The difference between a swirl and squirrel

M

Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.

Active member
Joined
Dec 5, 2022
Messages
51,004
Reaction score
7
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.


SwirlsandSquirrels_000.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?

:)
 
I know what you mean!! I do my mom's car twice a year. Every 6 months it looks like it has never been polished. So from now on I just do a couple spot area's(M105) and a full one step(power finish) to make it look better. Followed by some DGPS. I got tired of busting my butt for nothing. Of course it's a freebee, can't charge mom.
 
Great post, Mike! Wish I had read it about three years ago. I'm gaining a new appreciation for cleaner waxes.
 
I think I have a new quote to go by when it comes to detailing cars now.
 
ziggo99 said:
I think I have a new quote to go by when it comes to detailing cars now.
Click to expand...

I was just thinking that. Great post might, I had the same thought that you talked about( if the customer doesn't really care then y try to do a multi step polish?) I just got tired of busting my but and some of my customers not know the diffrence between the service I gave them and the service that could have taken me way less time and money. Im not saying that I want to cheat my customers but why spend all that time when they really want like you said.... shiny tired, clear glass, and shiny paint with a clean interior.
 
Great post Mike. These quick jobs make for some fast, easy money. I usually get $100 for a wash/clay/wax and vacuum/wipe down interior. If I work fast, I can usually finish this in under 2 hours using Klasse AIO or something similar, and the customer is always happy. A simple job like this makes a world of difference in the appearance of a car (and paint slickness), so it's a win/win IMO.

That said, I always prefer doing full paint correction...but when my schedule doesn't fit an 8 hour job, the simple ones are perfect. :)
 
[email protected] said:
Great post Mike. These quick jobs make for some fast, easy money. I usually get $100 for a wash/clay/wax and vacuum/wipe down interior. If I work fast, I can usually finish this in under 2 hours using Klasse AIO or something similar, and the customer is always happy. A simple job like this makes a world of difference in the appearance of a car (and paint slickness), so it's a win/win IMO.

That said, I always prefer doing full paint correction...but when my schedule doesn't fit an 8 hour job, the simple ones are perfect. :)
Click to expand...
AIO's, in my opinion, seem to becoming more and more popular. It's nice to have one chemical AIO like Meg's Cleaner Wax and then one with some actual cut, like Klase or the PRC from Meg's or 180 from XMT.
 
[email protected] said:
Great post Mike. These quick jobs make for some fast, easy money. I usually get $100 for a wash/clay/wax and vacuum/wipe down interior. If I work fast, I can usually finish this in under 2 hours using Klasse AIO or something similar, and the customer is always happy. A simple job like this makes a world of difference in the appearance of a car (and paint slickness), so it's a win/win IMO.

That said, I always prefer doing full paint correction...but when my schedule doesn't fit an 8 hour job, the simple ones are perfect. :)
Click to expand...

How in the world do you wash, clay, wax, vacuum, and wipe down interior in UNDER 2 hours?!?!!! This took me 5 hours today on my wife's car, granted it was my first time claying and waxing. I suppose it is just practice? Could you lend me some tips on your process? :hungry:
 
I think too many people who frequent car detailing forums (there are many) have seen the video of the British guy who gets $10,000 per car....and they think...man, I can do that.

Well, let me tell you that it takes years of practice and experimentation. Even though you finally figure out the best products and equipment to use....it all come down to 2 things:

1) Technique (without proper technique...that only comes from experience...you're done).

2) What the "real" market will bare....(and that's assuming you already have made a name for yourself...and that alone can take years).

Its nice to dream, we all do it...but for me, its not about the money. I'm a successful businessman and have owned a few businesses along the way...and I never went into any of them saying to myself..."man I can make a killing doing that"....I went in thinking, "God, I love doing this"...and the money always takes care of itself.
 
Mike you bring up a very valid point here. There's a fine line between doing "a little extra something" for a customer and wasting time & product doing something they will never appreciate. It takes experience and discipline to know just when to stop and when "good enough" matches the customer's expectations and the amount charged.
 
I think this principle also applies to repair shops - they only do as much as they think the customer cares about. I got my car back 6 weeks ago after the repair of 2 panels. The paint had swirls and terrible lack of clarity. I noticed this as soon as I picked it up. They said wait a month and we will address the problem once the paint cures. They were nice enough to provide a loaner while they buffed/polished the paint. Now the paint looks great. The point being they weren't going to more than necessary if the customer didn't care.
 
I can totally appreciate this advice.

This is also why most people should never buy a black car. It shows everything and then they hate it because the paint didn't "last."
 
At the Mobile Tech Expo I used this article in one of my classes and everyone got a kick out of the comparison.

Later, out by the pool during the meet & greet, I was walking towards a group of guys that attended the class where I used this article and just at that moment a large squirrel ran by me so they pointed it out in case I didn't know the difference between a swirl and a squirrel. We all had a good laugh...


:laughing:
 
Amazing post. I'd say well more then half the people I have detailed for have no idea what a "swirl mark" really is... Even on smaller "mini-details" where I just clay/wax with a PC people always tell me WOW ALL THE SWIRLS ARE GONE!(They are not gone)... I just nod. =P
 
This is a great thread Mike - thanx :dblthumb2: We sell more one step polishes then anything on autos and when I explain to them that 50 % of the swirl marks will be removed, many of them look at me with some blank eyes lol - they just want shiny swirl marks. Same applied when I was training ju jitsu : guy was concerned that if he wore a jacket out and about that if he got in an altercation he would get choked out by his own jacket lol (beginner student) - instructor reiterated to him that 99.9% of people out there have no clue how to choke you out with your own jacket and that he had a one up on everyone. Same thing I think lol.
 
B&B Tennessee said:
This is a great thread Mike - thanx :dblthumb2:

We sell more one step polishes then anything on autos and when I explain to them that 50% of the swirl marks will be removed, many of them look at me with some blank eyes lol - they just want shiny swirl marks.
Click to expand...


Exactly.

That's one of the points I try to share with people new to detailing for money in this article,

A few tips on starting a part-time detailing business


That is, the majority of people own "Daily Drivers" and don't know the difference between a swirl and squirrel, so match your services to your customer and instead of selling this demographic group of people a multiple-step show car detail keep it simple and sell them a one-step cleaner wax for the paint segment of the job.


:xyxthumbs:
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Exactly.

That's one of the points I try to share with people new to detailing for money in this article,

A few tips on starting a part-time detailing business


That is, the majority of people own "Daily Drivers" and don't know the difference between a swirl and squirrel, so match your services to your customer and instead of selling this demographic group of people a multiple-step show car detail keep it simple and sell them a one-step cleaner wax for the paint segment of the job.


:xyxthumbs:
Click to expand...
Are there any one step cleaner waxes that have the durability of Collonite products?
 
Coorsman said:
Are there any one step cleaner waxes that have the durability of Collinite products?
Click to expand...

I don't know of any studies that prove anything conclusively. This would make a great "Dedicated Thread" versus tagging it on to this topic though if you feel like starting one on the Detailing 101 forum group.


From my article list under,


Tips, Techniques and How-to Articles for Interacting on Discussion Forums




:)
 
What the best cleaner-wax available as a universal tool to keep in my collection Mike/others?

AMAZING article by the way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top