What is the Biggest Image Problem

Jon



Will comment on insurance. No one expects to have a problem, that is why they call it "accident" insurance.



The question to ask yourself is this, "IF" you damaged a car in your possession can you afford the costs of repair?



If you are willing to take a chance that you will not damage a car then by all means you can go without insurance.



All the problems we had in our detail centres were never intentional, always accidents. Not necesarily on the paint but fouling the electronics somewhere in the inside when we were cleaning the interior. You know electric doors; power locks; power windows; a meriad of things on the dash.



Just some well intentioned thoughts



bud A
 
buda said:
Jon



Will comment on insurance. No one expects to have a problem, that is why they call it "accident" insurance.



The question to ask yourself is this, "IF" you damaged a car in your possession can you afford the costs of repair?



If you are willing to take a chance that you will not damage a car then by all means you can go without insurance.



All the problems we had in our detail centres were never intentional, always accidents. Not necesarily on the paint but fouling the electronics somewhere in the inside when we were cleaning the interior. You know electric doors; power locks; power windows; a meriad of things on the dash.Just some well intentioned thoughts



bud A
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A myriad of things on the dash...................are the guys pressure washing the interior??, over 18 years in the biz and I have never "Fouled" the electronics in the dash as this would take a higher level "Hackness", just curious these persons were trained and vetted by whom???.
 
buda said:
Jon



Will comment on insurance. No one expects to have a problem, that is why they call it "accident" insurance.



The question to ask yourself is this, "IF" you damaged a car in your possession can you afford the costs of repair?



If you are willing to take a chance that you will not damage a car then by all means you can go without insurance.
Click to expand...



Insurance should not be considered for damage you might do in the process of detailing. Most of that damage will be less than your deductible. It is the unexpected things you may not be able to control.



I was talking with a friend who is a mechanic and does side work from home. He said he was not taking in any more vehicles because of the approach of hurricane Irene (Central NC) and not wanting any vehicles to be damaged. Imagine there is an earthquake (NOT just a CA reality) and something (like a ceiling) falls on the new Lexus or Mercedes in your shop.



If you have a fixed location it is only a matter of time before something happens. A fire, flood, break-in, vandalism, pests, storms, etc.



Even if you are mobile only there is risk. "Ooops! I accidentally backed your Aston Martin into your corvette." Even if you aren't moving the vehicle, your lights could get knocked over, canopy get blown into the car by the wind, etc.
 
Nth Degree said:
Insurance should not be considered for damage you might do in the process of detailing. Most of that damage will be less than your deductible. It is the unexpected things you may not be able to control.



I was talking with a friend who is a mechanic and does side work from home. He said he was not taking in any more vehicles because of the approach of hurricane Irene (Central NC) and not wanting any vehicles to be damaged. Imagine there is an earthquake (NOT just a CA reality) and something (like a ceiling) falls on the new Lexus or Mercedes in your shop.



If you have a fixed location it is only a matter of time before something happens. A fire, flood, break-in, vandalism, pests, storms, etc.



Even if you are mobile only there is risk. "Ooops! I accidentally backed your Aston Martin into your corvette." Even if you aren't moving the vehicle, your lights could get knocked over, canopy get blown into the car by the wind, etc.
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Agreed! We had an old Ford pickup in the shop I used to work at back in the late 90's where the electrical shorted out overnight and burnt the whole damn place down!
 
Our staff was very competently trained. Not only do we not use a pressure washer inside of a vehicle (a ridiculous suggestion) we also NEVER spray chemical on any surface of the interior other than shampoo on carpets or fabric seats.



You are very fortunate to have never incurred a problem. It only happened to us on about three occasions operating two high volume detail centres and considering the number of cars and the number of people we hired that was a very good record.



My concern is for the individual operator who cannot afford to lose $300 or $400 to repair even one "little" mistake.



How often we read about struggling business people who let their fire insurance coverage lapse and what happens they have a fire and it burns up their resturant or mechanic shop and everything in it. Better to be safe than sorry.











Auto Concierge said:
A myriad of things on the dash...................are the guys pressure washing the interior??, over 18 years in the biz and I have never "Fouled" the electronics in the dash as this would take a higher level "Hackness", just curious these persons were trained and vetted by whom???.
Click to expand...
 
buda said:
Our staff was very competently trained. Not only do we not use a pressure washer inside of a vehicle (a ridiculous suggestion) we also NEVER spray chemical on any surface of the interior other than shampoo on carpets or fabric seats.



You are very fortunate to have never incurred a problem. It only happened to us on about three occasions operating two high volume detail centres and considering the number of cars and the number of people we hired that was a very good record.



My concern is for the individual operator who cannot afford to lose $300 or $400 to repair even one "little" mistake.



How often we read about struggling business people who let their fire insurance coverage lapse and what happens they have a fire and it burns up their resturant or mechanic shop and everything in it. Better to be safe than sorry.
Click to expand...





Pretend this is a deposition, and I am deposing you.................Mr BUDA the electronics were fouled by some liquid substance are you saying this is not true, and if so HOW do you/your crew clean the surfaces??.





"Things that make you go hmmmmmm" "Out of thier own mouths they will convict themselves and then I will smite them with a mighty hand"





The pressure washing comment is not ridiculous as it was meant to be a over the top analogy that flew over your head like a SR71 Blackbird at Mach 3.0.
 
Blackthornone said:
To be safe when cleaning any electronics in the car, always spray the applicator or towel, and not the dash.
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LOL, I'm pretty sure Bob has cleaned an interior or two in his time!
 
I have decided to "self-ban", as I have used my pressure washer on probably 1000+ interiors. :eek1:



Oh- no mold, no electrical fires, no "glitches", and no kidding. It's been nice knowing you all.



My cover is now blown. :rain:
 
Kevin Brown said:
I have decided to "self-ban", as I have used my pressure washer on probably 1000+ interiors. :eek1:



Oh- no mold, no electrical fires, no "glitches", and no kidding. It's been nice knowing you all.



My cover is now blown. :rain:
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Yeah, but YOU remove the whole interior and wash it outside. At that point, it's like an extended exterior detail!:tongue1:
 
mikenap said:
Yeah, but YOU remove the whole interior and wash it outside. At that point, it's like an extended exterior detail!:tongue1:
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Well, not on all of them, and I did use a shop vac and towels and stuff to actually remove the moisture... :bathbaby:



I suppose you've found a loophole of sorts. :shifty:



In light of these new facts, I have decided to lift my long standing, self-imposed ban. Count me back in. :rockon1:
 
Kevin Brown said:
Well, not on all of them, and I did use a shop vac and towels and stuff to actually remove the moisture... :bathbaby:



I suppose you've found a loophole of sorts. :shifty:



In light of these new facts, I have decided to lift my long standing, self-imposed ban. Count me back in. :rockon1:
Click to expand...



Don't they still pressure wash interiors at the auction detail centers? ;)
 
I'd say the biggest problem with regards to the "detailer image" is in the fact we don't go far enough explaining to our customers the value of the service we perform. I have turned away a great deal of potential customer who scoff at the idea of my $40 per hour paint correction rate. As soon as I see the incredulous look on their face I usually launch in to my rehearsed speech about the fact I am not the neighborhood kid with a sponge in my hand, I am a craftsman. You pay a mechanic happily 50-75 an hour to fix your car, a plumber around 75, a carpenter.

If you give menthe opportunity to prove to you the difference between myself and the local car wash I will. If not, that's ok as well and it has been a pleasure meeting you and if you would like to discuss anything else I'd be happy to.



Some customers buy in at that point and some don't. Either way I am not going to sell myself short by falling prey to their preconceived "detailer image".



Once the job is done I show them the difference in what I did very carefully. I show them the disgusting filthy qtips from their AC vents and what they were breathing in their car,etc.



Unless you demonstrate the value of your service how can you expect the image to change.
 
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