Oh, so you're a Detailer? You work for a dealership?

T

todd@bsaw

New member
Okay, I know I've been absent from the site for a while, but I need to vent. I've been sorta out of detailing for most of the summer because of a new baby at home and putting in extra hours at my full-time job. I've been feeling really bad having to turn customers down and I haven't even cleaned my own car for months until this last weekend. (I know there are exceptions to the following, and I appreciate that. This is just my experience.)



So of course, while I was out in the driveway giving my car a regular 6 month detail (Polyseal and Megs #21) one of the young neighbor guys comes over and says:

"Hey, I have a buffer and some top of the line polish. If you ever want your car professionally detailed instead of just waxed, let me know. I work at a dealership where we normally charge $200... I'd hook you up for $100."



I politely tell him no thank you and hand him a business card stating, "I kinda know what I'm doing."

:argue

But he keeps going... (mind you my car's paint is still flawless from the last time I did paint correction):

"Well, you really can't detail properly without a buffer. And the polish I use is top of the line... I get it from the vendor at work. We use it at the dealership and they only buy the best stuff because we work on expensive cars all the time."

He works at the BMW/Benz/Jag/Rover dealership I would contract out to until corporate cut their sub-contract budget and they couldn't afford to keep me there. I know the stuff they use and their head 'detailer'.

:argue

Being one of my business/detailing pet peeves dealing with these guys, I still kept my cool pointing out my shelves upon shelves of detailing equipment and chemicals in my garage. I also explained to him that I used to sell my services to his dealership, but they couldn't afford to keep me there. We then got into a discussion on how much I charge for a detail and he replied, "Wow, you're really ripping people off."

:argue

He walked away laughing and it took all my strength to not throw a wrench at the back of his head.



So,

I just want to make a couple points to all the 'dealership detailers' out there, or all the young guys that are coming to this site looking to start a 'detailing business', or all those guys that are already in business selling their services and misinformation for $50/detail:



  1. If you work at a dealership washing cars, you are not a detailer. You are a car washer. Calling yourself a detailer is giving the real guys a bad name. However, I accept this is never going away. I'm angry because you're making it harder for me to correct this misinformation to my customers.
  2. The dealership doesn't use the best chemicals and equipment out there. They use what is the cheapest to get the work done in the fastest amount of time.
  3. The guy that taught you how to detail at the dealership doesn't really know what he's doing either. You weren't trained by a professional no matter how long he has been working there. If the guy is such a good detailer, why has he been working at a car dealership for 15 years to make $12/hour?
  4. Just because you work at a high-end dealership doesn't make your work any more sought after. They cut corners just like any other dealership. (I've personally seen the sales manager use brake cleaner on almost every surface of a vehicle.)
  5. Your job isn't any less valid than mine. Every business has different levels of experience. Use people more experienced than you to improve your understanding. Don't insult a guy that has an entire wall filled with over $10k of detailing supplies obviously is able to charge top dollar for his services.



I just don't understand why these guys always think they know absolutely everything about detailing because they work at a dealership for a couple years. I got in an argument on a car forum with one of these guys a few years ago that was trying to sell a full detail for $60 using the supplies from his work. I asked him three simple questions:

1. Are your polishes water or solvent based?

2. Does your trim dressing have silicone in it?

3. If you spill tire dressing on my driveway and my wife slips on it while walking out to get the mail the next day and cracks her neck, how do you intend to pay for it?



His reply was, "What the hell should I care? I do this for beer money. I don't work on expensive cars like you do so I don't need to know that stuff."

:hairpull
 
I hear ya loud and clear.





It's very frustrating when you lose business because "some other guy down the street does $100 details", and the person doesn't understand the difference.
 
Yeah I understand where your coming from, I'm only 20 years old, when I was 16 I would always wash and wax my car once a week, vacuum the inside and wipe it all down, kept my car very clean. Just this past year I started reading and reading until I thought my eyes were going to fall out, and even still I have so much to learn.



But my point is, My bosses buddy that comes by talks to me about cleaning his cars, he thinks he knows everything, and I mean every-****ing-thing. My bosses Vette has swirls all over it, pretty bad, and his buddy is telling me oh yeah he needs to get this thing sanded, and I'm like nah you can have that buffed out. And I ended up getting in a huge argument and just walked away. What I've come to realize about the detailing world, everybody who cleans there own stuff, is for whatever reason smarter than anymore else. Nobody wants to hear anyone else's opinions on things, with the exception of autopia.



I also have a friend who 'details' cars for 50 dollars, witch consists of a wash and wax, but he details...



There's always gonna be smucks, I just choose to ignore them.
 
The sad fact is, a lot of people believe that the dealership is the best. I've yet to see a car prepped by one that I couldn't do 10x better. Most around here are old school - slather it up with goo glaze and send it on. I have spent a lot of time explaining the right way and why it's important, so far a have a few that gave up washing cars themselves and just call me every 6 - 8 weeks. Then there's the once a year turd on wheels that comes in and can't understand how it got so dirty, ah - maybe you're a slob? Life goes on.
 
Get one of those little Brinkman lights Mike Phillips has been pushing (amazing swirl finder). Point it at your paint, then his. Then tell him his paint looks like crap.
 
Yea sad thing is it's just never going to go away. I look on CL all the time and the big thing no matter what city or location you look at everyone is trying to cut throat the next guy. "Best product most experience at the absoulte cheapest prices!!" etc etc.... There's a shop in flint that states right on all of his ad's that if a detail shop is charging you more than $70 for a full paint correction detail they are just out to rip you off and you shouldn't be using them... I swear... the mental capacity of some people floors me sometime.
 
todd@bsaw said:
Being one of my business/detailing pet peeves dealing with these guys, I still kept my cool pointing out my shelves upon shelves of detailing equipment and chemicals in my garage. I also explained to him that I used to sell my services to his dealership, but they couldn't afford to keep me there. We then got into a discussion on how much I charge for a detail and he replied, "Wow, you're really ripping people off."
Click to expand...

Wow, what gall!



That guy has a lot to learn.
 
I would have thrown the wrench.



I'm not nearly as experienced as most of you, I'm 20 and on the college budget, but I spend a good day when I can cleaning, polishing, sealing/waxing my car. My car is a 1996 Explorer and I get compliments everywhere I go about how nice it looks. Meanwhile, some 25yr old kid that I work with gives me crap for spending so much time on my car, "Just use the Turtle Wax Ice" he says. He washes his 4yr old Jeep using the same mitt for the car, rims and tires. Then slaps some Turtle Wax Ice on it and is convinced its the best car on the road. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I can agree that there are some people that just don't get it, and it does ruin stuff for your professionals.
 
Jakerooni said:
Yea sad thing is it's just never going to go away. I look on CL all the time and the big thing no matter what city or location you look at everyone is trying to cut throat the next guy. "Best product most experience at the absoulte cheapest prices!!" etc etc.... There's a shop in flint that states right on all of his ad's that if a detail shop is charging you more than $70 for a full paint correction detail they are just out to rip you off and you shouldn't be using them... I swear... the mental capacity of some people floors me sometime.
Click to expand...



Seriously. Taken straight from my area's CL:



bad%20detail.jpg






There's also a "happy native" posting an "unsolicited" positive review of a shady car lot that offers '$89 Complete Detailing'.



I'm getting more and more jaded trying to sell detail services and getting my business to be more than the hobby it has recently turned into. I feel like I'm walking around the carnival trying to sell steaks to people that are only looking for the 99¢ popcorn cart, wondering why my steak is more than popcorn. If I open a steak house, people tell me they can cook it better themselves or just keep going to Ponderosa to buy their steak. I'm getting sick of eating all this leftover steak.

:aww:



I've all but thrown in the microfiber towel now because I'm going backward. Back to hobby detailing for me.
 
todd@bsaw said:
I'm getting more and more jaded trying to sell detail services and getting my business to be more than the hobby it has recently turned into. I feel like I'm walking around the carnival trying to sell steaks to people that are only looking for the 99¢ popcorn cart, wondering why my steak is more than popcorn. If I open a steak house, people tell me they can cook it better themselves or just keep going to Ponderosa to buy their steak. I'm getting sick of eating all this leftover steak.

:aww:
Click to expand...



How funny would it be to have two separate business entities, one your premium, and another your quick detailer. Anyone that says you cost too much, you give them "the other guy's" card. Show up the next day, don't even wash the car, just go to town with a wool pad, vac'n'spray the interior. When they complain they don't like the $79 job, give them "the other guy's" card.
 
yakky said:
How funny would it be to have two separate business entities, one your premium, and another your quick detailer. Anyone that says you cost too much, you give them "the other guy's" card. Show up the next day, don't even wash the car, just go to town with a wool pad, vac'n'spray the interior. When they complain they don't like the $79 job, give them "the other guy's" card.
Click to expand...



LMAO Epic Win if you do this...





i feel you guys though. Most of our customers totally understand they're getting what they pay for. To those that think "naw man, my buddy can 'wheel out' my car for $90 bones" - g/l to them. And they wonder how my OEM paint looks so great after 72k miles.



I just talked to a guy that works for a local "detailing shop" in which they regularly hose down cars with paint thinner - dude even told me I should try it as it works really well and makes the paint look great after.

I didn't know how to tell him about the dangers of that hitting trim, seals, plastic, etc.
 
yakky said:
How funny would it be to have two separate business entities, one your premium, and another your quick detailer. Anyone that says you cost too much, you give them "the other guy's" card. Show up the next day, don't even wash the car, just go to town with a wool pad, vac'n'spray the interior. When they complain they don't like the $79 job, give them "the other guy's" card.
Click to expand...



You have me seriously thinking of a new marketing campaign... :secret:LOLOL
 
LOL it's bascially how I had mine set up. If people called for B&D detailing they were talking with the high volume in and out shop that I did my dealer accounts through. If they Called and asked for Bright Dynamics I knew they wanted some real detailing done. Sad thing is by the sounds of it I'm getting myself into a similar mess when I get down to SC next week. I have a guy that wants me to run his shop for him (he has 3 of them) But then I have my own clientel I will be dealing with as well. But being in a new area with nothing but my good looks and winning charm I need to play it safe at first and garuntee me a paycheck and then build back up the local reputation... Should be interesting to say the least.
 
I dont know about all of you, but man, that made me mad and i wasn't even there. Like David said, I would've thrown the wrench lol
 
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