Question about tipping after ceramic coating

[The Guz]

Dunno for sure but doesn`t an Authorized Installer have to go thru some kinda Optimum training to be able to use it?

I`ll bet somewhere someone has a certificate and maybe marketing stuff that trumpets them as a Optimum Authorized Installer, implying trained and approved by the mother-company?

Even if that someone was apparently playing on their phone during class?

Yes they do. From what I get the authorized installer has to use Optimum polishes among other things. Essentially all optimum.

[Stokdgs]

The last time I was an Authorized Optimum Coating Installer, there was no training, just pay a lot of money to buy the product.. And the price kept going up every year..
Then, It got completely over my budget by going up a huge amount more, for the newest product, and you had to purchase so much of it..
Exit, stage left, for me..

I have a business acquaintance in the city that has absolutely no training in Detailing, or how to run a machine much less a Rotary, and he was able to get on the preferred Optimum Installer list and has to to pay big $$$ for the latest and greatest coating, etc... His primary business - Clear Bra, 3M, etc., window tint installer..

I trained his son-in-law how to use the Makita, and Optimum Hyper Polish.. It was a quick 4-hour class on a new Black Jeep that needed correction on the front end only - the part that was getting coated... Of course, I turned that front end into a mirror.. He was pretty good at learning, and I told him he needed to go out back and work on his Dad`s, Dad`s old black Lexus until he was good enough to work on a Client`s car..

I think the cost of getting a vehicle Coated now is so expensive alone, that most of his Clients just say, apply the Coating, I don`t care about the paint defects...
If there was any "training" on how to apply a coating, I think it might be - "watch this video" kind of training..
DanF

[rlmccarty2000]

I’ve often wondered if these “classes” you need to become an authorized installer of a pro level coating include defect removal or just coating application?

[Stokdgs]

I’ve often wondered if these “classes” you need to become an authorized installer of a pro level coating include defect removal or just coating application?

Hey, Amigo !
Hope you guys are all doing good !!

You know, I cannot fathom what one would need to go to a Class to learn how to install a Coating... It`s not even rocket science or anything...
I would rather invest the money on really good lighting like Scangrip lights, etc., so I could really see the coating and spot any high spots...

Perhaps its just another "revenue generator" thing ????
Dan F

[mobiledynamics]

Post # 47 enlighting. I`m not in the trade but when after the 1st post on this thread, I went to a couple of coating sites and punched in my zip to see the list.......let`s just say I found it interesting.

[jwyfk]

I talked with the regional manager for my area and gave him a link to this thread. He spoke to the owner of the business about it and the the detailer left a message and I was able to speak with him a little while ago. I was hoping Optimum would have contacted me first, but this is the way the handled it. I have an appointment this week to re-do the hood, roof and door. I hope there are no other flaws, but he wants me to go over it with him.

Honestly, the only other other legitimate Opti-Coat dealers are an hour away from me. Other than that, I`m limited to Cletus at this dirty garage with the gravel parking lot if I want someone close to me. Any time someone pulls in that parking lot, a cloud of dust is going to cover any car you`re detailing.

[mobiledynamics]

jwyfk. I`m typing off my phone so excuse the typos. In all honesty, i would not be bringing it back to the same shop if it was me. Is the car a keeper or a leaser. If a keeper I would be concerned about Clearcoat mitigation, given all the whatnot about wetsanding already !

I can get my my tires done from a bunch of tires shops within a 5-15 minute drive. I choose my tire guy who`s a solid hrs drive. Sometimes, the trip is worth the effort....

[rlmccarty2000]

Hey, Amigo !
Hope you guys are all doing good !!

You know, I cannot fathom what one would need to go to a Class to learn how to install a Coating... It`s not even rocket science or anything...
I would rather invest the money on really good lighting like Scangrip lights, etc., so I could really see the coating and spot any high spots...

Perhaps its just another "revenue generator" thing ????
Dan F

The catch with the “pro” coatings is the manufacturer requires you to take their class in order to buy their product. I’ve emailed a few to see if I could buy their coating without the class (and the enormous fee and other related costs) and have been told basically it’s their way of keeping out the riff-raff. Personally I view it as a rip off due to being a member of detailing forums where tales of these “certified” installers screw up regularly. Once the manufacturer gives it certification to a shop it has no way of knowing who that shop employs to install/prep for the coating. The whole pro coating industry has no way of policing itself, so yes it is just a money grab.

[Stokdgs]

I talked with the regional manager for my area and gave him a link to this thread. He spoke to the owner of the business about it and the the detailer left a message and I was able to speak with him a little while ago. I was hoping Optimum would have contacted me first, but this is the way the handled it. I have an appointment this week to re-do the hood, roof and door. I hope there are no other flaws, but he wants me to go over it with him.

Honestly, the only other other legitimate Opti-Coat dealers are an hour away from me. Other than that, I`m limited to Cletus at this dirty garage with the gravel parking lot if I want someone close to me. Any time someone pulls in that parking lot, a cloud of dust is going to cover any car you`re detailing.

Jwyfk !!!!!!!!!!!!

This one picture says it all...

I dont even see any really clean, Detailed vehicles in that parking lot..
That 1 hour drive - any 1-hour drive - would have to be better than that...
Good luck with this..
Dan F

[Stokdgs]

The catch with the “pro” coatings is the manufacturer requires you to take their class in order to buy their product. I’ve emailed a few to see if I could buy their coating without the class (and the enormous fee and other related costs) and have been told basically it’s their way of keeping out the riff-raff. Personally I view it as a rip off due to being a member of detailing forums where tales of these “certified” installers screw up regularly. Once the manufacturer gives it certification to a shop it has no way of knowing who that shop employs to install/prep for the coating. The whole pro coating industry has no way of policing itself, so yes it is just a money grab.

RLMcCarty2000 --

Let`s see... they will sell it to people who have a business, that is not necessarily a Detailing business, but they won`t sell it to people who are way more experienced than any of those totally "inexperienced" people... Wow, what a revenue-maker that must be...

Perhaps, they want to keep "those" inexperienced, etc., people on the hook for as long as they can, and think that will make up for not selling MORE product to other people who only want it as perhaps a 1 time shot...

And they might be worried that if they sell it to you or me, we might go out and coat a few cars for clients and that will "take away, "diminish", etc., the "territories" of their preferred dealers... Wow - how 50`s and 60s` forward-thinking of them...
Dan F

[jwyfk]

jwyfk. I`m typing off my phone so excuse the typos. In all honesty, i would not be bringing it back to the same shop if it was me. Is the car a keeper or a leaser. If a keeper I would be concerned about Clearcoat mitigation, given all the whatnot about wetsanding already !

I can get my my tires done from a bunch of tires shops within a 5-15 minute drive. I choose my tire guy who`s a solid hrs drive. Sometimes, the trip is worth the effort....

This is how they chose to handle this, so I wasn`t given a choice. There will be no wet sanding and I mentioned to him multiple times that I want him to borrow the paint thickness meter from their other shop. I don`t have the money to have it completely redone somewhere else.

Jwyfk !!!!!!!!!!!!

This one picture says it all...

I dont even see any really clean, Detailed vehicles in that parking lot..
That 1 hour drive - any 1-hour drive - would have to be better than that...
Good luck with this..
Dan F

ROFL, that`s not the place!! There are 2 Optimum dealers near me when I enter my zip code into their website. The garage in the picture above is one of them. I just thought you`d get a kick out of it, that`s all. There`s no way I`d take my car there.

[mobiledynamics]

JWK. Understood this was the recourse you were given. The pics you provided are some pretty big glaring things that anyone competant would not have missed on the 1st pass. Technically anytime you are polishing, you are removing some.....If you want to take the risk after the big glaring mistakes already, that`s up to you . I understand it`s a budget thing....Not worth the risk for me on a 2nd pass IMO, when the 1st one was so done wrong already. Anyone with blinders on would have seen said issues and not have coated ontop. Just my 1 cents

[jwyfk]

Thanks for everyone`s input, I appreciate it! I`ll let you know how it goes.

JWK. Understood this was the recourse you were given. The pics you provided are some pretty big glaring things that anyone competant would not have missed on the 1st pass. Technically anytime you are polishing, you are removing some.....If you want to take the risk after the big glaring mistakes already, that`s up to you . I understand it`s a budget thing....Not worth the risk for me on a 2nd pass IMO, when the 1st one was so done wrong already. Anyone with blinders on would have seen said issues and not have coated ontop. Just my 1 cents

I completely agree with you, but now that the owner was informed of the situation (to what degree, I don`t know), I`d like to believe that there will be more scrutiny. I`d also like to believe that he`s going to be more meticulous because of this. If I wait a full 30 days before having this redone, it`s really going to be even more difficult to remove the coating. It`s not a good situation to be in and I realize I`m taking a chance, but the other options aren`t great, either.

[mobiledynamics]

Here`s hoping for the best. Now that said dealer is aware (especially from the regional OPT rep), then hopefully this will be the results you seek.

[Accumulator]

jwyfk- Hope it turns out OK.

Understand completely about the expense...though I forget, you didn`t actually *pay* them anything at this point, right?...but I`ll pile on regarding the other comments about "local"- most of the people who work on my vehicles are well over an hour away; they`re the only competent ones around so IMO I simply must do it that way. Easy for us to spend *your* time/money though..