Training event in NZ . . . I did WHAT???

[Aaryn NZ]

Hey Folks, Long time no me.

Things have been busy Down Under, I still don’t know why Winter has flipped all the way around from being the slower period to being one of the busiest but I’m gonna take it & run.

We have been sacrificing a few (most) weekends & solidly detailing consistently for a while - mostly to raise the funds for our return to the USA in December but also to ensure we aren’t totally broke when we get home.

I’ll chuck a few pictures in here & there to break up my ramblings.

At the start of the year there was the inaugural ‘Roadhouse Breakfast’ event held here locally, which is very similar to the likes of ‘Cars & Coffee’ etc & has been growing steadily ever since. Even the crisp starts of a frosty Winters morning hasn’t deterred too many & attendance has been good.






This in turn has been a good avenue for business too. I simply don’t advertise, I have a Facebook page & Instagram but other than that we are solely word of mouth. We take out a prize pack every time the Roadhouse Breakfast is on & give it out to a car/person of our choice & that is well received. What also happens is - clients will spot me, & ask me to take a look at ‘so & so’s’ vehicle, & the SIV market is an interesting one here (perhaps the same everywhere) & a lot of the time, it’s not worth the effort to chase.






So for us this market is steadily growing. Last week I had a guy come in through word of mouth with a Yellow Jacket Challenger, & then he went to work & referred his boss to me who booked an appointment for the coming weeks with his Dodge Viper. Needless to say, we’re pretty happy to have such an event happening locally.

Sweet little Austin Clubman that came in for a quick detail & a few paint chip repairs . . . Believe it or not - my Dr ColorChip system had a perfect match for this Orange!!!








So anyway! Some of you may recall me mentioning a while back about being asked by a local car dealership about the possibility of hosting a training event for their in house detailing staff.

I barely spent any time at school to witness any teaching methods at all so I can say, I have very little experience in this field. I have however attended a Mike Phillips Boot Camp Class soI at least know how I want to attempt to teach.

Yeah, I know I know . . . I did say ‘want’. Hahahaha.






No seriously though. I’m meaning, the “hands on” approach. I am well enough equipped to do this - A - because my students will be only 4 in total, & - B - It appears I have enough tools to cover this . . .
I will not however have SIV’s on hand but again, this isn’t a Show Car Detailing Class, with the main objective to streamline their processes, dial in techniques etc & hopefully get them working efficiently.

I put together a class schedule, topics etc (hahaha yes, Ange did do this bit, you got me!) & gave all the information/proposal to the right people.

When the Dealer Principal rang today to confirm he wanted his entire team to attend, I must say - I’m hella nervous! What have I done???







I’m sure I’ll be fine. Once I start talking detailing I hope it’s just going to flow. I’m going to make my notes etc over the next month & a bit & prepare the best I can but most of all, I hope the students will take away something good from it.

Mike Phillips - if you’re reading this & have a few tips for me, please do share, actually if anyone here has some tips for me please don’t hesitate to share.





So there you have it! That’s what we have been up to in the Deep South.

Thank you everyone for checking in, it’s greatly appreciated.


Aaryn NZ.


Sent from my iPad using Autogeekonline mobile app

[Klasse Act]

Opening with an Abarth

Love that orange Austin MINI

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Paul A.]

You'll do great, Aaryn. Just tell them what you know. I would ask the shop boss what he wanted you to relay to them specifically and make sure you cover that.

[RTexasF]

I would ask the shop boss what he wanted you to relay to them specifically and make sure you cover that.

EXCELLENT point!!!! If the boss man wants them to get cars out as rapidly as possible then teaching proper polishing techniques wouldn't do them much good or please him either. Make him get specific so you can plan correctly.

[LEDetailing]

This is awesome. You will do great at spreading your detailing knowledge.

My biggest piece of advice for dealership detailers is to work clean.

Aaryn, Mike is offline till next week. I’m sure he’d be reading this thread otherwise.

Link to Mike’s thread:
https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...hlight=Offline

[Mike Phillips]

Hey Folks, Long time no me.

Things have been busy Down Under, I still don’t know why Winter has flipped all the way around from being the slower period to being one of the busiest but I’m gonna take it & run.

We have been sacrificing a few (most) weekends & solidly detailing consistently for a while - mostly to raise the funds for our return to the USA in December but also to ensure we aren’t totally broke when we get home.

Looking forward to your trip back to the U.S Aaryn,

Let's talk sometime in the near future when you have your dates in concrete.

What also happens is - clients will spot me, & ask me to take a look at ‘so & so’s’ vehicle, & the SIV market is an interesting one here (perhaps the same everywhere) & a lot of the time, it’s not worth the effort to chase.

For those reading, SIV stands for

Special Interest Vehicle

When I return to work next week I'lll write an article that includes my definition for the term and "yes" I agree with you Aaryn, chasing the SIV market is usually not worth the effort. Moslty because too many of the owners of these vehicles don't know the difference between a squirrel or a swirl.

There is one way I know of to capture this demographic group of people.

So for us this market is steadily growing. Last week I had a guy come in through word of mouth with a Yellow Jacket Challenger, & then he went to work & referred his boss to me who booked an appointment for the coming weeks with his Dodge Viper. Needless to say, we’re pretty happy to have such an event happening locally.

Word of mouth - always the strongest form of advertising for quality customers. I detailed a Yellow Jacket for a guy a few years ago, cool cars.

So anyway! Some of you may recall me mentioning a while back about being asked by a local car dealership about the possibility of hosting a training event for their in house detailing staff.

I barely spent any time at school to witness any teaching methods at all so I can say, I have very little experience in this field. I have however attended a Mike Phillips Boot Camp Class so I at least know how I want to attempt to teach.

Yeah, I know I know . . . I did say ‘want’. Hahahaha.



No seriously though. I’m meaning, the “hands on” approach. I am well enough equipped to do this - A - because my students will be only 4 in total, & - B - It appears I have enough tools to cover this . . .

I will not however have SIV’s on hand but again, this isn’t a Show Car Detailing Class, with the main objective to streamline their processes, dial in techniques etc & hopefully get them working efficiently.

I put together a class schedule, topics etc (ha ha ha yes, Ange did do this bit, you got me!) & gave all the information/proposal to the right people.

When the Dealer Principal rang today to confirm he wanted his entire team to attend, I must say - I’m hella nervous! What have I done???


I’m sure I’ll be fine. Once I start talking detailing I hope it’s just going to flow. I’m going to make my notes etc over the next month & a bit & prepare the best I can but most of all, I hope the students will take away something good from it.

What makes a "good" instructor is a person that has a genuine passion to help others. Someone that is empathetic to their situation. When it comes to car detailing, this would mean someone that can remember how they felt when they first started, that is how it can be both overwhelming due to the plethora of tools, pads and products on the market and also confusing with so many "opinions" flowing around on social media. You know things like,

Use 3 peas sized drops of product




If you have the passion and are empathetic, then you can overcome any nervousness. It also helps to feel comfortable taking control of an audience. And of course, having the real-world experience and command of the topic is a must and you have that Aaryn.

Mike Phillips - if you’re reading this & have a few tips for me, please do share, actually if anyone here has some tips for me please don’t hesitate to share.

For you my friend, I will type up some tips that I use myself when teaching classes and send them to you in a PM.

So there you have it! That’s what we have been up to in the Deep South.

Thank you everyone for checking in, it’s greatly appreciated.


Aaryn NZ.

Thanks for the update Aaryn - I hadn't seen you post in a while so I was wondering and almost concerned as to what was up. It's always great to see you busy and not only do you work on some really cool cars but they always look perfect after you work your magic.

[mc2hill]

A fantastic group of vehicles to have worked on Aaryn!
I think you will be fine with the class, you already know your stuff, and are the 'Recognized Detailing Expert in your Area' (a title of one of Mike's regular classes!).

[Mike Phillips]

This is awesome. You will do great at spreading your detailing knowledge.

My biggest piece of advice for dealership detailers is to work clean.

Great tip. I've worked with dealerships as well as body shops and the simple idea of having a clean workspace, including a clean workbench is often overlooked. In my how-to book,

Mike Phillips' The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine Paperback Book


There's a chapter on "getting started" and the first thing it says is you need to work clean. It also shared the idea of wiping down a workbench, or table top or counter. There must be a place to place clean microfiber towels and buffing pads so they don't get contaminated.

Mike Pennington, the Director of Training for Meguiar's always stressed the importance of working clean. He stressed it in every class that he taught that I assisted in and that's where I get the habit of practicing working clean and telling others to work clean.

And this is an example of giving due credit where credit is due. --> Mike Pennington teaching others to work clean.


I never steal other guys stuff. If I use something I learned from someone else I give them credit.

Aaryn, Mike is offline till next week. I’m sure he’d be reading this thread otherwise.

Link to Mike’s thread:

https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...hlight=Offline

Thank you so much for sharing that I'm technically off work and offline. I was hoping one of our regulars could do this. Helps me as I don't want anyone thinking I'm ignoring their posts.


PM me your shipping address, when I get back into the office I'll send you a token of my appreciation. Have you tried the BF One Step? How about the BF SiO2 Spray Sealant? Or the Wolfgang SiO2 Coating Wash?

[Mike Phillips]

A fantastic group of vehicles to have worked on Aaryn!

I think you will be fine with the class, you already know your stuff, and are the 'Recognized Detailing Expert in your Area' (a title of one of Mike's regular classes!).

Correctamundo - this is a class I've taught at MTE each year for the last 3, 4 maybe 5 years.

It is without exception - the most popular class I teach there each year. I know you've attended that class.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Thats awesome Aaryn!

Dont Fret. You will do well.