Dealership hacks strike again

S

Scottwax

New member
Got an e-mail from a customer whose black G35 I detailed back in April:



Hi Scott,





It's almost ime to reschedule for a detail. I was just curious. I had my car at the dealer and as a "surprise" they did some detail work. Looks like their buffers created swirl marks along the side of the car. Can only see when the sun hits it. Whats the deal? What did they do differently than you? Let's just say they jacked with your mirror shine. May need you to repair.



:angry I seriously hate this crap. Why the #@$* can't dealerships train their detailer's properly? Not only did they manage to jack up a black car, but a black G35. Fun day for me fixing it for sure.



Anyway, this was my response:



Unfortunately detailing is not something 95% of dealers do not do well. What did they do wrong? Hard to say for sure, but I am sure it was poor pad choice, improper technique, trying to do the job as quick as possible, poor training and/or supervision. Most likely a combination of all.



Obviously, the swirls are distorting the paint so that the true color and gloss no longer shows through. I am sure I can bring the finish back, but without seeing the car it is hard to say how long it would take or give you an accurate estimate. I would suggest you take the car by the dealer and express your extreme displeasure at their level of work. I'd also recommend you make sure they note in the computer that you do not want them to perform any detailing or washing when you come in for service. You might even be able to get them to reimburse the cost of having me take out the swirls. I would definitely not give them another shot at detailing the car. Odds are they will use an oily glaze to fill in the swirls and after you wash the car a few times the swirls will be back. They also might go overboard trying to remove the swirls and in the process thin your clearcoat more than necessary.
 
Wow, sorry to hear Scott.



I've dealt with a few G35/37's black and other colors and they are typically an easy fix. The clears are pretty soft, without seeing the damage I'd bet you'd be able to fix it with a good two step polishing with the rotary for sure.
 
Another day, another dealer disaster.



When I was 16 I got my first job as a "lot boy" at a dealership, so I know first hand how terrible they really are.



There was literally NO formal training for me, and they used NASTY, ROUGH shop rags for everything...literally. They were so bad that were guaranteed to scratch if you rubbed hard, and they were our wax applicators and removers.



The dealership had ONE polisher, which was a Makita rotary. The rotary had ONE wool pad which was *NEVER* cleaned, and it was only busted out on the rare occasion they did a "teflon sealant" and it was used to apply it. Then, without cleaning, it was put back away.



It was horrible...
 
That sucks. Dealerships really do need to step it up. It’s the same results from almost every one there is.



I was in a parking lot about two weeks ago and in the distance I could see a red solstice with swirls all over it. I went up to look at it just to see if my eyes played tricks on me. When I got to it the owner was right behind me. After she realized I wasn’t trying to steal her car, we got to talking and she told me that all the holograms on the car was from the dealership. She asked them about it and they said that it was normal and it had to do with the new technique that all detailers are doing now. They then told her that it helped to reflect the sun better.



I completed a full detail for her on Wednesday. I had the car for two full days. She was ecstatic when she got her car back. She said she took before pics and was going to go directly to the dealership to show the shop what a real detail looks like and also to see what they could do for her to help out with all the aggravation and lies she had to deal with.



I would not want to get on this women’s bad side.
 
sick. good move with trying to have the dealership pay for your services. that'd be a win/win for you and the customer. another job for you/money in the pocket, he gets your high class results without having to pay!



gl!



p.s. noone gets to touch my car, especially a dealership, but me
 
I hope the dealer pays for your clients troubles.



Money. Its no secret dealerships only care about a quick buck. If they spend money on proper equipment (pads, products, MFs, ect.) that would still only fix a fraction of the problem. They dont pay for a quality detailer. Would you detail at a dealership for $10 an hour? They want cars out in as little time as possible. They have sold a "full detail" on a QX56 and said they need it done in an hour and a half. I am able to do things a little more my way because of my background in dealerships, and they know to ask me how long I will need a car for. If I have to hide after giving a customer their keys, I refuse to touch the car.
 
You should enjoy when cars/customers come to you with these "problems". Gives you a chance to set yourself and your business apart from the crowd. Correct that paint and you have instant and lasting credibility as well as a customer for life.
 
Scottwax said:
Why the #@$* can't dealerships train their detailer's properly? Not only did they manage to jack up a black car, but a black G35.
Click to expand...



Your assuming anyone at the dealership knows enough about detailing to know a problem even exists much less how to train them right. Unless enough people come back complaining and demanding the dealership pay for damages, the owners/general managers of dealerships will remain ignorant that a problem even exists.
 
My wife is looking at Toyota Highlanders - we've seen a few decent ones at some dealers, but the dealer at Myrtle Beach, SC should be arrested! I have never seen as many brand new vehicles that looked like they were cleaned with old rags or brillo. It pays to really look before you buy.
 
So since I seem to be noticing a great deal of dealership details being disasters do you think you can use this as a marketing ploy and possibly contact dealers and be their "detailers" insted of them hiring a bunch of inexperienced lunitics with buffers? I mean, you could offer possibly 1 solid rate PER type of car for interior and exterior....



For instance, for a G37 for a new car protection plan, have them work it into the price of the vehicle and put the G37 on a monthly/3week detail plan? Just an idea I've been toying with but I am FAR from experienced enough to do such a thing.
 
teecster said:
So since I seem to be noticing a great deal of dealership details being disasters do you think you can use this as a marketing ploy and possibly contact dealers and be their "detailers" insted of them hiring a bunch of inexperienced lunitics with buffers? I mean, you could offer possibly 1 solid rate PER type of car for interior and exterior....



For instance, for a G37 for a new car protection plan, have them work it into the price of the vehicle and put the G37 on a monthly/3week detail plan? Just an idea I've been toying with but I am FAR from experienced enough to do such a thing.
Click to expand...



It is something you could try but I would bet 97% of dealership owners/GM's would not be willing to pay what a respectable detailer would demand for that type of work. Most dealerships would rather pay their own guys a dollar or two over minimum wage to do just enough that the general public won't notice.
 
well. you could always work out a possible bonus plan? possibly they purchase supplies, ect, ect... Just some ideas...
 
Holden_C04 said:
What do you expect? :nixweiss
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People to be properly trained and supervised? Or am I asking too much?



I hear what y'all are saying about crappy dealer detailers being good for business. I agree (I should send Moritz BMW a thank-you card for all the business I get from them sucking so much) but at the same time, it is really aggravating for me and certainly my customers when they trash a car.



To top it off, I get a call from my brother. His wife was in an accident a few weeks ago and my brother listened to the insurance company when they recommended a body shop.
pat.gif




Last time he didn't listen to my recommendation of Mister Collision, the body shop he took it to trashed his truck so bad he ended up having to sue them for damages. While getting estimates for court, he did go by Mister Collision and afterwards, he calls me to tell me how impressed he was with the shop and how professional the owner is. Why he didn't take it there this time is beyond me.



Anyway, when he calls me, he says there are swirls all over the car now. :rolleyes:



I tell him to call the insurance company and let them know he was unhappy about the swirls. They tell him to take it to the bodyshop and have them fix it. He told me they were using 3M's SMR (Swirl Mark Remover). I told him to tell them they should be using 3M Ultrafina and he said they'd never heard of it. I have a feeling I'll be buffing out his car after he washes it a few times. I'm not doing it for free though. Jeez, I can't even get through to my own brother!
 
Scottwax said:
People to be properly trained and supervised? Or am I asking too much?
Click to expand...



As I said in a previous post, my guess is the owner/general manager of a typical delearship probably knows very little about how cars should be properly detailed. All he/she knows is how to sell cars. So until enough people return complaining about their cars being swirled or hologramed, I don't see a light bulb going off on the owner/gm's head any time soon.
 
Scottwax said:
People to be properly trained and supervised? Or am I asking too much?
Click to expand...



I have spoken with enough dealers to know that they could not care less about how good a car looks, so long as the customer does not complain. That's the only reason they would ever change. Being that 99% of the general public is poorly informed about detailing and what cars should look like, that does not seem very likely.
 
I will agree most detailers at dealers are hacks. It was nearly 2 years ago my family and I took a 5 hour ride into Alabama to go look at an Acura Legend that was at a Saturn dealer. Mind you this was a Milano Red legend coupe that was not in the best of shape, and to make it look good, it looked like the detailers sprayed the car with armor all (it was oily as heck and you could see the surface could have actually been chalky already.) I dont want to know what was on that paint or what the current owner has had to go through with that paint now.
 
I will Admit that most Dealership Detailers can't even hold a rag. But i make sure i spend at least 3 months with my new guys b4 they even come close to a power polisher. The service Dept and detail Dept are 2 diff depts in my dealership. And o have Regular Customers that REfuse to let service even wash there Car. it all comes to me.



When it comes down to it.... Its Training for the first week my new guys just do windows. LOL cuz we all HATE DOINg them. I end up fixing bodyshop Screw ups every week.



So i say not all Dealerships aer the same. Once in a while you find a good one that takes attention to Detail...
 
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