Need Help Car Wrap Vinyl Removal - How to sell it? Explaining the high price to customers

Flat shop rate per hour, 2 hour minimum, plus materials, no matter how small the job is. I don't work for free.

 

i wouldn't do it for $75 an hour either... ok, maybe I would, but no less

...and to those who need explanation, I would tell them, people already pay you $75 an hour to design and install works of art, so why would you ever take crap work for less?

 

I usually don't try to "sell" it to much as I don't really like doing it anyway. Anytime they ask for removal I tell them it's my hourly rate and I cannot quote how long it will take. I tell them I won't even be able to give them a rough estimate of time as there are a lot of factors involved such as vinyl type, if primer was used, how long it's been on for etc... Normally I just get the go ahead to do it as they are putting new graphics on anyway and it has to be done.

I know the majority of my clients quite well at this point and they usually just trust me on it. I could see how someone who doesn't know you would be a bit skeptical as they probably have never done it before. It is what it is and if I don't get the job I'm not to upset about it.

I did have one client want a wrap removed and we explained it, he gave us a budgeted amount of time to spend on then what was left he would try and do himself. I think it was around 8 hours, we had all the vinyl off but whoever installed the wrap put 4-6 inches of primer along all of the edges. So there was still some vinyl in those areas to remove and still the adhesive left to remove. He bought a jug of Rapid Remover from us and finished it himself.

 

I charge a flat rate to remove graphics.

I will say this, I aim for $150-$200 (because I hate removing graphics) and I only remove graphics if it's part of a larger job, like installing new graphics. I always test the removal BEFORE coming up with the flat rate, and I always OVER estimate my removal time.

I find that this method almost always guarantees me a higher hourly rate.

 

We don't do removals unless we installed it. We know what we put on our vehicles, how we did it, and how long the graphics have been on. Too many variables with other's work and prefer not to deal with 'those people' that balk and whine about the cost.

 

Worth remembering these are the same customers that want their wrap to live forever and would come back in an instant if it came off too easy. Basically just tell them that the vinyls are meant to be permanent and thus are hard to remove. Emphasis on permanent.

Would always either test the vinyls before quoting or just stick to removing the ones your company has put on!

 

I agree with eahicks. A lot of people that complain about the price of removal that's such a good deal on the front end because they didn't use the proper wrap vinyl to begin with. That's not your fault. I usually hand them a little chisler and tell them they're welcome to start themselves.
I had one client that ended up having to have his entire van color sanded and buffed to get all the glue off which was an additional 1500. He said he paid a little over then for the whole vehicle to be wrapped and now he knows why he got such a good deal

 

removals are ALWAYS by the hour + cost of materials/chemicals

For the "tire kicker" / "price shoppers", we are blunt.
Telling them our price is costly. If they want quality work, the costs will reflect what they get

If they bring the vehicle to the shop, we hand them rapid remover, lil chizel and have them try to remove some material.
this usually gets the point across, that removal is done by time.

You can refer them to a paint/body shop for a another source for removal cost

 

It's one of those services whereby you can't give them a real price until the job is done... Customers will assume you are adding time when it takes 8 hours legit. I personally hate removing vehicle graphics...even at $80 per hour I can be making more money designing / printing or cutting...and enjoy it.

someone should open a company strictly vinyl removals...every shop would call them in!!!

 

We charge the same price per hour and will tell them the same thing that we can't accurately estimate the time. However, with that said, we do give them a very very rough estimate to give them a ball park and then offer to call them when we hit half that time but are not half way done so they have a chance to say "I understand it will cost more, go ahead" or "no, I'll try myself" without the pain of paying the full estimated cost for an unfinished job. This gets the price-huffers out of the office before we waste the time into labor and getting them to pay, and it gives the good customers a sense that their time, money, and opinion is valued in the process.

As far as softening that pricey blow in the first place, we don't. We just explain that that is our installation/removal rate and all costs are dependent on time. If clients don't like this or think it's crazy, we offer them printed instructions on installation and removal. A good 50% of the time, these clients will be ecstatic to be given a way to do something themselves, mess it up, and then come back to you with a new found appreciation for your line of work and will then happily pay for the install / removal.

 

Seems like you just wrote a rough draft for a Wrap Removal Information & FAQ that you should hand to your customers and have them read before you even start a conversation, haha!

 

Unless we did the job I will usually pass on any kind of removal.

 

Get some business cards from local body shops. Let the pros do the removal.