Tips and tricks to a happy customer.

[Todd@RUPES]

I remember early on in my career as a professional detailer I would be so focused on polishing the paint that I was guilty of over looking some of the details. It was a case of seeing things through my eyes instead of seeing them through my clients eyes...

Clean, polish, and seal the driver`s side door handle- Taking a quality polish and applying it by hand, then applying a quality sealant underneath (both sides of the door handle) takes less then two minutes. Other than the steering wheel and shifter, the door handle is what your client`s will feel most. Removing (or reducing) and nail scratches, and providing a slick feel to the door handle will go a long way towards creating the impression of something `more`. Your client may not know exactly what you did and the difference may not be noticeable (they may never stop and say "wow this door handle feels slick" but subconsciously it creates the impression of quality and thoroughness. If you are doing a quick wash and wax style detail and on a quick time crunch, use an all-in-product under the door the door handle to help improve the gloss and reduce nail marks.

Clean the exterior keyhole on the driver`s side- If the door has a key hole it is likely covered with grease from operation. An all-purpose cleaner and a q-tip will make quick work of this. I have seen cars that have been detailed for 20-30 hours that still have grease in the key hole. It`s just one of those things that is easy to ignore but can make a subconscious impact on a client, particularly if they have had their car`s detailed by other people.

Clean the pedals- If you are doing interior work, even if it is just a vacuum and wipedown, take the extra minute and clean the gas and brake pedals thoroughly (clutch pedal as well if applicable). An all purpose cleaner, a brush, and a towel are all that is needed to do a good job. Again this is something that many detailers overlook, even when doing full interior details. Customers see their pedals every day, and they may not notice they are dirty (there is a chance they may not notice you cleaned them) but it adds to presentation of quality.

Go crazy on the steering wheel, interior door handle, and shifter- This one may not apply for all jobs as it isn`t a quick minute fix like the other ones, but if you are doing more then just a wipe down on the interior spend the extra time on any surface the customer feels often. If it is a leather wrapped wheel clean the leather thoroughly. If the steering wheel features wood grain, plastic, or carbon fiber give it a coat of sealant to make it slick. Apply a little sealant to the interior door handle (if it is metal of faux-metal) to make it slick. Make sure the shifter is cleaned and dressed appropriately.

Clean the mirrors on the sun visors- The mirrors on the visors are not frequently used but still get film on them. Making sure they are clean, in the case they are used, will make a big impression. Also come clients, particularly those who wear make up, may use the visor mirrors frequently.

Those are some tips and tricks I have used, I would love to hear some from you guys.

[rzatch]

Polish the gauge lenses to return clarity to them. A lot of people owners I`m talking normally dry wipe them to get the dust off or use paper towels with window cleaner on it after they have cleaned the windshield causing marring and scratches. They will see the nice clean polished lenses everytime they drive the car.

[rzatch]

Clean the mirrors on the sun visors- The mirrors on the visors are not frequently used but still get film on them. Making sure they are clean, in the case they are used, will make a big impression. Also come clients, particularly those who wear make up, may use the visor mirrors frequently.



Those are some tips and tricks I have used, I would love to hear some from you guys.

And leave make up finger prints on the back sides of the sun visors.

[mrclean81]

Seat rails and areas under the dash are areas I find to be often ignored. Also moving the e-brake and gear shifter to get the areas that are hidden when parked, but clearly visible when in Drive or when the e-brake is engaged.

[Pats300zx]

Great tips Todd !!!!

[Concours.John]

I place an interior and exterior checklist, CD of before and afters, flyer and a few cards in a packet. All belongings are placed and labeled in ziplocs in their previous locations.

The checklists and CD really show what was done and have confirmed what they paid for. Many are happy to be able to purge items from the bags for a fresh start.

[Todd@RUPES]

I place an interior and exterior checklist, CD of before and afters, flyer and a few cards in a packet. All belongings are placed and labeled in ziplocs in their previous locations.

The checklists and CD really show what was done and have confirmed what they paid for. Many are happy to be able to purge items from the bags for a fresh start.

Very good idea John!

[classofshine]

Thanks for the tip Todd!

Zip lock bags for all their personal stuff I find.

Clean around the gas cap, this often gets missed by others.

[Todd@RUPES]

Thanks for the tip Todd!

Zip lock bags for all their personal stuff I find.

Clean around the gas cap, this often gets missed by others.

Yep this is huge. It takes all of 20 seconds when your washing the car to open the lid, clean with a brush/soapy water, and move on. Makes a big impression!

[AndrewBigA]

i always make sure to polish the exhaust tips, reg hand wash or wax or big detail it doesnt matter. if im the one washing the car i like to grab my trusty bag of #0000 steel wool & give that a handjob lol. after the car is washed maybe a little metal creme polish then some rejex & done. customers always love when i do this for them, especially when they dont ask. i hate when my guys wash a car & forget to do this! lil bit of that #0000 steel wool goes a long way. i say theyre best for removing those "black boogers". be smart about the #0000 steel wool. check to make sure theres not some funky black powdercoated tips.

another one that comes off the top of my head is about polishing head & tail lights. i make sure to clay both to remove bug guts & also bc theyre part of the exterior of the car. i always clay & wax them for the small jobs. if im doing a polish, ill polish them. if im doing a full paint correction under the halogens i will for sure compound & polish them the same like what was done for the paint.

i had a buddy of mine move down to s.carolina & had his car detailed. he paid 250 for whatever work & when the heads & tails were not even clayed, he asked why?? the guy tries to tell him he would charge an extra 50 for that? really? i only charge extra when im asked to wetsand the headlights lol.

thats all for me. bye folks! im having a lazy rainy day.

[rzatch]

Good tip on the exhaust tips. Dirty exhaust tips are like dirty wheel wells to me. They stand out when the rest of the car is clean and makes the job look not complete.

[Dr Oldz]

Some very great tips here. DON`T FORGET the review mirror.... That one is very important IMO.

[Nth Degree]

Inside fuel door, pedals, visor mirrors and moving gear shift are ones I`m very conscious of on every detail. All good tips. I always make sure interior door handles are clean, but never thought about the feel, especially on the back side. I also never forget to move the tilt steering wheel to get the top and the ledge below. I always make a mental note of the positioning of seats, mirrors, tilt, etc. and try to get them back very close, but never exact. I want the customer to notice that EVERYTHING was moved to be thorough. I also inform them of this fact and tell them to take a moment to check all settings before driving off.

[The Gloss Boss]

1. Organizing belongings in often aesthetically pleasing ways (even in trunk) is something I`ve always done and my customers love it.

2. Open up that glovebox and wipe off any dust and dirt around the door jambs. Your perfect interior could be ruined (in the customer`s eyes) if they open up that glove box for some reason and there is dust and dirt everywhere in the jambs.

3. Clean the sunroof on the inside too as well as condition the seals/gaskets. This one way be a "no duh" now, but I`d always used to over look it till I read something on Detailed Image about it.

4. I`m also sure to clean up the engine bay jambs even if the job does not call for any engine detailing. A lot of times there will be leaves and twigs stuck in there that if noticed will really take away from the rest of the detail.

Confession: A lot of times I will forget to clean the automatic shifter track section between park and drive until I move the customers car or return it after detailing :S. Some dumb stuff like that I sometimes forget will hopefully go away with some more experience/time.

[Todd@RUPES]

Great tips everybody!