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  1. #1

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    To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    "Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it."

    For the professional detailers out there that do this full time and even those that detail on the side, have you made any notable mistakes and if so, what were they? Did you implement new policies or procedures to prevent the same mistake from happening in the future?

    Let`s see who`s willing to admit their past detailing transgressions!

    I think this would be helpful to those just getting into it to learn from others mistakes.
    Little Jimmy!!!

  2. #2
    Pay Attention Boy... RTexasF's Avatar
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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Burned the paint on a repainted hood with....... ready? A Porter Cable 7336! It was on a sharp edge, my fault, and fortunately my car. Obviously the paint was thin but I was too aggressive and screwed up. Lesson learned in spades.

  3. #3
    Addicted2Bling's Avatar
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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Thought I had the car in reverse but really had it in drive and drove into the office of the customer I was doing the detailing for
    Get your shine on!

  4. #4
    mrclean81's Avatar
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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Put a $600 scratch in a practically new BMW with a metal water hose nossle. Soapy hands...I dont wanna talk about it lol

  5. #5
    Autopia Forums AutopiaAdmin's Avatar
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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Quote Originally Posted by Addicted2Bling View Post
    Thought I had the car in reverse but really had it in drive and drove into the office of the customer I was doing the detailing for
    Quote Originally Posted by mrclean81 View Post
    Put a $600 scratch in a practically new BMW with a metal water hose nossle. Soapy hands...I dont wanna talk about it lol
    Would LOVE to hear the long version of both these stories!

  6. #6
    Mr. Gloss's Avatar
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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Wouldn`t a $600 scratch on any new car upset you? What makes a BMW customer any different than the average Joe who entrusts his new car to you?

    I`m missing the point of it being a BMW.

  7. #7

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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Gloss View Post
    Wouldn`t a $600 scratch on any new car upset you? What makes a BMW customer any different than the average Joe who entrusts his new car to you?

    I`m missing the point of it being a BMW.

    Perhaps if he scratched a Kia, he would have mentioned it in the same way. But it wasn`t a Kia, it was a BMW and a valid fact of the story since the car that was scratched was a BMW.

    Kind of like when you watch the news and you hear about a tragedy that happened and they give you the details...
    Little Jimmy!!!

  8. #8
    jjpcali4life's Avatar
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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    The shop i worked at tried to have me sand and buff cars same day as they were painted. Lets say that didnt last long, the clear we used wouldnt set up quick enough and i buffed through the first 3 cars. Amazingly i dont buff through any cars when i do them the next day, sometimes faster isnt better.

  9. #9
    Mr. Gloss's Avatar
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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Quote Originally Posted by jammerz101 View Post
    Perhaps if he scratched a Kia, he would have mentioned it in the same way. But it wasn`t a Kia, it was a BMW and a valid fact of the story since the car that was scratched was a BMW.

    Kind of like when you watch the news and you hear about a tragedy that happened and they give you the details...
    Hahahaha..well, no, the news gives you what they want you to hear, not the details.

  10. #10
    CCH Auto Appearance, LLC C. Charles Hahn's Avatar
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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Gloss View Post
    Hahahaha..well, no, the news gives you what they want you to hear, not the details.
    Well this is, after all, a detailing forum
    Charlie
    Automotive Appearance Specialist - Serving Greater Lansing, Michigan
    http://www.cchautoappearance.com/

  11. #11
    Addicted2Bling's Avatar
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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Quote Originally Posted by Shiny Lil Detlr View Post
    Well this is, after all, a detailing forum
    Get your shine on!

  12. #12
    Auto Detail & Restoration Concours.John's Avatar
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    While pressure washing a frame
    In which the body had just been pulled the line broke at the gun.
    This was 3200psi hot steam pressure
    washer. With a broken end and 25ft of hose it honestly was deadly. Had to wait around 15 min for it to run out of gas. I RAN!
    I wasn`t allowed to turn off the water to keep from damaging the pump. It was quite a show.
    Luckily this was outside and I`m pretty quick.
    I always inspect even my meek 1800psi lines now.
    Edit.
    This was all due to a corroded fitting.
    One day I`ll get to do my own car.
    Concours.John Facebook

  13. #13
    Hi-Def Mobile Detailing
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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Wow where do I begin?! I`ve been detailing/painting cars for about 10 years now, but honestly I have never had any serious accidents...Knock-on-Wood. But I can think of three things that I have done recently, some even multiple times:

    1. Locked keys in cars/ drove off w/ keys in my pockets: I`ve since purchased a "big-easy" to open locked cars and have a designated key rack in my trailer.

    2. Allowed interior cleaner/degreaser to set on a speedometer bezzel (ended up clouding it up!)

    3. Accidently sprayed cleaner in a cd player w/ my tornador: The result was the cd player stopped working. Thankfully though, I finished the job and blew it out w/ compressed air for about 10 minutes before it finally cut back on..

  14. #14
    mrclean81's Avatar
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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Gloss View Post
    Wouldn`t a $600 scratch on any new car upset you? What makes a BMW customer any different than the average Joe who entrusts his new car to you?

    I`m missing the point of it being a BMW.
    The point was it was a $70,000 BMW. Yes if it had been a Kia, I would have said it was a Kia. It was one of those accidents that happen to the best of us and a perfect example of why a person needs to carry insurance, and not use metal hose nossles. If it had been an old beat up work truck it would still have been a bad deal, but it had to be a high end car that costed 5 times as much to fix. Not to mention it made me sick for the rest of the day because nothing like that had ever happened nor has it happened since.

  15. #15

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    Re: To the Pro Detailers - What`s the worst mistake you have made while detailing?

    Word to the wise. Never park a clients car underneath the automatic garage door. Either all the way in the garage or all the way out into the driveway.

    A neighbor hired a detailer (more of a car washer) a few months back for a weekly wash and wax. He pulled the car in the garage, but now all the way. Went to close the garage door and it went down right on the back bumper. It must have had a sensor because as soon as it hit and felt resistance it went straight back up but there was a nice foot long scuff that I was able to get out for him quite easily.

    The detailer was extremely apologetic, honest and forthright so he still uses him and no problems since then.
    Little Jimmy!!!

 

 
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