Dealership Work

wash_me

wash_me

New member
I always said I would never do dealership work but when I bought my Mercedes-Benz, they ask me if they could use me if they had over-flow. So they call me this week and said they have 10 cars to detail. I am not sure if I am going to get to do them all, but I working on my third one now. I was worry about the cars being trash and not getting pay very well but I charging full price for all of them.
 
How long does it take you to do an entire car? I'm working at a dealership right now and it takes me about half a day to do an entire car. [plus or minus the engine which I can only do with compressed air and a "slightly damp" rag, usually only on new cars] This includes interior cleaning and wash and wax and windows, since that is all I am equipped to do. I would love to do machine work or even work by hand with abrasives and claying, but there is none of that to be found. Microfiber is also unheard of. I think I might be at the wrong place, too. One of my bosses there who is easy to talk to and funny came over with his toothbrush and said that the quality of my work is great, but the quantity is not, and that the toothbrush might help me with the quality aspect cause I seem to be into that...or something like that...

It makes me think I should be somewhere where quality is more of an issue. I'm glad to have a job I can count on, but I think I might do some looking in other places for a job somewhere else [real detailing place] next summer. Time will tell...
 
CRXSi90 said:
How long does it take you to do an entire car? I'm working at a dealership right now and it takes me about half a day to do an entire car. [plus or minus the engine which I can only do with compressed air and a "slightly damp" rag, usually only on new cars] This includes interior cleaning and wash and wax and windows, since that is all I am equipped to do. I would love to do machine work or even work by hand with abrasives and claying, but there is none of that to be found. Microfiber is also unheard of. I think I might be at the wrong place, too. One of my bosses there who is easy to talk to and funny came over with his toothbrush and said that the quality of my work is great, but the quantity is not, and that the toothbrush might help me with the quality aspect cause I seem to be into that...or something like that...

It makes me think I should be somewhere where quality is more of an issue. I'm glad to have a job I can count on, but I think I might do some looking in other places for a job somewhere else [real detailing place] next summer. Time will tell...
Click to expand...





It takes me about 4 hours to do one but most of the cars have gone through the auction and have been clean up a bit. Most the time I compound and VM the paint, machine polish the glass, clean and dressing the engine, clean door jams, shampoo carpets, leather treatment, detail spare tire, on trucks and SUV's I clean the wheel wells and all that other basic detailing stuff :p.



I don't think there many dealership that care to much about quality, its all about how many cars they can get done for they can sale them. It’s like a horror show when I walk back and see all the employees washing 60k cars with brushes and dirty towels. I been trying to get the Mercedes-Benz dealership to let me train all the wash bay employees but I think if they bring me I would be stepping on some people toes.
 
Good luck with the dealers.



What do you use to "machine polish the glass"? That is what are the products and process. I'm looking at cleaning up the glass on a 94 and 95 Audi.



Thanks,

Dave
 
I use Prowax C-27-Q Glass Polish with a PC. If that does not do the job I use #0000 steel wool with the polish, clay works too.
 
Wash_Me said:
It takes me about 4 hours to do one but most of the cars have gone through the auction and have been clean up a bit. Most the time I compound and VM the paint, machine polish the glass, clean and dressing the engine, clean door jams, shampoo carpets, leather treatment, detail spare tire, on trucks and SUV's I clean the wheel wells and all that other basic detailing stuff :p.



I don't think there many dealership that care to much about quality, its all about how many cars they can get done for they can sale them. It’s like a horror show when I walk back and see all the employees washing 60k cars with brushes and dirty towels. I been trying to get the Mercedes-Benz dealership to let me train all the wash bay employees but I think if they bring me I would be stepping on some people toes.
Click to expand...



Thanks for the reply. I'm really wondering if I would be able to get a job at a real detailing place next summer. I think I just care too much for working at a dealership. Brushes and dirty towels? You've got it! Your trip by the Mercedes-Benz place sounds like the place I work when the other guy is on. When I'm there, I try to do the best I can. Maybe I should just turn off my Autopia-mind when I punch in and do just quick jobs like they want. That is incredibly hard for me to do, though. I think you are right on about them trying to get as many cars through as possible.



Well, I think I can finish off this summer, and maybe work through the winter on weekends while I'm going to sch**l, but when spring rolls around, I might do some looking.



Happy detailing! :wavey
 
CRXSi90 said:
Thanks for the reply. I'm really wondering if I would be able to get a job at a real detailing place next summer. I think I just care too much for working at a dealership. Brushes and dirty towels? You've got it! Your trip by the Mercedes-Benz place sounds like the place I work when the other guy is on. When I'm there, I try to do the best I can. Maybe I should just turn off my Autopia-mind when I punch in and do just quick jobs like they want. That is incredibly hard for me to do, though. I think you are right on about them trying to get as many cars through as possible.



Well, I think I can finish off this summer, and maybe work through the winter on weekends while I'm going to sch**l, but when spring rolls around, I might do some looking.



Happy detailing! :wavey
Click to expand...



Keep your head up! Unfortunately, the attitude you are encountering is the standard for most dealers. They just don't care what you do as long as the cars are done on time and the customer will go away ASAP. The after effects are usually just that - an after though because most people don't come back and complain about swirls and poor quality clean ups. DO what you have to to make your money and if you really want to learn how to detail properly, try and find a top notch detail shop and try to get some work and training there. However, I think you may find that most shops you visit will be no better than the sorry clean up bays at the dealerships. Good luck.
 
Dealers are very stingy and want the price to be very low. The more profit on the car the better for them. When I first started I used to spend alot time on each car because I wanted the cars to meet my standars.My standars are way beyond what the dealer wants in all of the cases I have come across. they want them out super fast. I can do a great job on a mid-size car in just over an hour. To the dealer the car is mint to me it's about a 7 out of 10, But the dealer is more than happy because the car looks way better than when it came in, and it's done very fast. From my experience I tend to stay away from the dealers because of the low pay high work ratio. I do have a few dealers and the money is regular so it's nice. Here are the steps I do. I hope it helps.



(first I do the cars mats w/ the pressure washer so they have time to dry)



1.wash exterior

2.Dry windows

3.Dry vaccumme carpets

4.wash plastics (I use a cleaner with a brightner in it so no dressing needed)

5.Spray carpets and seats with shampoo's (Sopt clean first)

6.Brush the shampoo in

7.Extract seats and carpets and seats

8.Dry vac carpets

9. Use rotary and G10 to clean the hood, roof and trunk.( G10 works awsome and I go over these areas really quick)

10.Use G10 thats left on the pad and polish from the bottom of the windows to the middle of the door.

11. Piss wax front bumper rear bumper and middle of the door down.

12. 1 coat of paint sealer(goes on really easy in all temp's, puts a better shine on than wax (my opion.....lol) and I get it for very cheap.

13. grease the tires

14. take a towel all around for final inspection and she's all done.



Clint
 
I agree Clinton. I took my Mazda 6 into dealer to have them replace gakets under spoiler. Checked for any scratches after they did it. None! But I got it in my garage and noticed alot of smudge marks round the area they were working.It was spotless when I took it in.Plus I guess they decided to check under the hodd,(why?,its beyond me).There were smudge marks where they touched the hood to close it. Maybe I'm too picky,but I think somebody who works in the body shop should have more consideration when it comes to leaving smudge marks on a very clean car.Plus he had to be able to tell,when he seen it, this car is taken care of. oh well
 
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