Optimum vs Opti-Coat brands.

[EKhatch]

I`m a little confused. Is Opti-Coat like a sister company to OPT or something? They each have their own websites both carrying OPT products with the Opti-Coat site having it`s own line such as Hyper Seal for example.

I have been using ONR for years and really liked the brand because they seemed to have a small and concise product line so I wasn`t always overwhelmed with options being a newb. Now there is a huge product line and two different sides to the company. Does anyone know why the two different brandings and websites? Thanks

[TroyScherer]

Opti-Coat is the professional line of OPT. The coatings are for registered pros only and the rest of the products are for the pros and OPT to sell to their coating customers. As they create and expand their "pro" network and begin reaching into some form of "dealer" options they need the "pro" brand and name to market with.

According to my reading the Opti-Coat brand products are revised/upgraded version of the regular OPT product for use on their coatings. But the regular OPT products still work fine.

[EKhatch]

Okay, thank you. That explains my confusion. I was going a little crazy trying to figure it out since some Opti-Coat products can be purchased by regular consumers through the website. Or so it seams anyway.

[Setec Astronomy]

Optimum has kind of had a split personality for some time. The one personality being the modest, non-hypey products you refer to. The other personality has been driven by the pro installers who saw coatings as a competitive game-changer and money-maker, and wanted exclusivity and more flashiness to the brand, and more and more ways to make their business more profitable.

I`d ignore the flash/hype of the Opti-Coat brand, it`s not targeting enthusiasts as much as it`s targeting people who might get their new car treated at the dealer, to try and get them to take their new car to an Opti-Coat installer instead.

[Stokdgs]

As one of those Pro Installers of Optimum Coatings years ago, I was never one who wanted exclusivity and more flashiness to the brand, and more and more ways to make my business more profitable... :) I was more than busy all year long... :)

I think Optimum did this to themselves, and by raising the price so many 100 percent higher every year almost, they took a lot of people like me out of their Installer list... :)
And I am totally ok with that...

After all these years - over 10 years, right ?, I think they still have a most durable, long lasting product out there, and given all the years of testing before they ever sold it, they might have something there...

And if Optimum can get the people who are looking at the pathetic Dealer Installed Awful Products, then those people will be so much better off with any of the Optimum Coating products..

But the prices they now want to charge the Installer and then have them charge the Client - well, it`s a bit nutty to me... Does not anyone think about the most basic part of Marketing anymore - What the Market can bear ???
Guess not...

Some Coating companies are now wanting to sell Franchises to Installers... Looks like we are approaching the rebirth of those Pyramid things again.. Help me, please.... :)
Dan F

[The Guz]

Troy put it perfectly. The one product you may want to purchase is hyper seal as it has an SiO2 component in it. I mention this for two reasons. One is if you are planning t use Gloss Coat. The second is that from personal experience and my personal opinion, Gloss Coat needs some sort of maintenance topper as much as optimum says it does not. Gloss Coat has SiO2 in it. I found Opti-Seal to be a bit lacking in performance when trying it with Gloss Coat.

As far as the other products, they are just minor tweaks to the original formulas and not necessarily better.

[Setec Astronomy]

As one of those Pro Installers of Optimum Coatings years ago, I was never one who wanted exclusivity and more flashiness to the brand, and more and more ways to make my business more profitable... :) I was more than busy all year long... :)

Sorry, I should have said SOME of the installers pushed that agenda, I`m not sure that`s even limited to installers here, it seems the Australian distributor has a lot of influence.

[Stokdgs]

Sorry, I should have said SOME of the installers pushed that agenda, I`m not sure that`s even limited to installers here, it seems the Australian distributor has a lot of influence.

Setec Astronomy --
I know what you meant, we are good !
If the Aussies have that much influence, well, bully for them and that market.. Hope it carries them for a long time..
Dan F

[Scottwax]

But the prices they now want to charge the Installer and then have them charge the Client - well, it`s a bit nutty to me... Does not anyone think about the most basic part of Marketing anymore - What the Market can bear ???
Guess not...



You were really wrong on this. I`ve yet to have a customer complain about the pricing. Several have had multiple vehicles done.

Letting installers set their own prices and offer it without a warranty meant prices were all over the map, so was prep and how much people were actually applying. And customers prefer a warranty. The value isn`t just the time and product cost but the added benefit of being a coating that doesn`t require any maintenance beyond regular washing. Yearly inspections are encouraged yet not mandated to keep the warranty in effect. Plus the entire time the person owns the car, its easier to wash, stays clean longer, doesn`t need a wax or sealant, doesn`t need any polishing beyond the initial prep. And Optimum reports to Carfax so if you get into an accident, insurance knows the car was coated and has to replace it. Plus as ceramic coatings become more popular, it becomes a selling point.

[Stokdgs]

You were really wrong on this. I`ve yet to have a customer complain about the pricing. Several have had multiple vehicles done.

Letting installers set their own prices and offer it without a warranty meant prices were all over the map, so was prep and how much people were actually applying. And customers prefer a warranty. The value isn`t just the time and product cost but the added benefit of being a coating that doesn`t require any maintenance beyond regular washing. Yearly inspections are encouraged yet not mandated to keep the warranty in effect. Plus the entire time the person owns the car, its easier to wash, stays clean longer, doesn`t need a wax or sealant, doesn`t need any polishing beyond the initial prep. And Optimum reports to Carfax so if you get into an accident, insurance knows the car was coated and has to replace it. Plus as ceramic coatings become more popular, it becomes a selling point.

No, I was not wrong in 2018.

Again, it is always - What the Market can bear... Sounds like you and your market are happy to pay the increased price; good for you.

I started with Opti-Guard way, way, back when it first started.. I applied it to my personal vehicles first, and saw it go almost 5 years..
I understand how it, and other coatings work just fine.
Dan F

[bad penny]

You were really wrong on this. I`ve yet to have a customer complain about the pricing. Several have had multiple vehicles done.

Letting installers set their own prices and offer it without a warranty meant prices were all over the map, so was prep and how much people were actually applying. And customers prefer a warranty. The value isn`t just the time and product cost but the added benefit of being a coating that doesn`t require any maintenance beyond regular washing. Yearly inspections are encouraged yet not mandated to keep the warranty in effect. Plus the entire time the person owns the car, its easier to wash, stays clean longer, doesn`t need a wax or sealant, doesn`t need any polishing beyond the initial prep. And Optimum reports to Carfax so if you get into an accident, insurance knows the car was coated and has to replace it. Plus as ceramic coatings become more popular, it becomes a selling point.

The customer can run through the tunnel wash weekly (nothing else) and the warranty is still good?

Does the warranty cover labor or just the product?