Autopia Certified Detailers

J

jcattarulla

New member
So often I read about "detailers" making a mess of a car, using old towels, rubbing in a circular motion, etc.



Why not create an Autopia Certification, whereby detailers could earn that marque of distinction by participating on these boards and taking a test of some sort, the same way a mechanic becomes AST Certified.



This would allow Autopia to ESTABLISH a baseline of knowledge for detailing, and consumers would be assured of knowing their detailer is knowledgeable and uses Autopia "Best Practices."



Of course this would be a slow process (Rome wasn't built in a day) but I CAN see the future when dealers' repair shops and independent detailing shops hang signs saying "Officially Certified Autopia Detailing Center."



We can raise the bar for the entire industry with the right business plan.



What do you think?
 
I think this has been touched on before , but nothing major has been discussed. I personally would love to see some like an ASE certification for detailers.



Autopia would be a great start for this but it would take some work to get started and to make it nationally recognized.



David B what do you think , could be an additional income for autopia , make a certification manual and charge a fee to get the actual certification?
 
I think it's a nice idea, but not likely to happen. For a certification to mean anything it mush be from an orgainization that is widely accepted as the "gold standard" and expert authority on the subject. It's practices mush be clear, produce results that factually based, not opinion based. Typically these orgainzations are professional in nature, Autopia is a rather small group of hardcore Enthusiasts who like to talk detailing.



While it's a nice idea in theory, I would not hold my breath for it to happen. :)



:wavey
 
Of course I understand; I am a dreamer.



BUT, think of it this way: the NBA has five starters per team, about 30 teams = about 150 top players.



Their example sets the standard for all little boys, girls, europeans, asians, city kids, corn-fed hoosiers, etc.



It COULD happen. If Autopia is at the pinnacle of detailing knowledge, we could establish a list of "best practices" that could be free of specific products. Even a mid-level baseline would be a great addition to the auto-care industry.



As Bill Parcell's says, "Aim for perfection, and you will find excellence along the way."



We are the about the only group that could drive this.
 
I think it could happen , if it was going to happen I strongly feel autopia would be the orginization to make it happen.



It would need to be headed by David and it would need several long time professional autopian detailers involved in the whole process.
 
You guys raise valid points, and issues that are way beyond my expertise.



But, we also know David is a dreamer and achiever :up who can make amazing things happen.



If something like this existed, I would be much more likely to take one of my cars to an "Autopia certified detailer" when I am in a hurry and can't take the time to do it myself.



My $.02, David.
 
I happen to know just the person who could spearhead such an initiative: GeekySteve.



He exhibits proven detailing expertise, unbiased advice, an ability to produce results (witness the GURU REPORTS), etc. He and DavidB as a team could lend the program the credibility it would need to get off the ground.



What do the PRO detailers out there think of establishing some sort of "Best Practices" baseline? Of course things change, so just as pilots get re-tested as aviation technology advances, so would the Autopia "Best Practices".
 
Don't you do your best on tests? Very few detailers would actually. after they got the certification, live up to the standard.



I think it is a great idea though.
 
I think back to a scene from one of my favorite movies. It went something like this...



"A man has an idea... The idea attracts others who are like-minded. After awhile the idea becomes an institutuion. Gentlemen, the idea has become the institution. Its time to move on." Can you name that flick? Its not a direct quote but if you are a fan then you recognize it.



The problem I see with Autopia becoming something like that is that our community would become a corporation where ideas are shot down by the "best practices" list. Right now people share ideas right and left. Some are pretty off the wall too. When a community starts to dictate what the best practices are then it becomes a form of government that I'm not too fond of. I'm not saying that is the way this idea would be, of course. Perhaps the forums could be kept seperate from the corporation. It is a nice vision that may be possible in another year or two. That would be interesting.
 
Detailing is a lot about how YOU get the job done. There can be no set way to detail. There are certain, basic techniques but a lot of it is about how you like to detail and the products you use. Certain products need to be used certain ways to get the right results, which might be different than the "set rules"



There can be no written test for detailing, the test is in the results! If you get the results, then I really don't care how you do it!
 
All excellent points; I humbly submit that my idea is not perfect.



BUT, there is a need for a "Gold Standard" of knowledge so that consumers don't constantly encounter Snake-Oil Salesmen who mess up their cars. I've seen that too many times here. I just thought we, as leaders in testing, learning, and sharing knowledge, might do something about it.



Perhaps just by being here we are.
 
I don't think we need a certification to have a high standard of detailing. Besides, just because you have a certification doesn't mean that you are ethical. How many crooked mechanics are out there with their wall full of certificates? Intel's comment is along the lines of what I said the other day. I trust results over directions. You don't need a piece of paper on the wall to prove to the world that you know what you are doing. That pool of reflection that is their car is all the proof you need. :)
 
Another good point.



But as far as pics for proof: consider some of the people here on Autopia who photo-enhance their shots to make their work look so refelctive that you can't really even tell what the car looks like.



If it's a bad idea, fine, I apologize for wasting your time. But someone else is going to capitalize on this idea- I just hope it's an organization as qualified as Autopia.
 
A certification shows that the person has a commitment to their profession. Granted there is more to detailing than knowing how , it's having the knowledge and ability to apply it properly. A certification program would show that a detailer has taken the time to be the best they possibly can.
 
Jngrbrdman said:
I don't think we need a certification to have a high standard of detailing. Besides, just because you have a certification doesn't mean that you are ethical. How many crooked mechanics are out there with their wall full of certificates?
Click to expand...
Yeah I vaguely remember this discussion about Autopia Certification too...... or maybe it was about AutoInt Certification...... :eek: hmm.



Anyway, I agree with Jngr (and I think this is how the last thread ended) - while a pretty certificate is nice to have, it doesn't really mean all that much of anything in the end, other than to make the person seem more reputable and qualified.



Nice try anyway Jcattarulla, you had good intentions! :xyxthumbs
 
OK, I will crawl back under my rock, alongside Bill Gates, Christopher Columbus, and Martin Luther King, Jr.



But clearly you appreciate that only Columbus said the world was round, and that MLK, JR. had a dream.



If I am going to fall off a flat earth, I'd rather do it behind a captain such as Autopia, rather than Turtle Wax or some other such firm which is buying up the world of auto-detailing supply companies. And if you think that it's long before Sal Zaino sells his opperations to a company like that, you're fooling yourself. And then all of a sudden Zaino will be made with less expensive ingredients, the results will suffer, etc.



Back under my rock I go.
 
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