Tips to Help Improve the Perception of Your Detail

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Greg@DetailedImage

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As a professional detailer you most likely spend countless hours researching the best techniques and products to get the best results possible. The products and processes you use show that you are concerned with both safe and effective detailing work. You generally takes more time, invest more into your products and thus charge more for your services. The quality of your work is the backbone to your business and it defines you as a detailer. After completing a quality detail the results are self evident to someone with a trained eye. Unfortunately, to the average person the results from a high quality detail may be hard to distinguish from a local car washes detail job. As we all know the majority of vehicle owners have very little understanding of what truly defines high quality detailing. Therefore it is important to not only do high quality work but to go the extra mile so the customer also perceives that you do the highest quality work.



We recommend adding some additional quick and easy steps to your routine that should improve the perception of the results. Here are some of the steps we suggest you do to further distinguish your work from other "detailing" services. Probably the most obvious and popular example is applying a scent or air freshener to the vehicle. It makes the car smell fresh and helps the customer remember the detail for days and weeks to come. Brush the fibers of the carpets and mats all the same direction. This makes the carpets look totally uniform and more like new again. Straighten all the vents so they are at the same tilt both up and down and left to right. This may seem like a small detail but it makes the detail look more symmetrical and professional. The same concept applies to the seats, straighten them so they look symmetrical and uniform. If there is a long seat belt (typically the middle seat) that does not retract, we recommend folding it up and straightening out all the other seat belts. Following these steps helps increase the "wow" factor and makes photos of your detail work look even better. These simple steps do not necessarily directly improve the quality of your work, but the customer should further notice the improvement from the detail and thus perceive an even higher quality detail. Ultimately we hope these steps will help you make a greater impact on your customers and enhance your business.



Please feel free to post some additional steps you take to add to this list. Thank you for reading and I look forward to posting more articles like this!
 
Well, since I'm mostly exterior here are some tips that are small, but seem to catch people's attention a lot.



Polish all the clear plastic, that means headlights and corner markers, tailights, etc.. often times even if they are clear then look better with a light polish, and people really notice it. Sometimes more than swirls :/



Fender wells, we all know this one!



Dress all the trim, not just the easy stuff around the windows and mouldings, get those front vents all the way inside. I like to clean the windshield wipers too.



Clean the inside of the glass even if you're not doing the inside of the car. Same goes with the door jambs and hood/trunk jambs too.
 
I definitely agree on the headlights and taillights. Although they do require more time, they can make a huge difference. I spent 14 hours on an exterior-only detail bringing a car's finish back to life (huge turnaround), and the first thing that the customer noticed when she picked it up was how the taillights looked.



Another tip I picked up from a fellow Autopian was to put all of the customer's small effects and organize them into plastic baggies...and if they have other large items, organize them and display them nicely in the trunk.



AIO's also work great on most windshield wiper arms...
 
Awesome tips Greg. :thx



It's the tiny things that the customer tends to notice. It's what leads to other referrals and return biz...
 
can't argue with the making sure windows are clean even if just doing the exterior. To add to that, nothing is more dissapointing than having streaky windows that may not be noticed until the customer gets them fogged up and then all the streaks show up. How about placing a bottled water in the cupholder or printing out a nice "proper washing techniques" guide. This teaches the customer that they're not just paying for their car to look good for a couple days but withy proper washing, it can look great month after month.
 
Great additions everyone! No one likes to clean their own glass, so it's always great to treat the glass.



dublifecrisis said:
can't argue with the making sure windows are clean even if just doing the exterior. To add to that, nothing is more dissapointing than having streaky windows that may not be noticed until the customer gets them fogged up and then all the streaks show up. How about placing a bottled water in the cupholder or printing out a nice "proper washing techniques" guide. This teaches the customer that they're not just paying for their car to look good for a couple days but withy proper washing, it can look great month after month.
Click to expand...



I like this idea of putting some washing/drying guides in the vehicle and other maintenance tips. If the customer uses the right products and techniques, the protection should last longer and they are less likely to add imperfections to the surface. Additionally this is one more place where you can leave your contact information and further promote your services.
 
I tried the whole "teach the customer" thing and I end up turning them into detailing geeks too! That, or they don't care and end up giving it back to the car washers and bringing it back to me for correction a few months later.
 
When they arrive for pick-up/walk around inspection, have the wheels turned so they can see that awesome looking wheel well.



I remove all the little stones caught in tire treads and explain how a thrown stone causes damage. If you wish, show them how many stones they brought with them.
 
After I shampoo/extract the carpet and floor mats, I pour out all the dirty water into a clear jug or bucket for the client to see just how filthy the interior was. Most of them can't believe how much dirt they we're carrying around in the vehicle when they see that.
 
I did a private detail on a Black Toyota Land Cruiser and it came out stunning. The owner picked the vehicle up and his first comment was "Wow...look at the door handle recess's....(funny but true). I always take a few minutes and compound or polish those recessed door handles (finger nail scratches abound). Use a mf towel corner to apply and the same towel to wipe.



I always use a shortened paint brush (cut the bristles to 1.5" length) and quick detailer to use on trim recess and model lettering, etc.



Lastly, I always wax door jambs.



Toto
 
I always enjoy threads like this - it's great to pick up good info.



Folks seem to just miss a lot of paint work, but show 'em vacuum tracks on the floor mats and an extra clean/smooth steering wheel, and they seem to offer bigger tips. :D
 
Always make sure the windows are perfectly clean and streak free. If you are performing a detail in low light, you have to be extra careful.
 
Picus said:
Well, since I'm mostly exterior here are some tips that are small, but seem to catch people's attention a lot.



Polish all the clear plastic, that means headlights and corner markers, tailights, etc.. often times even if they are clear then look better with a light polish, and people really notice it. Sometimes more than swirls :/



Fender wells, we all know this one!



Dress all the trim, not just the easy stuff around the windows and mouldings, get those front vents all the way inside. I like to clean the windshield wipers too.



Clean the inside of the glass even if you're not doing the inside of the car. Same goes with the door jambs and hood/trunk jambs too.
Click to expand...





Great tips.
 
I find that my customers really enjoy the look of how the mats show the vaccum lines. Typically I do what I call shark fins, where I take the nozzle at a 90 degree angle the pull back in a rounded fashion to the right and then repeat, and people love it!
 
RAG taught me to do triangles, which i thought looked pretty classy compared to the tradiotional extractor lines.



for my wash clients, i make sure to go over the car several times ensuring that there is no water drippage from b/w the panels and door jamb. clean door jambs are very noticeable when you first open the car. I also always wash and dress the gascap.
 
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