Going Overboard On A Detail?

For my own vehicles, no. I will generally exceed customer requests but to nowhere nearly the degree.
 
I guess it may be relative to what one and another person wants in the end. I've been known to gut interiors, strip all moulding and lights, and completely strip the engine bay down to just the head and block. Every piece gets detailed or refinished and reinstalled. But I have issues:).
 
I sometimes spend way too much time on a single detail, I've been told. But so far I haven't had any unhappy customers. So maybe there is no such thing as going overboard.
 
you can reach a WALL where you overthink your detail. going back over and over your results. but if its your ride, its not perfect till YOUR happy. now you can over obsess a trouble area and make it worse!!
 
You have to be balanced. For someone who is very nit picky about their work, it's hard not to do. If you're going to charge someone $50 to do something, then you better give them $50 worth of work. Sometimes when I detail a car and start to go overboard I have to remind myself "Hey, this guy is only being charged X amount of dollars, time to slow it down!"
 
So a little over 16 hours in on one motorcycle is not going too far?
Thats the norm for me.
 
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Dispatch said:
So a little over 16 hours in on one motorcycle is not going too far?
Thats the norm for me.
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The time it takes doesn't necessarily mean as much as what work gets done in that amount of time or what the results are. Some people take longer than others to produce the same outcome, whereas others will still take that amount of time and accomplish more.

Even more important than that, though, is whether or not your customer is actually paying you to do the amount of work you're doing for them. As an enthusiast it's very difficult to stop short of perfection and say when; as a business owner you have to look at it from the perspective that time is money and using more product on a job you aren't being paid accordingly for is eating even further into your profits.

I'm not saying don't do your best work on even the cheapest job, or never throw in a little bit extra from time to time; just learn to recognize what things people are most likely to notice and focus your efforts there first. Then set realistic limits that you can present to your customer and align their expectations with their budget during the selling process. That is the first and most important step to profitability.
 
C. Charles Hahn said:
The time it takes doesn't necessarily mean as much as what work gets done in that amount of time or what the results are. Some people take longer than others to produce the same outcome, whereas others will still take that amount of time and accomplish more.

Even more important than that, though, is whether or not your customer is actually paying you to do the amount of work you're doing for them. As an enthusiast it's very difficult to stop short of perfection and say when; as a business owner you have to look at it from the perspective that time is money and using more product on a job you aren't being paid accordingly for is eating even further into your profits.

I'm not saying don't do your best work on even the cheapest job, or never throw in a little bit extra from time to time; just learn to recognize what things people are most likely to notice and focus your efforts there first. Then set realistic limits that you can present to your customer and align their expectations with their budget during the selling process. That is the first and most important step to profitability.
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I detail for family and friends only without charging them.
I'm doing it this way for the experience rather than for money.
Its been this way for many years now.
I take my time (really take my time with only bathroom and dinner breaks), and try to cover 'everything' and every area I can reach on the bikes, short of dismantling it with tools which I will not do.
A detailer I know says to do this but I do not think it is necessary.

I ask this question here because the professional motorcycle detailers in my area say they spend only 4 hours on bikes they detail with no more equipment or experience than I have, yet they charge an average of $200.
This makes me think I may be going overboard.
Although I feel truly satisfied when I'm done, knowing I was completely through....
icon_shrug.gif
 
I used to think spending a hundred and some dollars on a detail job (I have a friend that charges a reasonable price) was going a little far until I bought my current driver. Usually on all my other vehicles I have owned I spent maybe 30 minutes washing the car and then park it. Wax it a couple times a year. Now on my current car I have taken it to the next step and I actually spend about 3 hours on a full cleaning, just on the exterior. I do a quick wipe down of the interior now and then. I never thought in my life I would spend the kind of time and money I have on this car. I prefer to do it myself so I have bought some supplies that would have equaled about a couple of my friends detail jobs and the sad thing is I need to place another order for some other I think I need items. If this was a couple years ago looking at what I have done and spent I would have said yes and I know I am not that serious about it, but in my eyes I am not overboard yet but I think I am standing next to the railing.

The funny thing about it is after reading threads on this forum I must be one of the sane ones. :yay
 
Yes, I have gone overboard...based on what the client is paying for. I have gone over and over, perfecting my work and correcting my shortfalls. I have given away hours of work. And every time the customer picks up their overdone car and is totally ecstatic, the adrenaline rush that come from the great pride I feel makes up for the extra effort. The referrals are nice, too.

But yes, you do have to draw a line. And base your price on their expectations.
 
Going overboard on a detail is a relative term. The more you learn, the more you can do! I never dreamed I could polish out swirl marks until I found this place. Now add several hours to a twice yearly correction detail.
 
As has been said it depends on some things......not charging a family member and spending countless hours on their ride as a hobby is one thing. Doing it for a living and disregarding the time and work involved for the price quoted is a sure loss. Doing a little something extra is generally appreciated but you've got to draw the line.

Let's say I agreed to do a quick wash & wax for $45 on a small car explaining that for the price this was exterior ONLY. As a nice gesture I decide, time permitting, to vacuum the interior. That's not going overboard but cleaning & dressing the entire engine bay for free would be.
 
Great posts in this thread. Cars I have detailed for Pebble Beach or Cavallino can have 40-80 hours of work. In this case, polishing each bolt of the engine block by hand would not be excessive, but rather, mandatory. I wouldn't even do that on my own car.

IF it is your own car, then treat it like your baby, and detail until your hearts content.

IF it is a customer's car, then detail what you are getting paid for and make sure to set realistic expectations.
 
Excellent point.


IF it is your own car, then treat it like your baby, and detail until your hearts content.

IF it is a customer's car, then detail what you are getting paid for and make sure to set realistic expectations.
 
Beemerboy said:
So are you saying that polishing the exhaust pipe under the car is excessive?
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Funny you say this. I am currently in the process of sanding down a stainless steel exhaust system and polishing it up and topping with 3 coats of clear. LOL. I too have problems.
 
When you start dressing the insides of your daily drivers tires then you'll know you have a problem ;)

Detailing is cheaper then therapy. Plus you actually get something out of detailing :)
 
Yes, you can go overboard.

Wash it, polish it, keep it clean, even spotless, but DRIVE and enjoy your car.

When you forget why you own the car and simply obsess about every spot, swirl, bit of dirt, so the car never leaves the garage, you have lost your mind.

Ever consider buying and driving a junker so you keep your "good car" perfect with low to no miles?

If yes, seek therapy.

After all, a car is only a machine and you can always get another, even better, one.
 
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