Has anyone ever streamed their detailing work online?

Jngrbrdman

New member
For five or six years I did sort of a detailing clinic in my garage to let people try out different products and learn some techniques. It was basically just an afternoon in the garage where five or six of us could polish out our cars and maybe try some new waxes or something. They were pretty useful in the past I like to think. Anyway, as life sort of got busier and I had less time to really promote it and organize it, I started just streaming some things from my garage. I put my laptop on a wheeled cart and let him hold the webcam in position so you could hear and see what I was doing. Not the best production crew in the world, but I would actually have upwards of 20 or 30 people online watching it and interacting. It worked out pretty well. I was just wondering if anyone else did anything like that for the owner forums you participate in or anything like that?



Just by way of information, the easiest way to do it from what I researched is a program called Stickam. (Stickam - Live stream video chat with over 9 million members) You create a free account and launch the stream and then paste your code on your blog or website. Then anyone who goes to it can watch your webcam. You can set it up so they can hear your audio and even type in a chat box, so it is fairly interactive. Hey, it's a free solution, so I don't expect much more than that. In fact, just to give you a taste, go to http://anthonyhardlyworking.com and you can see the stream online. Sometimes it plays a commercial at the beginning and sometimes not, but again, it's free, so I expect them to have to monetize it somehow. I've got it on and streaming while my webcam is pointed at a box of PopTarts and Autopia driver's licence. I'm not feeling like being on candid camera today. ;) It gives you an idea of what it looks like though.



So if you haven't done a streaming session online, then you really should consider it. I know there are plenty of people here that I'd love to see work. If you get a chance to do a really nice car or a serious correction, then why not make a quick post, throw out a link, and share your technique with the rest of us? It's Autopia 21st century style! :eyebrows:
 
I've thought about it before, but never actually done it. There are several webcam streaming sites out there now days:



Justin.tv - Streaming live video broadcasts for everyone

USTREAM, You're On. Free LIVE VIDEO Streaming, Online Broadcasts. Create webcasts, video chat, stream videos on the Internet. Live streaming videos, TV shows

Livestream - Be There :: Broadcast LIVE streaming video



Incidentally, Anthony, your link/stream isn't working.





One of the other reasons this could be a good thing is if you do have someone with a particularly expensive vehicle bringing it to be left in your possession for a couple days, having a streaming "Detail Cam" available would serve as peace of mind for the client knowing they can check up on their car whenever they want. Plus, since the streams can be recorded, you have video documentation in case anything bad happens.
 
It's not working because I'm not at my computer anymore. It must shut off when you lock the station, so that's why it isn't showing anything. You wouldn't be seeing too much anyway. :)



As far as hosting seminars with, I don't think this is the best tool for that. There are plenty of web meeting hosts out there that do a whole lot more interaction. In fact, that is what the company I work for right now does. But for just planting a bunch of code on a web page and having people come to it to sort of be a fly on the wall, this kind of thing is nice. What we built at my work is more for networking with larger groups and would be for when you want to do more interaction, but I think I'm going to try using it this year for some of my details. I just think it would be cool to get some real time feedback of some of the processes I use. Imagine having a group of people watching you do something and then being able to go back to them and ask for feedback. It would be pretty cool I think.
 
very cool and totally something I would do once in a shop location. I would not broadcast audio though....people wouldn't want to know my true feelings of their cars which I have a tendency to vocalize.
 
Bunky said:
Bryan did this while at TID.



Those where the good ole days. Rasky and dasher did out too.



I had david f ask the powers to be here, but this site is not setup for that.



Evo 3d
 
gmblack3 said:
Those where the good ole days. Rasky and dasher did out too.



I had david f ask the powers to be here, but this site is not setup for that.



Evo 3d



I bet if there were enough interest, it could be set up for that very easily. From a hosting perspective I'm 100% certain they could do it easily.
 
Perhaps it could work the other way around too. Instead of pro to customer stream, it could be a customer to pro stream.



A sort of interactive pre visit inspection of paint and general condition of the car, without getting the customer to come down to the shop.



Time saved for the customer, more direct than phone or photos, could potentially save nasty surprises leading to an under quoted job and with the added bonus of involving the customer right upfront on the process even upselling service.



BTW I would probably pay to participate in a seminar like this. AG has sort of streamed seminars, if i recall correctly, also and it was really good.
 
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