# Professional detailing (with a difference)...



## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

As some of you may well know, I used to _professionally_ detail (weekends) for around 4 years from 2006 but packed it in early last year as I was drained from working 5 days in an office and then spending around 20 hours over the weekend detailing a car. However, I occasionally miss it a little and do absolutely nowt on my weekends off - and I am seriously considering detailing again.

Now the thing that made me pack it in last year was the fact that I used to carry out full correction details which involved working around 10 days a day for two days solid on some occasions. This left me with no weekend and I used to be absolutely shattered and drained on a Monday morning back in the office.

So this time around, I am considering offering an enhancing and maintenance detail only. The idea is, is to offer my customers a one-stage polish with Menzerna 203S/Scholl S17+ where I would concentrate on enhancing the gloss of the paintwork only. Additionally, with the cut available from 203S/S17+ it would also carry out a level of correction with swirlmarks which would act as a further selling point.

This kind of detail would allow me to carry out the work in a day and I would only be concentrating on refining the paintwork and not correcting (which I feel takes the most time when detailing a car - having to compound and then refine).

I would then offer an ongoing maintenance detail with quarterly top-ups to regular customers.

Opinions? Would I get customers just looking for enhancing details or do customers tend to go solely for full correction details.


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

I think if you explain the defference from enhancement to full being mainly chasing the last 10-15% of perfection plus most people dont need or want 100% perfect car for a daily.

Id say do it. There must be more people wanting nice clean tidy cars at a price than full on perfect for much higher.

Cheers

PaulN


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## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

PaulN said:


> I think if you explain the defference from enhancement to full being mainly chasing the last 10-15% of perfection plus most people dont need or want 100% perfect car for a daily.
> 
> Id say do it. There must be more people wanting nice clean tidy cars at a price than full on perfect for much higher.
> 
> ...


That's my thoughts exactly. This way I would not be stepping on local detailer's shoes offering correction details, I would be working less hours on the detail plus I'd be offering an affordable way to spruce up a car (especially in these tough financial times).


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## SarahAnn (Apr 6, 2011)

I'm having a 'light correction' done to our latest arrival tomorrow weather permitting by a DW member and i'm not expecting the full works in a day.
I used AF Tripple and TC on it but i'm not happy with the bonnet.

It's only a few months old and has light swirls on the bonnet. I'll be happy if these are improved. 

I'm sure what you want to do will be just fine :thumb:


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

TBH the only difference I think you'll notice is that you'll be home in time for X-Factor.


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## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

ardandy said:


> TBH the only difference I think you'll notice is that you'll be home in time for X-Factor.


Perfect. I love the old X-Factor.


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Enhancement is what most folk would be staggered with, if you have to go around with a light pointing out really fine spots removed etc you have lost them as for the most part if its shiny they will love it.


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## dominic84 (Jan 27, 2007)

Good idea imo - you can polish out every last blemish and a week later a new one will appear anyway from a micro piece of dirt, bush branch etc.

A machine polish is obviously always going to be better than a hand polish which most people offer, so that's the selling point really.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

I'm getting less and less worried about doing a "full" correction on any car TBH....

Yes i have all the pads and polish, the machines, the paint readers etc...

But at the end of the day, it's a lot of work to fit in...as you have pointed out OP, over a weekend....

I only work for beer payment, and only on cars of people I know....so I'm not that fussed about it...

I have been thinking of getting rid of my "compounding" tools and just go for a finishing polish, or at a max, a medium spot one....

:thumb:


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## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

I think I'm going to do it.

I've already found a free web template which I can work with to customise to my needs.

Next question is whether to keep the same *Hotwaxxx *name or name the site something completely different. The service I provide will solely be enhancing the gloss so perhaps a name associated with that???

I'm also gutted that I lost my old portfolio. I stupidly had all the images/write-ups on my old website which I let expire. I also had all the images saved on my old hard-drive which kind of got infected and I didn't save them across to a memory stick or anything. So all I've got now are pics of my old CTR, Scooby and Audi A4. In my old portfolio I had around 25 cars covered.


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## r35id3nt (May 9, 2011)

i only offer enhancements as i can turn a car around in about 8-10hours i don't bother with full simply because like others have mentioned that extra 10-15% shine is not noticeable.

Go with your gut hotwaxx and offer what your suggesting, others do it and i can even point you to at least 2 detailers who only offer enhancements


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## kempe (Jan 9, 2011)

hotwaxxx said:


> I think I'm going to do it.
> 
> I've already found a free web template which I can work with to customise to my needs.
> 
> ...


Sounds like a plan buddy :thumb: which free web template you using


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## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

I really like the use of the 'xxx' in your company name - but maybe something like Glossworxxx? I really like Hotwaxxx though.


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## SDP (Oct 17, 2006)

Yes - go for it.

These are a much easier sell than full correction (at least full corrections charged at a sensible rate that is).

They are a better real world alternative for most cars anyway.

Enhancement is the only polishing service I offer these days as to be perfectly honest machining for hour after hour fries my brain. Even an iPod pumping music into my ears doesn't help.

Maybe I have a low attention span but it beats me how anyone can spend 10/20/30 +++ hours polishing a car and actually enjoy it.


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