IDA Sponsor Spotlight: Mobile Tech RX

This month we chatted with Eric Garves, Co-Founder of Mobile Tech RX Gold Sponsor.

International Detailing Association (IDA): How long have you been with this company? Were you a detailer prior to becoming a supplier?

Eric Garves (EG): I co-founded the company in 2014. Before becoming a supplier I was the co-owner of a PDR business before coming up with the idea for Mobile Tech RX.

IDA: What made you switch to becoming a Supplier? 

EG: In the first few years, we were building an app for our own company. After a few thousand people began using the app, I realized we had an opportunity to support the industry in a larger way. I switched to working full-time so we could hire the team and raise the money to build a world-class app for the detailing industry. As an industry veteran, I knew how valuable a great detailing job was but every detailing friend I spoke to complained about not making the money their work was worth. That was the tipping point to build our business management app for the detailing industry.

IDA: What type of training does your business offer? 

EG: Our training is focused on making you a business expert. We offer a 1-on-1 walk-through for every person who tries our app. This way we can show them how to use technology to look more professional, work more efficiently, and make more money. We also publish content like our COVID-19 resources page to make sure detailers have up-to-date information on how to react and address current issues that's specific to their industry. We're currently creating a show called Prescribing Growth, where we interview the top minds in the industry so that you can learn from their experiences.

IDA: What makes your company unique compared to other suppliers?

EG: We're unique because we're the only technology company with venture-capital funding that comes from the auto reconditioning industry. We build technology that solves the problems that business owners face because we were those business owners. We have the resources and team to tackle the big problems and are starting by making sure detailers are able to make the money they're worth. Even under uncertain times, we make detailers look like the business moguls they are so they can take advantage of the downtime.

IDA: What are some of the struggles your company has overcome to get to where it is today?

EG: We released our detailing app just five weeks ago. It isn't easy launching a new product in a new industry, but we're working hard to get to know detailers all around the country.


IDA: Why does your company believe it is beneficial to support the IDA?

EG: As former PDR professionals, we've seen the value of standardization. When PDR businesses adopted standardized pricing, the entire industry grew. We support the IDA because associations like this one have the power to increase the quality and value of the entire industry.

IDA: As a supplier, what changes would you like to see made in the detailing industry?

EG: We want to see business owners think like entrepreneurs just as much as detailers. Our goal is to help detailers upgrade their skills in finance, pricing, professionalism, and organization. Our research shows that the average prices of a detail are dropping as competition enters a market and decides to undercut price. We want to see the industry rally around charging the prices their skills are worth and educating customers at the same time. We built Mobile Tech RX to make every person at every detailing company a Perfect Estimator.