I was also an attendee of the September 2015 Detail Boot Camp. Let me tell you, make sure you schedule a complete day off the Monday after the class. Most of the time spent during the three days is HANDS-ON training.
A quick note before I add my comments. I also attended the July 2015 class. I ran myself down due to some physical limitation (plus old age). Of course when you’re exhausted, your ability to think also degrades. So I felt I needed to “catch up” with another class. This is not the norm! Almost anyone can complete the class. Mike has designed a course that is aggressive but completely doable in the three days.
If you are currently a full or part time professional detailer or you’re thinking of starting a business, these comments may not be as useful. Mike’s class is full of information and tips for the professional. He spends a fair amount of time discussing the “money side” of this “art”. I’m just coming from a different starting point.
Now, let me approach my comments on the class from a slightly different angle. Namely, why would someone spend $1250.00 on yet another car expense? My thought before the class was something like this:
Are you just going to showcase your “house brand” products and be downplaying the competition? I personally hate the hard sell and the “You must be an idiot if you are not using MY special products” marketing technique.
I sometimes send my cars (both daily drivers and special interest cars) to detailers. I always thought the cars came back in great shape. Shinny and clean! So, why go to Mike’s class?
I’ve been cleaning and “detailing” my cars for over 30 years. I think I do a pretty good job. My wife always says her car “Never looked better!” Can’t get much better than that, so why go to Mike’s class?
Why so much money? Can’t I read Mike’s books and watch all the videos? The $1250.00 tuition can sure buy a lot of new chrome for the “ol’ 57 Chevy”!
Let’s begin.
First off, the $1250.00 is NOT an expense. We car guys would spend that in Manhattan Minute if the money went towards improving our rides or bringing further enjoyment of our hobby. Heck, I spent three times the tuition on the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour in 2012. Enough said.
Mike is a professional first and foremost. His entire effort during the class is to impart his knowledge of auto “detailing” to his students. He uses and discusses products that he knows works and saves time. Sure, AG sells most of the products he is demonstrating or you are using during the hands-on training. It’s never use this or you are on your own. Only once did he ever comment on “selling” and it was more of a joke. It went something like this: “Why use a machine to do this and not your hands? I don’t sell hands!”
Even if you never put MF mitt to paint, after the class you will have the ability to recognize a true professional detailer from someone you would want to avoid. It’s all about how to “touch” your paint. How to avoid introducing particles that add to the dullness (scratches and swirls). Care of the tools that touch your paint. Mike has horror stories and I have horror stories. I still remember the wool buffer pad on the machine of the guy who “detailed” my 57 Chevy. It was a mess. Looked like it had never been cleaned or dressed properly. I spent twice as much getting the car fixed. Over the years Mike has developed a methodology that has proven to produce a “Show Car Shine”. It works. It makes sense (even if you have to go the class twice). How do I know? I did my first car after the first class. Although I struggled, it was my best effort to date. So much so, the car was the demo vehicle at September’s “Cars and Coffee”. I think Mike approved of my work. At least I hope so.
I did okay with caring for my cars over the years. But I never improved the finish. Yes, I was slowly degrading the car’s finish every time I washed and waxed them. Why? I was not removing the bad things and I was doing things out of order. Just think of the trade-in value on a car that looks “as good as new” over one that shows it’s age. That alone is worth the price of admission. I could have saved ten times the tuition over the years. Oh another thing, I avoided machines because I had never used one and was afraid to try. In Mike’s class you spend hours with most every machine on the market. Saving time is just like saving money.
Books and videos help. I think they mostly introduce you to new products or ways to use them. They are not going to give you the training that a hands-on class with instruction from a knowledgeable teacher will.
And Lastly, the intangibles.
Mike and Nick are great guys to work with. They are there to help you succeed. Their effort behind the scenes is what makes the class. Like magic, every MF towel used during the day is ready to go again the next day. Both guys are readily accessible long after the class is over.
You meet some other people with different backgrounds and goals. It always helps to see the bigger picture. One guy, Rob from the July class, is always available by phone to help me out. He’s ahead of me in his detailing experience so it helps to have someone to bounce ideas off of. A lot of costly mistakes were avoided.
Hope this helps.
Bob Jones
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