Being efficient with marketing and equipment setup whilst on a job

[Steadfast detailing]

Heading out to a job tomorrow and something popped up on my mind that always bugged me in previous jobs. How to be efficient with taking photos and filming walk-arounds in order to minimise the amount of time it takes to finish a job for example, hence more money in your pockets at the end of the day.

At what points do you pull out the camera to snap some photos, what cleaning equipment do you have set up prior, do you tidy up and pack up equipment you're finished with all you go along (e.g. packing up the pressure washer when you're finished with it, cleaning out the foam lance bottle) , do you clean wheels before, during or after snow foaming to minimise the time it takes to do the entire car, etc.

This mainly is for mobile detailing. Please share some efficiency tips you may have picked up over the years. Thank.

[Calendyr]

First thing, before you even think of touching the client's vehicle, take pictures from all angles. This is very important for two reasons:

1. You now have before pictures when the vehicle is in it's worst possible shape. It makes a dramatic difference when you post those along After pictures.

2. If any issue arise once you are done, you have proofs of how the vehicle was before you did anything to it. This can be a life saver if the client decides he wants to make you responsible for damage that was already on his vehicle. It happened to me last week for the first time in 4 years and man was I glad I had proof I did not damage the car!

Regarding the cleaning process, you will have to come up with you own to do list depending on how you like to work. For me, the first thing I do I a power washer rinse of the whole vehicles, including wheels. The power washer can remove most of the dirt and grime, so there is much less chance of damaging anything during the washing process. Afterwards I always do wheels. This for me is a 40-60 minutes process on most vehicles and I like to get it out of the way first. Afterwards I do a 2 bucket wash. The rest really depends on what package the customer chose. The very last things I do is dress the tires.

Oh and regarding taking pictures during the detail, I am really bad at that. It's something I have to work on this year cause I have a really hard time making before and after pictures because of it. But if you do an exterior and interior combo, my suggestion would be to complete the exterior detail first, dress the tires and all and then take after pictures before you start on the interior. In the past 3 years I have been doing the opposite, Interior first then exterior and the problem with that is that it's usually too dark to take after pictures after working 10-12 hours on a car. So if you do the exterior first, there should be plenty of sunlight to take good pictures.

[Mantilgh]

For pics I just do them as I go. For the interior, I break it up into four quadrants. I photo the drivers area, clean, photo, and do the same with the next. That way the lights doesn't change much between the two sets. Some days the lighting sucks and you just do it for documentation.

For tools, I have a couple 1 gallon ice cream buckets. One for interiors I put my spray bottles, common brushes, and microfibers. I do the same for my wheel tools and cleaner. I usually rinse the brushes out when I'm done and I'll rinse my microfibers if it was a nasty interior job. Everything that is done being used goes back in its spot.

[WashEngineer]

One cool thing that I do with before and after exterior photos is to open the left door (the before door) and clean the right door (the closed after door). Then when I post photos, there's a VERY dramatic side-by-side comparison.

[Steadfast detailing]

One cool thing that I do with before and after exterior photos is to open the left door (the before door) and clean the right door (the closed after door). Then when I post photos, there's a VERY dramatic side-by-side comparison.

Do you then take the photo of the front of the car with both doors open?

[GSKR]

I'm not into the whole photo thing,time is money.I do a slow walk around the car and look for damage.To make things quicker be neat and organized.Bottles laying around really bugs me so I only take out what's needed out of the van and work neatly.

[Steadfast detailing]

I'm not into the whole photo thing,time is money.I do a slow walk around the car and look for damage.To make things quicker be neat and organized.Bottles laying around really bugs me so I only take out what's needed out of the van and work neatly.

I market with Facebook and instagram so photos are a big deal for me. I understand what you mean though. When my client base gets bigger, I can gradually wean off documenting all jobs I do.