Even though it is in the name, most people do not understand how precise and meticulous you must be to effectively detail a car. Value is also subjective. There are different people with different needs. There are detailing businesses for everyone. There are numerous misconceptions about the professionals in the industry when it comes to selling a service.
Consumers often underestimate what professionals think about when quoting a service, especially if they are used to very cheap detailing operations. When you are extremely concerned a pampering a vehicle, subtle changes to the consumer, can mean a dramatically different approach.
There is no perfect product that magically removes every breed of pet hair in 30 minutes or less. I have spent several hours removing pet hair. Many times, smaller cars take longer to detail. Smaller cars with lots of curvature, require even more meticulous polishing. Even washing sports cars or older vehicles requires a little more attention to detail for safety reasons. Not all bug guts or water spot contamination are created equal.
For people that care about how their paint looks, PROPER paint correction is the most time consuming activity a detailer performs. Cars that need additional polishing are often the ones frequently washed (but not washed uber carefully). Booking with the people that say, ‘quick buff’, that is often the reason why your car may look worse after a paint correction service. I could spend several hours or even (often) multiple days, just polishing. THERE ARE MULTIPLE LEVELS OF PAINT CORRECTION.
Doing a complete detail on a car that appears to be in good condition. Much of the improvement that you see or the durability of protection that you enjoy is a product, of addressing issues the average person cannot see.
Interiors with a variety or a severity of soiling, or ‘work trucks’, require a variety of resources and methods to detail. The wrong approach can permanently set a stain. The wrong approach can damage the area or surrounding area immediately. The wrong approach can also accelerate degradation of the material in your car. It is not just cleaning a car.
TELLING ME YOUR CAR IS NEW MEANS VERY LITTLE TO ME. Was your produced in the privacy of your own home? Often several groups of people, including potential buyers, have come in contact with that car from the time it was put together to the time you received a key. That does not include the travel and storage in not so ideal environments where invisible particles are embedded onto the paint.
THIS REALITY MAY MAKE YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. Think about those times you are looking for a detailer, asking how much. The professionals that are most interested in getting more information, asking questions or wanting to see the vehicle are usually the ones most invested in meeting your expectations for quality. The professionals that are quick to give an answer are often those more often (perhaps mutually) treat you like a number.