How many car owners know how to define detailing?

[Mary S]

If you were to walk door to door on the streets in your neighborhood and ask whoever answers the door if they own a car, and if so, could they give you a definition of what automobile detailing is, what percent do you think could come close to an accurate definition? (Assuming they don't shoo you away first because they think you want to sell them something).

The reason I am asking is in the last 2 days I mentioned auto detailing to 2 different people, and both of them said they thought it had to do with painting a car.

I live in Missouri, and here I would be surprised if 20% could come close to an accurate definition. I am sure in Southern California there is more awareness, but still I'm sure not everyone who owns a car would know.

Just curious of what you think the awareness is in your neck of the woods.

[Tuck91]

Re: How many car owners know how to define detailing?

Around 5%.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: How many car owners know how to define detailing?

Maybe 5-10%. However, I think maybe 1% know about Paint correction as it relates to detailing. The rest would say detailing means wash and wax.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: How many car owners know how to define detailing?

I tend to delineate the term a bit more. To me, detailing can be anything from quick detailing with a mist and wipe consumer product to a full on "deluxe" interior and exterior package with all the bells and whistles.

When I describe what I do to prospective clients (friends and co-workers), I describe it as automotive paint correction or paint polishing. If their eyes don't start to glass over, I give them a brief breakdown as to why I charge so much more, and why I will spend 4x as much time working on their car as compared to the detail they can get down the street at the corner car wash.

I don't call myself a detailer because I don't offer full detailing services or packages. I hate cleaning interiors, so I try to avoid that aspect of detailing. I don't really enjoy washing cars, so I would advise future clients to wash it themselves and save themselves the $40 I would charge. But I plan to do this part time for a little extra cash, and not for a living, so I would rather concentrate on polishing paint than spending a hot July afternoon trying to clean the rear window of a coupe.

[Mary S]

Re: How many car owners know how to define detailing?

So if maybe 5% to 10% of people really have any kind of clue what "detailing" is, even if all they know is it is a deluxe wash, wax, and overall making the car look good... and that doesn't even count people who really know that detailing by a qualified technician can actually make a change in the condition of the paint, not just mask it with a pretty coat of wax...

So should the detailers out there just be competing for the business of the few people who do have a clue, the people who are likely to look up "detailers" in the yellow pages or on craigslist, or google on "detailers"

Or...

Bring about awareness in the other 90% of the population and make them potentially want the service too.

Myself, a few months ago I knew detailing might include shampooing the interior, waxing the exterior, maybe cleaning the engine, making the car look nice, kind of like a deluxe car wash.

I didn't know about the change you could make to correct the paint, not just cover it up.

It seems like there could be a lot of opportunity out there if there were a way to tap into it.

[Tuck91]

Re: How many car owners know how to define detailing?

You have to educate the customer.

[Shawn T.]

Re: How many car owners know how to define detailing?

I agree Tuck.

[DetailFreak517]

Re: How many car owners know how to define detailing?

You have to educate the customer.

Half of being a professional detailer is being able to sell yourself and your services to the uninformed and/or skeptical customer.

[Mary S]

Re: How many car owners know how to define detailing?

You have to educate the customer.

The problem seems to be particularly bad near where I live. I don't know exactly the details of how it is going to play out, but I want to build a web page that doesn't just put out, here are my packages and here is what they include, etc., but to really hit home in educating without overwhelming a potential customer with too much information. I think one way to do that is with photographs, before/after photographs of the exact same panel in the same lighting, and without any wax applied.

And unlike all the advertisements for beauty rejuvenation where they always have to say "reduces the "appearance" of fine wrinkles, you can really show them that the imperfections can be actually removed and give a newer appearance to the paint and the car.

I am impressed at what paint correction can do. I have lived to a (cough, cough) experienced age and never knew this. This is one of the reasons the whole thing excites me, why I am maybe a bit "obsessed about car stuff."

Although I have received a lot of understanding here, and I appreciate that!

[Bill Davidson]

Re: How many car owners know how to define detailing?

I'm not to sure what % of people know what detailing is. My neighbors just think I'm crazy

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: How many car owners know how to define detailing?

The problem seems to be particularly bad near where I live. I don't know exactly the details of how it is going to play out, but I want to build a web page that doesn't just put out, here are my packages and here is what they include, etc., but to really hit home in educating without overwhelming a potential customer with too much information. I think one way to do that is with photographs, before/after photographs of the exact same panel in the same lighting, and without any wax applied.

And unlike all the advertisements for beauty rejuvenation where they always have to say "reduces the "appearance" of fine wrinkles, you can really show them that the imperfections can be actually removed and give a newer appearance to the paint and the car.

I am impressed at what paint correction can do. I have lived to a (cough, cough) experienced age and never knew this. This is one of the reasons the whole thing excites me, why I am maybe a bit "obsessed about car stuff."

Although I have received a lot of understanding here, and I appreciate that!

+1 on the educational website. I just spoke with my nephew about possibly creating some animation that would demonstrate what defect removal does at the microscopic level to put on a future website. In the meantime, actual live demonstrations on a client's car remains (IMO) the most persuasive tool. As you work a 2'x2' area, you have a captive audience. Use the time to explain the polishing process and how paint defects are actually removed, not hidden. Trust me, few people can drive around with a polished square on their hood and not want to have the whole car look just like it.

[Ryan_Bihun89]

Re: How many car owners know how to define detailing?

Good thing here in DR, its all about what ride you own, which determines your social status, your rich or your poor, your car is clean then your clean.

Also here in DR is pretty much all about the tire dressing. Who ever has the best tire dressing that last 2 weeks gets all the customers (i use endurance high gloss ).

Also usually explain people how are defects removed from the paint, how theirs paint looks horizontally and what do to get them off.

But i hate when people find it too expensive when you charge arround $20 for Interior, Washing, Claying, Wax. I live in a third world country. -_-''.