If a car is black, and they don't want to polish it, I prefer not to touch it....

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WRAPT C5Z06

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I've done 2 black daily drivers recently and they didn't want polishing. I clearly told them they needed it, showed them why, but they didn't want to pay. So, I washed, clayed, and waxed. Honestly, as a result of the paint being more shiny, the swirls were even more noticeable! That really bugs me!

With lighter colors or some metallic colors, you can get away with a wash, clay, and wax, but with black, I'm not sure I want to work with anymore unless they want polishing. Anyone feel this way?
 
I see both points. You want to create that mirror finish that reflects highly on your skill, because the car is a rolling billboard.

The client, however, may realize it's a daily driver that will get scratched up in a few weeks anyway, and money is tight.

You can turn down the business if you wish, but may limit your income and business growth by doing so. The next person who tries you out on their grocery-getter might just have a performance/classic at home in the garage.
 
ScubaCougr said:
I see both points. You want to create that mirror finish that reflects highly on your skill, because the car is a rolling billboard.

The client, however, may realize it's a daily driver that will get scratched up in a few weeks anyway, and money is tight.

You can turn down the business if you wish, but may limit your income and business growth by doing so. The next person who tries you out on their grocery-getter might just have a performance/classic at home in the garage.
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:iagree:
 
I know what you mean Mark. I hate giving a car back to a customer that is filled with swirls when I know I could make it look so much better. It is annoying but I would rather be doing something for their vehicle (making money) than doing nothing.

What I want to do it create a portfolio both online and a hard copy to show people just exactly what can be done. If I could do a super indepth writeup like some of the greats on here that may help others change their mind.

But yes I know the feeling Mark
 
For these kinds of customers I would use a light paint cleanser (to clean up the paint a little and make swirls less noticeable) before waxing INSTEAD OF clay bar. Or add clay bar as part of the washing step to save time and then also use paint cleaner too. Or maybe just use a cleaner wax after wash and then top with a quick spray wax or spray sealant for extra protection. Clay bar is not always necessary, a cleaner wax or paint cleanser will get rid of a lot of the stuff that a clay bar picks up, just not all of it, while also reducing visual swirls. Adding steps together or reducing steps allows you to focus on other things that may bug you. :dblthumb2:
 
Sometimes you can't convince people to spend the money. Your average joe is just looking for their car to be cleaned well and a coat of wax put on. The swirls and minor scratches they don't even notice. While I'm detailing I always note where there are scratches and make sure I show the customer. I then explain that I can get rid of most of them (and point out ones I can't). As Par said having a portfolio helps too. But again if you talking about a daily driver, most people don't want to spend the money or don't have time/patience for you to work your magic.

Just part of the business. You'll get those customers who are willing to drop the money to ensure their cars look as best as they can. And then you'll have others that just want a quick cleaning and thats that.
 
Detailing outside of work isn't my main source of income, so I guess I can be a little more picky. Of course it's hard to turn down money, but I at least like to feel like I accomplished something. The cleaner wax stated above instead of claying might be a better option for these types of cars.
 
How about using an AIO cleaner wax that will both clean the paint and hide some of the swirls? At least you'll feel better about the car. :) AutoGlym's Super Resin Polish immediately comes to mind.
 
Would using some good filler glaze for these types of cars be an option? It should at least help for a while, and they might be up for paying for regular clay/glaze/wax jobs.
 
It's frustrating, but I think a lot of people don't notice the swirls like we DO people do. They see that the car is shiny and clean and they're happy.
 
Detailing is usually a compromise...unless your clientele are all republicans.
 
ScubaCougr said:
I see both points. You want to create that mirror finish that reflects highly on your skill, because the car is a rolling billboard.

The client, however, may realize it's a daily driver that will get scratched up in a few weeks anyway, and money is tight.
Click to expand...

:iagree:


And this is why you want to match your services to your customers wishes as noted here,

A few tips on starting a part-time detailing business




ScubaCougr said:
The next person who tries you out on their grocery-getter might just have a performance/classic at home in the garage.
Click to expand...

We can always hope...


Here's a few ideas on some techniques to show what can be done and give your customer the final say... not so much for Mark but anyone else reading this thread into the future...

The Cruel Test Spot - This or that? - Reverse Bait & Switch



:xyxthumbs:
 
What are some of the best filler/cleaner waxes on the market?
 
07 z-oh-6 said:
What are some of the best filler/cleaner waxes on the market?
Click to expand...

I've had really good luck with Prima Amigo/Banana Gloss. IME, this is the best filler heavy combo one can get. Of course, there are drawbacks; Banana Gloss doesn't last long at all. We know Prima Amigo is acrylic based, so if we top with a sealant (or wax for that matter), we can securely lock those fillers in for longer term coverage.

As akimel mentioned: Super Resin Polish is a really good filler/cleaner wax [emphasis on the filler]. The durability isn't great, however. What I personally do is, apply SRP to the entire car, then wipe off residue with OCW (which fills a little too), that way we can knock off 2 steps in 1.

Another good filler glaze is Poorboy's Black Hole, which again can safely be topped with a sealant or wax due to its chemical composition.

A lot of cleaner wax/AIO type products usually contain fillers, it just varies how much from product to product. :xyxthumbs:
 
Poliseal is great on darker colors with swirling. It doesn't hide major swirls, but it doesn't make them worse and it hides and corrects minor swirls.
 
I used 1Z piant polish topped with Glanz wax on my mom's car and it did a nice job of hiding swirls etc. Of course I'll go back in the spring when it's warm and take care of those.
 
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