How to Get Your First 100 Customers as a Mobile Detailer

Getting your first 100 mobile detailing customers isn't about spending thousands on advertising or having the fanciest equipment. It's about doing the fundamentals right, building trust, using the right car detailing software, and letting your work speak for itself.

I started my mobile detailing business with a borrowed vacuum cleaner, a £90 pressure washer, and absolutely no customers. Within months, I'd built a customer base that paid my bills and gave me the freedom I'd been chasing. Here's exactly how I did it — and how you can too.

First 10 Customers: Content Over Cash

Here's the uncomfortable truth: your first 10 customers probably won't make you much money. And that's okay — because they're not meant to.

When you're starting out, you don't have a portfolio. You don't have reviews. You don't have proof that you know what you're doing. Your first 10 jobs exist to create that proof.

Start Close to Home

The easiest way to get your first few jobs is to start with people who already know and trust you:

• Your own car - Detail it like it's going to a showroom. Take professional photos from every angle.
• Family members - Parents, siblings, cousins. Clean their cars for free or heavily discounted.
• Friends - Anyone with a car becomes a potential portfolio piece.
• Facebook community groups - Post offering discounted details in exchange for photos and reviews.

The goal isn't profit — it's building a visual portfolio that shows potential customers what you're capable of. Every before-and-after photo is an investment in future bookings.

Document Everything

While you're completing these first jobs, take photos of everything:

• Before photos from multiple angles
• Close-ups of problem areas (stained seats, dirty cupholders, filthy carpets)
• After photos from the exact same angles
• Final shots showing the complete transformation

These photos become your marketing material. They're proof that you can deliver results — and proof is what converts curious browsers into paying customers.

Pricing: Don't Undercut Yourself

One of the biggest mistakes new detailers make is pricing too low to "be competitive." This creates three major problems:

1. You attract the wrong customers
Budget-focused customers will haggle, complain, and expect the world for pennies. They'll also recommend you to their friends — who expect the same rock-bottom prices.

2. You can't sustain it
Spending four hours on a job for £80 means you're barely making minimum wage after fuel and products. You'll burn out fast.

3. You devalue your service
The owner of a £50,000 car isn't looking for the cheapest option. They're looking for quality and professionalism. Low prices signal low quality.

How to Price Properly

Start by deciding what you want to earn per hour. Factor in everything: fuel, products, equipment wear, travel time, admin, and the fact that you're running a business, not working for someone else.

A simple formula:

1. Set your hourly target (e.g., £35/hour)
2. Estimate how long the service takes (e.g., 4 hours for a deep clean)
3. Multiply: £35 × 4 = £140

Adjust for vehicle size:

• Small cars: £120
• Medium cars: £140
• Large SUVs: £160+

If you double your prices and lose half your customers, you're making the same money while doing half the work. That's not a loss — that's a breakthrough.

Google My Business: Your Secret Weapon

If you're not on Google, you don't exist to most potential customers. When people search "mobile detailing near me," Google shows businesses with Google My Business profiles — not Instagram pages.

Set It Up Properly

Creating a Google My Business profile is free and takes 15 minutes. But most detailers do it wrong — they create the profile and abandon it.

To actually rank and get found:

• Complete every section - Business name, services, hours, description, contact details
• Upload high-quality photos - Before and afters, close-ups, exterior shots
• Post regularly - Google loves fresh content. Post 1-3 photos every few days
• Collect reviews - Ask every customer to leave a review. More reviews = higher ranking
• Reply to every review - Even short ones. It shows you're active and engaged

Word of Mouth: Your Most Powerful Tool

In a service-based business, word-of-mouth recommendations carry more weight than any advertisement. When someone's friend says "You've got to try this guy," that customer is already halfway sold before they even message you.

How to Encourage Referrals

You don't need a fancy referral program. You just need to deliver an experience worth talking about:

• Turn up on time - Preferably 5-10 minutes early
• Be professional - Dress appropriately, keep your workspace tidy
• Communicate clearly - Walk the customer through the process before you start
• Stay calm under pressure - Whether it's a difficult neighbour or unexpected damage, professionalism matters
• Deliver outstanding results - The work speaks for itself

People don't just recommend your work — they recommend you. Your attitude, reliability, and professionalism are what make customers confident enough to put their own reputation on the line by referring you.

Reviews: Build Trust Before You Meet

Five-star Google reviews are absolute gold. They build credibility faster than anything else you can do.

Think about it: when choosing between two detailers, one with 30 five-star reviews and one with two reviews, which do you pick? The choice is obvious.

How to Get More Reviews

• Ask immediately after the job - When the customer is standing next to their gleaming car, that's when they're most likely to leave a review
• Make it easy - Create a QR code that links directly to your Google review page. Print it on a business card or laminated sheet
• For free jobs, reviews are payment - Make it clear: "All I ask in return is a quick Google review"
• Follow up - If they don't leave one immediately, send a polite reminder a day or two later

The more reviews you have, the higher you'll rank on Google, and the more trustworthy you'll appear to new customers.

Social Media: Post Consistently, Not Perfectly

Social media isn't about having a perfect grid or going viral. It's about staying visible and showing potential customers that you're active, professional, and capable.

What to Post

• Before and after photos - These never get old
• Short transformation videos - 20 seconds of a filthy wheel becoming spotless
• Behind-the-scenes content - Show your process, your workspace, your personality
• Customer testimonials - Screenshot positive messages and share them
• Tips and advice - Quick posts about maintaining car interiors, protecting paintwork, etc.

Where to Post

Facebook community groups are goldmines for local customers. Join every local business group you can find and post daily. Even small groups can lead to bookings.

Instagram is visual, which works perfectly for detailing. Post regularly, use local hashtags (#LondonCarDetailing, #ManchesterValeting), and engage with your local community.

TikTok and Instagram Reels are excellent for short, satisfying transformation videos. These can go viral locally and drive serious traffic to your business.

Lead With Value, Not Sales

One of the biggest mindset shifts I made was this: stop thinking about what you can get from people, and start thinking about what you can do for them.

I once detailed a car for free at a local hospice. The staff were amazed, posted about it on their Facebook page, and within days I had new customers messaging me. That one free job led to multiple paid bookings, repeat business, and over £2,700 in revenue.

When you lead with value — helping people, doing great work, being generous with your time — opportunities find their way back to you. People notice genuine kindness, and they talk about it.

Car Detailing Software: Work Smarter, Not Harder

Once you start getting busier, one of the smartest investments you can make is proper car detailing business software. Unlike generic scheduling tools, specialized detailing business software handles admin automatically, filters out timewasters, and increases your average booking value through built-in upsells.

Why Specialized Detailing Business Software Matters

Generic booking systems like Calendly weren't built for mobile service businesses. They can't ask about water access, parking availability, or vehicle condition — critical information that mobile detailers need upfront. That's where specialized car detailing software makes all the difference.

Professional detailing business software offers features specifically designed for mobile detailers:

• 24/7 automated bookings - Customers can book while you're working or sleeping
• Custom questions - Automatically ask about water access, parking, and vehicle condition
• Vehicle size-based pricing - Different rates for small cars, SUVs, and vans
• Built-in upsells - Offer add-ons like leather protection or ceramic sealant at checkout
• Professional appearance - Branded booking pages that match your business
• Saves hours of admin - No more back-and-forth messages coordinating times

Think of car detailing software as your first employee — working around the clock, handling enquiries, collecting payments, and booking appointments without you lifting a finger. With plans from £25/month, it pays for itself the first time it prevents a no-show. While you're out detailing cars, your detailing business software is bringing in new customers.

From 10 to 50: Let Your Work Do the Talking

Getting from 10 to 50 customers isn't about reinventing your approach — it's about doubling down on what's already working.

By this stage, you should have:

• A solid portfolio of before-and-after photos
• Multiple five-star Google reviews
• An active social media presence
• Professional branding and communication
• Repeat customers who book regularly
• Reliable car detailing software handling your bookings

Word of mouth starts compounding. One satisfied customer tells their friend. That friend books, loves the result, and tells their colleague. Before you know it, you're getting referrals from people you've never even met.

Repeat Customers: Your Financial Safety Net

Acquiring a new customer costs five times more than retaining an existing one. That's why building a base of repeat customers is so important.

How to Turn One-Off Bookings into Regulars

• Plant the seed early - During the job, mention that most customers book monthly to stay on top of it
• Rebook before you leave - Ask: "Want me to pencil you in again in four weeks?"
• Offer gentle incentives - "If you book monthly, I'll keep your leather topped up with protection"
• Follow up automatically - Good detailing business software sends reminders when it's time for their next clean
• Make it easy - Offer set slots (first Saturday of the month) and keep notes on their preferences

If you land ten regulars paying £85 every four weeks, that's over £10,000 a year. Repeat customers are the backbone of a sustainable detailing business.

50 to 100: Build Systems, Not Just Skills

Getting to 100 customers means you're no longer just a detailer — you're running a business. At this stage, working harder isn't the answer. Working smarter is.

Automate Where Possible

The most successful mobile detailing businesses use systems and mobile service scheduling software to handle repetitive tasks:

• Use message templates - Save common replies for frequent questions
• Schedule social media posts - Plan a week's content in one sitting
• Automate follow-ups - Send review requests and booking reminders automatically
• Use proper car detailing software - Let technology handle bookings, payments, and customer management
• Track everything - Monitor which services sell best, which customers are most valuable

Consider Hiring Help

When you're working at full capacity and still turning down work, it might be time to bring on help. Start small — perhaps someone part-time for bigger jobs or busy periods.

The key is finding someone with the right attitude. You can teach detailing techniques, but you can't teach someone to care about quality or represent your business professionally.

Final Thoughts: Done is Better Than Perfect

The biggest mistake new detailers make is waiting for everything to be perfect before starting. Perfect branding, perfect equipment, perfect car detailing software — none of that matters if you never actually start.

Your first jobs won't be perfect. Your first photos might be awkward. Your first pricing structure might need adjusting. That's all normal. What matters is starting, learning, and improving as you go.

Getting your first 100 customers isn't about being the best detailer in town. It's about being reliable, professional, and consistent. Do great work, treat people well, use the right detailing business software to make booking easy, and the customers will come.

The business you're building isn't just about cleaning cars — it's about freedom. Freedom to set your own schedule, choose your own customers, and build something that's genuinely yours.

Start small. Stay consistent. Let your work speak for itself. The rest will follow.

Looking for more mobile detailing business advice? Check out our guide on choosing the best car detailing software for UK mobile detailers.

Need help with pricing? Read How to Price Your Car Detailing Services in the UK.

Build your reputation with our guide to getting more Google reviews.