Story behind the Dealership hacks!

B

Beematic

New member
Detailing was a great hobby of mine. I enjoy it as much as the professional on here does. I have had many experiences with many product over the last decade. So here's my story:



I had a good life in Boston, but due to drama with the in-law, my own sister and the company. I had enough and move across the US with my wife and 5 months old daughter. I didn't want to move without a job. I was fortunate enough to get a warehouse management while vacation in Portland for a week. Sound good? No, not really as things turn sour. I moved on the 3rd of November. I did not know that the company went into a financial crisis and was cut along with everyone in the warehouse right after Thanksgiving. Extra FEAST to take in, eh?



For months, I was unable to even obtain a job. I was very disappointed. I held a GM and was getting $27/hr position for 5 years. Luckily I had money saved for mortgages to pay and my duplex in Boson was able to cover my expenses in Portland. On February 23, there was an opening at a dealership being a detailer. I quickly jump on it and qualify as I know what I was doing. Hooray! Although my pay was only at $12/hr flat rate. What does that mean? Meaning, anything comes in that needs a full detail gets 3hr pay. Truck, SUV, Van and minivan are 4hrs job. If we finish before 4 hours on a truck, suv, van and minivan then we still get the flat rate of 4 hours. Get it?



I had to lower myself so I can finish faster. I'd love to finish the car doing a complete work (Wash, Clay, Prep, Compound, Polish, Jewel and Wax), but I have a family to feed and a daughter to take care of. That's why we do what we can in a timely manner. If you thinks I will spend 8 hours to get pay 4 hours on truck is crazy. Remember because of us hacks, you guys get pay to do their car, too. I hope you all understand why we do this and don't blame it on all of dealer hacks.



Now I know why freaking dealer's detailers hacks and hope I shed some lights to all of you.



PS. Jesus that 1 step polish they use have massive grease and fillers. It literally covers every thing until you wash it more than 3 times. After that you'll see all the minor scratch pop up out and of course buffer trails! Oh, and they use one step wool pad for everything. At least I have the decency to use a white pad.



Thank you all.
 
I think most here realize why dealership detailers are hacks. It's not really their fault, but the fault of the managers or other powers that be who demand unreasonable results at a ridiculous price. The detailers have either never been trained in any other method or, as in your case, are forced to cut corners to fit the time/price.



The problem isn't so much that these detailers exist, but that the general public thinks that is the standard. It makes it that much harder when people balk at a price because the dealership only charged $xx.xx and the results didn't last.



Sounds like you could use this as an opportunity to do some work on the side for those want, and are willing to pay for, better.
 
I think most of us realize that the market supports that type of detailing. I don't detail for money, only as favors for friends (with expensive strings attached, lol). But I do have people ask me for recommendations. I've referred quite a few to some detailers here and when people find out the price, they drive to the nearest hack. People just don't want to pay.



That said, I think most of us have problems with dealership detailers that think they are top notch. Beematic, it sounds like you know what you are doing and that its not top quality work. There are others that think they are creating an art form when they are making a mess, Jeff Suggs comes to mind.



Nothing wrong with dealership work as long as you are realistic about the results.
 
I admit I do sort of cringe when I hear the term 'hack' thrown around in regards to dealerships. I've worked in a few dealerships, not as a detailer, and it's ALL ABOUT time and money. Managers don't care, nor do GMs. Quicker they get the car back on the lot, quicker they sell it, quicker they make their money.



So what seems obvious to most, isn't to others. I'm glad you posted.
 
Dealerships do a good enough job for most people. That's the bigger point here. We "Autopians" notice when something is hacked, but 95% of the rest of the population doesn't. So why would a dealership pay significantly more in expenses for something that 950 out of 1000 people won't even notice ? It's a business decision, nothing more, and whether we like it or not is irrelevant.
 
Several years ago I did one of my detailing seminars for the Porsche club and I did it at one of the local Porsche/Audi dealerships. I used their bays and detailing area. Before we got going I told the Service Manager, "Hey, we need to hide all your equipment like towels, brushes, buckets, etc. If the attendees see this sitting around it will be bad for you." As you can imagine, there were horribly dirty towels, red shop towel rags were used to apply wax and clean things. Nasty brushes were tossed about all filthy, etc. It was a scary scene.



He had his crew watch and participate in my seminar and afterwards got all the proper gear, towels, microfibers, grit guard buckets, polishes, and some waxes, detailing and cleaning brushes, etc. They still use the right equipment and do a much better job than ever before.



I guess my point is some SM's and GM's seem to get it. Sure, speed and profit rule the day, but the smart employers know that quality and image is important, too.
 
I work at a higher paced kia dealership down here as a tech. Most of the stuff that comes out of here is somewhat decent. As long as they don't touch it with a rotary it's fine usually for the avg person. Here they are paid by the hour/salary so they really could care less how long it takes. But the faster the vehicle gets back on the lot, the faster it gets sold.

A couple of us in the back joke around with certain cars that we do PDI's on (pre delivery inspections) how long it will take for this certain car to get sold. I promise sometimes as soon as it gets off the truck and the plastic torn off it's been sold. It's not that they don't care, just some don't know what they are really doing.

Looking at it from the perspective of the OP, the equipment the guys here are given just is mostly sub par. Yes they do have a dewalt rotary, but have a nice scratch and dent drive through wash. Though the vehicle is pressure washed before it goes through removing most of the debris. In managements eyes, this is faster. Faster = more production.



As far as the OP's view, I can definitely relate. There are a few guys here that jimmy rig something and shove it out the door just to keep work flow moving. Yes they do have comebacks frequently, they just are not the brightest crayon in the box. Which how flat rate works if some of you do not know, you get paid a set amount of time for the job no matter how long it takes.

For example: We get paid 1.5 hours for an alignment and .5 hours for a balance. Most of us are done in 15 minutes with an alignment, mainly because these cars are very simple to align. I personally take 5 minutes max to balance four tires. So for 15-25 minutes of work we just got paid 2 hours to do the job and now able to move onto something else that comes in the door.



Hard work sometimes pays off..Managers or GM's could care less about the work detail does. As long as it LOOKS good it is good enough to them. They are all about money.
 
So you are in Portland?



Beematic said:
Detailing was a great hobby of mine. I enjoy it as much as the professional on here does. I have had many experiences with many product over the last decade. So here's my story:



I had a good life in Boston, but due to drama with the in-law, my own sister and the company. I had enough and move across the US with my wife and 5 months old daughter. I didn't want to move without a job. I was fortunate enough to get a warehouse management while vacation in Portland for a week. Sound good? No, not really as things turn sour. I moved on the 3rd of November. I did not know that the company went into a financial crisis and was cut along with everyone in the warehouse right after Thanksgiving. Extra FEAST to take in, eh?



For months, I was unable to even obtain a job. I was very disappointed. I held a GM and was getting $27/hr position for 5 years. Luckily I had money saved for mortgages to pay and my duplex in Boson was able to cover my expenses in Portland. On February 23, there was an opening at a dealership being a detailer. I quickly jump on it and qualify as I know what I was doing. Hooray! Although my pay was only at $12/hr flat rate. What does that mean? Meaning, anything comes in that needs a full detail gets 3hr pay. Truck, SUV, Van and minivan are 4hrs job. If we finish before 4 hours on a truck, suv, van and minivan then we still get the flat rate of 4 hours. Get it?



I had to lower myself so I can finish faster. I'd love to finish the car doing a complete work (Wash, Clay, Prep, Compound, Polish, Jewel and Wax), but I have a family to feed and a daughter to take care of. That's why we do what we can in a timely manner. If you thinks I will spend 8 hours to get pay 4 hours on truck is crazy. Remember because of us hacks, you guys get pay to do their car, too. I hope you all understand why we do this and don't blame it on all of dealer hacks.



Now I know why freaking dealer's detailers hacks and hope I shed some lights to all of you.



PS. Jesus that 1 step polish they use have massive grease and fillers. It literally covers every thing until you wash it more than 3 times. After that you'll see all the minor scratch pop up out and of course buffer trails! Oh, and they use one step wool pad for everything. At least I have the decency to use a white pad.



Thank you all.
Click to expand...
 
OK, here's what gripes my asre, I read a lot on TTAC and there's a few dealers that always post about how they have to pay 300 to 1000 bucks to re-condition a car that was traded to get ready for sale. That's bullsh!t, as the OP just stated what they really pay the hired help to do. Just goes to show you, dealerships are about making a lot of cash, don't think they're your friend.......just don't even let that thought in.
 
JuneBug said:
OK, here's what gripes my asre, I read a lot on TTAC and there's a few dealers that always post about how they have to pay 300 to 1000 bucks to re-condition a car that was traded to get ready for sale. That's bullsh!t, as the OP just stated what they really pay the hired help to do. Just goes to show you, dealerships are about making a lot of cash, don't think they're your friend.......just don't even let that thought in.
Click to expand...



I'm not usually one to stick up for stealerships, but there's more to reconditioning than cleaning. I bet most of those traded cars have dings that need to be removed, areas that need to be repainted, and -- most importantly -- mechanical work that needs to be done. If a car needs new brakes and tires, new spark plugs and wires, new coolant, etc, it doesn't take very much to get to $1,000.



By way of example, I recently bought a used car from a private owner, and have spent $2,000 in the past two months on "reconditioning". It's easy to spend a lot of money getting a used car in good condition, and this one didn't start out bad.
 
Nice thread OP. Good to see someone from the dark side paying homage for their detailing sins @ Autopia. :) And I don't blame you one bit for doing what you had to do either. It's beyond me how a dealer can have someone flag time for detailing? The general rule in both mechanical & body repair industry is if you're getting paid 4 hours to do a job, do it in 2. I'd be running through cars just to make a buck too. What they're doing is giving security to the people that correct dealership details.
 
The thing that gets me is they could make a few easy changes, and they could be doing much better work in not much more time. Switch out those DeWalt's for Flex dual action polishers, get rid of the wool pads, and get some HD Uno, or Menzerna Power Finish, and the outside would be dramatically better. On interiors, get rid of the greasy dressings, and quit pressure washing floor mats and they would be much better off. Just my 02





John
 
JohnKleven said:
The thing that gets me is they could make a few easy changes, and they could be doing much better work in not much more time. Switch out those DeWalt's for Flex dual action polishers,
Click to expand...



There's an even cheaper/easier solution: Dynabrade adapters for the DeWalts. $60 entry cost ($80 with a proper backing plate added into the mix) and plenty of durability/reliability -- plus they get to keep using their existing equipment instead of relegating anything to a shelf or trash bin.



get rid of the wool pads, and get some HD Uno, or Menzerna Power Finish, and the outside would be dramatically better.
Click to expand...



:werd: Even D151 would be a better choice, for that matter.
 
JohnKleven said:
The thing that gets me is they could make a few easy changes, and they could be doing much better work in not much more time. Switch out those DeWalt's for Flex dual action polishers, get rid of the wool pads, and get some HD Uno, or Menzerna Power Finish, and the outside would be dramatically better. On interiors, get rid of the greasy dressings, and quit pressure washing floor mats and they would be much better off. Just my 02





John
Click to expand...



Easy for you to say. This is a dealership mind you. Less expense out more money in is how they operate. You think they're going to shred out extra 30 bucks? Heck no. Like I said, if I can change everything about where I work then I would. Fact of the matter is I'm giving what to do in this amount of time. In the end, you have a choice to make it's either PROVIDE for my family or make a customer happy. Sorry, but my daughter wins over everything.



Thomas DK,



Yes, I am. I know you're in Westttttttt side. I'm in the NE side of town.
 
Have you approached the GM or someone to see if they will make some changes? If not, how do you know they won't do it? If you take some time to explain how much happier customers will be for a minimal investment maybe they will see the light. If you have done that then I put my foot in my mouth :)
 
Not to be argumentive here, and maybe things ain't the same all over. But tune-ups, tires, PDR work, the dealers around here that do all that call it "CPO" and add about $3,000.00 to the price. No sir, they are not giving ANYTHING away for free. I traded a Nissan Frontier on a Chevy truck a few years back. I had to go to the dealer to sign something they forgot the day before, my Nissan was on the used car lot, marked up, and still had the same bugs on the bumper as when I traded it.
 
JuneBug said:
Not to be argumentive here, and maybe things ain't the same all over. But tune-ups, tires, PDR work, the dealers around here that do all that call it "CPO" and add about $3,000.00 to the price. No sir, they are not giving ANYTHING away for free.
Click to expand...



CPO usually includes a warranty, which costs the dealer $1500-2000. I've had a few dealers offer to unCPO cars when the haggling got down to slim margins.
 
Way back in the Dark Ages, as a teemager I worked New Car Prep at the local Chrysler dealership. I quickly became the only guy allowed to work on dark-colored vehicles ;) Ya know...that made me somewhat unpopular with the other Prep guys for some reason :think:



The [Dealership Formerly Known as Stoddard] used to have a detailer who did *great* work. I even let him prep some new Audis for both myself and my father. Zero complaints. Then he left, and things went downhill fast.



My point being, the person doing the work can make a big diff, in all sorts of ways. Not intended as a slam at anyone, hope it didn't come across like that.
 
I am actually in Clackamas county. Where do you work?





Beematic said:
Easy for you to say. This is a dealership mind you. Less expense out more money in is how they operate. You think they're going to shred out extra 30 bucks? Heck no. Like I said, if I can change everything about where I work then I would. Fact of the matter is I'm giving what to do in this amount of time. In the end, you have a choice to make it's either PROVIDE for my family or make a customer happy. Sorry, but my daughter wins over everything.



Thomas DK,



Yes, I am. I know you're in Westttttttt side. I'm in the NE side of town.
Click to expand...
 
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