The four levels of the Automotive Appearance Care Industry
Unfortunately not enough of the general public have been made aware of the differences between a car wash cafe, car cleaners, professional detailers and master detailers
There is a vast difference in what each offers and the level of quality and value that their services provide as well as the experience of each level
An employee at a car wash cafe who vacuums, washes and dries cars, wipes the windows and interiors and puts on tyre dressing, simply does not have the experience, knowledge and skills to provide the services that a professional or master detailer does
Car cleaners are often confused by the public as detailers but in actual fact they are not in the same league
They are only skilled in washing, drying, vacuuming and applying liquids by hand to a vehicle in order to clean it
Many may offer cut and polish services but that service is not in the same league as paint correction and perfection services
To be a true professional or master detailer requires decades of real world experience, constant research and ongoing training by an industry leader, sacrificing free time to practice and hone their skills in all areas of the industry and must be kept up to date as far as new technology products, have some or alot of knowledge in chemistry via an automotive chemist mentor or trainer so in order to provide services that are state of the art and that suit the cars of today with increasing amounts of composite materials used on the interior and exterior of vehicles
Below is a list of what each level can offer and the experience and knowledge they have
whilst there are some exceptions, they are few
Car Wash Cafe employee
washing cars, vacuuming, applying dressings and conditioners by hand, glass cleaning
some possible interior shampooing skill
not undergone any state of the art detailing training
Car Cleaner
all of above plus ability to perform hand polishing, paint protection, mostly outdated paint polishing skill and knowledge, good to very good interior carpet and seat shampooing knowledge and skills
mostly self taught with some detailing training by detailing products supplier or organisation but not always
True Pro Detailer/Master Detailer
all of above plus excellent to extremely knowledgable in all aspects of detailing
some or alot of chemistry knowledge, has a mentor from chemistry and detailing background with at least three decades of experience.
stocks all the latest and greatest buffing pads, polishing machines, cleaning machines and how to use each one intimately
spends countless hours researching and keeping up to date with latest technologies, new products, power tools and cleaning machines
receives ongoing training each year
extensively skilled and passionate about what they do
A quality detailing shop has dedicated tools and supplies that will produce results that will go above and beyond what you can do by yourself. Unfortunately, most auto detailing shops and car dealership detailers are incapable of producing the best results possible
Since inexpensive detailing shops must focus on high volume to turn a profit, they must use harsh chemicals that quickly break-down dirt and grime from your vehicle. The fact is most chemicals used at these shops are extremely dangerous to the fine finishes of many high-end vehicles. Using the wrong wheel cleaner can result in permanent damage to your wheels, resulting in damages over $1000 for one wheel!
Since the time spent on each vehicle must be minimized, many car detailing shops will use very aggressive compounds that can quickly remove the clearcoat on your vehicle. Furthermore, these compounds will be applied at a dangerously high rpm using a very powerful rotary buffer that can easily reduce the thickness of your clearcoat and remove all on the edges and create holograms ie buff marks in your paint from improper use, elevating the risk of paint damage significantly.
Once these auto detailers are finished hacking the surface of your paint using incorrect, overly aggressive polishing techniques and products, they will glaze the surface of your vehicle. A glaze is an oil-rich liquid designed to fill-in paint defects temporarily so your vehicle only looks good for a few weeks then it rains and your vehicle looks bad again.
Wouldn't you prefer to have your vehicle treated by professionals not amateurs, this is why you should trust us
We've been on the forefront of the industry for over ten years and know how to properly and safely care for your vehicle