wash,clay and seal detailers??? NO WONDER PEOPLE FLIPP WHEN YOU TELL THE $350 $450

[dcjredline]

Taking a short cut in this instance seems funny to me.

No paint correction at all ?!

Why is it a "short cut" if that is all the customer wants LOL. Cause its not what your EGO thinks is right?

[dcjredline]

Lately I have been watching allot of smaller You tubers talk/advertise there wash & clay sealant package! I can't wrap my head around it? And these are NOT NEW CARS! Even on a new car I at least use a light polish like Essence. Then I will apply a ceramic spray of some sort. Lately been really liking the Adam's advanced spray. Easy on and off! But has any of you guys seen theses random detailers lately. They have 3-400 videos and maybe once using a buffer
My Clay and Seal Package - Tony's Professional Touch - YouTube
Exterior Detail with a Clay and Seal Package - Top Class Detail - YouTube
I can understand it if the car is regular maintained after a full enhancement or correction. But this is a common $250 package on cars that have never been previously detailed on most occasions.

If the customer doesnt require or want their car polished why does it matter to you? The paint is cleaned and protected. Not every one wants their car polished (wearing the clear coat down)

[DanaDetailingPros]

If the customer doesnt require or want their car polished why does it matter to you? The paint is cleaned and protected. Not every one wants their car polished (wearing the clear coat down)

a$inine

[Eric7810]

If the customer doesnt require or want their car polished why does it matter to you? The paint is cleaned and protected. Not every one wants their car polished (wearing the clear coat down)

But some detailers don’t want to offer low budget services and in their world this is subpar work.

Clay barring, of all things, a gloss black GM truck and not following it with an AIO is leaving that Escalade marred. Guys who have the eye for nice paint will ask ‘who detailed this thing??’. Your reputation takes a hit.

It’s the guys with an eye for details, like nice paint, that I want as my customers.

There are instances in fact where I will not give the customer what they want because once you start offering ‘less than great’ you open your work up to criticism.


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[Klasse Act]

If you can be so true to yourself that you turn down paint correction before a quality LSP, more power to YOU On the other hand, the other detailer offers a package that's he's ok with, it works for him.

If I were doing it as a business, I'd turn down the quick buck, even though I've done wash & waxes before.

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[DFB]

But some detailers don’t want to offer low budget services and in their world this is subpar work.

Clay barring, of all things, a gloss black GM truck and not following it with an AIO is leaving that Escalade marred. Guys who have the eye for nice paint will ask ‘who detailed this thing??’. Your reputation takes a hit.

It’s the guys with an eye for details, like nice paint, that I want as my customers.

There are instances in fact where I will not give the customer what they want because once you start offering ‘less than great’ you open your work up to criticism.

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If you can be so true to yourself that you turn down paint correction before a quality LSP, more power to YOU On the other hand, the other detailer offers a package that's he's ok with, it works for him.

If I were doing it as a business, I'd turn down the quick buck, even though I've done wash & waxes before.

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Technically, I don't detail for a living, but I can draw comparison to my own industry.

There was a time when I said yes to everyone, even the "walk ups" who see me mowing, usually from the house across the street, and ask me if I can do theirs next. These people always want the job done immediately, want it for the less than I have asked for, then expect me to do a bunch of "while you're here's" for the same price. This situation never, ever, leads to both parties getting what they want. I end up taking on a job I didn't have time in my schedule to do, for less money and often the job takes waaay too long because of neglect that I don't make a cent from it. The customer then either gets the deal of a century or ends up disgruntled because I can't/didn't make silk purse out of a sows ear.

In some cases, the above would lead to a regular, scheduled job. And again, it leads to trouble. On one, the owners of this property lived out of town, it then became a situation where I was being called on Sunday evenings over trivial issues that really weren't my responsibility.

On another, the lady bartered me down from what was already a low price, would call me to schedule a cut once a month with a day's notice. What should have been a 15-minute job would end up being a 45-minute job due to length she would let the grass grow, meaning I was basically paying her to mow her lawns.

After mentioning my maintenance business to one of my nursery customers, somehow my number was exchanged with the idea I could "potentially" do some work for her in the future, but no promises were made. Last year, while the bloody town was flooded, she started sending me messages and phone calls demanding that I come around and clean her pond pump filter because she "doesn't like getting her hands wet and dirty", all while large portions of the town were under water, and I was trying to manage the nursery while my three managers were dealing with flooded homes. She then got p.ssed off with me because I wouldn't drop everything for her or make an afterhours visit to fit it in. I then got lip because no one in town would help her. All over a small piece of foam in her stupid duck pond.

My policy for a long time now has been NO WALK UPS, they are never worth the bother, nor can I deliver the result I want my name next to. I simply just tell them that I'm fully booked, not taking on new customers or that I simply don't have the time.

[Don M]

I'm not in it for the money. I detail for two reasons: 1) It relaxes me, kind of like a "Zen" thing, and 2) I'm retired (bored) and looking for something I enjoy to occupy my time. For family/CLOSE friends, price is never mentioned, although most slip me $100 for a detailed wash, paint correction (as involved as need be to get the best look possible), a good spray sealant or paste/liquid wax and of course windows in & out. For the average person, I'll quote: "Starting at $150 - $175 - depending on the condition of the car & size." I even show them my Camaro or the wife's Escape as an example of how their car will look when I'm finished. I DON'T get many (if any) cars, even at that price.

I'm not in a rich area, nor is it a poor area. I've just found, like other have said, MOST people JUST want clean and shiny - for UNDER $50, and they could care less how the car ACTUALLY looks. I mention in my videos on YouTube that without PREP WORK, you can wax a crappy-looking car without doing the prep, but all you're going to end up with is a crappy-looking SHINY car.

Personally, if someone asks me to "detail" their car, but tells me "No paint correction," I won't do it. Because ultimately, it will fall back on me and MY reputation if someone who KNOWS what they're looking at sees the end results and concludes that I did a crappy job (because the paint is still full of swirls and defects and tell the owner of the car that I am a hack and ripped him off). I find it almost comical that people will listen to a non-detailer's opinion VS a detailer's opinion when it comes to the condition or appearance of their car's finish.

[Eldorado2k]

Personally, if someone asks me to "detail" their car, but tells me "No paint correction," I won't do it. Because ultimately, it will fall back on me and MY reputation if someone who KNOWS what they're looking at sees the end results and concludes that I did a crappy job (because the paint is still full of swirls and defects and tell the owner of the car that I am a hack and ripped him off). I find it almost comical that people will listen to a non-detailer's opinion VS a detailer's opinion when it comes to the condition or appearance of their car's finish.

This.

I can’t remember the last time I clayed a vehicle and didn’t polish it afterwards.

The last time I had a customer tell me he wanted a vehicle clayed but didn’t mention wanting it polished [that Lincoln limousine] I went ahead and made the decision to polish it anyways and charged accordingly.

As a detailer I take it upon myself to make certain decisions that override a customers desires if what they had in mind is just flat out wrong. I’m not going to simply wash and “wax” your rough ass car that hasn’t been cleaned in almost a year. I have OCD when it comes to that type of sh1tlol.

[dcjredline]

a$inine

Yup, your EGO. Hilarious

[dcjredline]

But some detailers don’t want to offer low budget services and in their world this is subpar work.

Clay barring, of all things, a gloss black GM truck and not following it with an AIO is leaving that Escalade marred. Guys who have the eye for nice paint will ask ‘who detailed this thing??’. Your reputation takes a hit.

It’s the guys with an eye for details, like nice paint, that I want as my customers.

There are instances in fact where I will not give the customer what they want because once you start offering ‘less than great’ you open your work up to criticism.


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"Clay barring"? What, do you still live in the 2000s? The perforated synthetic decon towel from DIY doesnt mar the paint lol. But if your ego makes you have to polish a car even though the customer didnt pay for it or turn down business more power to you.