Tips on getting done quicker, routines?

O

Obsessive1

New member
Just wondering what some of the pro's routines and how long it takes for exterior and interior. No paint correction or nothing. Trying to cut my time down for a lil more profit. My dad says "we're not slow, we're just thorough" which is true. I don't think i'm slow but would like to cut back on time where I can.

Exterior: Clean tires and wheels and wheelwells. I start at roof, do windshield, back glass, hood, trunk, then I start doing the side panels. I don't do the bottom sides of the vehicle or the grille, bumpers and lower areas until i'm done with both of the sides of vehicle and then I usually try to use a different mit if it is really dirty. Then proceed to drying. So you can see I tend to have to do alot of moving around just getting my wash done. What is a good consistent process to use to cut down the time?



Interior: This is where I feel I could really save some time with some info from the pro's. Do you do one thing at a time? Glass then, dash and doors and such? Do you finish everything that you use with one product then switch to the next step or do you try to cover everything with different products from where your sitting in the vehicle? I am trying to find out a good, fast routine to get into instead of maybe wasting time.



Thanks. Mike.
 
I would rather be a bit slow and do good quality work,than be fast and do a poor job. Speed comes with contineously detailing. There are areas where you can cut your time, but it's not going to be by much IMO. Unless you are just draging your feet. Try different processes, also get a blower or water blade for drying. Ask on the foruns . There are a bunch of great people here that will help you.
 
The only thing I make sure to try and remember on the interior is to do the glass last. Cleaning everything else tends to kick up dust.. so no sense in cleaning your windows to have to come back and do it again. :)
 
I always have a set routine which seems to speed things up for me.



1. Door jams if filthy (spray APC and rinse with hose)

2. Vac

3. Shampoo

4. Headliner

5. Interior protectant

6. Leather (if applicable)

7. Doorjams if clean (meaning ONR or QD)

8. Glass-always the very last step for me as it means not worrying about overspray or smudges.



Smart move to looking to improve efficiency. Faster detailing means more business opportunities and more money. The trick on cutting down times is to do it correctly and efficiently without sacraficing quality of work. Very tough. Good luck!
 
Yeah I am definitely not trying to cut corners or sacrifice my finished product. Just looking to be more efficient and I know this is the place to find out my mistakes. I am already noticing the more I do the faster I get. People think it isn't work but the way I work it is lol. I bust my but usually not even taking a break. Maybe drink a pop and chomp down a couple cheeseburgers lol. But other than that i'm working nonstop and usually more tired than working my normal job. Thx fellas and any other input from others is greatly appreciated. Mike.
 
A good process comes with experience. You will get quicker as you refine your process and do more cars. It also helps to have great equipment; commercial vac, pressure washer, hot water extractor, pressurized spray canisters etc. I thing I am not clear about is how doing the detail quicker will give you more profits?
 
Interesting topic. I usually like to focus on doing one step at the time not one area at the time. I think it takes more time to change products and tools than to move myself around the car. Like when I dress the interior plastics I do it all at one time, I don't use dressing then glass cleaner for one door and move to the next door. Others might think and work differently.
 
brwill2005 said:
A good process comes with experience. You will get quicker as you refine your process and do more cars. It also helps to have great equipment; commercial vac, pressure washer, hot water extractor, pressurized spray canisters etc. I thing I am not clear about is how doing the detail quicker will give you more profits?
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Finishing a job 2 hours earlier (which can be easy if one compares when one began detailing to when they have a regular professional routine) means you can catch enough daylight to do a 1 step exterior on another vehicle. It could be an extra $100 + in daily revenue. It all depends on how many customers that you have and demand for your services. I'm not in that position right now, but it is nicer arriving home an hour earlier when done with a job than losing that time not being efficient as possible.



Sounds like you and your dad run a quality business. Hats off to you for dotting your I's and crossing your T's.
 
That's exactly what I was referring to Mark77. I do it like you do it. I do all of one thing, then move onto the next. I was just curious to see how others went about there routine.
 
backwoods_lex said:
Finishing a job 2 hours earlier (which can be easy if one compares when one began detailing to when they have a regular professional routine) means you can catch enough daylight to do a 1 step exterior on another vehicle. It could be an extra $100 + in daily revenue. It all depends on how many customers that you have and demand for your services. I'm not in that position right now, but it is nicer arriving home an hour earlier when done with a job than losing that time not being efficient as possible.



Sounds like you and your dad run a quality business. Hats off to you for dotting your I's and crossing your T's.
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I understand perfectly well how being more efficient could transfer into more profits, however, I was asking him to elaborate on how he was going to be more profitable by being faster.
 
If your trying to average so much per hour and charging accordingly. If your routine was holding you back and were able to get the same job done say a half hour faster that would just boost your hourly average rate up. Not a huge amount but over a period of time it would be quite considerable. That is if you were making improvements in your routine that were beneficial.

I currently have a fulltime job and try to do details and such on my days off or after work. Just trying to get my name out there and inform people of what real "detailing" is about. There is some people out there that don't know a full detail job consists of cleaning door jambs or have no idea what clay is or how it is used. I live in a rural area so I have my work cut out for me.
 
Anal1 said:
If your trying to average so much per hour and charging accordingly. If your routine was holding you back and were able to get the same job done say a half hour faster that would just boost your hourly average rate up. Not a huge amount but over a period of time it would be quite considerable. That is if you were making improvements in your routine that were beneficial.

I currently have a fulltime job and try to do details and such on my days off or after work. Just trying to get my name out there and inform people of what real "detailing" is about. There is some people out there that don't know a full detail job consists of cleaning door jambs or have no idea what clay is or how it is used. I live in a rural area so I have my work cut out for me.
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The point I am trying to make is that increasing your efficiency only will increase your profits in certain situations. One example is if you are doing work for a dealership who pays you per car. Another example is if you are at an office park and have x amount of hours to do as many cars as possible. Doing a detail faster is not going to increase your revenue or profit; given you only have one car lined up for the day, and not multiple cars. I do commend you, however, for trying to be more efficient. Don't let your drive for speed compromise your quality though.
 
exterior:

door jambs - never seen these be clean (exception would be a new car!)

I start on the drivers side rear and wash back to front and around again ending where I started.

I spray right side tires/wheels/wells on 1 complete side first, after the 2nd tire gets sprayed, scrub and hose off, repeat on other side.

I dry the tires/wheels/wells after cleaning to prevent runs in the dressing during application

-proceed to clay,polish,wax/sealant-



interior

dust vents/cup holders/etc

vac

dash cleaning/dressing - just because if some APC gets on the carpets its getting a shampoo after so....

shampoo and rinse carpets - done front left (driver side) to back right (rear passenger)



I start at the drivers side all the time because if you shampoo the drivers seat LAST then there is a strong chance if you dont get ALL the water out of the seat then the driver could have a wet/damp butt when he sits down, and that could make them mad, although never had that happen I just want to provide ample time for it to dry. I work left to right on interiors and front to rear.



I do interiors first if I am going to be doing one again to provide ample dry time if shampoo'd.



having a process for me helps keep me on track and from getting side tracked with something else.
 
brwill2005 said:
I understand perfectly well how being more efficient could transfer into more profits, however, I was asking him to elaborate on how he was going to be more profitable by being faster.
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I figured you did, but didn't realize that the questions was aimed at the OP. My mistake.
 
Just like to say thanks for you guys taking time to input on this. Thx. Today my dad did some polishing on a guys wheels on his semi. Spent 4 hours on them. He told the boy $60 and the boy gave him a $20 tip. So obviously he was happy. Just trying to get my name out by word of mouth right now and keeping people happy. So far it has worked. Thx again.
 
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