OPTI-NEWS: Opti-Coat 2.0 is no longer available to the public. OCP is now the only Opti-Coat.
- Thread starter Jean-Claude
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Junebug
JAFO
D'oh! Thanks pwaug, that's what I figured!
autoconcierge
New member
Coatings in of themselves used properly can be a wonderful addition to the protection of a clients vehicle, where it goes south (IMO) is when the attributes of the particular product(s) are hyped or in some cases outright false claims are conversed to clients.
I receive many inquires where a client is convinced that their Black vehicle will be "Locked down" and will look "Amazing" forever…………………… I refute this with real world truth and what performance they can truly expect to experience, at this point there is initial confusion but when the precepts I educate them on with proper maintenance procedures they realize that there is no "Magic product" in spite of what internet claims are made.
It always comes back to not cutting corners, hucksters have their time for awhile but quality overcomes this in time.
I receive many inquires where a client is convinced that their Black vehicle will be "Locked down" and will look "Amazing" forever…………………… I refute this with real world truth and what performance they can truly expect to experience, at this point there is initial confusion but when the precepts I educate them on with proper maintenance procedures they realize that there is no "Magic product" in spite of what internet claims are made.
It always comes back to not cutting corners, hucksters have their time for awhile but quality overcomes this in time.
imported_Rcrew
New member
Agreed, Bob. Hype is a huge concern, as is proper education of our customers. If we are leaving them with the impression that their car will be dialed for the rest of its days with no detailing maintenance required, that is a huge disservice and will only bite us and our industry in the end. Even though I believe the tag-line "never need to wax your car again" is valid in reference to OCP, I don't leave it at that when speaking to a customer. Rather I flesh out that statement, give them practical background info on how the product works and what it means moving forward.
I like what you had to say about quality overcoming hype and corner-cutting in the end, and feel that customer education goes hand in hand with this.
I like what you had to say about quality overcoming hype and corner-cutting in the end, and feel that customer education goes hand in hand with this.
Thomas Dekany
New member
Dan said:
1 - How do you get better results with an LSP vs OC? (same care for both)
2 - is it possible that you assumed that OCed car don't need washing? Because I'd much rather wash my car with OC weekly than with an LSP over it.
3 - Coating or no coating, regular, proper maintenance is still a must, no matter what coating one uses.
Thomas Dekany
New member
Auto Concierge said:
You are better than me, because I usually try to convince people to trade their black car in for something lighter or discourage ordering black to start with. However, if the detailer does his job, and educates the client, that coated black paint can and will look fantastic for a long long time. Not to mention the swirl prevention.
House of Wax
Active member
Thomas Dekany said:
I think that's the key part we can all agree on. Honestly the coatings that have come out in the past few years are all pretty amazing, but it's critical that people understand it doesn't give them the green light to throw caution to the wind. If a person is going to continue using the swirl-o-matic 5000 down the street, their car is going to look like crap no matter what is on it.
Dan said:
My 10 year old Accord has been coated over half its lifespan (3 years when my dad owned it and 3 years now with me) and since being coated its just been washed and you'd be hard pressed to tell the paint wasn't freshly applied. Makes care so much easier. Wash. That's it. And for me, that's the real value.
House Of Wax said:
That's what I tell my customers. The coating is more scratch/scuff/mar resistant but it isn't bulletproof. There is no such thing as a safe brush or safe automatic car wash. I show them how to use ONR (and whenever I go back, it seems like half my customers have a jug of ONR in their garage) and educate them on proper care for their finish. Even link the write-up I have here for them. I've had several thank me for showing them how to care for their cars and how much less time it now takes them.
RaskyR1
Rasky's Auto Detailing
Thomas Dekany said:
Only if that client is willing to put in the time and effort to keep it that way. IME most do not. I explain the care to my clients, provide articles and videos for reference, and even offer product at a very generous discount. Most will buy all the products and tools needed to care for their vehicles, but when I follow up with them few actually use the stuff.
Seems to me that it's mainly the true car enthusiasts who are willing to spend the time required. Then there are those who simply bought a brand new car and want to know/feel that their paint is protected. These seem to be the ones who fail to follow up with the proper care.
Envious Eric
New member
all coatings have their charateristics....OC never cut it for me in any department
22ple, CQF, ceramicpro, Gtechnique...all excel in their categories, some more than others.
I.E. CQF has the deepest gloss, ceramicpro is hardest but doesnt look as good and mutes the finish like OC does, 22PLE is more reflective and mirror like, Gtechnique doesnt last as long, but looks good.
OC never protected against water spotting of bird droppings. I had a potential client go back and forth between me and someone else. She really wanted OC and I wasnt pushing it like another detailer. Eventually, she went to him, had it applied to her beater car, complained to me there were water spots all over the car two weeks later and nothing would remove them without heavily polishing the car again, not to mention the lack luster appearance...WSR didnt work, viniegar didnt work, light polishing didnt work, AIO didnt work...D300 finally worked, but needed a second step to clear up.
I'll stand behind carpro and CQF all day everyday! Overall best in the coating market, awesome CS, and a full line of car care products for after the coating is applied! Looks the best IMO
22ple, CQF, ceramicpro, Gtechnique...all excel in their categories, some more than others.
I.E. CQF has the deepest gloss, ceramicpro is hardest but doesnt look as good and mutes the finish like OC does, 22PLE is more reflective and mirror like, Gtechnique doesnt last as long, but looks good.
OC never protected against water spotting of bird droppings. I had a potential client go back and forth between me and someone else. She really wanted OC and I wasnt pushing it like another detailer. Eventually, she went to him, had it applied to her beater car, complained to me there were water spots all over the car two weeks later and nothing would remove them without heavily polishing the car again, not to mention the lack luster appearance...WSR didnt work, viniegar didnt work, light polishing didnt work, AIO didnt work...D300 finally worked, but needed a second step to clear up.
I'll stand behind carpro and CQF all day everyday! Overall best in the coating market, awesome CS, and a full line of car care products for after the coating is applied! Looks the best IMO
Envious Eric
New member
RaskyR1 said:
I agree for the most part...and do the same for my clients.
after coating the car, I recommend weekly or biweekly washes. some think or read online that they can go 3-4 weeks without washing the car and all the debris will fall off the car with ease. Its just not the case! You still have to have quality towels, products, practices to get the most out of the coating. While its more scratch resistant, its not bulletproof!
builthatch
New member
Envious Eric said:
it's apparent you don't like Opti-Coat and i won't argue with you on that. but i have to ask about your anecdote:
one customer where another guy applied it...and it didn't "protect". do you mean it didn't keep the clear coat that came with the car safe? or that the coating sacrificed itself and was attacked by these things?
either way, have you found this to be the case in situations where you have applied it as opposed to how it reacted when some other dude put it on?
because, i gotta tell you, if you think that customer's experience or your experience with the coating on that car is the norm...i wonder how OPT has been selling coatings for so long to guys in this thread who still sell it.
Envious Eric
New member
builthatch said:
I have applied opticoat on about 10 cars...all because the customer requested it after online reviews. 5 of those clients complained about it not providing scratch resistance (black bmw, white tesla, black range rover, red corvette) and wanted it stripped off and something else put on (22PLE or cquartz). 1 year later, those clients were happier.
The other guy who applied the opticoat knows how to apply it and does it all the time.
I had it on a friends black sapphire bmw and he commented on how bad it looked just 3 months later, and how it wasnt providing any scratch resistance from what he could tell. We bought him all new car care products and quality towels, yet it still scratched like nothing was there. He questioned whether or not it was worth it to have a coating on any of his cars. I applied Cquartz to it about a year ago and he is still happy with the looks and ease of maintenance, and wants it on his new cars coming up.
Plus, Ive never liked the shaddy marketing "terminology" of lifetime protection = up there with dealership scam to me. I have always told clients, "nothing is permanent or good for a lifetime...clearcoats are supposed to be permanent protection for the colored paint, but those fail over time"
What detailers SHOULD be saying is something along the following:
"the coating will add increased thickness, more hardness, and will be more durable all the while making the car look better, longer! It wont last 5+ years, but then again, you are going to need the car to be detailed every 1-2 years if you want it to always look its best, so whats the point of a "5 year protection product" anyway...you will remove it once you get it detailed again, or at least 1/2 of it.
wheels on the other hand, it works pretty well against brake dust build up and provides easy cleaning. But, I have a new and better product that uses less and costs about the same, so its actually cheaper per application.
Thomas Dekany
New member
This is MY experience. Ceramic pro - nothing special. I had to wait months to apply it because it needs 3 days of no rain. Finally the rain stopped, still somewhat cold and on the hood it obviously didn't bond properly because the beading was very different from the front fenders. Didn't feel hard at all, swirled up just fine (hood). Maybe in southern california it is fine but way too finicky to use up here. Looked nice but not different from other coatings.
Cqp - never received 1 call for it, my bottles would expire, so 2 months after it, i put it on my van, to test. I was told by corey that if the product was "old" it would last no more than 2 months. Sure enough, as soon as I washed it it was gone. Look wise, nice, but nothing out of the ordinary. The paint was polished out to perfection, which is where most of the look comes from anyway.
As far as OC muting the finish, we must be getting different ingredients in our syringes. Not protecting against bird poop? Really?
_9020036.jpg by savingspaces33, on Flickr
Cqp - never received 1 call for it, my bottles would expire, so 2 months after it, i put it on my van, to test. I was told by corey that if the product was "old" it would last no more than 2 months. Sure enough, as soon as I washed it it was gone. Look wise, nice, but nothing out of the ordinary. The paint was polished out to perfection, which is where most of the look comes from anyway.
As far as OC muting the finish, we must be getting different ingredients in our syringes. Not protecting against bird poop? Really?
_9020036.jpg by savingspaces33, on Flickr
builthatch
New member
Envious Eric said:
sounds like those of us who use OPT coatings have been duped and all the lab and field testing OPT has done is false.
edit: this has gotten so silly.
*unsubscribed*
edit 2: i don't know how to do that, haha. oh well.
Thomas Dekany
New member
Eric you are contradicting yourself. How can it provide protection on wheels but not on paint? When it comes to coatings, if the product is not put on properly you will know. So you can go around bad mouthing OC, but you are doing a bad job at it. If OC is as bad as you claim on paint, no way would you like it on wheels. How would that even be possible? Is it possible that you put too little OC on? I mean with cqp you have to put on 2 coats. Maybe that was the issue, not so much the product's fault. Later on i will take a picture of my neighbor's beater's truck that sits outside 24/7. Never hand washed, always gets cleaned at the swirl o matic. Even when dirty, it is glossy. Over 2 years passed since i corrected it and coated the car with 2.0 - based on your claim, how is that possible?
As far as maintenance - it is simple. Wash it, and wash it regularly. Again, if your customers are swirling the coated paint, and complain so soon, when other detailers have the opposite experience, I would say it isn't the product. Just saying.
As far as maintenance - it is simple. Wash it, and wash it regularly. Again, if your customers are swirling the coated paint, and complain so soon, when other detailers have the opposite experience, I would say it isn't the product. Just saying.
In my opinion, this HAS NOT gotten silly. As a client/consumer, I see it as "Real World" experience/views from professional detailers who are sharing their stories. I respect and learn from many of the pro's on here and have learned a great deal from the discussions going back and forth. It does get emotional, maybe not the best of words, but I appreciate and can understand a loyalty to something.
With that being said, we had a discussion about coatings at work. Guys have read the posts and have done their research on the products and more so the recent changes. What seems to come up, in consensus, is the lack of response from any one officially from Optimum. I know that Mr. Dekany, Scottwax, and Built have sort of done that but I don't believe them to be direct employees of Optimum.
Considering that we live in a world where social media has taken over maybe it would be wise for an Optimum representative to engage in conversation or be more forth coming? Perhaps better communication and roll out of Gloss Coat in favor of Opti Coat 2.0? I realize that it could turn into a free for all and would hope that folks would be professional and use restraint in their actions.
Two co-workers I had referenced earlier in the start of this thread have decided to go with CQuartz simply based on perception and the way Opti Coat 2.0 and G.C. was handled. Sadly, their trust in the company was compromised. Right or Wrong, perception and image makes a big difference.
One thing that does seem to be of concern, in my reading, is that there may have been Pro's who were using O.C. 2.0 instead of Opti Pro but charging for an Opti Pro application. If that was the case why scrap 2.0 and not directly address those incidents and take those to task if that was found out to be true?
Once again, I am an Optimum client/consumer and hope that Optimum rethinks about 2.0 and learns from this experience.
BTW...Built...nice come back win for your Tigers! A good weekend for the SEC West
With that being said, we had a discussion about coatings at work. Guys have read the posts and have done their research on the products and more so the recent changes. What seems to come up, in consensus, is the lack of response from any one officially from Optimum. I know that Mr. Dekany, Scottwax, and Built have sort of done that but I don't believe them to be direct employees of Optimum.
Considering that we live in a world where social media has taken over maybe it would be wise for an Optimum representative to engage in conversation or be more forth coming? Perhaps better communication and roll out of Gloss Coat in favor of Opti Coat 2.0? I realize that it could turn into a free for all and would hope that folks would be professional and use restraint in their actions.
Two co-workers I had referenced earlier in the start of this thread have decided to go with CQuartz simply based on perception and the way Opti Coat 2.0 and G.C. was handled. Sadly, their trust in the company was compromised. Right or Wrong, perception and image makes a big difference.
One thing that does seem to be of concern, in my reading, is that there may have been Pro's who were using O.C. 2.0 instead of Opti Pro but charging for an Opti Pro application. If that was the case why scrap 2.0 and not directly address those incidents and take those to task if that was found out to be true?
Once again, I am an Optimum client/consumer and hope that Optimum rethinks about 2.0 and learns from this experience.
BTW...Built...nice come back win for your Tigers! A good weekend for the SEC West
Jean-Claude
Keeper of the beautiful
Thomas Dekany said:
Thomas, I am not saying you're right or wrong. But using this image as an example of OCP's gloss is a bit misleading. In that lighting, just about any car's paint that is not hammered would look good. In this lighting, a swirled up car would look pretty stinking good. At any rate, any image can be enhanced to improve the looks. We all should accept the value of the words spoken by the person with a certain rapport for whatever it's worth.
Am I right in understanding the only CQF job you've done was the one on your vehicle after the shelf life expired? How many CQF projects have you completed within the shelf life?
Thomas Dekany
New member
Detailed Designs Auto Spa said:
What type of light would you like to see OCP's gloss under?
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