Who long have you being doing headlight restoration?

[hls2010]

I have being doing headlight restoration for a few months and i cant seem to get the customers I was expecting. Its not like the windshield repair guys that say their doing 2-3 repairs a day just after starting their business. I am attempting this as a full time business doing just headlight restoration. How many of you do this as a full time business and how long have you guys been doing it? How many retail customers to you guys average and what do you do to get retail customers.
I set my price at $49.95 per lens for retail customers and I just ordered some flyers to hand to local businesses for a referral program like Brent mentioned. I just hope I hear some positive feedback from some of you that are having success. You start to wonder if this is a good business to get into. Hope to hear from you guys,

[candyman]

I started about June 2009 HLR & WSR: I do about 3 - 6 per week: at $50 -$60 per vehicle. Some weeks I may do more HLR. As far as WSR, I may do 2 per month. Most of my calls need a replacement and I was called only after the break spreaded. I keep seeing on this post that you need fleet accounts to survive WSR, or a tent along a heavy traffic area for HLR. I am now on the web, and this month listed in three Yellow page directories. I am sure things will pick up. I have never recieved one single call from any of the more than 300 insurance companies I am supposed to be listed with. I get a fax almost weekly from different companies showing price increases for WSR. Yet still no calls for WSR from them. I did get a call from safelite to check a WS in my area because they didn't have a truck near. I called back and reported they needed to bring a WS. No fee for that effort. I get most of my HLR from detail shops & referals. I do this part time plus I work full time. Iam also co-owner with my wife in a Tax & bookkeeping Service. I am stretched a little thin this time of the year. I have bigger plans for the HLR & WSR as soon as I retire for the second time next year from the state. I retired from the Federal Government in 1992. The WSR has made me money from the start. Getting the people to spend the money for HLR is the trick. They will agree with you all day but shy away from getting it done now. I have a better chance when they pay $60 for a wash & wax job, just after buying a set of tires & rims worth more than several hundred dollars. They want that car to look good with those new rims & a new stereo/DVD purchase.
Thats why I solicit the detail shops. I just trained someone to help me that also does window tinting for one of the shops. Its easier to make the sell then than for them to come back later. He is already at the shop and has his own bay to do the work. At 49.95 per lens that seems high to me. Maybe your area thats normal but not here. I do plan to increase my fee to about $80 for certain vehicles. When I see my wife and others pay $60 for finger & toe nail polishing, I don't feel bad asking more for what I do. The same people with the cracked WS & cloudy HL that say they can't afford my service, I see at wal-mart shelling out big bucks for finger nails. It just don't make sense to me. Their priorities are a little off the mark.
Have a good day.
Candyman
Delta Kits Trained & Certified
N.W.R.A Certified

[t4k]

I've been doing HLR as part of my business for 5-6 years. I can count on one hand the amount of retail customers I have had in that time frame. All of my work comes from the used car dealers I service with W/S repair and pin striping.

Just yesterday I completed HLR on a BMW 5 series, Honda Accord and a Lexus ES 330 all for the same car dealer.

$50.00 per lens would have been a decent price a few years ago, in fact I was getting $90.00 for wholesale then but that has all changed. My wholesale rate has been cut twice to keep the business.

[t4k]

I want to touch briefly on what Candyman said about the general public. There are hundreds of people who see me doing HLR at dealerships and get excited about the process, ask for a card and say they will call me about their car next week. I have never heard from 99.9% of them.

[GLASSTIME]

First, I just thought i'd chime in on this one. I have been doing HLR since I was a Lead Tech at a body shop back in 1998. Way before it even became popular.
I didn't immediatley jump into doing it as soon as a went out on my own. About a year past and finally went full force with it in 2001 as a add-on service to our existing service at the time which was Auto Detailing. Then we were only maybe doing 2 per month.

Now that we have a different approach on business with new marketing strategies, wider coverage area and new tools that increases about 35% each year.


I wanted to comment on a post from t4k. May I suggest to you and possibly all of you to try this. It may sound a little weird but I have an extremely high return on it. If a customer likes what they see or shows signs of interest in what your doing and then asks for a card. Tell them you would love to exchange information and as your saying that be pulling out a notepad. Or you can develop a system like one we use often is our monthly give away we do.

When a customer want's a card say with a enthused tone. "You know what, you should enter our Headlight Restoration drawing were having April 15th. Bsically 1st place gets a HLR for FREE and 2nd place receives a 50% off a HLR service. Ok now you have a box full of let's say 100 slips with real prospects on them (People who need your service and want to win!). Here's what you do. Pull one out randomly. That one is your first place winner! Now the other 99 slips that are remaining can be 2nd place winners!

I use this method every month and I always have contacts of people who want my services or need my services. Even if they don't need it let them fill it out for a friend or a family member. It's very simple. We have went as far as now we have several sweepstake boxes around town at various automotive related shops and a couple at Women Spa'.

I believe either of these methods would decrease your "NO CALL" prospects.

[hls2010]

Time2Shine,

How many retails are you doing a week? How much do you charger?

[GLASSTIME]

hls2010,

I would love to share that information with you and even give you some extra pointers if you would email me.

Thanks!

[t4k]

I still prefer doing the HLS for car dealerships. I wasn't complaining about the fact that most people never call, I was just telling hls2010 what I am finding to be true with the retail end of this business.

[royal]

Hi, I am new to HLR. I just lost my other job and need to make $ at this now! Has anyone tried time2shine's contest marketing ? what percent accept the 2nd place prize? How much are you able to charge for the 50% off. Chad do you still use this? I would love to touch base with you on this, but being new I can not email you. Thanks for any help.

[Dent-tastic]

My company has been doing HLR for over 6 years now. i do alot of body shops lights where the car has had a new light instaled on one side. Most of my business comes from used car lots, with some retail work on occasions. We do hit the flee market once a month and put out business cards to drum up some extra business, maybe 6-7 out of 40-50 cars on a weekend will call next week. Look for car washes with "fixed" up cars (rims,tires paint job) and show them a sample light of how goood theres could look. gets um every time ;]