Detailers... top mistakes customers make

[Rod73]

I was looking to start a thread of the top mistakes Auto Detailers see from people in terms of maintaining their cars. Primarily when the wash their cars.

[TuxedoTaurus]

Scrubbing bugs and tar with a scotch Brite or equivalent pad

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[ShaneB]

Steel wool
single bucket
nylon brushes
no pre rinse
letting water dry on the surface
not enough soap
wash bottom to top
wash half the car without reloading with soap
wash wheels with same media as for paint
bath towels
rub too hard
dawn

[Lonnie]

Thinking "dealer-installed swirls" from novice-and-inexperienced detailers using a wool pad on a rotary buffer means the paint has been "properly" detailed.

There are horror stories galore about vehicle owners cleaning their paint using:
1) Comet and scratch pad used for cleaning dishes (yes it works, but really.. what were you thinking!)
2) Steel wool on chrome (OUCH!!!)
3) Laundry soap for car washes (Powder not being mixed, but hey, if it cleans fabric well it MUST clean car paint.
4) Wiping a dirty spot on a car with your handkerchief or finger nail.
5) Cheap paper toweling and Windex on plastic lens/covers of dashboards (subsequent scratches that even plastic polishes cannot remove)
6) Demoted bath towels to dry car (if only they wouldn`t rub so hard!)
7) Not removing watches, wrist jewelry, or finger rings and washing or polishing/waxing vehicles. Especially rings! (My Bad! Guilty as charged)
8) Well intended children using the spray hose up the tail pipe to clean the exhaust. (Then they wonder WHY the car wouldn`t start! Yep, saw that happen firsthand.)
9) Using Coke-Cola (the soft drink soda) to remove bugs from a front grill and bumper. Actually, this one works OK in a pinch, as the phosphoric acid in Coke dissolves bug guts thoroughly. Just make sure you rinse it immediately. Also works as a rusted thread buster (Like Liquid Wrench). Remember that the next time you get a flat tire on the boat trailer and the lug nuts are frozen on the wheel studs. Pour Coke on the lug lugs, wait 4-5 minutes, and try turning the lug wrench. (Beats strained muscles or broken wheel studs!)


My NUMBER ONE pet peeve (though it`s not detailing related):
Sitting or leaning on my car like its a chair and then sliding their rear end around to get comfortable.
Had this happen to me at a dealer new car lot when the salesperson did so to my vehicle (`85 Red Toyota MR2) while he talked to another customer. Needless to say I read him out. Where does it say Lazy-Boy anywhere on the car?!! Sit IN them, not ON them.

[Mike lambert]

Sitting the purse on top of the car I just spent all day polishing to write the check out!

[RaysWay]

Rolling down the window as soon as they pick up the car. Then they roll it back up and get lots of streaks as I`m walking away

[Migue]

Setting things on the car and leaning/putting their hands all over it rubbing the paint.

When I had my neatly polished Diablo Black Kawasaki ,my roommates already knew how much I hated people touching my paint ,so anytime we went on rides and someone would approach the bike they would yell out "don`t touch the paint or Miguel will freak out on you!!"

[RaysWay]

Setting things on the car and leaning/putting their hands all over it rubbing the paint.

When I had my neatly polished Diablo Black Kawasaki ,my roommates already knew how much I hated people touching my paint ,so anytime we went on rides and someone would approach the bike they would yell out "don`t touch the paint or Miguel will freak out on you!!"

I always think that`s very rude. Friends and acquaintances used to sit on my bike and the first thing they would do after getting into riding position is rub their hands all over the tank. I never understood this. I would never ask to see someones cell phone and rub my hands all over the screen. This is why I`ve adopted the "touch my bike and die" philosophy.

[TuxedoTaurus]

I always think that`s very rude. Friends and acquaintances used to sit on my bike and the first thing they would do after getting into riding position is rub their hands all over the tank. I never understood this. I would never ask to see someones cell phone and rub my hands all over the screen. This is why I`ve adopted the "touch my bike and die" philosophy.

Bikes are like women.

You NEVER touch another man`s bike!

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[WaxAddict]

No one seems to know how to properly dry a car except us.

[Stokdgs]

Clients who use any cupholder that is too small and short for Venti Starbucks Latte`s, etc., that always turn over and spill all down the sides of the console and carpeting..
Now you know why I have a big Mytee extractor and Steam...
DanF

[Jesse@Autopia]

Hood sliding to see how slick a wax is. That is my favorite.

[Accumulator]

Interesting thread for this Non-Pro, though it`s a bit depressing too...what`s *wrong* with people (well, people who presumably care about how their vehicles look, otherwise they wouldn`t be your customers)?

No one seems to know how to properly dry a car except us.

I`d say "wash a car" myself Other than now blowing most of the water off with the AirWand, I basically dry cars the same way I`ve dried most anything else since I was a kid, except I have better towels these days.

You NEVER touch another man`s bike!

That`s what I was taught (by people you did NOT [tick] off). Even if they let you sit on it, you simply DO NOT TOUCH or you get injured.

.. I`ve adopted the "touch my bike and die" philosophy.

Heh heh, plenty of people are downright *literal* about that in certain circles.

Sit IN them, not ON them...

A whole lot of (sometimes famous) Car Guys sit/lean/etc. on cars all the time. Makes me cringe...

[silverfox]

Touching the car. Most people are better off not laying a hand on the car and just running it through a touchless car wash. It won`t be totally clean but the paint won`t be hammered.

[Migue]

I always think that`s very rude. Friends and acquaintances used to sit on my bike and the first thing they would do after getting into riding position is rub their hands all over the tank. I never understood this. I would never ask to see someones cell phone and rub my hands all over the screen. This is why I`ve adopted the "touch my bike and die" philosophy.

Yes thank you!!!! The thing with sitting down and tank massaging killed me every time, why do people do this...WHY. I startled the skin off a friend`s brother who after sitting on my bike ,went "man this thing is sexy " while rubbing the whole tank, I yelled at him so quick that he jumped out as quick as he could and apologized. People that don`t respect personal property just cause my fuses to blow out regardless of whether it`s something "nice" or not.