A combo of check out this Audi...

[Accumulator]

Sunguns are great, but if you want true correction get yourself metal halide!...

Yeah, I could *almost* justify getting them if I did more correction. If I were doing it regularly I`d replace one bank of incandescents with `em. Heh heh, as it is, I`m not spending any more $ on that shop of mine any time soon!

[WAS]

Sunguns are great, but if you want true correction get yourself metal halide! Oh and back to the shop. While it looks cool. Not set up at all for real correction work. I often see these nice shops, but the inportant purpose of a location is to be able to provide true services with proper tools, lights and whatever. This shop and all them flourecents will not do it! Although I do like.

I want to play devil`s advocate here. First, let me start of by saying that doing a job (be it polishing, autobody, hell even web page design) properly is the ONLY right way to do it. At least that`s my personal moral standpoint. Now, with that said, let`s take a well lit shop (let`s say with metal halides if you think those are the best), and this DLUX8-style shop. Would the average customer end up being more satisfied with a fairly-decent polishing job, but an EXCELLENT customer service experience (including the free coffee and cigars, blah blah blah), or with a near-perfect polishing job, but an ordinary shop / waiting area ? I hate to say it, but appearance is really big for a lot of people, and I`d wager that a lot of folks would prefer the DLUX8-style experience, even if the polish job wasn`t as good as it could be....



Definitely something to keep in mind for those of us with fixed locations when we think about customer service. What seems like good customer service to us (informing the customer of steps being taken, etc), might not be as important as, say, free coffee and a cigar, from a customer`s point of view.

[Accumulator]

Different people value different things, no question about it.



FWIW though, Barry Theal has had some extremely high-end customers who were OK with shops of his that were, uhm... a lot less than fancy.



All a matter of knowing your clientele and catering to what they`re after.

[Barry Theal]

I want to play devil`s advocate here. First, let me start of by saying that doing a job (be it polishing, autobody, hell even web page design) properly is the ONLY right way to do it. At least that`s my personal moral standpoint. Now, with that said, let`s take a well lit shop (let`s say with metal halides if you think those are the best), and this DLUX8-style shop. Would the average customer end up being more satisfied with a fairly-decent polishing job, but an EXCELLENT customer service experience (including the free coffee and cigars, blah blah blah), or with a near-perfect polishing job, but an ordinary shop / waiting area ? I hate to say it, but appearance is really big for a lot of people, and I`d wager that a lot of folks would prefer the DLUX8-style experience, even if the polish job wasn`t as good as it could be....



Definitely something to keep in mind for those of us with fixed locations when we think about customer service. What seems like good customer service to us (informing the customer of steps being taken, etc), might not be as important as, say, free coffee and a cigar, from a customer`s point of view.

Your completely right, I agree with alot of what your saying. On another words I know way to many pro`s who work out of there house and make a very good living. Most making more on one car then a weeks worth of 40 hour pay. Your right about the whole apperance thing. Remember The nicest shopin the world, tools, and lights are only as good as the person using them. We could argue about this for ever though. LOL Hope your doing well in your shop!

[WAS]

Your completely right, I agree with alot of what your saying. On another words I know way to many pro`s who work out of there house and make a very good living. Most making more on one car then a weeks worth of 40 hour pay. Your right about the whole apperance thing. Remember The nicest shopin the world, tools, and lights are only as good as the person using them. We could argue about this for ever though. LOL Hope your doing well in your shop!

lol, I absolutely agree with the place of business not being as important as the work, as well as having the nicest tools and lights in the world are only as good as the person using them. I just find it interesting that even a shop that does "on-par" work (nothing outstanding), IMO, would probably have a better reputation that most other shops, even if other shops do better quality work. Yes, there are those extremely high end clients that will pay $$$ for a quality detail from a very specific individual, shop or not, but that`s more a very small niche market. In the mainstream world (even let`s say the volume world), the DLUX8-style shop will make much more revenue than the higher-quality detailer, simply because of asthetics (which is ironic, since asthetics is one of the main reasons of detailing in the first place).



Thanks, hope your shop is doing well also ! I`d love to come visit it next time I`m in PA

[Accumulator]

WAS- Based on the non-Autopians I know who pay for pro details, you`re right about how important it is *for some customers*. These people don`t even see the flaws that we obsess over, but they *do* see things like clean shop floors and employees with spotless hands.



I`d rather see perfectly detailed vehicles being turned out (and not worry about anything else), but that`s not how everybody is....



Heh heh, and Barry`s new shop *is* a lot spiffier than the one he had previously Remember the "before" pics from when he spruced up the the old place? It was originally kinda :soscared:

[WAS]

WAS- Based on the non-Autopians I know who pay for pro details, you`re right about how important it is *for some customers*. These people don`t even see the flaws that we obsess over, but they *do* see things like clean shop floors and employees with spotless hands.



I`d rather see perfectly detailed vehicles being turned out (and not worry about anything else), but that`s not how everybody is....



Heh heh, and Barry`s new shop *is* a lot spiffier than the one he had previously Remember the "before" pics from when he spruced up the the old place? It was originally kinda :soscared:

Very, very true. I`m in that non-Autopian group, in that we don`t generally turn out flawless paint corrections on expensive vehicles. Our bread and butter is the average soccer mom`s grocery getter, and most of our clients are concerned with a clean interior, and couldn`t care what-so-ever about the exterior.



That said, that`s the market in my area and that`s what my business is based on. On a personal level, I agree, I see all kinds of defects and flaws and would prefer to strive to get things to perfection.

[Accumulator]

Very, very true. I`m in that non-Autopian group, in that we don`t generally turn out flawless paint corrections on expensive vehicles. Our bread and butter is the average soccer mom`s grocery getter, and most of our clients are concerned with a clean interior, and couldn`t care what-so-ever about the exterior.



That said, that`s the market in my area and that`s what my business is based on....

And I`ll be the first to say that you gotta satisfy your customers :xyxthumbs I actually sometimes about the idea of perfection when it comes to doing cars for "normal people". Heh heh, just like normal people about how *I* keep my stuff!

[vtec92civic]

Wow. That Audi is a piece of work. I`m guessing a S4? Loving the crisp red paint, deep dished rims and wide body they got going on. The shop looks great. One thing that looks odd is his choice of buffer . . . . looks like a drill. Also, i would never recommend doing something like placing your phone on a clients rim like that . . . . . maybe if there was some sort of cloth under neath it it just seems a little un-professional. Should have just tossed a $1 bill in there or something.

[jaynick808]

Wow. That Audi is a piece of work. I`m guessing a S4? Loving the crisp red paint, deep dished rims and wide body they got going on. The shop looks great. One thing that looks odd is his choice of buffer . . . . looks like a drill. Also, i would never recommend doing something like placing your phone on a clients rim like that . . . . . maybe if there was some sort of cloth under neath it it just seems a little un-professional. Should have just tossed a $1 bill in there or something.

meh. looks like an upgraded intercooler n possibly upgraded turbo on a stock turbo a4. nice widebody work though. a good shop did the body n paint.





and that buffer looks like a vertical makita polisher. meant for bodyshops to work on doors and vertical panels.

[gigondaz]

lol, I absolutely agree with the place of business not being as important as the work, as well as having the nicest tools and lights in the world are only as good as the person using them. I just find it interesting that even a shop that does "on-par" work (nothing outstanding), IMO, would probably have a better reputation that most other shops, even if other shops do better quality work. Yes, there are those extremely high end clients that will pay $$$ for a quality detail from a very specific individual, shop or not, but that`s more a very small niche market. In the mainstream world (even let`s say the volume world), the DLUX8-style shop will make much more revenue than the higher-quality detailer, simply because of asthetics (which is ironic, since asthetics is one of the main reasons of detailing in the first place).



Thanks, hope your shop is doing well also ! I`d love to come visit it next time I`m in PA

I agree 100% with your comments.



High-end detailing centres do have their attractions and target market.

These are normally owned by very well-heeled proprietors who could hv a few wealthy partners. In certain parts of Asia, it`s a known fact that many proprietors are involved in illegitimate activities. I personally know a few of them.



These high-end places in Hong Kong and Taiwan normally operate on these principles:



1. Low emphasis on paint correction



2. Very high emphasis on LSP - they normally use high-end coatings supported by a marvellous marketing story (high degree of MOH hardness, resistance to almost everything, except the kitchen sink LOL etc). Super-premium Carnaubas? Nahhh...too low-tech.



3. High emphasis on innovations - such as using a huge bank of overhead IR lights to facilitate curing of the "advanced" coatings. Makes the shop look great to a novice and it sure is a novelty.



The usage of high-end Japanese, Korean or Taiwan made coatings enables these high-end centres to charge top-dollars for detailing jobs, and hence, they attract the well-heeled car owners driving super premium cars that ALREADY have premium paint and shd be in reasonably good condition anyway.



To me, the white flooring in that section of the shop looks TOO PRISTINE to be used during any sanding and intensive paint correction work. You`ll get powdery residue and wool everywhere, especially on the wall-mounted fluorescents and it`ll be a nightmare to clean them daily.



That section appears to be for final "showing off" to the customer to admire the 90% completed car. The remaining 10% work in that extensively lit delivery bay is just "marketing puffery" to impress the car owner.



Valuable lesson:

It`s not WHAT you use and WHERE you use it.

It`s HOW you use it.