DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

[Nick Chapman]

After talking with Todd (TH0001) on the phone last night, I got to thinking a bit more about this, I had to do something until my ears stopped ringing, Todd will talk your ear off! But do you get hung up on the type of car you do?

We all like to(or would like to) detail Ferrari's, Bentley's, etc... But in the end, does it really matter? After I hung up with Todd I started thinking really hard about this subject, and started thinking about the "specialty" cars I've done in the past few years. The conclusion I came to is most of these owners don't care. When I really started thinking about that last statement, it really frustrated me.
When I first started doing this business, I used to dream about doing these types of vehicles. No joke, I used to loose sleep at night, frustrated because I wasn't at that level yet(I'm a worrier by nature). I would read posts on detailing websites about detailing these cars that costs more than any house in my neighborhood, and my heart would start racing. I would just absorb all the info I could about the process the detailer used, how much time it took him, and anything else I could learn about those types of vehicles. Learning everything I could with the hopes of when my time came, and I got the opportunity to do one, I would be completely prepared to blow the owner away! But now that I’m doing them, it’s not so great. Don’t get me wrong here, I absolutely LOVE working on them, but the owners typically ruin any excitement that I would have when I was finished.
I recently did a $250k Bentley, and spent the ENTIRE day(12 hours) working my butt off on it. Made that thing PERFECT inside and out. After I completed the job, I let the owner know I was finished, and ready for his inspection. I was just waiting for his reaction to all the hard work that I did. He kindly wrote me a check and that was it, closed the door and I left He didn't even look at the car No emotions over the sweat I just poured into his quarter of a million dollar jewel, nothing, nada, zip!!
Now, on the flip side, I recently spent about 6 hours on a $4k Mustang, and the owner just walked around the car for 30 minutes with a HUGE smile on his face! He's just as giddy as hell! You couldn't wipe the smile off his face if you tried. I couldn’t get him to sit down and write me a check because he wouldn’t stop looking at his car.

Now I'm not saying that all "specialty" car owners are this way. Viper owners are great, Porsche owners are typically great. But, from what I’ve personally seen, owners with vehicles $100k and less are more likely to appreciate the work and take care of their vehicles, than the $100k + side is (there is no science to these numbers, so please don’t attack me over this. These are just my personal observations). I could probably count on one hand the number of $100k+ car owners that were actually excited about the finished product, and prepared to take care of their vehicle. I get soooo much more pleasure out of working on a daily driver, that someone is going to appreciate the work a bit more, or someone that has actually worked for what they have then that Bentley owner that is going to just run his car straight to the closest automatic car wash, without a 2nd thought.

So, is paint is really just paint? Is a car is really just a car and that’s it? Does it really matter to you what happens after you’re finished with the job, or do you just forget about it after you pull out of the driveway? Am I just putting too much emotion into a job?

Discuss…

[pampos]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

Paint is a paint and car is a car...For example the Bentley for him maybe it was his daily driven car,and for the other guy it was his Weekend car....So the value of the car of each one is different according how 'valuable' is the car for him.Also it is matter of people...For example a customer told me about 15 thanks just because i was going to polish his car...An other guy just told me that it is OK after a 2 days of detailing....
Some of them can understand what you did and how hard it was but some of them no....

[Superior Shine]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

Yes too much emotion. Kick it down a few notches.

I remember doing my first $2000 detail. When we were done the owner barely glanced at it. I remember being bugged over that. My helper at the time said, "if you want to cheer up count the money in your pocket."

The type of car I detail really doesnt matter. It is a type of person I like detailing for - CAR GUYS.

I get much more satisfaction detailing a 95 Honda civic for a bus boy that works hard to make ends meet so that he can tune/modify his beloved car than I do for a multi-millionaire with a 1/2 million dollar car that could hardly give rodents bottom.

Now don't get me wrong I put tremendous passion in what I do. I have learned to back it down a bit and not to get so emotionally caught up in it.

Clients with big money have the budget to allow me to push my skills to the limit. That I enjoy.

What until you have a regular client suddenly sell a car that you had dumped tons of love and passion into. You 'll show up and find it sold and think "you no good two timing #@*$#@!!" I actually almost feel cheated on! LOL Now thats too emotionally involved.

I think we should start a support group.

[Superior Shine]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

One other thing I would like to add......

When you get a client that IS a car guy and has a large bank account, then you have it made!!!

Thats the best possible scenario.

[Nick Chapman]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

I get what you're saying Joe. But at the end of the day, I just feel like all my hard work was a total waste of time, no matter how many hundreds or thousands are in my pocket. I guess I'm just a bit too sensitive I need to toughen up a bit

[Nick Chapman]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

Joe, your sig pretty much sums it up!

"The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have."

[Nappers]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

My recent detail (I detail a ton of cars LOL), the owner couldn't believe the truck was his. He pulled up and said "That's a nice truck, wonder who's it is" Then he realized it was his! He gave me a tip and all the hard work over 3 days (long story) made it worth every penny I lost on labor .

A truck is a Siskiyou County Cadillac, diesel preferred. Lots of cows and horses and other creatures to haul. Heck our Jail Transport van is diesel!

I detail by word of mouth and a lot of people are asking about me over the winter and my wife made me some business cards (some time ago) and I'm going to get a business license soon.

The only cars I stay emotionally attached to at the moment are my own. Not having detailed for a living like you guys above, don't know what's it's like to do lots of cars for lots of people.

When I used to do service calls for my Step Dad's TV repair shop (at the ripe age of 18), I met some wonderful people and couldn't wait to go back and fix their problems, there were others who I just wanted to........

I remember this one old couple (I mean old) their TV was too old for us to work on (tube set, we quit working on them at the time) and all that was wrong was a reset button. My step dad told me to charge them door fee, come back to shop. I refused at the time and made a make shift reset button and powered up the TV (lights dimming throughout the city. ) and it stayed on. The switch just merrily fell apart. I called my dad and told him just the reset button was shot and he relunctantly ordered a new switch. The people were just happy as clams and the sweetest people on the planet! One other time I stopped by, I helped them with their groceries! (I know the boy scout gene kicked on). Last I heard from them years ago, their TV was humming along nicely. I tore the tuners out and sprayed them with our cleaner spray and adjusted the focus and 3 colors and degaussed the tube. Sure miss them. I had other couples that just I just loved, most of them in the outskirts of town (Petaluma, CA).

I'm sure that detailing for the same people is similar kinda.....no?

You guys are craftsman and perform an art! I sure can't wait for post's you guys put up, your time is not wasted. You should be proud of your work!

[sleepy]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

I agree with Nappers you guys do a great job, thanks for sharing with us newbes!!

[wyseilmykkar]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

To some people a car is just a car. To others it's much, much more.

Unfortunately you're in a very tough position as a detailer because in order to do quality work you have to have a passion for what you do. And it's that passion that shows in the final product; however, not all people are going to appreciate the hard work and effort. Others (as noted above) will go absolutely ballistic when they see the results (in a good way we hope)

Tough as it is, I think you're going to have to learn to take it in stride when an individual doesn't show much appreciation towards the finished product. Just remember that it's not a reflection on your work, but rather a reflection of their personality. You can decide if you want to work for them again in the future.

[TH0001]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

After talking with Todd (TH0001) on the phone last night, I got to thinking a bit more about this, I had to do something until my ears stopped ringing, Todd will talk your ear off! But do you get hung up on the type of car you do?

I hope your ear feels better....

We all like to(or would like to) detail Ferrari's, Bentley's, etc... But in the end, does it really matter? After I hung up with Todd I started thinking really hard about this subject, and started thinking about the "specialty" cars I've done in the past few years. The conclusion I came to is most of these owners don't care. When I really started thinking about that last statement, it really frustrated me.

I think you hit the nail on the head in next few paragraphs. It really isn't about the car you detail as much as the person you detail it for. I know people who love their minivans just like I know people who love their Ferrari's. It is the passion that can make jobs fun, not the type of car.

When I first started doing this business, I used to dream about doing these types of vehicles. No joke, I used to loose sleep at night, frustrated because I wasn't at that level yet(I'm a worrier by nature). I would read posts on detailing websites about detailing these cars that costs more than any house in my neighborhood, and my heart would start racing. I would just absorb all the info I could about the process the detailer used, how much time it took him, and anything else I could learn about those types of vehicles. Learning everything I could with the hopes of when my time came, and I got the opportunity to do one, I would be completely prepared to blow the owner away! But now that I’m doing them, it’s not so great. Don’t get me wrong here, I absolutely LOVE working on them, but the owners typically ruin any excitement that I would have when I was finished.

It's like I was saying yesterday, I do detail for guys who get it, and they are absolutely blown away by the work, but I no longer hang my hat on that. In general I never get compliments on the more expensive work I do, but I do get called back to fix the car at a later date. I have learned that some people just don't pay compliments. By the same token I have an equal number of client's whom I consider friends, and who have a passion for their vehicles.

I used to dream about doing exotic cars as well, thinking it would be more glorious or fun. Paint is paint and work is work, and what is fun for me is the challenge, however it presents itself. Exotic cars tend to look cooler in after photos. The best thing to dream about would be owning one of these cars!

Now I'm not saying that all "specialty" car owners are this way. Viper owners are great, Porsche owners are typically great. But, from what I’ve personally seen, owners with vehicles $100k and less are more likely to appreciate the work and take care of their vehicles, than the $100k + side is (there is no science to these numbers, so please don’t attack me over this. These are just my personal observations). I could probably count on one hand the number of $100k+ car owners that were actually excited about the finished product, and prepared to take care of their vehicle. I get soooo much more pleasure out of working on a daily driver, that someone is going to appreciate the work a bit more, or someone that has actually worked for what they have then that Bentley owner that is going to just run his car straight to the closest automatic car wash, without a 2nd thought.

I don't know if completely agree with the ratios over owners of expensive cars vs. less-expensive cars. Its just that the owners of less expensive cars are not going to pay a professional to care for them, where as the owner of more expensive cars might (even though they don't really have a passion for it). I think it is a matter that car guys get it, and non-car guys don't.

So, is paint is really just paint? Is a car is really just a car and that’s it? Does it really matter to you what happens after you’re finished with the job, or do you just forget about it after you pull out of the driveway? Am I just putting too much emotion into a job?

Since no two paint's ever seem to be identical no... But I know that is what you are not asking. In that case, from 1 foot away, paint is paint, defects are defects, and we do what we have to meet our client's stanards, regardless of the name or marquee. Ferrari or Honda it doens't matter. By working on exotics I am able to do the work that I find enjoyable and that I can get passionate it about more. However I have done VW Bug's and Honda Pilots for guys who loved their cars, and that was just as enjoyable as any other car. The work, not the car, is what matters. It does matter what happens to the car when I am done, I really do take an emotinal interest. However we cannot control what happens. For a while I tried to be a business and remove emotion and I was left burned out and bumped. There are very few detailers, even high end ones, that truly do this for the emotions. I think that is the definying factor between good and great. The emotional detailers are always striving to improve, always trying to get better. I cannot tell you how many very good detailers have told me that I take it too seriously, that it's JUST detailing. I almost believed them, but then I realized their reality is different then mine. For me it is about the emotion and about creating art, and if that doesn't make sense to some, or they chose to make fun of me for it, fine. They don't get it and I am okay with it. It is only when I put the emtion, dare I say 'passion' back into it that I really started to enjoy it again. At some level those who get it do it for themselves, and I think that is okay and necessary. The fact that you care is the reason you do such good work IMO Nick.

[TH0001]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

Yes too much emotion. Kick it down a few notches.

I remember doing my first $2000 detail. When we were done the owner barely glanced at it. I remember being bugged over that. My helper at the time said, "if you want to cheer up count the money in your pocket."

The type of car I detail really doesnt matter. It is a type of person I like detailing for - CAR GUYS.

I get much more satisfaction detailing a 95 Honda civic for a bus boy that works hard to make ends meet so that he can tune/modify his beloved car than I do for a multi-millionaire with a 1/2 million dollar car that could hardly give rodents bottom.

Now don't get me wrong I put tremendous passion in what I do. I have learned to back it down a bit and not to get so emotionally caught up in it.

Clients with big money have the budget to allow me to push my skills to the limit. That I enjoy.

What until you have a regular client suddenly sell a car that you had dumped tons of love and passion into. You 'll show up and find it sold and think "you no good two timing #@*$#@!!" I actually almost feel cheated on! LOL Now thats too emotionally involved.

I think we should start a support group.

+1 Joe, member 002 of the support group

[yalerd]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

Another thing you should consider is that your clients will not express the same way. Some will just pay and leave, some will jump and smile.

The ones that you don't see any emotions doesn't mean they don't care. This thing that happened to me surprised me. I detailed a gentleman's Mercedes Benz S550, he came, payed, got into his car and left. The car was stunning and I felt kind of bad. Well I've detailed his wife Lexus and she called me saying he was in love with his car all over again, he was more than happy saying that he just bought a 1965 Mustang and was going to restore it and when that's done he was going to call me to detail it

If they pay for you to detail their cars the way you guys work, then there is no way they don't care. They just express in different ways. Maybe they like expressing/talking to close friends, wife, maybe he puts the word out for you and that's the way they say "thanks"

I myself LOVE when a guys smiles and looks every detail, for me it's like the hard work I put into the car is rewarding by how they express but I don't feel bad (not anymore) if they just pay and go.

[3Fitty]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

Well, I don't even belong in this discussion, but I really have to say, Joe's first post is brilliant.

I'll probably never detail a true exotic and would probably love to, but after reading Joe's post, I totally get how it's about the person you're detailing for, not the car.

My biggest satisfaction when doing a car is the appreciation factor, when it is done, not the car per se. Although, I've never made money from this hobby and probably never will, so I'm really not in a good position to speak.

I must say though, I really do enjoy reading the threads when one of you pros do an exotic. What you might not get from the owner, you'll get in appreciation from the members who read your posts.

All I can say to Nick is that I think you are one top notch detailer and you certainly should not be bothered by someone too self absorbed to comment on the quality of your work.

[Superior Shine]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

+1 Joe, member 002 of the support group

Here is my favorite (NOT)........... I make a car perfect. Everything just comes out awesome. I go get the owner to show them / have them look it over. They just pay me and say, "I trust you I am sure it is nice." WHAT!!!!!!!!!! Thats it!?!? Arnt you going to step outside with me a drool over it!!?? We can drool together!

Oh Man I need help!!

[yalerd]

Re: DO you get hung up on what type of cars you detail?

Here is my favorite (NOT)........... I make a car perfect. Everything just comes out awesome. I go get the owner to show them / have them look it over. They just pay me and say, "I trust you I am sure it is nice." WHAT!!!!!!!!!! Thats it!?!? Arnt you going to step outside with me a drool over it!!?? We can drool together!

Oh Man I need help!!

You don't need help, you are just car crazy