XPEL Jeff

19 hours ago, flat rock stan said:

Nice video @XPEL Jeff 

Does it matter what kind of wire brush you use for the demo? 

 

Pretty much any brass wire brush works, but there are definitely some that are better than others depending on if you like them stiff or not.  The main thing to look for is one that has uniform bristles.

Here's a recent video that we organized with Engineering Explained that was picked up by Road & Track.  The video does a pretty decent job of explaining to consumers how much work we all go through as installers to provide them with the finished result!

 

 

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/buying-maintenance/a12184664/how-this-magical-self-healing-film-protects-cars-from-scratches/

 

 

On 8/30/2017 at 6:28 PM, PaintPro said:

 

Well now XPEL has instituted the cut bank/cut credit system here in the US. I was only given ten days notice.

 

I guess STEK and Suntek are taking a huge portion of XPEL's profits.

 

Seems like an act of desperation to me.

 

Not at all, we just had a record quarter actually.  This program was launched outside of the US long ago, but we delayed our launch domestically while we worked on the agreement with PROFORM and made some improvements to our manufacturing.

 

We are rewarding  loyal XPEL film users with a significant price decrease and giving them a competitive advantage in their local marketplace.  Everyone has the option to determine what their bill will be.

 

Each of you make a decision how to market your installation business.  Some of you charge a lot for your installations, with an extreme focus on quality and the customer experience.  Others go for a different demographic to try to reach the more mainstream audience (both need to be serviced).  Just as not every car owner wants to pay for a high end full front installation, we understand that not every install shop will want to pay for a higher-priced software program.  And that's OK.  With multiple computer programmers, servers, support staff, and in-house designers spread across the globe, XPEL has significant expenses in the software.  To charge monthly what many shops charge for a single tint job is fairly reasonable, if your bill is more than that you have the ability to change it.  What we want everyone to know is that if the volume isn't there to justify paying that $300/month, we are willing to help people get more volume in their door, whether it is retail or wholesale. 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, pro-tect mobile said:

I really want to get into this topic more in depth. I agree with what Jeff said to a point... but without getting into the numbers I cant really go more into this. Lets just say we all know what the profit margin is in here. You can still do VERY WELL charging say $1500 on a full front and still produce the same level of work and customer service. I think people get a little carried away with pricing. Not many jobs out there that this kind of money can be made... and its not that physically demanding or anything. I am just as happy working on a Honda as I am a Lambo.

 

And there is room for all of these shops.  It's about finding a niche.  Do you focus on the the Porsche club or the Corvette club?  Retail or wholesale? Neither is right or wrong, but it serves all of us to pick a business model and own it.

 

When you determine your pricing, you have to consider all of the costs:

 

- Tools

- Film

- Gas (if mobile)

- Mileage (if mobile)

- Extra film (we all screw up now and again, right?)

- Software

- Labor time

- Rent

- Utilities

- Accountant

- Time spent selling jobs that were landed

- Time spent selling jobs that weren't landed

- A slush fund for the customers that you have to please even if they are at fault (you have to ALWAYS be able to please your customers)

 

 

 

All depends on what market you are in Jeff. $2.5k for a full front end is steep for most people in the Dallas area. Sure there are some exotic car owners that will spend anything on their cars but most people are not like that. 75% of the people I work for wouldn't even consider 2.5k for a full front end. Plus the more people you guys train the more competition there is... the lower the price drops. That's what happens when markets become saturated.

You are correct that most people aren't interested in paying $2500.

When charging $2500 for a full front, you aren't trying to get all of the customers. You can afford to let more customers walk because you are committing to a niche audience that involves lower volume and higher margin. It must be backed up with an impeccable customer experience.

Installers have the ability to dictate the pricing in a marketplace if they are willing to do what it takes to justify that value and aren't afraid to let people walk out. I'm not saying that all of you should change your pricing to $2500 (not my number, just what was mentioned earlier) tomorrow, but merely making a point that any market of 1 million plus people can support a shop catering to the high end.

Saturation is a bad thing for everyone. If a market is saturated, by definition, it means that it will not bare any more film sales. If a film company sets up additional installers in that market, no additional film will be sold.

Dallas / Fort Worth has more Toyota dealerships than installers, so it is far from saturated. Installers are needed to service the almost 7 million people that live in the area.

Competition can cause price wars if you let it. It also inspires shops to step up their game to be the best in the area, work harder to treat customers right, become more efficient, etc. It's a measure of supply and demand. A top-notch install shop shouldn't count the number of other install shops in the area, it should consider the number of EXCEPTIONAL install shops in the area, relative to the size of the market. You have to ask yourself, there may be other installers in the market, but how many actually offer the level of quality that you do?

Many synthetic waxes are harmful to urethane. Heavy concentrations of petroleum distillates are present.

That's not typical work for Colorado Clear Bra.  I'm sure they'd want to make right on this, as it that work doesn't serve as a good advertisement for them.  Call Kirby, he'll take care of you.

The days of $2.5k full fronts are hardly over.  They are only beginning.  The busiest ppf shops in most markets are the highest price ones. 

 

With a quality product, install, and customer experience in tint or ppf, you can make solid margins.  It just takes a long term commitment to solid work to build that demand and value (not unlike what the snippet from Lorenzotint said).  

 

We'd be happy to help you get set up on a ppf program, but if your tint business is not where you want it there's a way to fix it!

 

PPF is generally more profitable than tint, but it is a more difficult product to learn and takes a longer time to get off the ground (most consumers don't even know it exists).  

 

PPF is a good add on to a tint business, but if you're struggling in keeping the shop full with your tint business, chances are that you'll have just as hard of a time with PPF.  

 

make sure that youve thoroughly analyzed the reasons that tint is not busier for you in the winter and that there isn't something that you can do to fix the root cause. 

 
For this particular request its double what it can bought from Suntek. At least that's what your website says.

Are you logged in as a dealer to see wholesale price?

4 hours ago, pro-tect mobile said:

Why in the world would anyone recommend buying directly from Xpel??? It doesn't get any more expensive than that.

 

Folks that don't buy regularly may not be aware, but we have revamped our wholesale kit pricing.  Last I checked it is on par or cheaper with Suntek and 3M pricing, if not cheaper.

14 hours ago, flat rock stan said:

Still cutting nice fitting patterns with the 3m program. 

Are the dap patterns so right on you never have to cut a spot or two on a complex installation. 

Cheers

 

That's the idea, but everybody has an off day.  If you take 10 installers, 7 may get a perfect install out of a pattern and 3 may have to trim.  

 

We'd be happy to send you a free trial of the software to compare patterns.  Just hoot me an e-mail at jphillips@xpel.com if you want to give it a whirl. 

On 4/24/2017 at 8:09 PM, tintdoctor said:

Does the DAP software have mounting tips? Like numbered 1-6 or so? What is the average amount of coverage patterns it has per vehicle?  The whole vehicle? Or just basic stuff generally? 

 

The DAP has videos, notes, and/or tack diagrams for vehicles that are especially difficult, or vehicles that use a different process than what we teach in training.

 

Coverage varies by vehicle and demand.  High end cars, or enthusiast cars will generally have full car coverage, vehicles over $50k will likely have a full front and other options, while every car should have partial hood, fenders, mirrors, door cups, rockers, trunk ledge, etc.

 

 

13 hours ago, tintdoctor said:

From my understanding DAP has best patterns out there. The problem is that we only do about 5-10 installs per month at the moment, sometimes even less but we are pushing to do more in the near future. So if we were at 5 installs per month is the DAP program worth it for money? 

 

I'd say yes, as the best way to get more business is by putting out the best work possible to build a reputation.

Further, I would argue that the main sticking point is not that it is too expensive, but that you feel that you lack the volume to spread the cost out.  If you are using XPEL film and certified, our rep would be happy to help you boost that monthly volume.

When you grow, we grow, so it works out well. [emoji6]

 

Is your primary need quality patterns or the best price?

21 hours ago, Xpel Hangzhou China said:

I never heard about Stek

 

Xpel Hangzhou China can you please indicate who you are?  We don't show that you are a customer of ours based on our records (if this is incorrect, please contact us).  Please change your username on this newly created account, as we try very hard to instill a mindset in our actual XPEL employee not to comment about competitors.

On 2/18/2017 at 0:53 AM, flat rock stan said:

How much does Xsmell charge for DAP? 

 

The cost varies by region, dependent on the cost to develop a complete database for that market and the level of film sales to offset the expense.

 

In a place like Europe where the cost to develop a new database from scratch is extremely high, it is tied to film purchasing (patterning/software is essentially a money losing business in emerging markets, so it must be supported by film sales to avoid an unreasonable software cost).

 

You are not required to buy XPEL film to use DAP software in the U.S. (heck, we even let distributors of some other brands of film use it).  

What on earth are you covering that takes a week to do?  

 

Pretty sure I know the shop he is talking about and they will have 3-4 full car wraps in the shop at any given time, not to mention their full front jobs.  In order not to grind their business to halt by working o one car at a time, they tend to spread out the jobs since they have the space.

Here's a quick checklist:

 

Being that wraps are a very different product with a different composition (and sold through different divisions), it's hard to make a correlation between vinyl and ppf within the same company.

 

Nano Fusion was sold to CCL, so Avery is no longer in the PPF business.

 

As far a clarity is concerned, most products available these days are fairly close to one another.  Someone that does paint correction for a living may notice, but most of them are clear enough that the general public will see them as "within a few percentage points" of each other.

 

Permanence is something that has to be looked at in a few ways:  impact resistance, thickness, resistance to discoloration, resistance to chemicals, hazing resistance, length of warranty, actual level of support regarding warranties, adhesive qualities, etc.  Again, I'd say that the top 2-3 films aren't terribly different in this arena, but it should certainly be kept in mind that the film that looks the best when fist installed may not be the one that looks the best 24-36 months down the road.

 

Some installers carry multiple films and will tell their customers the benefits of each, "brand A has slightly better clarity, whereas brand B is thicker/more durable/has a longer warranty," and let the customer decide.  Sometimes this even comes down to the color of the car or the difficulty.  However, the better you get at the installation skillset, the less limited you are in your film selection, and the less you have to factor in car color or degree of difficulty. 

 

The long and the short of it is, you have a few good options with film, but you should think beyond the bas product and consider what you want as a whole from your film company.  Support, marketing, referrals, software, training, business consulting, and shipping points, are all things to consider that have a real impact on your business.

So by the responses thus far, does everyone agree I shouldn’t expect anything less than perfect? What about problems like lift lines, fingerprints, air bubbles and the odd line etc should they be completely absent?

 

Sorry for the line of questioning but as someone that’s never had this done I wanted to know realistic expectations before I lay money down. It’s a bit difficult at times to know when someone is telling you the truth or just trying to get your money (no offense directed to anyone of course).

 

Jeff thanks for you offer, so are you offering to contact the installer directly? I wondering if the installer might take that personally and make things worse? Regarding removal of PPF, factory warranties vary greatly from 3 -7 years any chance of elaborating on your comment? Also can you confirm if Xpel warranty (Australian Market) is void if it’s installed over Opti-coat pro+? Feel free to PM if you prefer.

 

 

Hi Zen,

 

I have to agree with Supreme that the best thing that can be done is to view a previous installation, so that each party's version of a defect can be defined.  I've seen near perfect installs picked apart by consumers, and terrible installs applauded, so the only way to truly make sure that you are on the same page is to clearly define expectations in advance.

 

The important thing to remember as a consumer is that an installer that is honest and open about what to expect in the situation and his or her efforts is a good thing.  With the consumer's ability to compare multiple sources, that honesty will help you decide on who can meet your needs.

 

As for the Opti-Coat topic, it will have an effect on the installation, likely causing the need to re-install some pieces to make the job "right."  It is not uncommon for installers to forewarn consumers that results may be different when coatings are applied before the film is installed as their cost/liability surely goes up.

 

Tango's team in the UK does fantastic work (about as good as it gets), but this thread only highlights that the varying opinions of perfection and/or defects are all totally subjective in print and must be viewed firsthand.  The only way to know is to trust your installer by understanding who they are, what they stand for, and what their standards are.

 

I am confident that if you pay a visit to Supreme that you'll be presented with exactly what you can expect and that they'll honor the quality of work they exhibit to you.

 

Let me know if we can be of any further assistance, as we want you to be so happy with your experience that you become an advocate for the ppf industry!

The recommended removal time for a ppf is just before the end of the factory warranty.  Maybe you could PM me your installer's information so that I can address their concerns?

Now THAT looks nice!!!

So none of you guys are concerned with the removal process?  I sometimes have to use strong stuff to get all the bits of adhesive off of a car after a normal removal process.  If you ruin a matte finish paint job, can any body shop just re-spray, or is it a specialist type of application?

 

I'm trying to look past the initial installation here.

 

Jeff, does Xpel recommend applying any type of film to Matte paint jobs?

 

We've never had an issue removing matte films from matte paint jobs, and this thread is the first time I've ever heard of it happening, but that's not to say it isn't a possibility.  From the sound of it, though, we haven't encountered as much leftover adhesive as you are referring to (generally only in areas where adhesive promotors are used). 

These customers usually have to sign waivers from the auto manufacturer, saying that the manufacturer isn't liable for any paint issues, so they understand that the paint is unique and may be hard to repairin the event that the paint is damaged.  As with any job, gloss or matte, it is a good idsea to have a customer sign a waiver that lets them know that you aren't liable for any paint issues.  This is especially important when working on unique jobs, like matte paint, custom paint jobs, or cars with known paint issues like Ferrari.