It takes just as long to do it wrong...

Why do people insist on using rotary polishers if they can't use them correctly? That Camaro's paint looks terrible. If only the "detailer" would have used a DA... probably thinks they're for novices and not "professional".

Even though I'm not a pro detailer and don't do this for a living, I still like to educate people when I can. Had a guy tell me how clean my car looked the other day. He said he's never really seen a car with paint so shiny and reflective, lol. He pointed out how everything was so clean and "put together", and I proceeded to educate him about all the little details. I'm not really chock full of detailing knowledge, but I know a little something, lol. Judging by how clean I keep my car, I imagine I could do this stuff for a living and probably much better than whoever the hell hacked up that Camaro.
 
TH3M B0N3Z said:
Why do people insist on using rotary polishers if they can't use them correctly? That Camaro's paint looks terrible. If only the "detailer" would have used a DA... probably thinks they're for novices and not "professional".

Even though I'm not a pro detailer and don't do this for a living, I still like to educate people when I can. Had a guy tell me how clean my car looked the other day. He said he's never really seen a car with paint so shiny and reflective, lol. He pointed out how everything was so clean and "put together", and I proceeded to educate him about all the little details. I'm not really chock full of detailing knowledge, but I know a little something, lol. Judging by how clean I keep my car, I imagine I could do this stuff for a living and probably much better than whoever the hell hacked up that Camaro.
Click to expand...

I hear ya' brother. And hey, I don't pretend to be a professional detailer either. What I DO do, is know how to do what I do, and I do it well. ;) Are there guys that can do it quicker, or even better? I'd say there are, especially quicker.

But as you've found out, people will stop you to ask about your car, about how you got it to look like that, or if you did it, or WHO did it? Then you get into telling them about how they can get THEIR car to look just like it and it blows their mind.

Finally you (if they ask) get around to telling them how much it'll cost to get their car looking at least somewhat close to "your baby" and suddenly they lose interest. They either don't know, don't care, or can't afford it. Too bad for them though.

I've told people for years that a properly maintained vehicle, not just the mechanical (as that's mandatory) but the interior and especially the paint will bring (most of the time) 10% more than one that' all pitted, scratched, and just nasty all over. Never mind holograms and swirls.

I'll tell friends when they are thinking of trading for a new car that if they'll pay me for just and AIO and a good top to bottom, inside and out detailing that they'll double their money or I'll give them half the detail cost back (in cash). That's not saying they'll double their money on a $900 detail job with multi-step paint correction that I worked on for 2~3 days, but for a $250~$300 job they'll make $500~$600 day in, day out.

Had a old buddy from school that sold his high mileage, late model Corolla earlier in the year. He drove it as his work mule. Clean interior but had NEVER buffed the exterior. Drive thru car wash kind of guy, spray wax all the way. The car would have brought $7,000 all day, every day and I guaranteed it (if he let me hit it with Megs 151). Instead.... he ended up getting $6000 for it and called it a day. Could have spent $250 and made $750 profit but "didn't see the value in all that". Go figure! :dunno:
 
cardaddy said:
I hear ya' brother. And hey, I don't pretend to be a professional detailer either. What I DO do, is know how to do what I do, and I do it well. ;) Are there guys that can do it quicker, or even better? I'd say there are, especially quicker.

But as you've found out, people will stop you to ask about your car, about how you got it to look like that, or if you did it, or WHO did it? Then you get into telling them about how they can get THEIR car to look just like it and it blows their mind.

Finally you (if they ask) get around to telling them how much it'll cost to get their car looking at least somewhat close to "your baby" and suddenly they lose interest. They either don't know, don't care, or can't afford it. Too bad for them though.

I've told people for years that a properly maintained vehicle, not just the mechanical (as that's mandatory) but the interior and especially the paint will bring (most of the time) 10% more than one that' all pitted, scratched, and just nasty all over. Never mind holograms and swirls.

I'll tell friends when they are thinking of trading for a new car that if they'll pay me for just and AIO and a good top to bottom, inside and out detailing that they'll double their money or I'll give them half the detail cost back (in cash). That's not saying they'll double their money on a $900 detail job with multi-step paint correction that I worked on for 2~3 days, but for a $250~$300 job they'll make $500~$600 day in, day out.

Had a old buddy from school that sold his high mileage, late model Corolla earlier in the year. He drove it as his work mule. Clean interior but had NEVER buffed the exterior. Drive thru car wash kind of guy, spray wax all the way. The car would have brought $7,000 all day, every day and I guaranteed it (if he let me hit it with Megs 151). Instead.... he ended up getting $6000 for it and called it a day. Could have spent $250 and made $750 profit but "didn't see the value in all that". Go figure! :dunno:
Click to expand...

Makes good sense to me, but as you said, some people just don't see the value in getting their car detailed. That's why I almost prefer just detailing my own car. I almost find it a waste of time to detail someone's car who isn't all that into it or doesn't really care. I've been considering going around to higher end dealerships to see if they can hire me as a detailer, but even those dealers are all about cleaning 30 cars in one hour or two, and I don't really think I could hack up a paint job simply because I'm not paid to pay attention to detail. Just the other night I noticed a tree sap stain on my hood... almost couldn't get to sleep just thinking about it! :laughing:

Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
I just think it was ridiculous that that car was on display at SEMA!


Cough cough...


:dunno:
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I know, right? Back when I traded in my last car earlier this year, the body shop swirled the paint, and I was almost embarrassed to take it to be traded in. Of course, the dealer thought it was immaculate inside and out. Inside, sure thing, but the outside was totally not up to my standards, but they probably wouldn't know perfect paint from swirled paint if it was a snake and bit 'em in the arse. :laughing:
 
TH3M B0N3Z said:
I know, right? Back when I traded in my last car earlier this year, the body shop swirled the paint, and I was almost embarrassed to take it to be traded in.

Of course, the dealer thought it was immaculate inside and out.

Inside, sure thing, but the outside was totally not up to my standards, but they probably wouldn't know perfect paint from swirled paint if it was a snake and bit 'em in the arse. :laughing:
Click to expand...



Or as I like to say...


The difference between a swirl and squirrel

I was posting in another thread and just posted this,

Mike Phillips said:
I don't ever try to tell people how to run their business, but instead just try to offer some balance to the conversation because as a detailer, one of their goals is to make a profit and multiple step buff jobs take more time and if your customer doesn't know the difference between a swirl and a squirrel then just make their paint clean and shiny and move forward.
Click to expand...


And seriously, I don't want to tell anyone how to run their business but I often times see a trend that goes like this,

  • Person gets interested in detailing, starts reading forums and gets the bug.
  • Takes the leap and starts purchasing pads, products and tools to start detailing for money.
  • Loses focus, probably because of one segment of the type of work shared on forums, (show car detailing), and decides to start out doing show car style detailing where they're using a multiple step system to create show car finish.


Nothing wrong with the above scenario except if you're buffing out daily drivers for people that are not really into their car as a hobby, then you're e not matching your services to their needs.

Most people only want 4 things and they probably don't even know they want these 4 things. All they know is they want their car clean and they don't want to do it.

Here's the 4 thigns most people want,

1. Shiny Paint
2. Clear Glass
3. Black Tires
4. Fresh Clean Interior


They don't know the difference between a swirl and squirrel.


For clarification...

This is a Squirrel
ScottsVetteScratch011.jpg



These are Swirls
CobwebSwirls001.jpg





If you spend too much time on the paint for someone that probably won't appreciate your efforts as much as you, and probably doesn't want to pay for your efforts, then you're doing them a disservice and you're doing yourself a disservice in your pocket book.

If you have a customer that wants to pay for a multiple-step process then by all means go for it. But if your customer fits the daily driver description, then keep your focus and do a great job but do a fast job and by fast I mean wash, clay and use a one-step cleaner/wax.

Make sense?

:)
 
Well, now I'm in good company digging up bones this week.

Hey, good information is good information.

The only sad thing is some of the good posters who have moved on.
 
There is a woman I work with that has a black Blazer. "Her baby" she calls it.

Washes it all the time. You can see the swirls from a mile away on the black.

But to her, it's clean & shiny. Squirrel/swirl like Mike said.

She sees no difference in her Blazer with the all the swirls, greyed out black plastic trim, and etched water spotting in comparison to my truck.

Some people really just don't care as much about detailing. To each his/her own.
 
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