Debates in Auto Detailing

There is a debate brewing amongst professional auto detailing which now has expanded into several sub sectors. The debate is over; what is the definition of "detailing?" It is hard to define as fixed site car washes offer "Express Detailing," Professional Detailing Shops offer; "Complete" or "Full Detailing" and mobile auto detailers offer "Mini-Detailing."

A few mobile detailers have used the term 'express detailing,' which adds even more confusion to the issue. "What is an Express Detail anyway?" Most of the new mobile detailers eventually go out of business or raise prices due to environmental reclaim issues, competition, seasonal weather, lack proper image, inferior learn as you go training or complete lack of industry knowledge. Although the smart ones last as they learn quickly thru trial and error or seek professional training. Many of the new professional detailers in our industry come from the mobile sector, especially mobile car washes tend to price and deliver whatever they can sell to the customer, using the word detail whenever they think it will command a higher price. They will use the word detailing loosely to sell the job.

I think it would be fair to say that the word 'detail' has been over used for marketing purposes at fixed site car washes and has caused problems with the definition and mystique of professional automobile detailing. It has caused havoc for those true professionals who have worked hard and sacrificed to keep the word sacred for many years and have prided themselves in the most excellent service.

Many Old Time Detailing Professionals have been forced to address this express detailing issue by adding express services to their menu of services. This appeases the customer's desire for quick and affordable service between quarterly of semi-annual full detailing appointments. Sometimes this cannibalizes full detailing services but if done correctly it can attract new customers to your business ho will eventually try the real thing. Once they do they will be hooked forever. By letting your customer's experience a full detailing service you will build your complete detailing customer base.

If a professional detailer will simply look past customer perception that "a detail is a detail" and educate them on the differences, then that professional will get the best of all worlds. By letting car washes introduce the idea and market to the consumers of the world, you will get free advertising. By car washes using the term detailing, even if it is out of context and even if they lower the once high standards in the minds of consumers, they still have opened the market ten fold. Now that this market is wide open and almost everyone has become in their own minds a detailing customer; it is up to the professional detailers to show them 'a real detail'. It is up to us to expand our retail market mix, to expand that percentage of our business' total sales.

Once the customer experiences the difference, they will see our point and know that an 'express detail' is merely a glorified wash with a hand wax, some extra dressings, and perhaps some carpet cleaning thrown in for good measure. It is hardly what professional detailers call a 'complete and full detail'. Once your customer has become accustomed to a real detail and received a service which has exceeded their wildest expectations, that person will be a walking, talking one-person sales army for you and every other professional detailer in our industry. So press on! Let's make believer out of our retail clients one customer at a time. Think about it and thanks for reading all my articles on auto detailing.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs