WSR VS HLR

[jwill07]

hi all,

i have several more questions, I am looking to start one of these ventures, eventually both. But which one in your opinions or experience is more profitable to start first. What is the avg. charge to to HLR? If I do HLR which kit? For HLR ive been looking at Delta Kits, 3M, and Dvelup, please give advice/knowledge on these if possible. What are you guys' experience in doin HLR, when you started how was business and at this point. If you dont mind sharing figures that would e great but let me know. If i left out anything please feel free to add! Thank in advance

[t4k]

Here again, everything you are asking has been covered in the forum. The only exception may be pricing, which varies from wholesale to retail and different parts of the country can charge more. I am always hesitant to give out the figures I charge because this is my main source of income and I do not discuss my salary/earnings with anyone.

So, spend some time reading the forum and good luck on what ever you decide.

[jwill07]

I did search the forum and I did not find an answer or opinions...therefore...I'm asking now....Thnx

[Jonathan]

jwill,
It was good talking to you earlier when you called in. I thought I answered all of your questions at that time, but if you have more, feel free to call back in. I think technicians on the forum would be more willing to answer your questions if you narrowed them down to be more specific. I recommend you search the Headlight Restoration forum for answers to your specific questions regarding headlight restoration. Also, there are pictures and videos there. Again, feel free to call in if you have more questions.

[Roo]

Both of these services compliment each other very well. I would have to say right now with the economy being sluggish the selling the "free" chip repair might be the easier than the HLR. However, no matter which one you start with you will run across customers that need the other service you don't have. That is why I just recenlty added HLR(It seemed like ever 4th or 5th customer had cloudy lights which isn't a guaranteed sale but if you don't do it you can't offer it). The HLR process (at least for me) takes longer than a WSR but typically you get a little more money and it's paid at the time of service as opposed to waiting for an insurance payment(avg 14-20 days) I just had one that took 2 months though . As far as pricing goes I think it varies depending on the area you are in(by the way where are you?) and the process your competition is using. Find some competitors and give them a call and just ask what they charge, if its mobile service, what their process is(do they put a U.V. coat on the lens or just polish) and if they offer a warranty with their work.

Overall, I would have to say WSR is more profitable if you have the work lined up(easier said than done). However, I love doing both types of jobs as I love helping people and really feel like both services are a great benefit for all parties involved from a safety, environmental, time and money saving standpoint.
If you have the money start with both! You can't go wrong with Delta Kits products and service after the sale!
Hope this helps.

Take Care!

[Brent Deines]

I know Jonathan answered your questions on the telephone but I will give a little input for other new forum members who have not mastered the search features yet and may also be interested in the questions you raise.

Which one is more profitable depends on who you talk to, but the material cost is less for a windshield repair and on average it takes less time than a headlight restoration job, so I would say on a job by job basis windshield repair is more profitable considering the average charge for windshield repair is around $55 and the average charge for headlight restoration is around $75. However, how many jobs you can get in a day is perhaps more important than the difference in profit per job in my opinion. If you can get 4 headlight restoration jobs in a day and only one windshield repair job, headlight restoration is more profitable for that day. The next day it may be the other way around, so why not do both?

The 3M headlight restoration system is a multi-stage sanding and polishing process. Two air tools are used for sanding and polishing, with the final stage being a liquid polish applied to the lens. Air source not included.

The Dvelup headlight restoration system is a multi-stage sanding and polishing process. Two electric tools are used for sanding and polishing. In addition to the liquid polish a coating is applied to the lens to protect it against the elements.

The Delta Kits headlight restoration system is a multi-stage sanding and polishing process, but only one multi-speed random orbital tool is used, and no liquid polish is applied. A coating is applied to the lens to protect it against the elements.

All three systems do a great job, but it is my opinion that a protective coating is necessary to keep the lens looking good for years instead of months, and I have found that using a messy polish is not necessary if using a high quality protective coating. Some of you may be confused by this as we used to include polish and a polisher in the Delta Kits headlight restoration systems, but now use ultra fine polishing discs instead. We have also changed the tools that are included in our headlight restorations systems a couple of times, and have now bit the bullet and put the very best tool we could find in our systems, the Metabo random orbit.

So I don’t get any panic calls from customers, we do still sell a high end Makita polisher and an excellent headlight polish for those who do not believe in using a protective coating, or those polishing aircraft, boat, and motorcycle windshields, where coatings are not recommended.

Although we don’t currently sell them, I think 3” air tools are great if you have a fixed location and can afford a good compressor, but for mobile use we found that most customers preferred electric tools, and most of our customers are mobile at least part of the time. Obviously I am biased and think the Delta Kits system is the best of the three, but you really can’t go wrong with the 3M or Dvelup system either. You just have to figure out what it is you want in a system and then start comparing systems side by side. Just as with our windshield repair systems, Delta Kits offers a 30 day money back guarantee, so if the others will make you the same offer you may want to buy all three and send back the two that impress you the least.

[harrellbenjamin]

For the relatively inexpensive price of entry into this field I would advise doing both.Any one you chose is a good add on and compliments the other.JMO... Its crazy not to offer both.I use both as an add on and up sale with my Mobile paint business and it really adds up$$$$$$$ fast.I try not to leave any money on the table.Buy both and it will pay you back in $$$$$ fast.

[candyman]

I purchased both WSR & HL in May of 2009. I was earning money within a few days from the HL restoration. The WSR was and still is slower for me. Not because vehicles in this area dont need the service. The drivers dont wont to spend the money and I am amazed at how many dont carry insurance that would pay for the repair. I get a lot of HL referals from detailing shops, and some inspection stations. I am slowly building my business and referal program. I just started working a medium size flea mart on Saturdays. I generated 2 HL and 1 windshield repair on my first day. My space rent, plus use of electric power is $15 per day as of now. A little cheaper if I rent the space Fri-Sat-Sun. I dont want to get tied down to a single location. I had a detailing shop call with 2 HL jobs while I was there and I departed early to get those vehicles done before customer pickup. I also looked at several vehicles that needed windshields replaced due to extensive damage. I had several take my card for HL restoration, they lacked the money and were waiting for payday. I will work this for several weeks to see if I can build a customer and referal base for this site. I am finding that people here will spend money faster for HL than WSR. I've done restorations on a lexus, Jeep Cherokee's, Cadillac's, PT Cruiser's, mustangs etc... Some were well taken care of while others were kept together with duct tape and can spray paint. People paid to get the headlights repaired because #1, Better visibility at night, #2 Vehicle apperance. The vehicle with duct tape on the body and hand spray painted, had over $4000 worth of new rims and stereo equipment. You just never know who will buy your service. When a crowd gathers when Iam doing a HL, I normally will get a few more within a few weeks , if not that day. The WOW Factor gets them when I apply the coating. My referal base, by this time next year will be solid as a result of my efforts and finders fee of $5. I solicit and educate my customers. I send Thank you letters out the same day with referal information and business cards. I also follow up a week later to ensure they got my letter and answer any concerns they may have reference to their repair or restoration. I have a higher profit from the WSR. The HL is generating money now, and I enjoy the satisfaction of doing a good job, and seeing the faces of the customers when they see the transformation from cloudy/fog to clear results. For the price of Delta Kits products and the support you get, you would be wise to invest in both. They compliment each other and both can be money makers. Regardless of what you decide, you will need to do your home work and generate your leads and always strive to do the best you can to bring that customer and their friends back to YOU.

Candyman