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600 Quid Detail !!

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How long does the training process take to become a "qualified" detailer?
 
tpwuk said:
How long does the training process take to become a "qualified" detailer?
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Looks like very long,hence why is ok for them to charge such prices
 
How much does a painter and decorator charge for a day's work? Around £100/day

How about a plasterer? £150-200 - usually come with a 'mate'
 
And you can get people that own a rotary & some polish that will 'do ya motor' for less than £100 as well.

Prices are based on Rep, Quality - as in any profession.
 
sweetpea said:
There is a difference between taking pride in the appearance of your car (which I do)and spending hundreds of pounds on a job that is pretty straightforward for anyone half-savvy to do themselves.:rolleyes:

How you can compare cleaning and waxing etc prices with the actual maintenance of the engine and the other necessary costs of a car is a joke.

By your reckoning, the servicing & maintaining of a car is the same as keeping it clean??
Let me think about that one for a second.....:rolleyes:

I'd never realised the hyperbole in the 'detailing' world was so widespread, but the more I learn about it, the more it just seems a smokescreen.
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My dear Sweet Pea:

If you had read my post (actually read it - not scanned it) you will see I did not give an equal weighting to the cost of servicing to that of keeping it clean. I merely stated that both have an impact on the resale value, and to spend a fortune on servicing and a pittance on appearance is false economy.

Perhaps you ought to "think for a second" before rushing in with ill conceived responses:)
 
fatdazza said:
Perhaps you ought to "think for a second" before rushing in with ill conceived responses:)
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Ditto^

My post was more a general reply to this notion of paying an overblown valeter an overblown price because it will make the car worth more, which is claptrap.

If, like me, you clean your car 1-2 times a month, a £600 valet would not make my car worth more than it already was. Even on a £50,000 you wouldn't recoup that because it would be expected to be that clean.

And if you took time to read my posts on 'detailing', you would see that I wish all the best to those that do it for a living.
 
^^Keeping a car clean & waxed and looking presentable, as opposed to detailed will not make it any less saleable. In fact, I bet most car buyers if presented with two of the same cars, one detailed, the other with a factory fitted sunroof or xenons, would opt for the one with the extras. Detailing is just not that high up the list for most car buyers.
 
tpwuk said:
^^, I bet most car buyers if presented with two of the same cars, one detailed, the other with a factory fitted sunroof or xenons, would opt for the one with the extras. Detailing is just not that high up the list for most car buyers.
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Eh misquote - two of the same cars but different :dk:

Lets keep perspective on track pls.
 
How long does the training process take to become a "qualified" detailer?
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Not very long! Detailing is really a meaningless term. The main thing a so called 'detailer' offers over any other sponge bob is machine polishing. Which you can learn how to do in a few hours.

This will make you laugh but it's a fact that a 13 year old kid started a 'detailing' business... I think that says it all!
 
^^you know exacly what I mean Billy....the detailed car would not be as attractive as the other car, despite the other car having paint swirls that can only really be seen under a street lamp at night!!
 
tpwuk said:
^^you know exacly what I mean Billy....the detailed car would not be as attractive as the other car, despite the other car having paint swirls that can only really be seen under a street lamp at night!!
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Yeah but if I had 2 cars - ( essentially the same thing - steering wheel, 4 tyres ) etc and one was a old mini and one was a new porsche - which one would you choose could also be used in that terminology ?

Up spec the vehicle of course more people would want it.

Using your analogy, 2 car the SAME spec - one covered in scratches, swirls, dirty wheels and general crap over it or one that it looks like just rolled out of a showroom ?

I understand what your saying but you need to compare apples with apples :)
 
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thetruth said:
Not very long! Detailing is really a meaningless term. The main thing a so called 'detailer' offers over any other sponge bob is machine polishing. Which you can learn how to do in a few hours.

This will make you laugh but it's a fact that a 13 year old kid started a 'detailing' business... I think that says it all!
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and some 12 year olds take A-Levels... - you point actually is ? ? ?
 
billywhiz said:
Yeah but if I had 2 cars - ( essentially the same thing - steering wheel, 4 tyres ) etc and one was a old mini and one was a new porsche - which one would you choose could also be used in that terminology ?
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You're being daft now. But my point again, is that the detailing is not much of a selling point!
 
and some 12 year olds take A-Levels... - you point actually is ? ? ?
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Yeah they do but that's down to intelligence. My point is that the actual machine polishing i.e. using a machine polisher is very easy/quick to pick up. Most 'courses' are only a 1-2 days for example (ott imo as well). Therefore, people often say that it's the vast experience that makes a 'pro' a 'pro'. Now, no matter how clever a 13 year old is, they really aren't going to have much experience are they.

Hence, it doesn't take very long to pick up this 'skill' and anyone can do it. Also because the polisher is doing the work anyone who is happy using a machine poisher can acheive the same finish as anyone else.
 
tpwuk said:
You're being daft now. But my point again, is that the detailing is not much of a selling point!
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I'd be interested to see an independent survey of car buyers to work out how many would even look for a "detailed" car as part of the buying process. Of the many, many cars I have bought not even once has it crossed my mind to look for something that is even "mega clean". I just look at overall condition, service history, tyres etc ect. Yeah great it been valeted top banana :bannana:
I also want to see independent evidence that shows detailed cars sell for more than the time, effort and expense that has been put in to it. Oh and at no point to I want to give the impression that a not lot of time and effort is put into a detail..
 
thetruth said:
Yeah they do but that's down to intelligence. My point is that the actual machine polishing i.e. using a machine polisher is very easy/quick to pick up. Most 'courses' are only a 1-2 days for example (ott imo as well). Therefore, people often say that it's the vast experience that makes a 'pro' a 'pro'. Now, no matter how clever a 13 year old is, they really aren't going to have much experience are they.

Hence, it doesn't take very long to pick up this 'skill' and anyone can do it. Also because the polisher is doing the work anyone who is happy using a machine poisher can acheive the same finish as anyone else.
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There's a whole heap to detailing than just turning a machine polisher on..

I turn my kettle on, many years of doing it - in fact I'd class myself as a pro and the old 'flick the kettle on' trick - however even after all these years I don't make the perfect cuppa every time :(
 
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