Why don't more people detail their cars?
- Thread starter carguy86
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aimanrifhan
New member
The majority of the population don't really care how their vehicle look like. It is just a tool for them to get from point A to point B. For those who care about how their vehicle look like, they just want them dirt-free and is satisfied with cheap car washes.
shortspark
New member
Ask the question of anyone, especially here in the USA, if they like the way their car looks (in detailing terms). The majority of people will tell you "NO, wish it were cleaner and looked more shinny". When you ask them why that is they will tell you it is primarily a matter of time. I always kept my car up but never to the extent I do now and the reason is that I did not have the time allocated to maintain it the way I wanted. Simply put, there were other things I would rather do. Now that I am retired I have all the time in the world and my car shows it. It all boils down to the factor of time, how you wish to allocate it and the priority you place on detailing.
I think there may be a second factor - knowledge. They are happy just slapping on a coat of turtle wax every year and that's it. People realize it takes not only time but knowledge of products and technique and real know how in order to detail a car properly and they simply have no desire to get into it that deeply. These are the people that keep the pro detailers in business.
I think there may be a second factor - knowledge. They are happy just slapping on a coat of turtle wax every year and that's it. People realize it takes not only time but knowledge of products and technique and real know how in order to detail a car properly and they simply have no desire to get into it that deeply. These are the people that keep the pro detailers in business.
Junebug
JAFO
Well, there are some that wouldn't keep a car clean if you paid them, they are a lost cause and I have nightmares about what their houses look like. Then, there are the "autospa" group that visit ye ol tunnel of swirls faithfully and honestly believe they are doing right. I know, I was one of "them" then I edu-ma-cated myself to better practices. Then, you have the old school, wash at home with questionable techniques - love those guys, the expression on their faces after I work my magic is priceless. One of my best friends/clients said, " I thought I knew how to take care of my care" then you showed me I didn't!
Accumulator
Well-known member
aimanrifhan said:
I agree, and I don't really have a problem with that. Everybody's gotta figure out their own priorities and IMO there are a whole lot of things that are much more important than having a decently detailed vehicle.
Bill D
Hooked For Life
I don't people know really *how*, that coupled with no time to do it right any way, it's just something forgotten and neglected unless they hire someone to do it. It's a shame because it goes for owners of modest vehicles all the way to high end luxury rides. However,I do see people who truly care about their car, how it looks and all, no matter what make it may be, being more likely to get it detailed though.
David Fermani
Forza Auto Salon
I think car maintenance has really gone down hill ever since the rise of car leasing. I think the more detailers focus on educating their clients the better recognition maintenance will get.
Accumulator
Well-known member
David Fermani said:
Yeah, I was thinking that myself....between "free (minimal) maintenance" packages and the idea that it's not a long-term comitment ("who cares if it [whatever], that'll be another guy's problem"), I don't see people being very invested in the whole car ownership thing any more (gee, should that be "ownership" in scare-quotes ? :think: ) . Even my "car guy" friends simply treat their leased vehicles as disposable conveniences.
35of said:
You could get me going on that topic, but even the people who do take care of themselves seem to simply not care so much about their vehicles.
I sometimes wonder if there's a connection between people's attire and their vehicles; e.g., wearing recraftable shoes being like buying a car outright and just keeping it (i.e., with both, good care means decades of use vs. zero care and frequent replacement). I suspect it's a very different mindset in quite a few ways.
I've talked to a few people about it and the main consensus is that it takes too much time. A whole day to have your car cleaned inside and out is too much of a commitment for them. I asked them if that is such a problem why do they take the car to the mechanic, which takes just as long. The answer is that if they don't take the car to the mechanic, the car will eventually stop running. People don't want to invest the time in cleaning their car because they don't see the value in doing so, or in other words, the urgency of doing so. I believe that if we educate the public about the importance of regular cleaning and the advantages of doing so for their resale value and also by making the detailing process less time consuming, we would have a much wider demographic. That's my opinion anyway. Or am I way off?
David Fermani said:
I think you're right about the rational most leasee's have, they think of it as and "extended rental" and treat it as such. However, the biggest factors for turning in a lease are miles and wear and tear. If the car is extensively dirty or worn it could means big bucks to the leasee. I think that educating people on how spending a few dollars now can save them many more in the future will be huge.
Accumulator
Well-known member
carguy86 said:
Wonder how "we pick up/deliver" detailers would fit into this :think: That and loaner vehicles.. most I know who get regular details have the dealer do it and they use a loaner while it's being done (usually scheduled while the servicing is getting done anyhow).
I know a lot of people, myself included, often have the shop pick the cars up for servicing (my Audi dealer sends a guy down from over an hour away!).
carguy86 said:
Regarding the effect on resale value, I wonder if that really hold true
Unless a vehicle is utterly trashed..well, I don't know. It's never been an issue for anybody I know, and most of my friends and acquaintances neglect their vehicles something awful. With today's materials (b/c paint, etc.) and build-quality I suspect that most cars hold up OK in most people's eyes no matter how neglected their cosmetics. I mean, really....vehicles I woulda *sworn* would get docked for their condition never do, not once. In once case I can think of they almost certainly had to do a fair bit of paintwork, but the dealer never mentioned it; maybe they just don't want to lose the business by ticking off the customer :nixweissimported_Larry A
New member
Lets face it , most people are slobs when it comes to car care.I work at a Toyots dealership and you guys would be shocked at the shape of a lot of cars that come in, and Im talking 2 and 3 year old cars . There are a few people that have 10 -15 year cars that are top notch but they are rare.
Nth Degree
New member
Accumulator said:
This works for the dealerships because they have often worked it into the price of the vehicle in some way. Customer satisfaction and brand loyalty justify the cost. I'm not sure how many detailers can afford to have one loaner vehicle, much less a few, and whether the customer who drops off their 1 year old Mercedes/Lexus/BMW/Audi is gonna want to drive the 10 year old Honda for the day.
Being mobile has its advantage. It should also get detailers to think about how to use this knowledge to capitalize. If time & convenience is a deterrent for most people to have their car cleaned find a way to eliminate that issue.
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Time constraints, which makes a detailed vehicle less of a priority, however most are more than happy with a clean shiny vehicle (ala tunnel wash)
^ i agree, its mostly time constraints
for people who want to wash their own car, i can think of a lot of other reasons
- weather. if its cold most people won't bother, or if its going to rain the next day or so then to some people it annoys them to put in a lot of effort and not really 'enjoy' the clean vehicle
- its tedious. the whole process of getting setup, cleaning the car, and the cleaning up again afterwards can take a lot of time. i personally don't enjoy washing the car, i just want to get it done, although the end result is worth it for me. even with something like garry dean's wash method, you have a bunch of dirty towels afterwards. not enough for a full laundry load so probably you will hand wash them, unless you invest in alot of towels. you are also going to spend some times inspecting and getting debris out of towels. traditional wash also can take a lot of time and its a headache with all the mess it creates in the driveway, the process is more involved too.
- depreciation. generally cars depreciate, and people don't view them as long-term investments. if they ever sell the car, they probably figure they can get it cleaned up and nobody will notice. i'm not sure cars are even built to last that long anymore, my experience so far has been after about 5 years its a steep downhill with maintenance.
- perceptions. next time you are in a parking lot, see how many cars are actually clean. a somewhat dirty car or even dull looking paint isn't usually perceived as anything abnormal.
- money. compared to people who touchless wash their car maybe every 2 months, the cost of getting good quality products and maintaining them i think ends up costing a little more money.
for someone that wants a clean car and looks into paying for the service, the costs can add up. paying for regular hand wash, and occasional wax, interior cleaning etc. isn't really cheap .. there is a lot of work involved
for people who want to wash their own car, i can think of a lot of other reasons
- weather. if its cold most people won't bother, or if its going to rain the next day or so then to some people it annoys them to put in a lot of effort and not really 'enjoy' the clean vehicle
- its tedious. the whole process of getting setup, cleaning the car, and the cleaning up again afterwards can take a lot of time. i personally don't enjoy washing the car, i just want to get it done, although the end result is worth it for me. even with something like garry dean's wash method, you have a bunch of dirty towels afterwards. not enough for a full laundry load so probably you will hand wash them, unless you invest in alot of towels. you are also going to spend some times inspecting and getting debris out of towels. traditional wash also can take a lot of time and its a headache with all the mess it creates in the driveway, the process is more involved too.
- depreciation. generally cars depreciate, and people don't view them as long-term investments. if they ever sell the car, they probably figure they can get it cleaned up and nobody will notice. i'm not sure cars are even built to last that long anymore, my experience so far has been after about 5 years its a steep downhill with maintenance.
- perceptions. next time you are in a parking lot, see how many cars are actually clean. a somewhat dirty car or even dull looking paint isn't usually perceived as anything abnormal.
- money. compared to people who touchless wash their car maybe every 2 months, the cost of getting good quality products and maintaining them i think ends up costing a little more money.
for someone that wants a clean car and looks into paying for the service, the costs can add up. paying for regular hand wash, and occasional wax, interior cleaning etc. isn't really cheap .. there is a lot of work involved
dfnhdhjian
New member
for people who want to wash their own car,
[SS]Shooter
New member
David Fermani said:
Agreed. When I ask guys about why they park next to crappy cars and stuff like that, they say "Why do I care? It's leased!"
And I'm thinking: Ya, but YOU are still the one driving it. And that car represents YOU.
To me, a vehicle is part of me. Having a car that isn't properly detailed is like having a wrinkled shirt with a stain. But most people, even rich guys, think that having the people at the parking garage give their car a $30 crappy wash and some armor all is having it 'detailed'.
When I point out all the swirls, they don't care. And then I always offer the same thing:
ME: "Bring it over to my house saturday and we'll fix it."
THEM: "Great, how long will it take?"
ME: "About 8 hours and you have to help, not just drink beer"
THEM: "8 hours! Screw that, I have better stuff to do."