Cars that are ALWAYS a mess

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imported_weekendwarrior

New member
I have learned over time, that when customers call for quotes, there are some cars that you can bank on being a mess, without even having to see them. For example:



Any Ford SUV...especially Explorers are typically trashed. Must be due to the fact they are economically priced, and the owners must just not care.



Mini vans...this is pretty obvious, due to the fact that they are primarily kid haulers.



VWs driven by females. Don't know why, but these cars are typically a mess. Conversely, when a female calls me about doing a Lexus or Acura, the car typically ends up being pretty clean. Don't know why the VWs seem to get trashed.



Any vehicle driven by a college aged female. I occasionally do cars for my high end clients' college aged kids. For the most part, the ones that belong to guys are in fairly decent shape. The ones that belong to girls are typically a MESS.



Anyone else notice any other trends?
 
I will agree with you on all that! I just did an Acura TL - girl is a daughter of an old friend. She's been out of school a few years - but still has that college mentality. Poor car! I have talked her into letting me do a quick wash-wax every 6 weeks.
 
I would agree also. The Minivan for me is always fun though. Children are just so inventive with the messes that they create. For instance:



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How excatly do you accomplish that underneath a seat?
 
I agree 100%. I usually over quote these jobs in the hopes that they will pass. I also find these types of customers rarely call again soon for service.
 
Nasty... Red juice stains and all that. For me, its dog owner's cars... My shop is situated in the dog heaven where everyone practically has a dog. Some type of shed hair is un-vacuum-able... $50/hr surcharge for animal hair removal -- brushing, nitpicking, brushing, scooping, vacuuming.



Just did a hot chick's VW Golf yesterday that reeked of her dog.
 
bumper globe said:
Nasty... Red juice stains and all that. For me, its dog owner's cars... My shop is situated in the dog heaven where everyone practically has a dog. Some type of shed hair is un-vacuum-able... $50/hr surcharge for animal hair removal -- brushing, nitpicking, brushing, scooping, vacuuming.



Just did a hot chick's VW Golf yesterday that reeked of her dog.
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Cool - a dog hair surcharge. I typically just charge by the hour, and it is what it is.
 
Some people are just slobs. My # 1 daughter car was detailed in Augest by me and hasent been washes since. My #2 daughter ,hasent washed her car in at least a year , maybe longer. Its been a year since she had a oil change . My # 3 daughter is pretty good, and my 2 sons are pretty good also.
 
I've been lucky so far. I've done club members cars so they're in pretty good shape on the inside. Just the outside has problems due to being the 2nd owner and stuff :)
 
I was thinking I should charge extra per kid.



There is no such thing as a "soccer mom special!



I would have to say that out of all of my clients my worst client is my attorney. She has two small children and I probably detail her Explorer once every two months. I generally am happy and excited to do any detail because I love what I do, but I dread detailing her car! Always very nasty!
 
As a non-pro, I always find these threads interesting, if a bit :sadpace:



Sheesh...my dog-haulers are just about as nice as my garage-queens (no hair, no stink, no signs of dogs period- Accumulator pats self on back) and I woulda been murdered by my parents had I made the *slightest* mess in a vehicle (or anywhere else). What's *with* people these days?!?



I recently did a '93 Audi for an elderly friend of mine (she'd be displeased by that "elderly" comment :nervous: ). It hadn't been detailed since forever so you can guess its overall condition- cracked, oxidized paint was just the start of it, but the interior was quite clean except for the dash vents; she simply never made a mess in it because she *never* makes a mess, period. People from her generation seem to treat everything (and most every*body*) with a little more respect.



Do you pros find that your older customers keep their vehicles cleaner?
 
weekendwarrior said:
VWs driven by females. Don't know why, but these cars are typically a mess. Conversely, when a female calls me about doing a Lexus or Acura, the car typically ends up being pretty clean. Don't know why the VWs seem to get trashed.
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That's interesting, I have 2 middle aged lady customers with Lexus RX330s that I see a couple times a year and they are usually in nice shape, especially on the inside. On the other hand, I have an aunt with an 06' Passat that is trashed, curbed on all rims, scratches from setting things on the car, etc., and a dirty interior. :scared:



I find that cars owned by men in their 40s and 50s have a relatively consistent amount of soiling. You can tell they are washed on a semi-regular basis (by the swirls) and they are vaccuumed, too, but the carpets are stained, the rims are filthy, etc.
 
I've found the same with mini vans. I don't get what it is with some parents but I've had to remove crayon, pen and market from the seat backs on multiple kid haulers. My parents were very big on spare the rod spoil the child and I would have never dared to write on the walls of the house or the car for that matter.



As for cars, every girl I've ever dated (not really a serial dater but there have been a few) have not taken care of their cars. Mostly because they didn't need to, they would go home from college and daddy would take it to fuel up the tank and at the same time run it through the tunnel wash while he was at the gas station. The insides have been awful.



My exes mom had 3 white boxers and I swear I was still removing hair from my car and they were never in it long after we broke up. Her car was a war zone and it honestly took me 4 hrs to vacuum her car when her daughter paid me to do her car as a b-day gift. Hair rollers, duct tape on the hand, comb, rubber glove, I used it all. That bristly stuff just weaves its way into the car. Thank god my yellow lab hair generally comes out pretty easily.
 
Labster said:
..As for cars, every girl I've ever dated .. have not taken care of their cars..
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Huh...very different experience here, but I somehow suspect that *your* experience is more the norm :think:
 
Regarding Accumulator's experience with the elderly lady...I think people from that generation are more of the mentality of buying something nice (or as nice as they can afford), taking care of it, and keeping it. With a lot of younger people, cars are looked at as a disposable good...use it up, treat it hard, and get something new in a couple of years.



I have done a few details where I can tell the client just drives and abuses the car until it gets to the point to where they just can't stand the filth any longer...then they call me to get it back to new for them. For these clients, I see them every 12 - 18 months. Sure, I charge them by the hour, and it takes a long time to get the car clean, but they don't mind paying me, since they are only doing it every 12 - 18 months, and don't even pay for as much as a tunnel wash in between.
 
Chrysler mini van. Cars with that cheap lock loop carpet, like VW. If they roll up to my bay doors Ill find any excuse not to do it. Easiest cars are the Merc, BMW, Lexus
 
Ive done cars that I look for a match, instead of a cleaner. How do people ride in a health hazard, and what does that say about what their house keeper sees.
 
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