When is someone considered a Professional Detailer?

[mckobe]

If you can wash a car, you can call yourself a professional detailer. This is how everyone in SoCal markets themselves.

[Brandon Wetch]

If you can wash a car, you can call yourself a professional detailer. This is how everyone in SoCal markets themselves.

I second this! All the cars I deal with have smeared windows and every other mobile detailer is using a brush and bath towels on cars.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[PaulMys]

As a guy who knew next nothing about actual detailing, and read, asked, and learned from this forum to become proficient enough to make my personal vehicles to my liking, I will say this much:


Any man or woman that can do this job on several (hundreds?) of different types of paint, trim, colors, interiors, has to be not only experienced to be good, but adaptive as well.

A "Pro" is someone who has seen it all. From great success, to a few epic fails. Just the nature of learning ANY profession.

In my own field of expertise, it has taken me over 37 years and counting to be the "expert" I think I am. And I am STILL learning.

Hobby detailing is a bit of work, but fun.

Pro detailing is among the hardest work, and not just for the body but the mind as well.

[UncleDavy]

To me a professional detailer is someone who shows passion, pride and always ends the day with exemplary results. This person can consistently achieve these results on a regular basis and will never return a vehicle to a customer until it is perfect in his or her eyes. We have the good fortune of admiring the results of true professionals on this forum who are kind enough to share their work with us. I consider myself fair to middlin' when it comes to detailing and I am in awe of people like Justin, Mr. Tommy, Ric, Monica, Scott, Dan, Aaryn, Mike Phillips and many others. I don't know if I will ever get to the level of these folks, but that is the eventual goal.

[sudsmobile]

I think you guys are mixing up the words professional and expert. You're a professional when you earn a living (or in some cases simply making money) doing something, be it playing golf or detailing. You can be an expert at something without being a professional. I mean it's right in the name. PROFESSIONal.

And I take exception to the SoCal comment. First, Palm Springs is not SoCal any more than Santa Barbara is. In directional name only. There's tons of good detailers here in SoCal. Tons. Likely the best because unlike most we get to practice our craft 360 days a year. If those guys are really that bad at detailing, I would think that the laws of supply and demand would eventually take over and force them out of the business.

[mckobe]

There's tons of good detailers here in SoCal. Tons. Likely the best because unlike most we get to practice our craft 360 days a year. If those guys are really that bad at detailing, I would think that the laws of supply and demand would eventually take over and force them out of the business.

Depends on what you consider "good". Everyone will have a different view of what is "good"
I wouldn't call a car washer a detailer, but tons of people in SoCal drive around washing cars with a simple vac calling it a detail. The $25 guys, who don't even know what paint correction is, so it's safe to wash, wax and vac. Majority of customers just want a cleaner car vs what it currently is. They will always stay in business because of this hence the $25 guys

[Paul A.]

"Professional" detailer is a nebulously applied descriptor. The closest I can come up with to determine pro vs. amateur includes some qualifiers. 1.) complete some type of accepted standard of training 2.) completing IDA certification, the only recognized standard to my knowledge 3.) completing a minimum of time for experience. Should that be 3 years? 5 years? 4.) getting paid to do it full time.

Now, even after completing those "qualifiers", who gets to say you are now a professional. An analogy to pro athletes comes to mind. Pro athletes have risen to a level where they have been scrutinized by other professionals, managers, coaches, scouting staff, team execs etc, to determine whether they are ready for the big leagues. No one does that for detailers.

It remains a nebulous label. I am happy with some of my clients referring to me as a very good and thorough detailer.

Before some of you start shouting "hypocrite" because my business name is Anderson Pro Auto Detail, remember, a lot of this business is marketing!