What certifications can I get as a detailer?

[Lilskeezer]

I had a friend recently mention that I should look into getting ASE certified to beef up my detailing resume. I looked on ASE's site and found a program "collision repair and refinish". I assume much of this will cover the actual application of paint not just the detailing/proctecting portion, but I figure it will still cover some important topics as well as help me better understand paint. If it's not too expensive I think I am going to go for it.

What certifications (if any) do you folks have? Do you think it's worth it (I think it'll be less than $100)?

[fancyfootwork]

Good question, I'm also interested in this. I suppose detailing is more of a luxury (where if you know about it you are more likely to do it and/or get your car professionally detailed) and not such a demand as bodywork.

[rwright]

In for info too.

[bige441]

I have taken some of the ASE refinishing classes. They will help you better under stand paint and what not. But IMHO it's not worth it and it cost more than 100 bucks. The only reason that I took them is because the body shop I was working at paid for me to go.

[WindyCity]

There really is no national certifications for detailers. A few company's give you a certificate of completion if you complete their programs but that doesn't mean much. On the top of my head I know total pros does this, they seem to be a good place for training. The IDA is trying for a certifying program but they have a lot of hurdles to pass before that happens. They are trying for some thing to make you a "certified" detailer. But there is really no way except to test someone if they are proficent at something and there are too many fly by night detailers IMO.....

[Garry Dean]

I personally have never attended as of yet, but from what I have been told Mike Phillips teaches one hell of a Detailing 101 and Advanced detailing class. If you can come out to Detailfest Saturday mornings class would be a step in the right direction, Im sure.

[sullysdetailing]

I personally have never attended as of yet, but from what I have been told Mike Phillips teaches one hell of a Detailing 101 and Advanced detailing class. If you can come out to Detailfest Saturday mornings class would be a step in the right direction, Im sure.

Those are great classes. I believe they will be starting up again

[Mike Phillips]

There really is no national certifications for detailers. A few company's give you a certificate of completion if you complete their programs but that doesn't mean much.

LOL

I have to take a moment to get very specific in this next paragraph so my good friends at Meguiar's will agree with what I write,

When I went to work for Meguiar's for the second time it was in 2002 when Barry Meguiar's hired me as his Corporate Writer, on July 31st, I taught a class in their Training Classroom and Training Garage that was the first detailing class at Meguiar's organized and coordinated through a discussion forum.

Organized and coordinated through a discussion forum are the key words in the last sentence above.

It's important to make that distinction because Meguiar's has always promoted education, in fact when I worked for them during my first tour of duty my title was Outside Sales Rep/Trainer. Back then the Internet wasn't around and we organized classes via telephone, fliers, (paper), Snail Mail letters, (paper), to body shops, and via personal one-on-one meetings.

The key difference was that in 2002 I along with Afshin aka placo1 (his forum name on Mercedesshop forum) set-up the first class at Meguiar's solely organized via a discussion forum.

Keep in mind, vBulletin, (that's the software that runs this forum and most high quality discussion forums) was released as a 'for sale script" around the end of 1999 or early 2000. So by th year 2002 the thing I'm typing on, the thing you're reading right now, that is text on a forum was still in its infancy from where were at today.

vBulletin History on vbulletin-faq.com
VBulletin History on Wikipedia

It's so easy to take the discussion forums for granted today but in the big picture, this software has only been around a short time and I think the introduction paragraph I wrote for MOL when it went line in 2004 sums it up very nicely and is still just as accurate today as it was when I wrote it.

[quote Mike Phillips]
As the Internet has evolved, discussion forums have become the primary way like-minded people come together to share their passion and their interests.
[/quote]


Here's the thread that started the classes as they exist today at Meguiar's coordinated through a discussion forum

SoCal Mercedesshop, Meguiars Detailing Day In August

That was the year 2002, at the time I'm typing this that's over 8 years ago.

Fast forward to the year 2007, after a few discussions with the Director of Training at Meguiar's, due to requests by the students attending the classes, it was decided to make available, a "Certificate of Completion" to anyone that attended and completed the detailing classes.

Now let me tie this back to what BackdraftDJP wrote where I quoted him above.

The wording, "Certificate of Completion" was specifically chosen because...

Just because a person attends a class on the topic of detailing, that doesn't automatically mean after the leave the class they are now a skilled and experienced detailer.

All it means is they attended a class where solid information was presented.


How much of the information each person takes in and retains and then puts into practice is an unknown factor and no company is going to award a "Certificate of Competence" with that kind of unknown factor involved after taking a one day course.

A nightmare scenario goes like this,
The student frames their certificate on the wall, points to it to all their potential customers, gets business and then does shoddy work.

Who's name gets dragged through the mud?


I hope that explains why at least in the detailing industry, it's really hard to award any kind of Certificate of Mastery, or Certificate of Accomplishment, or Certificate of Competence when after taking a class a person can either do stellar work or hack work and the company that provided the education and certificate has no control over which type of work they provide.


Here at Autogeek we provide a "Certificate of Completion" for our full classes if you attend and complete one of our classes. As as the instructor for these classes I do the same thing in each new class that I've been doing in every class that I've ever taught and that's I pour my heart and soul into the class and share as much information as I can to help everyone that attendees to be successful when they work on their car in their garage or on a customer's car.

I also try to make the classes fun and lively with a little bit of humor as well.

But there is really no way except to test someone if they are proficient at something and there are too many fly by night detailers IMO.....

The "Testing" part makes the class go easily longer than one day, and if you have more than one or two students it's going to require a minimum of 2-3 days for training and the however many days it will take for testing and evaluation before any kind of substantial results can be determined.

It's a lot more complicated than it seems if you're on the outside looking in than it is if you're on the inside trying to put a legitimate program together that will be recognized by most or all areas of this industry including the public market.

For what it's worth...

[Lilskeezer]

Thanks for your input Mike! Keep the AG nation in the loop if you guys or anyone else decides to put together a certification course. I'd gladly travel for 2-3 days if it means getting certified and building credability in my company (but I know that just me and a handful of folks wouldn't justify starting up a program). In the meantime, I am going to try and catch the Detailing 101/Advanced Detailing classes the next time it comes around.