I can't believe what I just saw...

X

xtremekustomz

New member
I went by the local Nissan dealership and they had some of their workers out washing all the vehicles in the parking lot. These vehicles were NASTY. They were out there with a pressure washer (water only) spraying them down and drying them off with a towel. Not actually washing them or anything. Every vehicle out there was swired all over and there were streaks all over the glass. I couldn't belive it when I saw it. Brand new vehicles. There was a salesman that came out and talked to me and I expressed my concern. I'm planning on buying a new one but I'm going to get it shipped straight from the manufacturer with instructions to not be washed and leave all the plastic on. It's just rediculous. I wish I had my camera with me.
 
I'm amazed they dried them. Most just have a crew with a power washer on a trailer come by and blast them off to air dry complete with water stains.



Why does this surprise you? It's common practice. You didn't really expect each one to be hand washed and dabbed dry with waffle weaves did you? It's a numbers game and it has to be done quickly.
 
I welcome this practice. It give us more business. :D



If you think that is bad wait until the date of ownership and the buffers give the vehicle that dealer "sealer package".
 
I basically told the salesman there is an easier way to wash them and make them look really good without marring the paint using ONR but he didn't care. And I've never seen a dealership do this. The chevrolet place down the road actually has a building that they pull the cars in, wash, wax, and trim everything including the windows with rain x.
 
xtremekustomz said:
I basically told the salesman there is an easier way to wash them and make them look really good without marring the paint using ONR but he didn't care. And I've never seen a dealership do this. The chevrolet place down the road actually has a building that they pull the cars in, wash, wax, and trim everything including the windows with rain x.
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But is the Chevy dealer doing that as pre-delivery prep, or to clean the cars on the lot? Even if they are doing that with the cars in the front lot...they probably aren't doing it on the back lot (dealers usually have hundreds of cars in inventory; frequently the lots aren't co-located with the showroom, at least around here...I mean, they will have a back lot where the showroom is, but will usually have another lot further away also).



So I would describe it as being tiers of care; the showroom cars get "detailed" the front lot cars get washed as you described, the back lot cars might just get a hose-off periodically, and the remote lot cars probably never get cleaned (until they get promoted).



There are plenty of threads here about how to maximize profit for the back lot "hose-off" for which the dealer pays 1 or 2 dollars a car. And the dealer doesn't care about the swirls because most of the customers don't. If they mention it, he will tell them "all cars have swirls" or that they will detail the car for them before delivery (even if it's a hack job) and the customer will be ok with that because 1) They feel they are getting something (a detail) for nothing 2)They don't really care they were just trying to negotiate 3) They will think the car was fixed because of the heavy glaze the dealer used 4) etc.
 
I helped a guy out at a BMW dealership a few weeks ago, a new detailing guy for the dealership. Good guy, eager to learn, but the products they supplied him with her stupid bad. Anyway, we get to talking and it turns out they pay him $22 to 'detail' a car. For $22 I wouldn't do much either.
 
xtremekustomz said:
I went by the local Nissan dealership and they had some of their workers out washing all the vehicles in the parking lot. These vehicles were NASTY. They were out there with a pressure washer (water only) spraying them down and drying them off with a towel. Not actually washing them or anything. Every vehicle out there was swired all over and there were streaks all over the glass. I couldn't belive it when I saw it. Brand new vehicles. There was a salesman that came out and talked to me and I expressed my concern. I'm planning on buying a new one but I'm going to get it shipped straight from the manufacturer with instructions to not be washed and leave all the plastic on. It's just rediculous. I wish I had my camera with me.
Click to expand...



Normal operation for the dealers.. won't hurt anything..
 
I'll admit it. I was once a lot lizard. My job was to round up the porters every friday and start at one end of the lot and get after it. Hose down 6, wipe 'em down and move on. I never understood why the new car makeready guy would get so pissed at us. A couple of years later I became the new car makeready. OOOOOOOOHH! now I see. I remember seeing the guys throw their chamois on the ground and hose off the grime.:doh Now the dealership hires an outside crew to do it. Only difference now is that they use hot water. I work at another dealership now and I don't let those guys on the lot.
 
JoshVette said:
You're surprised at this??



All dealerships do this, it's not about the cars for them, it's only about the money....
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yep, pretty much all the ones i've seen. i was at my local honda dealership getting a oil change one day and when i was walking around to waste time, they had one guy using the pressure washer to "clean" the car and the other guy with a dirty/grimey chamois to "dry" it (occasionly wringing it out) with heavy pressure i might add. we won't even talk about looking at a dark colored car (or light) on a sunny day over there either... :faint:
 
There is a guy there at the dealersip and that is his job. He has been doing it for over 10 years. He gets paid an hourly wage and that is what he does. This dealership isn't extremely large. I'd say they have roughly 150-200 cars on the lot. I've been in the back where the detailing is done.



Setec Astronomy said:
But is the Chevy dealer doing that as pre-delivery prep, or to clean the cars on the lot? Even if they are doing that with the cars in the front lot...they probably aren't doing it on the back lot (dealers usually have hundreds of cars in inventory; frequently the lots aren't co-located with the showroom, at least around here...I mean, they will have a back lot where the showroom is, but will usually have another lot further away also).



So I would describe it as being tiers of care; the showroom cars get "detailed" the front lot cars get washed as you described, the back lot cars might just get a hose-off periodically, and the remote lot cars probably never get cleaned (until they get promoted).



There are plenty of threads here about how to maximize profit for the back lot "hose-off" for which the dealer pays 1 or 2 dollars a car. And the dealer doesn't care about the swirls because most of the customers don't. If they mention it, he will tell them "all cars have swirls" or that they will detail the car for them before delivery (even if it's a hack job) and the customer will be ok with that because 1) They feel they are getting something (a detail) for nothing 2)They don't really care they were just trying to negotiate 3) They will think the car was fixed because of the heavy glaze the dealer used 4) etc.
Click to expand...
 
The Mercedes dealership here in Florida is the same way, they have $100,000 cars in the show room, all scratched up. I've watched them wash a car in 5 minutes.
 
There is a big Auto Center a few miles from my house. You can go by on pretty much any morning, and you will be able to see this happening at at least a couple dealerships at a time. Amazing.



This is why, when I bought a brand new RX-8 back in 2004 in had plenty of swirls in it. :down
 
You realize of course that this bothers everyone one the forum... but 9 out of 10 customers buying a Toyota (I worked for Toyota), took brand new cars home, with visible lot damage. (dings, dents, and scrapes) and didn't ever notice. Some people just don't see the say things we do.



My father for example drives me nuts. Puts a coat of wax on the car, and just because it has a little gloss thinks its fully detailed. He doesn't even see the swirl marks.



DG
 
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