What do we do when a customer brings in a coated car?

[waelwell]

Last week a customer brought in a 2011 Jaguar XJS. He said the paint was "trashed" and nothing else (I didn't book the job so I didn't talk to him). He paid for a 3-step paint correction package. As I started to wash the car, I noticed the paint was beading water like nobody's business. Hummmm... When I started to polish it, I finally clued in that something wasn't right. First, there were two kinds of scratches on the car. There were smaller scratches that, with great effort, I could buff out. Then there were longer scratches that I couldn't feel and I couldn't buff out. In addition, it looks like there were brush marks under the clear coat. So I called the guy and asked him if his car has a coating on it. He said that he didn't think so. But he did say that there was some sort of brochure from the dealer in the glove box. Once I figured out how to open the glove box, I found an X-Coat brochure. OK, mysteries solved - the car was poorly prepared (leaving scratches under the coating) before having a crappy coating installation (leaving the "brush marks" in the coating). The marks in the coating aren't why I'm writing but I know you guys are curious so here are are couple pictures.



To wrap up that story, I worked my ass off buffing the car and put a coat of wax on it (because he paid for it). I didn't point out the defects in the coating application to the customer. The customer was very happy with the results. I explained that in the future he should tell detailers that the car was coated.

But all this makes me want to get a few questions answered. Here you go:

#1 - If a car comes in with an unknown history, is there a way to tell for sure if it has a coating? Don't say that water will bead on the surface. Water beads on a waxed car too.

#2 - For those of you who are professional detailers, what services do you offer customers with coated cars?

#3 - Coatings are supposed to be scratch resistant. Well, I've got pictures to prove they aren't. But I can tell you that they are tough as hell to buff out. Is anyone out there developing products or techniques for buffing out scratches in coated paint?

#4 - Generally, what is your philosophy for dealing with coated cars?

Bill

[GSKR]

Charge more and communicate the promblem.If he deosnt believe you show him in person.

[GSKR]

Did you strip car before polishing to reveal naked paint?

[waelwell]

GKSR - shouldn't you be hunkering down for the hurricane? Dude, be safe.

Regarding your "Charge more and communicate..." comment - I guess I'm old school. To charge more, I'd have to provide more value. The guy paid for a wash, nanoskin, Iron-X, 2 stages of polish, and wax. That's what I gave him but he really didn't need the wax and was the nanoskin & Iron-X a waste of time as well? So what additional value would I be charging for? I can imagine the reaction of people if detailers start charging more to work on coated cars (vs. uncoated cars).

Regarding your "Did you strip the car..." question, I have no idea how to strip the coating off a car. No I didn't strip the coating off. And part of my post was about the fact that the owner didn't know it was coated and I didn't either until I started polishing it.

Be safe through the storm,

Bill

[Cruzscarwash]

if you gave him the 3 step that he wanted that would have taken off the coating
also nothing is scratch resistant, if it was then it would be the only one LSP to rule them all, coatings make it harder for things to scratch them as they are more hydrophobic but they are not 100% resistant

[FUNX650]

if you gave him the 3 step that he wanted
that would have taken off the coating

^^^ ^^^


Bob

[Eldorado2k]

It sounds like your customer's full of it.. I find it hard to believe he didn't know whether it was coated or not, yet he was very aware of the brochure in his glove box. Do you seriously believe he never looked at it? If he ended up being a customer wanting a full 3 step correction you better believe he did and was looking to get it fixed. Nothing wrong with him wanting it fixed of course, but if you ran into a ton more work than you had originally planned for because of it, then there's nothing wrong with explaining that to the customer and trying to work out a fair resolution, that way you don't wind up getting the short end of the stick.

[Eldorado2k]

Btw, what polisher, pads, and products did you use on this car?

[shadwell]

Re coating removal, theonly one I have had to remove early in its life (7 months old); I 3 stepped the wifes Mercedes GLA45 obsidian black which had "Permaguard" coating..
With Scholl S3 and LC foamed wool on rotary it took it off.. I IPA'd the test spot and misted water afterwards to make sure the compound oils weren't misleading me.. (NOTE it was not laid on like varnish as per your Jag experience)... fair play the S3 on foam wool finished up so well, I was expecting more marring on the deep metallic gloss black.. (quietly impressed)...
I was slow and steady then cleaned up with S20 on scholl blue spider DA , and car pro reflect on finishing on the rotary... the reflect was arguably overkill as the S20 finished out beautifully.....
Collinite 845 2 coats since.....

End of the day if I am looking to correct quickly its rotary and wool.. (unless paint is super soft under the coating eg Subaru, as the sudden loss of resilience is harder to gauge...)

Anyhow all the best

[waelwell]

Eldorado2k - the buffer is a Griot's G15, the pad was Griot's Microfiber Pad and the most aggressive product I had on hand that day was Meguiar's D300. The customer wasn't full of it, he was clueless.

But we're off topic....

#1 - If a car comes in with an unknown history, is there a way to tell for sure if it has a coating?

#2 - What services do you offer customers with coated cars?

Thanks,

Bill