average 4 door car

Mdog · June 6, 2004

I will not say how long it takes me. I dont want to p1ss everybody off :thumb

June 6, 2004

I book it for 4 hours, usually that gives me enough free time when I'm done to handle minor day to day junk without having to stay past hours.

June 6, 2004

Some of these times are not just with one person doing the work. They may be able to post their one hour to do this car and that car. But the people that can legitimately pull off times like this have years and years of experience and probably well over a thousand cars under their belt. Like everyone was telling you QUALITY OVER QUANTITY! Your customer will not go away saying to their friends "hell yeah it looks like #$*% but he did it in one hour" but they will tell their friends "I had to leave it with them all day but damn look at that job, it's awesome. You need to take your ride here to get tint." Now which will bring more business?

tinterluigi · June 6, 2004

I will not say how long it takes me. I dont want to p1ss everybody off

:cry I always tell the customer they have to leave the car for 3 to 4 hours. This way if I have to do other things :thumb it gives me plenty of time like getting another tint job from a wal in. :beer

June 6, 2004

it takes me 4+hours but I am fairly new to this and am starting to get reallt picky about what I let go :thumb

June 6, 2004

Bandit, the 16 year and his Dad met us when we said we'd be back. When the shop is closed for flat I schedule jobs like that while on the job. Leaving at 5:15 was taking our time, giving estimates to walkins and phone calls. Stop by and see our shop sometime - clean and snazzy.

There are plenty of one man shows putting out great quality 4 door cars in under 2 hours while selling, phones, you name it. Depends on the motivation and skill level. I did it for years.

Customers love quality and if they happen to be waiting - speed. Those are the ones who really talk you up. And finally our skill level and professionalism is paying off in the triad with prices like were getting. :thumb

the art of tint · June 6, 2004

I'm not sure about other parts of the world, but here in New York City, speed is just as important as quality! Time is money, not just for me, but more importantly the customer. I'm not saying that I rush every car, but for the most part I'm not taking my sweet time, there are too many cars to tint, too many customers waiting. Its kinda like driving or even walking here, if you go too slow, your gonna get run over! I hope my analgy makes sense.

June 6, 2004

:thumb As an owner your analogy makes complete sense. Just add up all the overhead and see what is left over. But it still amazes me the opposite expectations of customers. "oh, so you can do it in a day?'' to the guy who shows up late for his appointment with a 4 door sedan asking " is it ready yet, how much longer" after an hour or so.

I don't know how many of you on this board will do this, but if you want your shop to be profitable you need to always TRY and do what is scheduled PLUS what walks in asking for service now. Sure you may book them for later, but see how many of those turn up as no shows on your records. It is more than you want to have. Some will always go down the road if available right then.

And I know it is hard to do this. I've been a one man show, an installer with a helper to now a shop with one emloyee and another with three. I try and float based on necessity. It is impossible to judge how a day may go. I did a house myself a couple of weeks back that ended at 8pm. I began that day around 7am. Saturday I started at 7:30 and had a Taurus call at 4pm wanting an install now. I did only schedule that one for anoher day. The profitability of a shop depends on motivation, and there is little room for continual laziness.

As for speed, if you left one of my co workers alone on just about any typical car-not the tough ones, he's 35 minutes to an hour and 15 on most any 4 door. Shaved and no contamination. Not me. I'm an hour to 2 typically. But I'm usually interrupted each install. And any of us are capable of the "day not going your way 6 hour car". Some days nothing goes right and the routine never begins. :cry

Johnnytint · June 6, 2004

1 1/2 to 2 hrs Maximum!

this is still a business and at 4hrs/car id have to charge $400 to make any money

Devil with bad attitude · June 6, 2004

average, 3-3.5 hours. but that's cause I WANT to. quality means more than quantity. I never do any cars in less than 2 hours. (even neon's, which I'm positive I can knock out in 25 minutes if I wanted to)
quality, ALWAYS. I never rush, and I'm never rushed. if they want it done "right now", sorry, I only do them right, not right now.

:woowoo

A series of other critical factors that are not taken into account are:-

You as an installer....do you have to answer phone enquiries explaining in great detail for the success of your next job, do you have to cut the film, do you have to spend time with another customer who just happened to walk in, do you have to clean up, do you have to write the paper work up with invoice and roll number warranty documentation, do you have to chamois the install off, do you have to make sure all is 100% perfect before the job is shaken hands on?

If yes to plenty of these, then kiss 2-3 hours goodbye and 4 is good going.

Devil