Ever reschedule a customer because it's TOO hot?

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001jigsaw

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Hey everyone!

So I have a customer scheduled to drop their car off tomorrow night - a black Audi A8L, inside and out. We agreed on the day last week. He lives about 10 minutes away. I forgot to check the weather, and guess what?! 92* F tomorrow, "RealFeel" of 100 with 70% humidity! Those of you on the west coast are probably laughing at me, but it's the humidity that makes you feel like you can't even breathe. I've been having trouble with keeping away from heat exhaustion lately, even with drinking a lot of water - it's like I just can't tolerate it anymore. These past few days would have been perfect, but even today it was rough out there, and the next few days are going to be increasingly worse.

I work at my home, I usually just pull the car to the back of the driveway in the shade. I have a garage too, but not A/C or fans. I don't want to sound like a little girl, but it's coming to the question: take the risk despite often nearing heat exhaustion, or risk losing the customer? Is this a ridiculous question? :dunno:
 
What kind of job is it?

Since the summer started, I had a heat stroke on one job and nearly had an other one on an other job. Both were full exterior details with polishing. The first time around I was caught by surprise. I was really hot but the car was in the shade from 8 am to 4 PM. At 4 PM when the sun started pounding on me I was already very hot from working all day and did not pay attention. About half an hour later I started feeling extremely weak and got blurred vision. I drank a lot of water and slowed down the pace (no choice I could no longer move at my normal speed). At 8 PM I had made little progress since the heat got to me and told the customer I had a heat stroke and had to stop. I completed his detail the next day. After reading up on heat strokes I realised I was foolish to keep working, this can go very wrong very quickly.

The second time around I noticed the symptoms early and took a break in an air conditioned room. When I started feeling better I continued the detail taking regular breaks and drinking a lot of water. I was lucky and everything went well. Took me maybe an extra hour to do the detail so it wasn't so bad.

So if you decide to do the work despite the high heat and humidity, make sure to stay hydrated and take breaks so you can cool down. If you can have a fan on you that might help too. Do try to get shade if you can, it makes a huge difference.
 
You might want to go with something more than just water as well. I am recently diabetic and doing an all day detail in the heat/humidity can really get to me, I almost bottomed out once after such a detail (sugar was ~66 VERY LOW) and I felt like I was going to pass out and/or vomit, wasn't hungry, wasn't thirsty, but the wife FORCED me to eat a yogurt. Within minutes I was better.

What I'm saying is frequent breaks, alternate water with OJ or something similar and have small snacks during your breaks. Manning up isn't enough, you have to KNOW HOW to man up that's going to make the difference.

BTW, if you ever notice that you've STOPPED sweating ... STOP IMMEDIATELY, you're dehydrated and about a hair's breadth from a trip to the hospital. I did this ONCE, and I should have gone to the ER, but macho took over, I drank a ton of water and laid down to rest for a while, then when I "felt" better, I went back outside to finish the job ... the things you do when you're young and stupid.
 
No....not because of the heat. I too work at home and do a lot of mobile service. The key is to start polishing no later than 8am as the temperature is still in the 70s and 80s until about 12 PM. When polishing, do one panel and rest for about 15 minutes. Have no distractions don't talk to anybody time is the key because at 11 AM to 12 especially the next few days you're done then don't do it!!!

On darker colors check the paint temperature. You can buy temperature gun for about 10 bucks. You don't want your paint temperature to be in the 90s or over 100 when you first start to polish or paint correction work. So, if you're doing a full detailing job after all the pre-work start your buffer and dial-in by 7am no later than 8am then take a break then do the interior in the afternoon. Start your interior after about 30 minutes, Then I go lay down for an hour. Then start again for 30 minutes and rest for another hour until the jobs done, sometimes it takes six hours seven hours in this weather for me to finish the interior on a customers car. Drink a lot of of Gatorade and water together slowly. Even if you're not "Thirsty"

I need to add this..if the customer calls you and says, I really need my car and isn't ready do NOT rush in this weather. Actually you should not rush anyways, but some customers do this to me so, now I let him know right when I arrive please do not rush me this is going to take a lot of time this is artwork,,, this not wax on wax off....
 
By the way, I'm in the Carolinas so we're on the same page with heat and humidity!
 
Well, the humidity is going to be high, I think that's what jigsaw is referring to. It's not so much the heat it's that humidity if it's 90 and it feels like 98 that's what we have here for the next several days and we are in a drought. But that's a good thing for us... Just joking,,, because I know farmers would not like comment at all.
 
Just down the coast from you in South Jersey.....I know what you're saying about the humidity......it just drains the life force right out of you. When I was younger, I would not have skipped a beat, but now, not so much. I only schedule jobs early in the morning, and if need be, ask the person to drop the car off the night before. I might do the interior that night in the garage, and start the exterior as early as possible the following morning.
 
Everyone is going to react differently to heat and humidity. Sucking it up, or manning up doesn't keep heat exhaustion or heat stroke away.
Knowing the signs, what to look for and setting up so that you can mitigate it is key.

1.) Do your outside work as early as possible. If this means customers have to drop off a car the night before.
2.) Get an ozark canopy and do as much of the outside work under the tent. Move the tent as required as the sun changes position.
3.) Get an AC for the garage, either window or free standing.
4.) Do as much of the non-water items in the AC - Garage (i.e. compound/polish/lsp)
5.) Take lots of breaks, both water and food are important.

Heat exhaustion is a serious medical condition that can lead to heat stroke.
This happened to me once, and it was scary. I had the feeling that my body wanted to keep going but the brain was giving out. I was beyond the point of dehydration and no matter how much water I drank didn't make a difference.

Only you know your limits and what you can work with. Since then, I have put an AC in the garage. If you have an Ozark Canopy, set it up early and try to stay in the shade as much as possible.

Hope this helps.
 
If you plan on doing this every summer, then you need to get a portable a/c unit for your garage. They're not very expensive and you will thank me on the very first time you fire it up. It's not just that you're more comfortable (although that is a major thing for an old man like me, LOL), but also I find the products work better too. Everything seems to respond better working in the low 70's vs. the 90's. Check out the link below. I've had mine for 9 years already (I couldn't believe it's been that long!) and I would replace it the same day if it were to die....it's that important to me. You can see how I handled exhausting the heat, etc in my thread:


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/off-topic/9755-c-unit-setup.html
 
Never put your health at risk. It's not worth it, the hospital bills will be more than the job pays.

What is the risk threshold? That's different for everyone

I was working in Houston a couple of weeks ago, it was about 100F with probably 80-90% humidity. One day I worked 12 hours buffing and coating a Porsche GT3 with a 15 min lunch break, and then another 15 jump in the pool break(it was my uncle's house, not some rando lol). I was exhausted by the end of the day, and massively sweaty but I got through it with lots of water, Gatorade, and fruit smoothies.

Over three days I put in almost 24hours of work time(not including the 8 hours of travel time)which was crazy! I don't know if I would suggest it to anyone. Disclaimer: I'm 18years old and workout a lot
 
I once detailed a Mustang for 2 days when the high was 110F during that weekend. I had a migraine for a few days after. This was probably 5 years ago. I told myself it's not worth detailing in the heat because of the health risks it presents.
 
Take a bucket of ice and water. You could use it to cool you down and the panel too. You got to have a bottle with you no matter where you are around the vehicle; I believe I let myself get dehydrated sometimes because I'm unwilling to stop the task at hand and walk to get water. Maybe invest in a camel back.
 
Or at least go to walmart and buy yourself 2 or 3 $20 fans to help you out. Place them front and sides of the car and stand in front of them as much as you can
 
Thanks fellas, glad to see I'm not the only one. I was expecting a lot more "Man up!" responses :laughing:

I'm only 24, but I'm recently learning how to properly deal with hypoglycemia, so Don - I definitely know what it feels like when blood glucose drops that low. The garage isn't mine, it's a family member's that lives next door, and he has some work equipment in there as well. Maybe I can convince someone to help me carry our portable A/C from the basement to the garage.. then I have to convince him to let me use it in there. Stubborn family members!

The customer is dropping it off soon, and wants me to decide whether it only needs a Wash, Clay, AIO + Seal, or if it needs compounding as well. Boy, for once I'm hoping it needs less LOL. Either way, I have several ice packs in the freezer, plenty of water bottles to put in a cooler, and I found one of those "cool" towels that you can keep around your neck, so I have a big ice pack that I'm going to throw in a bucket of water so I have an ice cold source to re-wet the towel in. I'm going to go grab some more Gatorade's. Now it's just the matter of listening to myself and YOU guys, and restrain from pushing myself to finish the job. I'm awful with that as well!
 
The only thing I dont miss from the east coast is that humidity. When i was stationed in NAS Oceana we were hit by a litttle heatwave. Can't really remember what year it was, maybe 06 or 07, all I know is that I was way in over my head and under estimated the humidity. I was detailing an Acura RSX, clay, light polish, wax and interior. Luckily it was something I had started at 6am. Finished the exterior and worked my way into the interior around noon. That when it went down hill for me. Felt like I was being baked. But I pushed through it because of that "young Marine" mentality. Probably had a heat stroke, can't remember because it was too long ago. Now, I wont risk my health for anything. Luckily over here we have dry heat, detailed a car this past sunday in 90 degree weather with no problem.
 
paul_g said:
Everyone is going to react differently to heat and humidity. Sucking it up, or manning up doesn't keep heat exhaustion or heat stroke away.
Knowing the signs, what to look for and setting up so that you can mitigate it is key.

1.) Do your outside work as early as possible. If this means customers have to drop off a car the night before.
2.) Get an ozark canopy and do as much of the outside work under the tent. Move the tent as required as the sun changes position.
3.) Get an AC for the garage, either window or free standing.
4.) Do as much of the non-water items in the AC - Garage (i.e. compound/polish/lsp)
5.) Take lots of breaks, both water and food are important.

Heat exhaustion is a serious medical condition that can lead to heat stroke.
This happened to me once, and it was scary. I had the feeling that my body wanted to keep going but the brain was giving out. I was beyond the point of dehydration and no matter how much water I drank didn't make a difference.

Only you know your limits and what you can work with. Since then, I have put an AC in the garage. If you have an Ozark Canopy, set it up early and try to stay in the shade as much as possible.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

In GA, heat and humidity is killer. I literally start sweating within 2 minutes of being outside.

I agree with all these points that paul_g has made, manning up or sucking it up without ensuring you are taking care of yourself is not a good idea. Having plenty of fluids on hand to replenish electrolytes is vital. I find coconut water really helps. Healthier than gatorade for those that are into the healthy thing.

I bought a standalone AC for the garage as well but my house is old and whoever set up the electrical panel put the garage receptacles, living room, and downstairs bedroom on the same breaker. It trips every time I am running the AC and use any other equipment in the garage and my wife is watching TV, I hear "Rayyyyyyyy!!!!" lol
I have a friend who is an electrician coming out and redoing it for me soon once I get my new lighting ordered.

I need to get a canopy at some point as well and have been thinking about it as I get a lot of sun on my driveway during the afternoon and I avoid taking any jobs mid afternoon.
 
If you get a canopy, don't bother with getting one of the carport's that has the sides. I have one in my driveway for my Chevelle, and it's been a greenhouse in there.


Also... :D


0DFC96FB-4934-4CE2-BD53-96629DD5BE7E_zpsq1we8uem.jpg




This is what it was reading before I walked out of the garage.. 60% humidity right now

8E2DDF74-0168-46DA-B9F9-4E9648E3B0C8_zpsftvuizsy.jpg



Now all I have to do is hope that it doesn't go on fire LOL. It's plugged into the same circuit as the freezer, which appears to be a 30A. Should be fine.

Richy, I probably never would have thought to use this. Thanks man! I'll worry about actually sealing up the window entirely once I finish eating.

Hope the A8L fits in the garage!
 
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