they misapply or goof during the learning curve. Good point. I suggested yesterday that maybe we should just use a traditional sealant...he was open to the idea but after showing him the qualities of OC on my car it's going to be hard to get him to change is mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddj Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Guess he has a budget of $300. I charge $200-300 to apply Opti-Guard to a vehicle, which is on top of any correction. At the moment I have no OCW...had a bottle and gave it to a client to try. Interesting situation. And Wow, I'm undercharging for Opti-Coat. You could do it at one time, and have him pay you the $300 over a month, etc. Even draw up a little contract. I wouldn't let him do the OC, you could help him apply it (teach a man to fish) - maybe charge him for your consulting time. If you have to go with the week or month later, you applying it. I'd put Opti-Seal on, and don't have him wash it at all. It will be dirty when you get it back, but you won't have to re-correct anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasky's Auto Detailing Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Interesting situation. And Wow, I'm undercharging for Opti-Coat. You could do it at one time, and have him pay you the $300 over a month, etc. Even draw up a little contract. I wouldn't let him do the OC, you could help him apply it (teach a man to fish) - maybe charge him for your consulting time. If you have to go with the week or month later, you applying it. I'd put Opti-Seal on, and don't have him wash it at all. It will be dirty when you get it back, but you won't have to re-correct anything. Really? What you charging? I thought it was more than fare considering what dealers charge for those bogus paint protection warranties. I actually thought I was on par or on the lower side compared to others charge to apply it too. FYI, the owner has now decided to just have me apply the coating for him.....a wise choice for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddj Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Really? What you charging? I thought it was more than fare considering what dealers charge for those bogus paint protection warranties. I actually thought I was on par or on the lower side compared to others charge to apply it too. FYI, the owner has now decided to just have me apply the coating for him.....a wise choice for sure. Good news you don't have to monkey around. Get it all done in one shot. ** Mind you I don't do this as my primary income. It's how we pay for our vacations** I'm charging $75-100 for Opti-Guard, on top of prep. I'm averaging 7cc per application. I can get about 6 cars out of 40cc. I get about 80% margin. Which I thought as good. I think I'll start to slowly build that up. Especially now that words is starting to spread, I've gotten 4 referrals in the past week for Opti. I typically only do friends/family details, but that's starting to expand. I'll probably do 15 Opti-coat jobs this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEE DOG Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Chad, interesting situation! This thread was a good read. I'm glad to hear he came to his senses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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