Looking for a detail. I would like to encourage you to do something, most people may never think of.  Go to a ‘detailing enthusiast’ or ‘detailing for beginners’ type of Facebook group, just to observe.  Is it because I want you to have resources about the latest detailing products and techniques?  It has nothing to do with that.  I want you to see the behavior of established business owners and people starting a business.

Tell me that Chat GPT (far from perfect), trusting a post on a Facebook or Instagram page, or a phone call with only concerns about price, is a good idea.

This may offend some people and frankly I do not care.  Access to resources and technology has never been better to allow consumers the opportunity to be more educated.  But because it has turned into a crutch, consumers counter intuitively assume and put in less effort.  It leads me to be less sympathetic about the consequences of your cheap (to me) detail.

Very little can and has been done to separate non-licensed and non-insured detailers from true businesses.  There is no formal industry standardization.  There are no standards to prevent someone suggesting that they provide a 6- or 12-year coating, when I would market that same bottle 2 or 4 years in effective life.  Where I put this on the consumer; with effort, that is increasingly lacking, it is easier to spot red flags.

Warranties mean little to me.  I do not offer one.  But if you looked at (i.e. read) the website of anyone that I would recommend, it would eliminate 80% of the problems.

Just looking for an interior detail?  A lot of damage can be done by some random person trying to soak your car with caustic cleaners (often called shampoo).  It is easily forgotten that different stains require different approaches for removal.  Just like one chemical can set a stain, a neighboring area inside the car can easily be damaged with the wrong chemical.

More on that suggestion about looking at random Facebook pages.  It will be littered with some version of, ‘hey guys I want to start a business next week.  How do you detail a car?  What do you buy, is it cheap (not necessarily safe)?’  I am a believer in offering some grace to a point.  A majority of consumers are not as discerning as mine.  But starting blind as a business, with the potential of expensive damage and other major disappointment is a significant problem.

Aside from the exponential increase of these posts during bad economic times, the alarming comments defending people getting a logo without SOME basic knowledge, and the other extreme of negative harsh unprofessional commentary, is a growing number of your professional detailing population.   Many of the negative (trolls) do not necessarily provide the most ethical service options either.

When I started, I was already considered exceptional by my peers before I decided to start a business.   Before I unofficially worked on family and friends’ cars, I had advanced tools.  I had a paint measurement gauge.  I had experience doing paint corrections.  I had opportunities to reevaluate my shortcomings with interior detailing and very neglected exteriors.  Before I made it official, I analyzed the cost and benefits of the 4 types of business organizations.  I knew what I needed for an insurance package.  I had an idea of the website host.  I knew my business model and target customer.  After building a top reputation in the industry, I turned down a ceramic coating and paint correction service, simply because I did not feel comfortable enough in terms of experience.  My client and I were both confident it would be a better experience than 90% of the alternatives.   I wanted more practice in a controlled setting.

I am not suggesting nor are most experienced professionals suggesting they be exactly like me.  That is not the point.  The 2 points are to take the detailing business seriously, new detailer and customer.  Treat it seriously or pay the consequences.