I too, am considering a change of films

November 27, 2006

I've been using SunGard since we opened up shop 4 years ago. While I like their films, I really feel their prices are too high. I currently use the PerformX and Endurance lines of their film.

I received my love-pack from Suntek this past week, and was browsing through it. If I switched, I would carry their InfinityOP, Carbon, & HP series for different price points.

What are peoples' experiences with these films? Quality, shrinking, etc. Of course, InfinityOP and the Carbon warranty for fading also. How are these holding up for fading?

Also, what is the Spectra series? It's in their sample book, but I didnt see any prices on the wholesale sheet.

Any input is greatly appreciated. This wouldn't be an immediate change, but a gradual change, as to deplete my inventory of SunGard.

TIA

November 28, 2006

36 views, and nobody has ANYTHING to say?

Ryker · November 28, 2006

if you are worried about the price of the film then you are barking up the wrong tree. If you feel that you are not making enough then up the price a bit.

I recently switched from the Sun-gard Slate to Lulu ATR and while I love the film it was not an easy switch. I had ran out of most of my Slate film so I had to hit up a bit over a $1000 order to get into the ATR film.

If you like the way the film handles and have not had issues with the film then saving a few dollars per car is not going to be worth the hassle.

I had adhesive failure issuse with the Slate, but I was using Joy Ultra dish soap and I am sure that had a great deal to do with it.

I find that the ATR shrinks a bit better and a bit farther than the Slate did, but I also have changed my technique a bit since switching......

So my 2 cents is don't worry about a few dollars per car if you like what you have. Figure out what the difference in film cost is and you will be shocked to see how little you will save!

pitchatint · November 29, 2006

I would keep the film you already like and bump price to cover difference. I know nothing about the film in question but I do know changing film for :eyebrows s and giggles can end up being costly and over all just a pain in the azz . dump the idea and focus on sweet love making or somthing that really makes a :lol2

:lol2

November 29, 2006

Ive been using Suntek for about a year now in the Chicagoland climate.

cant vouch for InfinityOP, but the HP has been doing great. I have 5% on one of my vehicles and only a trained tinters eye can barley notice a SLIGHT change, and I am talkin S-L-I-G-H-T, and you have to roll the window down and look at the top edge against a white backround and its still even hard to tell....hell maybe my eyes are just playing tricks on me. :lol2

I've seen one vehicle that Ive installed Carbon on recently thats about a year old and it looks absolutly gorgeous.

As far as the Spectra goes, its alot more reflective than the InfinityOP. A good film to sell to the oddballs looking for 'chrome' or 'mirror' tint.

The HP runs away from the heat gun like a lil biatch.....awesome to work with. But it sticks fast!! Ive done a back glass.....then did the rest of the car, had a flaw I couldnt fix in the back glass after the rest was done...peeled it and it left sploches of glue!! after less than an hour! :eyebrows

November 29, 2006

Well, to answer most of the responses so far. I'm not doing it only because of prices, although a price difference of $70 for a 20"x100' roll of full-metal film sure does help. One of the reasons I've considered changing is because I've started to notice on our shop truck that I tinted (just over a year ago) how it's already started to fade. It was done with Slate 35/20.

As far as my shop prices, they are in comparison with our competitors. I tinted for 3 1/2 years in AZ, and very rarely can you get the same prices here in KS. It's hard to convince somebody that they should spend another $50 for a full-metal film instead of a hybrid when the shop down the street is telling everybody that their lifetime warranty film covers change-of-color and fading, when they dont even sell a full-metal film. I know because I'm friends with the tinter there. Besides that, everybody else in town is using SunGard, because it's the closest distributor.

To stay competitive, I need to find a cheaper film, and offer more choices. Sure, I'd love to charge more, but you can only sell yourself so much when all they care about is the price.

BTW, thanks MidcoastMW for answering some of my questions, instead of questioning my knowledge of business.

Ryker · November 29, 2006

well, the "new" slate is supposed to be color stable and all that. I have Slate 5% on the rear of my cavalier that has been on there for 2 years. My car is garaged when I am not working, but more than not it is out in the sun. Albeit that I am in Southern IL, but the angle on that back glass is enough to make for a good amount of sun. I can say that I might notice a bit of fade on my rear windows, but it is true that unless you use something like Endurance then it is going to fade. Unless the customer puts some stupid sticker on the window then takes it off they will not likely notice a fade.

If the difference in price is double the 20" for the 40" then you are only talking about a price of about $14 or $15 per 4 door car. That saying that 10 feet of 40" film will do an average one. Shave 10 minutes off your install time and you will save more than that per car!

If the competition is making false warranty claims then that will come back to bite them in the ass. Make up a "test" piece with a "hybrid" film on it with a sticker in the middle that says "faded" and stick it in the sun or some high intense UV light, let it fade, also do one with Endurance, use those as selling points for the Endurance film.

Educate the customer and they will appreciate your knowledge. You might also use a heat lamp and a sample with each film to show the difference in the amount of heat rejected......

If you have a couple thousand extra lying around then perhaps a switch is in order.....but is an extra $15 per 4 door car worth the headache of changing????

November 29, 2006

well, the "new" slate is supposed to be color stable and all that. I have Slate 5% on the rear of my cavalier that has been on there for 2 years. My car is garaged when I am not working, but more than not it is out in the sun. Albeit that I am in Southern IL, but the angle on that back glass is enough to make for a good amount of sun. I can say that I might notice a bit of fade on my rear windows, but it is true that unless you use something like Endurance then it is going to fade. Unless the customer puts some stupid sticker on the window then takes it off they will not likely notice a fade.
If the difference in price is double the 20" for the 40" then you are only talking about a price of about $14 or $15 per 4 door car. That saying that 10 feet of 40" film will do an average one. Shave 10 minutes off your install time and you will save more than that per car!

If the competition is making false warranty claims then that will come back to bite them in the ass. Make up a "test" piece with a "hybrid" film on it with a sticker in the middle that says "faded" and stick it in the sun or some high intense UV light, let it fade, also do one with Endurance, use those as selling points for the Endurance film.

Educate the customer and they will appreciate your knowledge. You might also use a heat lamp and a sample with each film to show the difference in the amount of heat rejected......

If you have a couple thousand extra lying around then perhaps a switch is in order.....but is an extra $15 per 4 door car worth the headache of changing????

Very true, but it bother's me that the film fades as rapidly as it does. Makes me feel as if I'm selling a sub-quality product, especially when the price it sells for would make it seem just the opposite.

As far as speeding up my install time, it's as fast as it's gonna get. In my prime, most cars were an easy 45-60 minutes. I've slowed down some, but mostly because the market doesn't demand it here as much. With just myself tinting in the summer, I can still blow through 5-6 cars a day.

Yeah, the false marketing really bothers me, but in reality, there isn't much I can do. I've tried explaining to the customer that I am the ONLY shop in town that provides a film that doesn't fade or change color. I educate them why it's logical to spend a few extra dollars for a quality job. I explain I have the most experience (13 years now) of any of the tinters in town. The whole time, all they can remember is who was the cheapest. Surely you've had customers like that.

You do have some good suggestions about showing fading, heat rejection, etc.

Of course, this time of year, hardly any tint shop has an extra $2k lying around. I'll spend most of the winter chewing through my inventory so I don't have to order more film and spend more money.

Thanks for your input. It's greatly appreciated.

Ryker · November 29, 2006

IF the customers are only interested in price I just don't try to talk to them. Most of the time I get "that's not bad" or something similar about my pricing. I have had very few that have reacted with "oh my, that much?" or similar.

If all they want is cheaper then sell them something besides the Endurance or any full metal film.

I understand not feeling like the film is all it is cracked up to be. I was one of the R&D test users for the new Slate 20% film. I really liked that film. Danny assured me that the new Slate is to be more color stable and all.

I can't say anything about the Suntek films. One of my competitors was using it last I knew and loved the way it shrank....that is all I know of it. What I do know is the headache of switching films. I did mine back in July when business was very good and it still kicked me in the teeth hard. I actually went up in price of film and I can say that the way the film handles makes up for the difference in the time I have to be working it.

Happy tinting......

Ryker