New Detailers Association

[Auto Care USA]

First I want to give you guys credit for trying to legitimize my profession. As far as the weekend detailer, if it were not for you guys and your mistakes I could not comand the big dollar. The average person will pay top dollar for quality. I am the most expensive detailer around and I am the busiest. Matter a fact I often here when I talk to a new customer, yes Mr Smith told me to call you and he may make a comment that you are good but you also are expensive. I have legitimized myseld by my service, workmanship and quality. Dollar for dollar our service cannot be compared. You show me another detailer who has loaner vehicles, tells his customers that if you are not happy with the job it's FREE and most of all does a better job than the competition. They are even calling for rain tomorrow and all of my customers will show. This says alot for the work.

[detailbarn]

Originally posted by Auto Care USA
First I want to give you guys credit for trying to legitimize my profession. As far as the weekend detailer, if it were not for you guys and your mistakes I could not comand the big dollar. The average person will pay top dollar for quality. I am the most expensive detailer around and I am the busiest. Matter a fact I often here when I talk to a new customer, yes Mr Smith told me to call you and he may make a comment that you are good but you also are expensive. I have legitimized myseld by my service, workmanship and quality. Dollar for dollar our service cannot be compared. You show me another detailer who has loaner vehicles, tells his customers that if you are not happy with the job it's FREE and most of all does a better job than the competition. They are even calling for rain tomorrow and all of my customers will show. This says alot for the work.

Well stated Auto Care!

[theveed]

Originally posted by PrecisionOnline
theveed,

Detailing is a highly skilled business when it comes to using a rotary buffer for paint correction; wheel indentification for using certain acids; proper engine detailing and stain identification for proper removal. Glad you'd like to join but you'd be our #2 Phillipine detailer, someone beat yout to it. :-)

Hehe, really, who will that be? There aren't a lot of us reading this board, so probably he's a friend of mine...

[Anthony Orosco]

Originally posted by Jim Hammill
NY detailer, thanks for your questions.

Among many of the things we are trying to do for detailers are:

-assistance with Business Insurance and Health Insurance
-Buying groups for discounts
-Networking opportunities
-Training certification
- Providing Technical Information Sheets , which the Department of Automotive Technology at The Southern University of Illinois Carbondale is assisiting us in the production of.
-Annual conventions, golf outtings, dinners, awards, etc.
-Tried and tested detailing products -- give the "PDTA Seal of Approval"
-Assistance with OSHA and EPA compliance.
-Marketing programs

All of these ideas have come from other detailers who have told us this is what they want from an association. Please visit the web site and take the survey, tell us what you would like an association to provide for you. This association will be run by detailers for detailers, providing practical advice from people who are out working in the industry on a day to day basis.

Thanks.

Jim.

This is a nice thought but I personally don't see it becoming a reality. Why? Well because who says you are qualified to call me an "expert"?

I mean no disrespect to Jim or Brian, I have a great deal of respect for Brian as a person and a detailer, he does great work BUT again who is qualified to call another an "expert" or to say they now have a certificate in auto detailing? Detailing is far too subjective and I myself might attend a class and flunk because I want to do things my way. My way works for me but it may not work for the other guy, or the guy teaching the class. He tells me to always charge this much for this job or use this glaze over this cleaner but not this wax over this sealant and I disagree, so in that case what happens to me? Again detailing is far too subjective to be mandated.

What if I don't want to use the "Official PDTA" stamp of approval products?

What if the products I am using now are already "tried and tested" by me?

What if I don't like to socialize and go out and have dinner?

What if I hate golf?

What if I don't need insurance or a business license in my state?

What then am I paying for?


The hack detailers will always be there, they will come and go like high tide, so an association will not help here because it is not illegal to be a hack detailer like it is illegal to practice medicine without proper schooling. I know some weekend warriors that do better work than "pro" detailers with a shop, insurance, nice T-shirts and a EPA qualified discharge system. So this "pro" detailer sees the weekend warrior doing some work on the side and goes and tells the PDTA......so what can they do?

Like Autocare wrote, I make money from the hacks when they screw up a car. I am also the most expensive detailer around my parts and I am not losing any work because of it.

If certification meant anything special then there wouldn't be so many darn lawsuits against doctors, lawyers and auto mechanics.

This may sound all negative but I do wish Brian and Jim the best.....who knows 10 years from now we may all thank Brian and Jim for their charting uncharted territory.

As for now I would not join nor do I have much interest in it.

Anthony

[Intel486]

Let me put this idea up.

Maybe the organization needs for right now to give up the idea of claiming the detailers in the group to not be hacks and to be experts. Give up the idea of certification. Maybe in the future it can be implemented but focus on something else.

Why not make it an organization of detailers who work for profit (Prove they are registered to do business in their state and pay taxes.)

You can then provide services that non-hack detailers would appreciate. Help provide insurance, provide TSB, provide information about marketing, information about running your business, etc. The Hackers probably won't want to pay the money for that so they'll leave. In time people will begin to recognize that detailers that belong to the group are probably better detailers than other.

You might also want to come up with a list of rules that members should agree to such as the BBB's "Code of Advertising"

[3Dog]

My dream is to be AutoCare USA someday!

[LangMan37]

Originally posted by Intel486
Let me put this idea up.

Maybe the organization needs for right now to give up the idea of claiming the detailers in the group to not be hacks and to be experts. Give up the idea of certification. Maybe in the future it can be implemented but focus on something else.

Why not make it an organization of detailers who work for profit (Prove they are registered to do business in their state and pay taxes.)

You can then provide services that non-hack detailers would appreciate. Help provide insurance, provide TSB, provide information about marketing, information about running your business, etc. The Hackers probably won't want to pay the money for that so they'll leave. In time people will begin to recognize that detailers that belong to the group are probably better detailers than other.

You might also want to come up with a list of rules that members should agree to such as the BBB's "Code of Advertising"

I like this idea

[ajbarnes]

Originally posted by Auto Care USA
First I want to give you guys credit for trying to legitimize my profession. As far as the weekend detailer, if it were not for you guys and your mistakes I could not comand the big dollar. The average person will pay top dollar for quality. I am the most expensive detailer around and I am the busiest. Matter a fact I often here when I talk to a new customer, yes Mr Smith told me to call you and he may make a comment that you are good but you also are expensive. I have legitimized myseld by my service, workmanship and quality. Dollar for dollar our service cannot be compared. You show me another detailer who has loaner vehicles, tells his customers that if you are not happy with the job it's FREE and most of all does a better job than the competition. They are even calling for rain tomorrow and all of my customers will show. This says alot for the work.

[card00d85]

my number is 493 vesti

[bufferbarry]

Originally Posted by Intel486

What are the goals of this organization?

I say the only requirement to join be that you have a business license. There are plenty of small time operations out there that don't care or have the money for the other stuff but still do a quality job. I know I'm not going to run out and take a training class for detailing so I can join. I don't think it would help me out at all.

Compared to other trades, detailing doesn't actually require that much skill (not saying it doesn't require any though)... It's mostly labor.

What would be the most helpfull though is learning how to market your detailing business better, etc. That seems to be where most start-up professional detailers have their problems. I'd see the biggest help being infomation on how to actually run your business more effeciently.

Compared to other trades, detailing doesn't actually require that much skill (not saying it doesn't require any though)... It's mostly labor. not requireing much skill? this kills me when i see this.... have you ever wetsanded a whole panel? ever attempt to reflo paint? i wonder if you understand what true paint correction is? i wonder what rydawg or ricrack or todd helme would say about this comment?

[Showroom Shine]

Another One! Keep it up and these Associations will be asking for a Bail - Out.
I have been keeping up with the talk of the new groups. Bud and some of his buddies started all this. Most of these guys are rich or well to do, own car washes ,detail shops, etc. They have been in the game for quite a while too. They make good money too. I always get the feeling that they are trying to corner the market,in their perspective areas. Most started out detailing, opened shops,started selling their own products, training etc. I do not have a problem with the Associations, but I think some of the fees are unreasonable. Pay to join a group with little to no benifits. Even if there was a way to say Certify a Pro Detailer, does a customer care,and are they willing to pay what the person is worth? So you put the business in your directry. Big Huh Hah to me! I get the feeling alot of it is about greed. That's why this nation is in the shape it is in now. If the Big Boys would have spread things out a little more even, you would not have a select few making it or suffering. It's going to take alot to get the guys that are in business to go for this ,IMO.
I was a Certified Welder for the State Of Ohio. That certification meant something. I made Train Scales that are all over the US and abroad. The company I worked for took care of all fees and licencing. I did the work, and was paid well. I understood this,but these Detailing Organizations? I wonder! Is anyone feeling ME?

[Showroom Shine]

Originally Posted by LangMan37

I like this idea

This sounds alot more in line with what I think most detailers would be interested in!