Need advice from any Xpel users

XPEL Jeff · April 5, 2015

It's $14,400, to be exact.

The minimum film purchasing requirement for the dealer locator is designed for three reasons:

- to automate the dealer locator so that we aren't sending business to people that aren't stocking our product

- to make sure that all of the money we spend on driving consumers to the dealer locator (hundreds of thousands per year) actually goes to the people funding that effort (with their film purchasing)

- to make sure that we are sending consumers to the installers with the most experience. While it is not a perfect way to measure skill, we have seen that if an installer has been installing more than one roll of film per month regularly, their work usually reflects that added experience.

Our goal is for consumers to have the best experience and to drive business to those who are most loyal to us and those who have proven that they are dedicated to being the best in their market.

As an installer and/or business owner, I'd rather have:

- a few hundred installers that did a few thousand installs each, than a few thousand installers only doing a few hundred installs each.

- My film provider send business to me, rather than the guy down the street that puts film on 4 cars a year, or pulls a bait and switch.

- A film provider that helps installers build their business.

- A film provider that rewards loyalty with things like a locator listing and help with events that drive volume.

We have no ability or desire to control someone's business. Only the ability to earn people's business and do right by those that do right by us.

Happy Easter everyone! Enjoy the weekend, be with family, and get ready for the busy season!

alassing · April 5, 2015

- My film provider send business to me, rather than the guy down the street that puts film on 4 cars a year, or pulls a bait and switch.

EXACTLY !!!!

If the guy down the road buys little to no film at all compared to myself, why in the world should he be on the locator !!!!!!

Well said Jeff. Agree a million times over.

Busy season is here boys ... I'm already 2 months backed up. Excited.

Speed · April 6, 2015

It's $14,400, to be exact.

That works out to $1200 a month in film purchases. Tell me, how does that $1200 a month in film,( film you have to warrant for ten years) add up more income for Xpel than someone generating over $2000 a month in DAP fees? Seems like money from cut fees has a much higher profit margin than film sales.

silverbullet · April 6, 2015

My opinion is if your on DAP and certified you should be listed!

DAP is all profit which should part of revenue mixture.

Tint Yoda · April 6, 2015

My opinion is if your on DAP and certified you should be listed!

DAP is all profit which should part of revenue mixture.

How do you figure? Development of DAP software was not free. Paying the designers to create the patterns costs money, and help desk support on it. Not all profit by any means. They have to constantly update the pattern database so it has costs and it has a back end to maintain as well. Outside of that then you get the profits and of course they should be profiting from it or why even do it?

silverbullet · April 6, 2015

Brilliant observation...realizing the cost to create a pattern is roughly $250.00 per car, I would think that they are profiting pretty heavily.

I never said DAP should be free, I said all DAP users that are certified installers should be listed on the dealer locator.

This makes consumers find installers a little easier.

Tint Yoda · April 6, 2015

Brilliant observation...realizing the cost to create a pattern is roughly $250.00 per car, I would think that they are profiting pretty heavily.

I never said DAP should be free, I said all DAP users that are certified installers should be listed on the dealer locator.

This makes consumers find installers a little easier.

Well, no law against profiting heavily so hats off to them. Obviously they have better software/patterns than others and are capitalizing on the open market where competition is lacking.

If you are a DAP user then you should be at least purchasing a roll a month to make the software worth it IMO. Personally for me I like they only list the ones that purchase the minimum requirement. I mean, I pour money into advertising XPEL, buy film, and pay for DAP and if the guy down the street only uses DAP and/or is certified and does a car a month why should they get a listing? Those shops are usually the ones lowballing and lacking of experience. It would take away from those that are putting money and effort into the XPEL brand. Its not all that hard to reach $14,400 a year. I think what Jeff posted on the reasoning is more than reasonable. You have to have a threshold and no matter what you do someone is going to be under it and not happy. Damned if you do, Damned if you don't right ;)

XPEL Jeff · April 6, 2015

Brilliant observation...realizing the cost to create a pattern is roughly $250.00 per car, I would think that they are profiting pretty heavily.

I never said DAP should be free, I said all DAP users that are certified installers should be listed on the dealer locator.

This makes consumers find installers a little easier.

Actually, the cost to design (quality) partial patterns for a car, is much closer to $1000.

Even if that number were $20,000, it's a bit of a moot point, though. The reality is, consumers make their purchasing decisions based on film, not patterns. While a quality pattern makes a lot of difference to an installer, the general public is more concerned about whether or not their film will turn bright pink in 18 months. I wish it weren't that way, but we spent 10 years figuring this out promoting our patterns, only for the film being installed to get the recognition in the consumer world. Think about how many forum threads you see on enthusiast websites out there asking for info comparing films. A LOT. Enthusiast threads comparing pattern databases? Virtually non-existent.

Film is the primary focus of those who search for an installer online, and we are not in the business of sending work to people that will sell those consumers on a different brand.

Imagine how confusing it is for a consumer wanting XPEL film to call someone on the dealer locator that tells them that they only use brand XYZ.

Imagine that a consumer goes to an installer on the locator, only to have brand XYZ film installed, mistakenly thinking it is XPEL, and expecting us to cover it if the other company's film goes bad.

It just doesn't make sense. It wouldn't make sense if the locator were free, and it certainly doesn't make sense knowing that we spend big money to drive consumers to the best installers in their area carrying XPEL film.

If there were two equally sized Porsche dealerships in your area, one in which you did installs on 100% of their new car inventory, and the other in which you did installs on 1% of their new car inventory, I bet you'd be more inclined to refer a friend to the one that gave you all of their business.

At the end of the day, it is an installer's decision whether to be listed on the XPEL dealer locator. If you are not listed there, it is only by your own choice.

silverbullet · April 6, 2015

That's a little to much for me to think about at the moment.

I agree and disagree.

Cheers

Supreme · April 6, 2015

- to make sure that we are sending consumers to the installers with the most experience. While it is not a perfect way to measure skill, we have seen that if an installer has been installing more than one roll of film per month regularly, their work usually reflects that added experience.

This is probably one of the big ones. If you get certified and not install regularly, your skill level is not up there. If a sub par install is done, this can not only reflect badly on the product but on the industry as a whole.

Would be good to be taken a step further and companies do not sell the product to anyone that hasn't done at least certification. This has two benefits

1. Stops a competitor that has no interest in that manufacturer getting their hands on the product and installing it just because their customer really wants it. This business should go to an installer that does install/support the product.

2. Stops the product becoming a DIY. I know there are certain DIY kits which are fine as they are easy low level installs, but if its easy accessible by anyone then as you know too many people look up youtube and decide to do their own car.

Number 2 is very important as it is something that is a daily battle in the vinyl game. Too many people can access vinyl easily, 3M 1080 is even sold at Supercheap auto (auto parts store). This means that people 'attempt' install it themselves. They find it not as easy as youtube makes out so they drive around with a shabby looking wrap.

Bottom line is, the harder it is for just anyone to purchase then the more the industry, and what we consider an artform, is protected.