Damien

Hey guys, I’m going to start by thanking all that have helped me become a window tinter. I started from scratch about a year ago learning off of youtube and this forum mainly from @DanoI hope he sees this. I have had steady business for the past few months. Bussiness is steady but not enough of it. I’m getting around 3-4 cars a week. I use a carbon film and I’m only charging around 160$ for full installs. And half of those jobs are factory match jobs that I charge around 80$ This is what I’m needing help with… I really need to raise my prices because I’m not making enough money to continue doing this. I live in a small town and I’m the only tinter in the county. But Iv tried raising my prices to 200$ but it drastically hurt my numbers so I had to lower my prices back to what they was. I do good work and have great reviews. I either need to find a way to raise my prices or get more cars during the week. The only advertising I do is on my Facebook page. Do signs really make a difference? I am a penny pincher so I only spend money on what’s necessary. Any help is greatly appreciated! 

On 10/7/2023 at 8:41 PM, DynamicATL said:

As soon as I read Ford F350, I knew it was the rear view mirror. We broke one a few years ago. Even with the removal tool, it is a PITA. Now we do not remove any Ford rear view mirrors. Just slit the film to go around the base and seem them together on top.

Thank you all, this has made me feel a little better knowing it wasn’t totally my fault lol I will not be removing any more Ford rear view mirrors. Not worth the risk 

Iv been tinting windows for about 7 months now. Iv worked on over 40 different vehicles with no accidents. I was tinting a 2015 Ford F350 super duty Black ops edition. Went to remove the rear view mirror and a huge chunk of the windshield came with it. Now I’m having to pay to get the windshield replaced. I’ll only be out about 400$. It’s not much but it definitely hurt my profits.  
 

I was just wondering if anybody else has had this happen before? The whole metal bracket came off the windshield. Iv never seen or heard of this happening before? Here’s a picture of it 

All of that made perfect sense. Iv never actually gave the sharpie method a try yet. I feel like it wouldn’t be as precise as cutting on the window. But I will for sure give it a try. The advice is much appreciated. 

Hey all, so I’m still new to the game but when I’m hand cutting side windows, I seem to always have a little gouge when I’m making the side cuts. It’s either where I’m starting my cut or ending it. Or maybe I’m hitting a finger when I’m making the cut. Iv tried to fix all of that but it’s still happening. Sometimes it’s big and very hard to hide. 

1 hour ago, Dano said:

I've never made a claim for simple damage. It would just drive up the premium and put a strike on your biz.  Apologize, order parts, install, apologize again. If you work on enough cars eventually something happens.

So you always try to fix the damage yourself if it’s doable? Do you still charge them for the tint job or discount it? And I know unfortunately it’s going to happen. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet honestly. 

Hey guys, I’m about 4 months in on being a self taught tinter. I started out bottom loading meaning removing door panels and all that fun stuff. I try two staging but it just does not work good for me. What is yours all

process when it comes to damaging customers vehicle? I don’t not have business insurance yet. How do you all go about informing the customer of the damage?  

On 7/17/2023 at 10:03 AM, Dano said:

Best education time and money can buy. I wish more would do the same.

 

Remember....running slow is smooth, running smooth is the key to running fast. 

 

It takes 5-8 months to get reasonably consistent on not too difficult vehicles. 18-24 months to get proficient. 3 years in and you can mostly do it in your sleep. Steer clear of anything euro and any windshields for about a year to lessen frustration. Kia, Honda, Toyota is where I would suggest you try to focus. You can also make good coin on doing front door sets on pickups without much pain.

Hey Dano, I have a question. I had a customer come in and wanted 20% over the 35% they originally had. I glanced over the old tint and didn’t see too many if any contaminations. So I installed 20% on top of that. Pulled the vehicle out side and noticed there was soooo much contamination. Hard like sand in the film. So I scratched my head and pulled it back off and realize the sand seemed to be under the old tint. Does darker tint show more contaminants than lighter tint? So I went ahead and re tinted the window and the window came out awful. Like streaks and tons of micro air pockets. I am still stressing over it. 

18 hours ago, TintLabb said:

I was in the same situation you were in not too long ago! I used to mess up customer vehicles, take 6-7 hours on full installs, and offer discounted rates or a free tint job. Mistakes used to stress me out as I couldn't guarantee myself I could do it better the second time around those mistakes are a blessing in disguise use them as an opportunity to learn! In my opinion, there isn't really a specific time to get it done, you'll get faster as you get better. Today in a perfect scenario it should take me around 2-2.5 hours for a full install and I'm not sure if that's fast for industry standard. I honestly didn't think I could get better back windows used to scare me, quarter windows...  but you just have to tint tint tint and do some more tinting. I did end up sacrificing some of my own time and worked with a professional for FREE for a few months which sped up the learning process and I honestly recommend you do the same if you can. 

Well that makes me feel a lot better about my self lol i spent nine hours on a full install for a Pacifica mini van today. Everything was going smooth until I got to the back window. Didn’t shrink it enough the first time and ended up creasing. 2nd attempt came out much better. Back windows still scare me and I’m struggling with quarter windows. I either leave too much excess film or have gaps. It’s frustrating but I enjoy the struggle once the struggle is over with lol I’m just going to keep on working. Surely I’ll get good at it eventually. You pros make it look so dang easy. 

On 7/8/2023 at 7:28 PM, TintDude said:

 

First of all don't do that. I had ChatGPT help me with this and it is spot on:

 

While it may seem enticing to start a service business with prices significantly lower than the competition, there are several reasons why this approach may not be advisable in the long run. Here are some potential drawbacks:

 

1 Quality perception: Customers often associate higher prices with better quality. By significantly undercutting the competition, you risk creating a perception that your services are of lower quality or that you are cutting corners to offer such low prices. This can make it difficult to build trust and establish a strong reputation in the market.

 

2 Profitability challenges: Operating a business with very low prices can make it challenging to generate sufficient revenue and maintain profitability. If your prices are too low, you may struggle to cover your costs, invest in necessary resources, or sustain your business over time. This can lead to financial difficulties and potentially force you to increase prices later, which may alienate existing customers.

 

3 Value proposition: Competing solely on price often reduces your value proposition to being the cheapest option in the market. This can attract price-sensitive customers who may not be loyal and are more likely to switch to a cheaper alternative. Building a sustainable business requires offering unique value, exceptional customer service, or specialized expertise, rather than relying solely on low prices.

 

4 Undercutting your competition: By undercutting the competition significantly, you risk engaging in a price war that can be detrimental to all businesses involved. Competitors may respond by lowering their prices further, leading to diminishing profits for everyone. This scenario is not sustainable in the long term and can harm the entire industry.

 

5 Perceived lack of expertise: Setting prices significantly lower than your competitors may give the impression that you lack experience, expertise, or confidence in your services. Customers may question why your prices are so much lower and whether you can deliver the same level of quality and results as your competitors.

 

6 Difficulty raising prices: If you establish your business with significantly lower prices, it can be challenging to increase them in the future without facing resistance from existing customers. Once customers have become accustomed to your low prices, they may be reluctant to pay more, even if you have improved your service quality or expanded your offerings.

 

7 Long-term sustainability: Building a sustainable business requires a solid financial foundation. Operating with prices significantly lower than the competition can make it difficult to invest in growth, retain talented employees, or weather economic downturns. It's essential to consider the long-term viability of your business model and ensure that it can adapt to changing market conditions.

 

While pricing is an important factor in attracting customers, it is crucial to strike a balance between offering competitive prices and delivering value that justifies your rates. Competing solely on price may lead to short-term gains but can have negative consequences for the long-term success and sustainability of your business.

 

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Now the next thing I would suggest is customer management.

 

90% of your problems are going to come from customers who weren't prepared ahead of time what to expect.

 

Print out a stack of these: https://www.tintdude.com/care.html/ and read it with and leave one with each customer before you begin the work, this will save you a lot of grief and you'll thank me later.

Thank you soo much!! Iv raised my prices to 200$ and people are still coming in. I’m afraid I have over booked myself these next couple of weeks. I’m still not a fast tinter. How long does it take to be able to install a good window almost every time. Right now I’m about a 50/50 chance that’s it’s an acceptable window. It’s so frustrating having to redo everything on a window because of simple mistakes. And today I had my first “bad” job. The customer decided to have his old window tint removed the day he brought it to me. I had to remove everything and do a complete install and was under a small time frame. The work did not come out acceptable. I gave him a discount and put him back on the schedule to redo the whole job for no extra cost. I feel like this was the best way to hand those situations. Thank you in advance!! 

Hey all, I have my first paid job coming up next week and have 4 more scheduled after that one. Iv been practicing non stop for the past month or so. Iv went thru 3 different 100 ft rolls on my vehicles and other friends and family vehicles. Just seeing if anybody has any tips or suggestions for the start of my business journey? I’m starting my prices supper cheap. I’m doing a complete 4 door car install for 80$ using a decent carbon film. I know that’s super cheap but I’m trying to build a good customer base before I raise the prices. Thank you all in advance for any tips and suggestions you all give me. 

Wow thank you Richmondautotint! That will help us so much. I will definitely be using that in the future. I have my first job coming up next week. I’m a little nervous but excited at the same time. Wish me luck 😬😬

Thank you Dynamic! I didn’t even think of door vinyl advertisement. 

So I’m in the process of starting my own tint shop. Very small and local shop. Is there a website or company you all would recommend for making signs and business cards? I don’t really want to spend much money but I want the best bang for the buck. Thank you all in advance! 

Greatly appreciated Dano!

Thank you Dano! I originally thought that preventing contamination would be the easier part of tinting but boy was I wrong. One more question… does the quality of the microfiber towels I’m using matter? I took the cheap rout on those. I think some of the fibers may be sticking to my seals then finding their way under my film. 

So Iv decided to teach myself how to tint vehicles. Iv been doing it for almost 2 weeks for at least 4 hours a day. I can cut and trim fine but I have so much contamination. Iv tinted around 15 windows and cannot figure out what I’m doing wrong. I spend a solid 10 minutes just trying to prep the window best as possible but it doesn’t help. Thanks in advance! 

On 11/14/2012 at 10:46 PM, Texastintchick said:

Yes, I have done a ton of Mustangs but...did this bad ass Mustang today. Had Recaro seats (which were amazing) ... will be in the Autorama next week if he can get it finished. He is adding stripes and ground effects (which I am not a huge fan of --- but hey not my car!)

The console was signed by Carol Shelby (may he rest in peace)!

I like the pic too... how the sun rays are shining down

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m174/paladintint/Mustang.jpg

That’s awesome. There’s only a few mustangs that I am a fan of and the Shelby’s qualify for one of those lol