washing cars at a dealership

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ConeArrow27

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My goal is to one day be a great auto detailer. It is my passion. Ive not persuede it cos lack of confidence in general but im over that. I thought bout finding a job at a dealer or shop washing cars to replace my current job. And learn detailing on the side. Is that a bad idea?
 
detailerroad27 said:
My goal is to one day be a great auto detailer. It is my passion. Ive not persuede it cos lack of confidence in general but im over that. I thought bout finding a job at a dealer or shop washing cars to replace my current job. And learn detailing on the side. Is that a bad idea?
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Sounds like a great place to start. Many of the best started out doing dealership work

Stay Positive!
 
I would recommend purchasing Mike Phillips book, The art of detailing, available at Autogeek, and also on iTunes I believe.

Read through it front to back, back to front. Then you will kind of see what you're getting into.

Most dealerships, detail shops, and body shops would take on newbies for some if the simpler tasks. I personally started in a bodyshop, and it gives a bit of an edge IMO. I'm not scared to sand and polish on most any paint, because I've done it many times over.

This forum has a wealth of knowledge on it, don't be shy or scared to ask questions. Everyone here started knowing nothing.

Maybe someone from here lives in your area and is willing to show you a few things.

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-Depending on what your current job is...
I would try to find the time to learn the details about detailing,
while keeping the current job. What do you do now for a living?

-Dealerships can be a brutal place to learn optimum detailing skill sets;
at least ones of which you, and your future customers, can be proud.

That is:
Unless brutalizing vehicles can honestly be considered a skill.


Bob
 
FUNX725 said:
-Depending on what your current job is...
I would try to find the time to learn the details about detailing,
while keeping the current job. What do you do now for a living?

-Dealerships can be a brutal place to learn optimum detailing skill sets;
at least ones of which you, and your future customers, can be proud.

That is:
Unless brutalizing vehicles can honestly be considered a skill.


Bob
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Im an overnight merchandiser right now. I like the job fibe I just like detailing cars more

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As Bob stated earlier, a dealership will not allow you the time to wash a car properly. They like to bing, bang, boom it and send it out the door! Maybe you should try finding employment at a local detail shop? You'd learn much more in that setting.
 
Yall got sone valid points ill steer clear of dealerships.

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detailerroad27 said:
Im an overnight merchandiser right now.
I like the job fibe I just like detailing cars more
Click to expand...
Thanks for the response.

It's often hard to walk away from a job,
any job, in today's stagnant economy.

Detailing vehicles for a living takes a well-thought-out Business Plan.


Bob
 
Yeah it is. Thats why im just detailing on the side

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detailerroad27 said:
My goal is to one day be a great auto detailer. It is my passion. Ive not persuede it cos lack of confidence in general but im over that. I thought bout finding a job at a dealer or shop washing cars to replace my current job. And learn detailing on the side. Is that a bad idea?
Click to expand...


Well you won't learn much about how to detail correctly from a car dealership.
 
I was a great detailer 40 years ago. 40 years ago, there were immaculate '67 Stingrays sitting in my garage.

Then I came to this turd, called Alamoghetto New Mexico, and some turd in a dealership wanted to pay me $6.30 part time with no benefits in 106 degree heat in some cesspool wash bay.

Since that day, I totally refuse to wash, clean, wax anything here, couldn't care if it was a 2014 Dodge Viper, I know I will be taken to the cleaners.

People don't care here, nobody is worth a plug nickel, 90% of cars here are on the verge of clear coat failure, cause the entire town is worthless, lazy and that is understandable if you could witness what I see, since this entire town, and all who lives in it isn't worth a plug nickel. Their loss, not mine.

Come to New Mexico, and you'll learn like I have.

I could spend 36 hours on a detail, and be lucky to net $50.
 
The only good thing about dealerships is you can learn the basics and not be responsible for damages etc. Having this site as a guide and doing dealer work will be a good crash course on what not to do (dealership) and what to do (AutoGeeks) when it comes to detailing.Be prepared to make $10 or less per hour and learn how to say"It was like that when it got here". Best of luck
 
I think you'd be surprised what you could learn detailing at a dealership.

Granted it's not up to the standards here,...but I would guarantee you'd pick up some useful techniques.

If you don't start at the dealership, how will you learn? And how long will that take before you grasp a basic understanding to where you can charge money for your skill?

Serious question.
 
I'll tell it like this..

When I was in marine boot camp years ago the drill instructor said "put your dang gone #### skinner (hand) in the air if you've ever shot a rifle before". Fortunately I never did so I didn't raise my hand. For those who did raise their hand the DI said forget all that trash you've ever learned cause now we're gonna teach you the right way. Truth be told those who had never shot did better.

Moral of the story? If you pick up nasty habits they will ultimately become muscle memory. If you detail like crap at a dealership there is a good chance you will carry that with you.

On a side note it's not a guarantee but don't pick up bad habits.
 
DaVinciAutoSpa said:
I think you'd be surprised what you could learn detailing at a dealership.

Granted it's not up to the standards here,...but I would guarantee you'd pick up some useful techniques.

If you don't start at the dealership, how will you learn? And how long will that take before you grasp a basic understanding to where you can charge money for your skill?

Serious question.
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:iagree:


IMO if you are not capable of performing Production Detailing you will NEVER make it in this business

Stop dreaming!
 
I would't give my job to work at just any dealership. You really have to do your research on which dealerships are worth working for and will actually teach you more than what you can learn on your own and online. I would keep working the job you have and start doing the vehicles of family, friends, and acquaintances, and save the money to go to an actual class like Mike Phillips' and or Renny Doyle's. You will probably learn more online than what most dealerships will ever teach you. Are there any actual detail shops near you or car washes that offer detailing services?
 
DaVinciAutoSpa said:
If you don't start at the dealership, how will you learn? And how long will that take before you grasp a basic understanding to where you can charge money for your skill?

Serious question.
Click to expand...

Detail your own cars, go and get some formal training as a detailer, so you will learn from someone that knows what they are doing.
 
detailerroad27 said:
Yall got sone valid points ill steer clear of dealerships.

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Click to expand...

Michael that's a darned good idea.;)
Like I told you, seek out DETAIL SHOPS and tell them you want to learn. Even if it's for free. We have a forum member that has a shop up in Gwinnett county (Buford maybe?). Try looking him up.

Get BOTH of Mike Philips books (to learn about detailing) then get Renny Doyle's book to read how he turned detailing into a successful business. His isn't so much about detailing as it is about business tactics (his story how he made it happen).

Read read read and READ. You Tube, as much as I hate it, and it is full of hacks and misinformation (like one video recently that said microfiber drags your hand ONLY BECAUSE IT IS MADE IN CHINA) is your friend. Just don't take everything you see from sources like that one as reality. Microfiber drags because of the way its constructed, not WHERE its constructed. BTW the guy that made that video has a lot of good ones, (but happened to be way off base with that one). ;)

Stick to known companies like Meguiar's, Mothers, and of course Autogeek and Mike Philips. (He was with Meguiar's for YEARS before coming to Autogeek. ) :D

Practice on personal vehicles till you're comfortable then move to family and friends. But do NOT jump on a friends vehicle just to practice. Mess just ONE up and you'll be disowned in a split second. :eek:

Dealerships however are horrible places to learn detailing as WE know it. They do CAR WASHING which is not "detailing". That is unless you can hook up with the body shop and THEIR version of detailing.

Proof?
Check out that video of the "detail shop" in DC that is an active thread now on tje forum. He is NOT "detailing" cars, he is WASHING cars. Washing a LOT of cars it seems but pay careful attention, towels they THROW ON THE GROUND then use them on cars. Luvs dem DUB rims but from what I saw probably does more damage than good to the paint on every single car that comes in. :rolleyes:

Major props for what he's done with/for the local kids that help him. MAJOR PROPS INDEED! And he's obviously serving a market that is receptive to services provided, but THAT is NOT "detailing".



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I personally own a detail shop and our biggest client is a dealership. While most of the horror stories are true, there is valuable information to be learned at almost any dealership detail shop. Some dealerships have great detailers, mainly cause they couldn't make a go of it privately so had to fall back to dealership work.

While I say valuable info can be learned, it doesn't mean it's info that should be used when detailing. What I mean is, you could start at a dealership and "learn" their ways of detailing then if you read both of mikes books, do all your research, you will have an idea of the RIGHT way to detail. You will have info at your disposal when going to interviews to ask questions to get a feel if you want to start your career at said dealership. You may get some bad training at a dealership, but if you follow through with the proper reading and studying, that bad training will still be some valuable information to have down the road on ways to educate customers on what should NOT be done.

Sometimes you JUST need a job. Any place you start detailing, don't take the training you recieve as the holy grail of detailing information, always continue researching (especially on autogeek) and try to better your skill set. This way, what you learn at the dealership, will still be valuable info, whether it be the proper way to detail or not.
 
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