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

[todd@bsaw]

Thanks for the advice, but that was probably an over-estimate (I would rather not add up the amount of money I have spent on detailing supplies!) and not even the point entirely. But thank you anyway.

 

[safetyman2010]

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

One irrefutable truth in detailing is almost every detailer you will meet is the best detailer you will ever meet. In 16 years I have had hundreds of guys that worked at dealerships come to work for me and 1, count that 1 has lasted more than a week. The biggest problem with that kid is just that - he's a kid. Who cares what he thinks or says? Focus on you and what you are doing and let the flunkies do their thing. They come and go but the quality detailers are the only ones that last.

 

[unleashedfury]

Shine Shop.. Heres the problem we were all there... Whether we want to admit it or not.When your a Teenager/Kid whatever. You know it all done it all and noone can tell you other wise. When the Old Timer or Senior shop guy gives advice to help you. Thats ok old man This is the new way. Then the new way takes you to your new Job.



As far as Car Washers calling themselves detailers. Its everywhere..



Tire And Lube Guys will call themselves Auto Techs.



CNC Button Jockeys will call themselves machinists.



It makes them feel important.. Sound Important. But have no initiative to take the effort to hold up their title.





Long story short, My neighbor had a Walmart Tech working on her car and what do ya know it didn't start afterwards. He had her buy a new starter, and had everything checked, Said all the fuses where good. ANd she saw me working on my car and asked for help. Feeling kinda bad because they didn't have a clue what they were doing. Got everything back together and tried to crank. Well what do ya know. It was a bad fuse after all.. Turns out Mr. Walmart Tire andLube guy dropped a screwdriver across the starter selonoid and blew a fuse. Needless to say he dosen't do any work for her anymore.

 

[Gig103]

As far as Car Washers calling themselves detailers. Its everywhere..



Tire And Lube Guys will call themselves Auto Techs.



CNC Button Jockeys will call themselves machinists.

Title exaggeration comes everywhere. "Engineer" is such a common title even though most of them have no engineering experience. Like Janitorial or Custodial Engineer. What does that have to do with engineering? I have a masters degree in Engineering, and I find it insulting.





As for the topic, that kid is a tool. I'm just an amateur, but I do keep my cars looking good. Funny how the 16yo in the neighborhood came over to compliment me, but the mom across the street says things like "Washing the car again?" "Wow you're crazy" etc... She isn't trying to be insulting, but clearly she doesn't understand why I spend so much time on my car. If you look at her cars they are filthy, and even when they are occasionally clean there are RIDS and swirls everywhere. With her 4 kids, I don't even want to see the interior! She has never complimented the car, because I don't think she notices a clean vs. dirty car. So that's fine, but don't give me grief over my hobby. One time she said "I should pay you to clean my car" and I just laughed and blew it off, because I think she'd be confused or offended if I told her that for a 7 passenger SUV, I'd want $50-$100 when 'Danny's car wash' will do it for $15.



Lastly, even my mom goes to the drive-through places because she doesn't care. And that, ultimately, is why I can imagine (with no pro experience) it is hard to sell the detail to run-of-the-mill daily drivers. The exotics and sportscars and enthusiasts will always value your work, but mom and pop would rather save the money since a car is just a way to get the kids back and forth from school and the supermarket.

 

[imported_Larry A]

At the place I work we have one detailer. Everyone else that cleans cars are porters.Porters wash cars , wax cars by hand , but they never use a buffer. Only the detailer uses a buffer.When the detailer buffs , he uses Meguiars products .