Dealership Detailer Here

[jeffindetail]

Hi everyone! My name is Jeff and yes, I am the boogeyman aka a new car dealership detailer. I’m a long time forum lurker and have been detailing about 16 years. Although I’ve been at it a long time, I’ve learned a lot from the forum and I feel like I can contribute as well. I feel that my perspective is unique and that I can help confirm or dispel assumptions about detailing at dealerships. So if you want to share dealership horror stories or have questions about dealership detailing I’m here. I’ve seen just about all of it first hand.

[RippyD]

Welcome. Please tell us whatever you want to share. I'm sure we'll find it interesting. Some questions to get started if that helps:

Does your dealership offer coatings? If so, which one? What paint correction do you do first? What do you think of them offering this vs. people going elsewhere (quality, cost, etc). Not questioning your skills, but I'm assuming you only have so much time you can spend per car.

Do you wash cars as well, or just specialty detailing? If you wash, how does that go?

[DaveT435]

Welcome

What kind of tools, pads, compounds, and polishes do you use?

[Sizzle Chest]

Welcome to the site!

[LSNAutoDetailing]

Welcome to AGO!

[jeffindetail]

We do not offer coatings as it would run up against the finance department’s unimpressive paint protection warranty package. As for paint correction, my employer is a mid class dealership in a working class town. Not that the cars don’t need or their owners don’t want paint correction, but I typically find that it’s not a high priority for most of our customers. Price has a lot to do with it as each car gets an estimate rather than a set price. I would say 95% of the correction I do is individual scratches or blemishes rather than an entire swirled out car.

Now if coatings were ever offered? It’s complicated, on one hand I think it’d be great, but on the other we have to turn out so much work. I’m not sure where we’d find the time. Also add in the very true fact the dealership will try to keep the near entirety of the revenue, finding capable help, securing product from theft, etc.

We wash cars as well. We do everything from new car prep, detailing of used retail and wholesale vehicles, maintenance, to Customer cleanups. We even do cleanups on flooded vehicles. Had a truck last week that the mechanic refused to work on until I cleaned and removed the cockroach infestation in the cab.

Admittedly we rely on an auto car wash most of the time because speed is more important than quality at dealerships, but it’s a blender and it’s getting worse by the day. I try to introduce the 2 bucket method to whoever will listen, but having only one wash bay makes it difficult to take your time when others are waiting their turn. I reserve mitting for the more expensive units, but use a brush for the lesser ones.

[jeffindetail]

The shop has a couple rotaries. I have a Flex 3041 myself. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people that still have never heard of a DA polisher. I use the hybrid pads (reminds me I need to order some of those new ones). I like to use m105 & m205 with my Flex, but we usually have Megs Diamond Cut 2.0 for correction & another Megs product for polishing, not sure of the exact number. I like to use Megs Quick Detailer as an AIO for the majority of my rough details as the price is too low to do multi step correction.

[Kamakaz1961]

Welcome to AGO!

[JKDesign]

Welcome! I too come from the dealership world (I run a very small collision shop at one)!

[HUMP DIESEL]

This is a great thread and should open many eyes to the dealer side of things. I have thought for many years on how to actually create a system approach to dealership detailing. I think that some of the newer chemicals could really help in actually turning out better and more profitable work. It would take getting the dealership to "Buy" in, but it could be done.

HUMP