Auto Tint Price Increase

I was a film Rep for 3 yrs of my 23yrs in the Biz. The first thing I would always ask the tint shop owners is " When Was the Last Time they Raised their Prices?"
I got all kind of answers, some would say they haven't raised them in 5 yrs, Some have said they haven't 10yrs. A few would tell me that they just raised them. I would ask them how much did they raise them? It usually was $10 to $20 bucks. Some even told me they lowered their prices.
I am curious how Manu's can increase film prices every year and the price for our services stay the same or go down!!!!
I know all manu's have good, better and best films.
It is in my nature to help people. I know some will not want me telling them to run their business. I am not trying to run anyones business, I am just trying to help the ones who never see their reps or don't even have a rep., or if they have a rep who comes by once a yr to drop off a can of popcorn or free t shirt or a lil chizler...lol
About 90% of shops I called on used the HP films. So if you are one who use just the HP/LT films.
I would sugguest every tint shop owner buy a couple rolls or the good (dyed) and a couple rolls of the best (all metal, ceramic,carbon, axxess).

The first I would do is:

Drop your good films $10, raise the better(HP, Hybrid) $30 and an additional $30 for their best. Example Good $150 Better $190 Best $230
Since just about all films have LT warranty now days, Quote Low (good) on phone. Have all films on display, when custy comes in for appointment, have them fill out work order, pull car in, "THEN" till them for $150 they get good film, what shades do they want? Turn your back, walk back to work order. "Most" will ask you what is the difference with the other films? ( They are asking you to sell them) Explain the films, price. Tell them it doesn't matter to you which film they choose.
Out of 10 customers generally 10 to 20% will choose (good)50 to 60% will choose (better) and 30 to 40% will go with (best)

Worst case scenerio, Custys will buy the same film you have been selling for years and you increased your prices $20 from what you have been charging and you will have four rolls of film in your inventory.
Best case scenerio, you've increased profit margins per car.

If anyone chooses to do this let me know how it goes!!!

Great post. Just to add to the argument, in terms of real value many shop's prices aren't even keeping pace with inflation/devaluation of the dollar.

Just look at the cost of food for example compared to 10 years ago, or the price of gas. Prices should be nearly double what they were then just to break even.

Well said. Upgrades are the way to go.

Good MARKETING advice ...

This is the EXACT same way Solar Gard is trying to sell their stuff with the Supreme - High performance - Ultra performance series.

We have addapted to this tactic a few months ago ( but not with SG films) , And yes it works pretty good .

Once I implemented this tatic to my business, I had a 20% growth for 5 straingt years. I was told many times we don't have time to spend with custys. It only takes an additional 2 mins per customer. $30 to $60 for 2 minutes is worth it to me.

I forgot to say in first post, It is good to have equal increments per film. Say, Better $40 more than good and $40 more for Best over good. ( I hope that makes sense!)

Good tip... Thanks for sharing...

Nice post

It's a good idea for others reading this thread who don't get down with SG/BEK to know ... FYI that you can buy [5+] rolls of SUP for the cost of [1] roll of Ultra Performance...... add $200.00 material cost without mark up.

There are only two types of tint consumers.....the ones that pay for quality film & experienced installers and the ones that only have $99.00 to play with.

.........sad but true.

OK WhyBdark I have resisted this tactic for years but I think now might be the time to try. My property tax at work just went up 300 a month along with everything else sooooooooooo as they say “film at 11”
We are a pretty good size shop so I should see how it works for me in a short time. It beats a suggestion I got on Saturday to add .87 cents to every invoice and I could make like 4 g a year for doing nothing!!!!!!! Hmmmm might do both! I’ll let you know how it works with my custys.
Thanks
Stan

In FG, per sq ft price goes up when I pull up to a $500,000 or more house with expensive cars in the driveway...lol

Excellent WhyBdark Ive been doing that for 2 years. I sell AT,ATR,ATX, all in stock and on full window displays in my shop. That really gives them an idea what the film looks like. I raised my starting 25.00 and my upper 50.00. My upper is double that the starting and I upsell at least one of those a day min. If you cant sell them on the window displays and explaining then have a display where they can feel the diff. from good and best. That will usually close the deal 50% of the time.

good post..i see t.o.w there

Yes! good post, this is the selling technique we use as well, although we use the better and best. I feel we lose alot of price shoppers because the better price is higher than some of my competitors. We have been thinking of having an entry level film to increase sales from the price shoppers. The down side to this is I'll have to stock more film on the shelf. Instead of better and best, I think its time to implement good,better, and best.

as soon as you figure out vhow to raise prices in south texas you let me know

We tried doing this at the last shop I worked for and it really does work with some people. There are people that know you get what you pay for and then theres those other people.... I just tell them that if they plan on keeping the car great cause if they go with the cheaper lines they can pay me to tint it then pull it off and re-tint it in a few years. Works sometimes with those stingy custys. I only offer lifetime warranty on my higher quality lines.

Hmm pretty cool. I may very well up prices to off set some bills

Great post. I have been considering using this idea for quite a while now....after all, if that is the way the mannys sell it to us...why not do the same to the general public. One question is....do you think this (or a version of this) idea would work if implemented with the car dealerships? Well over half my work is dealership work. Do I let them decide? do I leave the upselling to them? Any input would be greatly appreciated. I do think I will be definitely be going this route with the public...just curious about the dealer end of things.

[quote name='one slick tinter' date='Feb 11 2008, 06:36 PM' post='592039']
Great post. I have been considering using this idea for quite a while now....after all, if that is the way the mannys sell it to us...why not do the same to the general public. One question is....do you think this (or a version of this) idea would work if implemented with the car dealerships? Well over half my work is dealership work. Do I let them decide? do I leave the upselling to them? Any input would be greatly appreciated. I do think I will be definitely be going this route with the public...just curious about the dealer end of things.
[/quote

If I were you, I would make them aware of the Non-Metal films, Ceramic,Carbon types of films. If you have high end dealerships, yes,yes yes.

Foo time!

No real "high end" dealerships here....highest end is toyota and honda...and usually when I ask them what they want on the car....the answer is either..."the usual" or "whatever you think would look good" or "whats on that one in the showroom"

put in the foo....foo

.87 per invoice = $4000?

SO, you do over 4500 invoices per year, and you call yourself a pretty good size shop? That sounds like a HUGE shop to me! I'd love to do 600 invoices/year!


BTW, lately, I've raised my "best" film choice to 40 bucks more than my "better" choice. probably 25 to 40% of our customers go for the higher priced product. As a result, another local shop has raised prices to match my higher prices, and so the prices in our city are gradually going up. I'd like to see it happen everywhere.
Sometimes, I think window tinters are a stupid lot, since prices have stayed so low, but fear of losing customers is also a factor.

Yeah that is a big shop, the biggest tint shop I ever heard of was a guy on another forum that owned a shop that had 10 bays all specializing in tint somewhere in CA and he also owned other shops as well.

Prices across the board went up $10 as of Jan 1st this year.

I bet the same thing happens next year too!

My Prices are going Up and I mean Up $40-$50.

It's a Luxury to have tint. So Pay Luxury Price

Inflation......Prices on food in Latvia increased some 50% from last year.....All prices everywhere go up. Oil go up - all other go up. Salary also go up - that means inflation.

upselling should be done on a individual basis. There are many consumers that pass through the door that may find all this new technology film to obscure.....Try to sell a nano/performance film to a muscle head with a 100+grand leased auto, then tell him the price....last time you tinted his Honda.

Good call VC !!!

I have found in the past that if a custy is quoted one price over the phone, and they leave at another, higher price, it leaves a bad taste. I haven't tried it in a long time. Besides, I carry only lifetime films. But the logic is sound. Got my vote for TOTW.
I like the Idea of telling them it doesn't matter which film because they all have a LTW. Leave it up to the custy. It was back when the good, better, best things carried a 1, 3 or lifetime warranty that I think custys found distasteful. If they got quoted a price for 1 year film, and they got "upsold" to a better grade. Kinda like bait and switch. I hated it too, thats why I quit. I might try that again.