Jon Taffer - Bar Rescue - You ever watch this show?

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Jon Taffer - Bar Rescue - You ever watch this show?


We watch this show once in a while and find the "science" of how to lay-out and set-up a bar to be profitable interesting.


We're doing something similar today. That is we're visiting a dealership that's called us and asked us to come help them science out their detail shop.


Here's the backstory,

A few weeks ago a long time friend of mine gave me a call, he manages a huge car dealership here in Florida. He told me their mission statement is for their customers to have a $100.000.00 experience when they purchase a car because that's what they sell, $100.000.00 cars.

He told me all areas of the dealership run like a clock, everything is 5-Star.... except the detailing of the cars. Because he knows me, he knows what a car is supposed to look like after it's "detailed" and he told me their cars don't look detailed, at least they don't look good. So he asked me for some help.

Me? That's what I do. All my life I've been showing people how to detail cars. And now... myself and Autogeek have been asked to step in and try to safe their detailing program. Bobby, Andre and myself our headed out the door, we'll all be offline today but this is going to be both a challenge and a lot of fun!


Most people think detailing is simple, like they see in the movie The Karate Kid, you know... wax on, wax off. But there's actually a science to it, at least there's a science to doing it right.


Stay tuned.... for Detail Shop Rescue

 

[WTAGGART]

Good luck today Mike, looking forward to your recap of today's experience.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hammer77]

Give'em Hell Mike!

 

[RTexasF]

I look forward to this. I bet there just might be some personnel changes also.:bat:

 

[LEDetailing]

Very cool.

Most dealerships around my area employ young kids/adults to work in their reconditioning/detailing departments. I think the most important element to the detailing department is getting the employee to be passionate/caring about their detailing. (stole this from you) After you get them setup at the dealership, you should encourage them to send their employees to your CR class. You can become their Mr. Miyagi

One of the biggest hurtles will be to get a dealership to invest the money in their employee. Keep us posted on your findings.

 

[Desertnate]

That is a fantastic idea! A dealership like that is a unicorn in the automotive world. Too bad I'll never be in the market for cars in that price range. I'd almost travel halfway across the country for someone who appreciates the value of their product and is that focused on quality.

Far too many dealers could care less about their cars as long as they aren't dirty. Most of the salesmen and employees aren't "car people" and are simply moving product. Sadly, most of their customers these days aren't either.

 

[txchevyz71]

That's pretty cool. Those detailing guys at that dealership are in for a real treat.

The dealership that I bought my last car from actually hand washes cars, no scrub brush coin operated thing or drive thru swirl / scratch master there. Although, from what I have seen, they don't do a very good job of hand washing cars, let alone truly detail a car. I agree LEDetailing, it's hard to get anyone to be passionate and caring about detailing (of course they aren't seeing the $$ like a pro would). Besides, these guys see hundreds of cars a day and just try to churn and burn them out. I heard one of them say to another, the faster you work and get done, the faster they drive another one up.

I tell them to leave mine dirty.

 

[LEDetailing]

That is a fantastic idea! A dealership like that is a unicorn in the automotive world. Too bad I'll never be in the market for cars in that price range. I'd almost travel halfway across the country for someone who appreciates the value of their product and is that focused on quality.

Far too many dealers could care less about their cars as long as they aren't dirty. Most of the salesmen and employees aren't "car people" and are simply moving product. Sadly, most of their customers these days aren't either.

I agree about most salespeople not being car people. Some are, but most are just salespeople. And the majority of the "detailers" just want to rub up on 100k MB's. I bet the most passionate "car people" at the dealership are sadly the ones who rarely interact with the customer, that being the "wrenches" in the service dept. Those are the guys who could be taught how to detail, only problem is their passion is under the hood, not on top of it. They would rather be wrenching than polishing.

 

[Desertnate]

I agree about most salespeople not being car people. Some are, but most are just salespeople. And the majority of the "detailers" just want to rub up on 100k MB's. I bet the most passionate "car people" at the dealership are sadly the ones who rarely interact with the customer, that being the "wrenches" in the service dept. Those are the guys who could be taught how to detail, only problem is their passion is under the hood, not on top of it. They would rather be wrenching than polishing.

So very true. The mechanics would probably also take a pay cut if they were to move to "detail" work. In my area the guys washing and doing the prepping work are at the bottom of the dealership pay scale and it isn't their primary job. On top of washing cars they are also doing all the grunt work ranging from running customer cars in/out of service bays, making parts runs to other dealerships, moving trades between dealerships, and prepping cars for sale. They don't have time to do it right, nor are they expected to. I've noticed this phenomenon at dealerships at all price points ranging from Kia all the way to higher end makes like BMW and Audi.

 

[evo77]

You could make a show out of this and pitch it to Spike TV. Travel around the US and help those car wash "detail" shops that use a one bucket-no grit guard hand wash system and terry cloth towels for drying with a huge wind mill motion.

But then you'd have to muster your evil side and yell and berate them because you'd just be too dang nice to them, lol.

 

[LEDetailing]

You could make a show out of this and pitch it to Spike TV. Travel around the US and help those car wash "detail" shops that use a one bucket-no grit guard hand wash system and terry cloth towels for drying with a huge wind mill motion.

But then you'd have to muster your evil side and yell and berate them because you'd just be too dang nice to them, lol.

Don't do it. Mike would steal away all the small independent detailers business

 

[txchevyz71]

Don't do it. Mike would steal away all the small independent detailers business

I don't think Mike would take those types of cars as work though.

Mike if you ever decide to do something like this and need a meanie and an enforcer.. let me know...

I think my kids can vouch for me...

something about crayons and a lighter and fresh paint, and one of their mom's diamond earrings down the sink drain.

 

[DetailKitty]

Yup, watch and love that show.

Very interesting Mike... subscribed!

 

[LEDetailing]

I don't think Mike would take those types of cars as work though.

Mike if you ever decide to do something like this and need a meanie and an enforcer.. let me know...

I think my kids can vouch for me...

something about crayons and a lighter and fresh paint, and one of their mom's diamond earrings down the sink drain.

deleted my post. I can't read!

 

[Benny]

That is a fantastic idea! A dealership like that is a unicorn in the automotive world. Too bad I'll never be in the market for cars in that price range. I'd almost travel halfway across the country for someone who appreciates the value of their product and is that focused on quality.

Far too many dealers could care less about their cars as long as they aren't dirty. Most of the salesmen and employees aren't "car people" and are simply moving product. Sadly, most of their customers these days aren't either.

As the owner of a car dealership, I would have to respectfully disagree.

A lot of us care how our inventory looks, including down to how straight the cars are parked in a row. The consumer on the other hand is cheap and is only concerned about price. If you own a dealership you aren't going to be worried about making every car look perfect as if it were entered in a car show for judging. As the saying on this forum goes most people don't know the difference between a swirl and a squirrel. My real life experience has to agree. I'm not going to dedicate hours of work on every car for a customer who doesn't appreciate what we did. It's like when we put brand new tires on a used car and people are mad we can't take off an extra $500. They'd rather have the car $500 less with bald tires.

A lot of people like to bash detailers at dealerships but let me tell you something. Some of my rush 1-step buff jobs look better than some "professional" detailers all day long buff job. You can't always blame some of these dealership detailers either. Their boss at the dealership might not be providing them with everything they need, again to keep costs down. That doesn't mean the detailer doesn't know HOW to properly detail a car like a pro. At the end of the day it is all about the mighty dollar. Running a dealership isn't cheap and the government keeps forcing regulations down on us, especially with financing. It is very costly and you have to make cut backs where we can. Like I tell people, you'll pay a ridiculous profit to apple for an Ipone but if we made $1 on the car we sold you, you think it was $1 too much.

 

[Natron]

SUBSCRIBED. As some of you know, I run the detail center at a dealership. I feel that this is a trend that we will see more of in the next couple of decades. FORWARD THINKING dealerships will become more willing to invest in their people and develop their own professional grade detail department. Nathan

 

[Benny]

I agree, times are changing for people like us with dealerships.

Truthfully, I never wanted to offer detailing services to the public. I sell off-lease cars so my inventory is fairly new on the lot. I was doing just basic detailing and putting them on the lot. People kept stopping in and asking if I did detailing and I got to thinking. I already have the shop, equipment, chemicals and know how so why not? Got me a sign made and hung it out front and to my surprise have had quite a few people stopping in. I think I've had success because I do nice work at an affordable price. Too many detailers around here want to only do paint corrections starting at $700. They must starve because around here I can't see that many people wanting that.

Once we had a few satisfied customers, word started to spread and I kept getting more detailing clients through word of mouth. I only advertise with the $130 sign I had made out front. Ever since it's been that and referrals including people bringing in classic cars.

 

[Kamakaz1961]

I do watch John's show periodically. He show's how to be successful running a bar and I am sure you will do the same Mike! Keep us posted!

 

[Desertnate]

As the owner of a car dealership, I would have to respectfully disagree.

A lot of us care how our inventory looks, including down to how straight the cars are parked in a row. The consumer on the other hand is cheap and is only concerned about price. If you own a dealership you aren't going to be worried about making every car look perfect as if it were entered in a car show for judging. As the saying on this forum goes most people don't know the difference between a swirl and a squirrel. My real life experience has to agree. I'm not going to dedicate hours of work on every car for a customer who doesn't appreciate what we did. It's like when we put brand new tires on a used car and people are mad we can't take off an extra $500. They'd rather have the car $500 less with bald tires.

A lot of people like to bash detailers at dealerships but let me tell you something. Some of my rush 1-step buff jobs look better than some "professional" detailers all day long buff job. You can't always blame some of these dealership detailers either. Their boss at the dealership might not be providing them with everything they need, again to keep costs down. That doesn't mean the detailer doesn't know HOW to properly detail a car like a pro. At the end of the day it is all about the mighty dollar. Running a dealership isn't cheap and the government keeps forcing regulations down on us, especially with financing. It is very costly and you have to make cut backs where we can. Like I tell people, you'll pay a ridiculous profit to apple for an Ipone but if we made $1 on the car we sold you, you think it was $1 too much.

Thanks for the insight. I can fully appreciate the financial squeeze you are under in order to keep a business viable. I will fully admit I'm a bit jaded by my experiences over the years.

I just get frustrated by visiting a dealership and seeing cars with dull, lifeless, swirled out paint jobs and interior splattered with some greasy surface protectant. Picking up a car after service that looks worse than it did going in made me a firm believer in the "DO NOT WASH" signs. I even had one service advisor once tell me, "Yeah, your car looks really good. You don't want us to mess with it...that would be bad."

 

[lolitsDanny]

Mike, shut it down!!