The mistakes we made as beginners....

Street Dreams

Street Dreams

New member
...And how we fixed them through practice and experience

Its almost 1am here in the dirty jersey, after working on an impossible Subaru clear coat respray nightmare, I began thinking of some of the silly mistakes I made when I first started detailing. Im not sure why this came up but I thought it may make a good thread, that or I may be sleep depravedSleep

We should all post some info on what we did wrong and how we fixed those problems and make this an ongoing thread.

Some issues I had when I first started detailing

1) UNDERESTIMATING the importance of a super throrough wash process! Getting every area of the paint perfectly clean is so important, not to mention the trim, grills and glass etc. Its so much more difficult to clean dirty areas like rocker panels, underside of side skrits etc AFTER you dried the car. Without the suds and lubricity of a shampoo you will just end up marring the finish. Take the extra time and do it right.

2) Not polishing to the edge for fear of burning an edge. I used to polish a hood for example and end up leaving about 1/2 inch of the edge only 50% corrected or so. I wouldnt do full passes near the edge and I would tend to reduce pressure when coming to an edge for fear of burning. Then when I checked my work in the sun I would have to go back and re-do those areas. You need to take caution when coming to an edge but you cannot skimp on correction, make more passes at slower speed if you have concerns.

3) Forgetting to tape mesh grills and hood vents when polishing. Good luck getting dried polish out of those areas. I now dont take any chances, if it can cause trouble with polishin dust or splatter... just tape it!

4) Dress your tires before sealing the wheels. I used to seal the wheels and end up getting tire dressing around the lip.
4a) Also try not to spray your tire dressing onto the tire, instead spray it onto your applicatior of choice and massage it in. This will save product and provide a neat application without mess.

5) Do NOT wipedown a car with the engine running or with an engine that is not fully cooled down. If you need to do your final wipedown with anything but DI water (QD, spray seal etc.) make sure the hood is cool or you may have streaking issues.

6) Play with your lighting! Angle your halogens high and low, walk back and forth with your handheld light to check for holograms and turn off your garage lighting to get a really clear look at the finish under your halogens or LED. A finish make look perfect with lights looking at it dead on but from a side angle things may be different.

Thats all I can think of for now, feel free to add tips along the way.
 
Rookie Mistakes:

1. Underestimating the time involved in a detail. (Only took one time to figure that one out!)

2. Giving any estimate before looking at the vehicle. (Done this more than once... but learned after a couple times.)

3. Detailing any trashed SUV or minivan.:scared:;) (I really hate those things!)
 
My rookie mistakes were to underestimate the detail and undercharge. The good news is that posting the detail on the forums generated a ton of interest. Unfortunately, quotes I have given to interested parties seemed to have scared them away.:confused:
 
1.) Not thoroughly and properly cleaning the tires/wheel wells/exterior trim before applying dressing.

2.) Not doing a great job taping...learned my lesson rather quickly!

3.) Buying too many damn LSPs! I have like 13 waxes/sealants (not that many compared to some of you), but only use like 4 or 5 of them on a semi-regular basis. I should have spent the money on other stuff.

4.) Be VERY careful around windshield wipers that are in the up position...ugh. :cursing:

5.) Not polishing door handles and tight areas on bumpers, etc. I used to figure, if I couldn't get a buffer pad in there, then why bother polishing? It never occured to me that an improvement could be made if you hand polish.
 
I grew up the oldest child in a small family that didn't really care about cars. My parents would wash theirs maybe once in a blue moon...and then usually at the local drive-thru car wash. I got my first car (a 1985 Thunderbird) at the age of 16 and vowed to take care of it better than I saw my parents take care of theirs. I waxed it (turtlewax paste by hand...not very easy to work with) and washed it constantly. The only problem is that, never knowing anyone that really washed their cars by hand, I washed the sucker with dish soap! I don't even remember how I learned about actual car wash soap that won't strip wax off a vehicle...but eventually I did. Too bad I wasted the first couple years of my detailing life!!! :p

-J
 
I'm also in on the underestimating the time.

And that multiple passes are probably required, one pass probably won't get it (hence why I'm going to re-polish my father in laws Trans-Am next time I'm up to get it glass smooth)
 
Dealing with price shoppers....

Seriously, they are not worth the hassle. I won't even go into my latest story (a problem which I have successfully avoided for over 2 years) but I decided to deal with a price shopper last week, and as they say... Dance with the devil and you will get burned.

Not only did I over deliver and under charge but the guy called me to tell me he wasn't happy with the work..

"You didn't wax the door jambs"... Yeah because you didn't pay for that.

"You didn't clean out the compartments under my seats." Yeah you didn't pay for that either.

"There is dirt behind the weather stripping." Yeah you didn't pay for that.

"I wanted my car cared for like a Ferrari." Well you didn't want to pay for it.

"I didn't flinch when you told me 400 for a one step polish." No you didn't flinch but you asked, on many occasions, if I could 'do something' about the price.

My rule of thumb (and one which I ignored) is that I will accept one question about 'lowering my price' in which I usually respond with the standard, "I am paid by the hour, I can work on the price but that means I am going to reduce how long I work for." If they ask again I politely decline.

In this case, I broke every rule I have, and like clock work, I get the phone call (with all of the comments listed above). Even after I explained, on multiple occasions, that this was my entry level detail... Yet the gentleman still wanted a show quality detail for that price....

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......................

Unless you need the money, don't deal with price shoppers. It is a mentality that often directly contrasts the passion that we sell.
 
Well since I have only done this for a few years I still consider myself a beginner. I have nothing but respect for you guys that detail for a living and deal with the public ( AARRRGGGGGGHHH ). First mistake I will admit to was not taping anything off (thought you guys were wasting time ).Well it didn't take but once of spending hrs of removing compound from every crook and crany possible to make me a believer.Another mistake embarrased me big time.Attending a roadshow class by Meg's in 05 at Jimmy Buff-its , I was using the pc on my firebird and lifted the pc up off the car while running and splattering the shop owners freshley detailed Miata with compound. He took it well but I felt like I could sit on the edge of a dime and swing my feet off of the side. So I stick to doing only my own cars plus some family and close friends and when I screw up I don't usually point it out . :D
Paul S
 
th0001 said:
Dealing with price shoppers....

Seriously, they are not worth the hassle. I won't even go into my latest story (a problem which I have successfully avoided for over 2 years) but I decided to deal with a price shopper last week, and as they say... Dance with the devil and you will get burned.

Not only did I over deliver and under charge but the guy called me to tell me he wasn't happy with the work..

"You didn't wax the door jambs"... Yeah because you didn't pay for that.

"You didn't clean out the compartments under my seats." Yeah you didn't pay for that either.

"There is dirt behind the weather stripping." Yeah you didn't pay for that.

"I wanted my car cared for like a Ferrari." Well you didn't want to pay for it.

"I didn't flinch when you told me 400 for a one step polish." No you didn't flinch but you asked, on many occasions, if I could 'do something' about the price.

My rule of thumb (and one which I ignored) is that I will accept one question about 'lowering my price' in which I usually respond with the standard, "I am paid by the hour, I can work on the price but that means I am going to reduce how long I work for." If they ask again I politely decline.

In this case, I broke every rule I have, and like clock work, I get the phone call (with all of the comments listed above). Even after I explained, on multiple occasions, that this was my entry level detail... Yet the gentleman still wanted a show quality detail for that price....

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......................

Unless you need the money, don't deal with price shoppers. It is a mentality that often directly contrasts the passion that we sell.
Click to expand...

I know that feeling Todd. I was actually talking with Phil from DD the other day and he asked how biz was and I said I have a yellow turbo NSX coming up, before I could finish my statement he said "Oh I know who the guy is" and I found out the man had been going back and forth between Phil and myself, trying to get clear film at Phils place, detail at mine. He had been price shopping at other guys as well without following through on anything, he booked a job with me 6months ago and calls the morning of to say he blew a head gasket on the highway. I read between the lines, finally. Im still going to do the job but for full price and if I sense hesitation I will cancel.

Its good to talk with local detailers, helps avoid sticky situations like such.
 
I'm gonna repeat a few from others with my solutions:

Priceshoppers--- I have become pro-active with them. People generally open the yellow pages and just call down the list. I explain every little step of a detail before giving the price to build value. It takes a lot longer than saying "complete detail" but when they call the next guy and he doesn't mention all the little things they can see why I charge more. If they ask me to "match" another price I ask them if the owner will be personally doing their car, or will it be some kid that's getting $8 per hour?

undercharging from not looking at the vehicle first----- I can't really "fix" this one but have adapted. I am mobile, live in the middle of nowhere and here in Utah things are spread out pretty good. Most details are approx. 30-40 miles each way....I can't drive out to every potential customer for a quote. So I put them through a questionnaire over the phone. I learned that from my training at ATTENTION TO DETAILS ( thanks Renny!). Basically I ask them to rate the condition of their car from 1-5. How long it takes them to answer tells more than the actual number they give. Then I ask if there is any "kid grime" or "pet grime". If it is a pickup truck I ask if it is used for work or construction. I ask if there are any major stains or paint problems. Now most people are not very accurate with the answers but when I get to the job I examine the car, point out any things they did not mention and ask if they would like me to address those issues at an additional fee. Many times I will get an upsell.

one of my big ones.....

Don't waste time making something perfect for you when they are not paying for perfection ----- One important lesson I'm sure most professional detailers learn is not to put your "shine obesession" on the client. Detailers are not normal people, by nature we are perfectionists, which is why we do what we do. A mother with a 10 year old minivan doesn't care about removing holograms.... she wants her van shiny. Just give it a good coat of wax and move on. It's hard to walk away from a job like that but not everyone is a car nut. As long as they are happy, your job is done
 
My first mistake was using KSG as a complete novice and applying a coat that I could see (by eye). I'd read about laying down a thin coat, and I thought that I was doing just that. Well, not really. I probably don't have to tell you that I felt like grabbing a belt sander to remove the stuff. Lesson learned.
 
th0001 said:


Yeah you didn't pay for that.

Well you didn't want to pay for it.

"I am paid by the hour, I can work on the price but that means I am going to reduce how long I work for." If they ask again I politely decline.

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......................

Unless you need the money, don't deal with price shoppers. It is a mentality that often directly contrasts the passion that we sell.
Click to expand...

I hate working with people like that!

I'll look over a car and tell the guy: "It will be around $300.

Then he says, "Can you do it for $200?".

I'll say... "Sure, that will get you 5 hours of work. So whatever I can get done in 5 hours will look great!"

Definitely avoid price shoppers and People who want to cheap out.
 
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