Customer Searching for a Ceramic Coating Detail: Price vs the Detailer

This is not an attack on all ceramic coating companies, as there are reputable businesses in all arenas.  I am an accredited installer for multiple good brands that carry amazing products.  But I am going to provide an authentic description below of the state we are in and the direction the detailing industry is trending towards.  I will also mention the coating companies I partner with share my viewpoints on this subject.

Although most of my clients put the detailing business above the coating/wax brand or product in hierarchy of importance, a majority of people make the mistake of downgrading what the detailer does.  I will offer some perspective on why putting a label or coating brand first is a bad idea.  The manufacturers generally have sold customers and detailing business owners on exclusivity based on the perception of status for their installers.  What has become more common among coating companies recently is a push to get the most products out on the market, even if there is evidence that some of these certified to be detailers possess a poor track record in quality of work and customer service.

There is something to the accreditation title.  I think (?) most companies partner with businesses under the requisite that the detailing business has a state license and insurance.  That is an incredibly low bar!  Then there are claims the coating will last a specified number of years, according to the manufacturer or detailing business.  How do you or does the businesses know this?  What are the criteria for said claims?  A chemist can tell an executive a best-case scenario, that is unfortunately not applicable to you in a real world setting.  Those warranties offered, have you seen the fine print?  I am not suggesting there are not reputable coating companies, but there is a commonality to all of these points.  It all comes back to the detailer.

What do you think of detailing and detailers, honestly?  Could your perception be handicapping you from receiving a quality service?

People that claim detailing is just cleaning, consequentially often cannot find someone to provide a quality service.  People that overly focus on a brand or the word ceramic, tend to be the ones suggesting ceramic coatings are a scam.  It is delusional to suggest spraying something with the word ceramic or rubbing wax on a car is the equivalent of a 2-day service.  The attitude that a certain wax or coating brand is the ultimate solution to your problems and thinking that detailing is all the same, is the real cause of your disappointment.

Some professionals have marketed comparable products to what I have used as a spray wax for a extensive car wash as a close to as their ceramic coating service.  Do some critical thinking when you are looking for a detailer.  What you see pictured below is not a ceramic coating.

I have spent a good deal of time in the past few years experimenting with protection products.  I can and have made products, widely considered mediocre, work better than expected based upon proper preparation of a vehicle panel.  I have also seen products I agree are superior, perform poorly in the hands of an unskilled detailer.

As I have communicated often, I am not shy about saying I am not for someone.  I am direct about what I value and if the value proposition is not worthwhile.  Though I have helped others, from detailers to those doing their own detailing.  No one wins agreeing to a service or price, neither party privately does not believe in.

What I am often proud of is not centered around getting the most reviews, clients, or achieving mainstream acclaim.  All of this is important.  But what has stood out to me, is being told the value I provide is rare.  Those happy clients, for what other consumers and some detailers called an overpriced service, to come back years later and book an even higher ticket service.  It is also receiving a text message thanking me for continuing to exceed expectations.  I am not the only reputable detailer.  But you are less likely to find one if you are obsessed over competitive pricing, and finding out which ceramic coating bottle is most popular today.