Recieved a compliment!!

**watermantra** · 01-18-2008, 08:47 PM

After learning on this site from the pros (and from the mistakes of myself and others here!) for the past year or so, I have gotten fairly decent for a weekend warrior at keeping the family cars in good shape, and very much enjoy doing so. So the following story was particularly gratifying for me! I felt I should share it with you guys, since you all are so instrumental in helping new guys (and each other). It represents a small step in my learning curve, but a step nonetheless!

My girlfriend`s 2003 Mini Cooper was recently hit (and run

) while parked at work. We took it to the Mini dealership to have the BMW paint center repair the damage. Just two days ago, she went to pick up the car, and was accompanied by the body shop manager to the car so that she could inspect and approve the work. He mentioned to her in passing that his guys were very careful with the repair, because it was obvious to them that whoever takes care of the paint on her car knows what they are doing, and could easily see their mistakes! He then asked her where she gets her car detailed, and said it`s been a while since they had seen a dark car with so few defects! He also explained that they didn`t want to wash it without her permission! NOW she feels pretty OK about the money and time I`ve spent in the past few months on learning this art! (bonus: good looking car for her=more neat stuff for me!) :bounce

So, while no where near an expert on the subject, I feel quite bolstered by this encounter. I have you guys to thank! Now I`m even more eager to learn more! I keep finding myself bending down to catch the sun just right on cars at the mall parking lot, or daydreaming about cars in the lane next to me at a redlight and think about how I might tackle their myriad problems. I`m (as you guys will understand) obsessed! The state of car care out there is so, so sad, and to think that just a year or so ago, I was one of those unwashed masses! (Of course, for you pros out there, this bodes quite well for your businesses!)

(BTW, no pictures yet, as the weather hasn`t been great. But I`ll post some soon!)

Thanks guys...

**BlueZero** · 01-18-2008, 08:59 PM

Great story watermantra! Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a great dealership too.

**MSIGuy** · 01-18-2008, 09:02 PM

Cool! It`s always nice when other people see hard work you put in.

**Vew** · 01-18-2008, 09:06 PM

Pretty cool story.

**imported_Conan777** · 01-18-2008, 09:06 PM

ha..ha...! I hear ya man. It`s amazing how your eyes get opened up to how bad 95% of the cars are out there. I do the same thing! Congrats on the compliments, sounds like you have done a great job maintaining the Mini.

**Todd@RUPES** · 01-18-2008, 09:13 PM

Nice, Its a great feeling

**Old Pirate** · 01-18-2008, 09:33 PM

It had to be a awesome feeling to hear that!.............:2thumbs:

**citizen arcane** · 01-18-2008, 09:50 PM

I`ve always felt that we get better taken care of when we present a clean, obviously well maintained car for service. I find they usually give us better parking spots and other perks when we pick up our cars. He77, I even did a quick wash and detail before I had my recently wrecked car picked up from the house to have the bodywork done!

Obsessive...maybe. But I want them to look their best and probably will be treated a little differently than those who view their cars as appliances.

**Grimm** · 01-18-2008, 10:22 PM

I agree. When I had my car in last year for a hood repaint and told them I wasn`t thrilled with it because it didn`t match the fenders, the manager was great to work with. He was happy to redo it, and wanted to make it right because it was obvious that I take care of my car. It`s pretty sad that you have to get top notch service that way, but it was nice to have him acknowledge that.

**watermantra** · 01-18-2008, 11:00 PM

Aww! I knew you guys would understand! Yes, I was very happy to hear about it, but way more happy to see her so pleased with the care she now realizes I take with her car.

Of course, another possibility is that he was just chatting up my girlfriend!!

I`ll choose to remain blissfully ignorant of that possibility, though!

The paint shop is good, yes, and the repair looks very good to me. (Just a new front bumper, so no blending but still seems a perfect color match) The dealership is good, as well (in their own way...nice, professional, caring) but a disturbing fact she also found out when talking with the body shop guy, was that the dealership (BMW/Mini) uses what I`ve seen called on this forum a "swirl-o-matic" to clean all of the customer`s cars and the lot cars. The body shop is on the grounds of the dealership, but owned and operated independently. Needless to say, when she needs service next, I`m going to take the advice of another on this board and make a "DO NOT WASH" sign for her dashboard! Dealer installed swirls on BMWs!! How rude!

**Jek Hawkins** · 01-18-2008, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by watermantra

After learning on this site from the pros (and from the mistakes of myself and others here!) for the past year or so, I have gotten fairly decent for a weekend warrior at keeping the family cars in good shape, and very much enjoy doing so. So the following story was particularly gratifying for me! I felt I should share it with you guys, since you all are so instrumental in helping new guys (and each other). It represents a small step in my learning curve, but a step nonetheless!

My girlfriend`s 2003 Mini Cooper was recently hit (and run

) while parked at work. We took it to the Mini dealership to have the BMW paint center repair the damage. Just two days ago, she went to pick up the car, and was accompanied by the body shop manager to the car so that she could inspect and approve the work. He mentioned to her in passing that his guys were very careful with the repair, because it was obvious to them that whoever takes care of the paint on her car knows what they are doing, and could easily see their mistakes! He then asked her where she gets her car detailed, and said it`s been a while since they had seen a dark car with so few defects! He also explained that they didn`t want to wash it without her permission! NOW she feels pretty OK about the money and time I`ve spent in the past few months on learning this art! (bonus: good looking car for her=more neat stuff for me!) :bounce

So, while no where near an expert on the subject, I feel quite bolstered by this encounter. I have you guys to thank! Now I`m even more eager to learn more! I keep finding myself bending down to catch the sun just right on cars at the mall parking lot, or daydreaming about cars in the lane next to me at a redlight and think about how I might tackle their myriad problems. I`m (as you guys will understand) obsessed! The state of car care out there is so, so sad, and to think that just a year or so ago, I was one of those unwashed masses! (Of course, for you pros out there, this bodes quite well for your businesses!)

(BTW, no pictures yet, as the weather hasn`t been great. But I`ll post some soon!)

Thanks guys...

woohoo! that`s AWESOME!:buffing: grats man!

**imported_DJ Mayo** · 01-19-2008, 12:25 AM

that`s awesome man. Thanks for sharing!

**JohnZ3MC** · 01-19-2008, 03:20 AM

Good on `ya watermantra, it`s a wonderful story.

I`m also diarizing today`s date because it`s been such a long time since I`ve heard about a dealership with a conscience.

Sometime in the future, I want to say something like, "Way back on Jan. 18, 2008, I heard a story about a guy named WaterMantra who actually had a positive washing experience with a car dealer in North Texas, a Mini/BMW dealer to be exact."

I`ll pause for effect and wait for all the listeners to reply with, `No Way`.

I`ll extend the pause for theatrical effect, and look each one in the eyes and respond sotto voce with, `Way`, then tell your story.

For the record, my garage queen is a BMW Z3 M Coupe and I don`t ever park in the dealer`s lot here for fear they`ll do a complimentary wash. I always park beyond hose reach.

Thanks again for the story.

-John C.

**fergnation** · 01-19-2008, 04:25 AM

You should feel good about it!! You probably put in a lot of work to get that compliment. I am pleasantly surprised that an employee of a body shop could even tell what properly prepaired paint could look like. I didn`t think they existed.

I too look at every car that passes me and see all that I can do to it (atleast think I can do to it). But I also see a whole lot of money that could be made. Unfortunatly, the car and the money usually just drives by.

**mhadden** · 01-19-2008, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by citizen arcane

I`ve always felt that we get better taken care of when we present a clean, obviously well maintained car for service. I find they usually give us better parking spots and other perks when we pick up our cars. He77, I even did a quick wash and detail before I had my recently wrecked car picked up from the house to have the bodywork done!

Obsessive...maybe. But I want them to look their best and probably will be treated a little differently than those who view their cars as appliances.

I agree with this. My wife and I also think that your car represents an image of yourself. That`s why I always try to keep my stuff up. For example, the snow removal company our association uses damaged my Tundra, which busted part of the headlamp and the plastic piece below. I pull up in the truck, and the guy immediately noted that the truck was gorgeous and spotless. He agreed to pay for the damage. I firmly beleive if I didn`t take care of my stuff, in this case, I would`ve had to foot the $400 bill.