# Detailing vs Valeting



## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

Just had a flyer through the door of a local company. They're 'detailers' but have very low prices and come to your home/office.

Am tempted to drop them a line and discuss their processes / products used to see if they might be a good choice for the odd wash when I'm out of time.










By the fact they are aware of the 'detailing world' I'm pretty hopeful - will share my findings here. Fingers crossed...


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## tom-225 (Aug 30, 2009)

i know i wouldnt let some one near my car with a machine if i was only spending £90. i wouldnt expect great work and im betting they use cheap products.


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## Chuffy (Mar 5, 2008)

I usually find when some company is charging 100 for a machine polish they just run around the car with 3M fast cut without checking paint levels followed by some protection (skipping the refining stage)

Detailing means noting to me now, it's now an overused word. Detailing is the American word for valeting. I used to associate detailing with machine polished and spending a few days on your car, now it can be just the same as valeting.


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

tom-225 said:


> i know i wouldnt let some one near my car with a machine if i was only spending £90. i wouldnt expect great work and im betting they use cheap products.





Chuffy said:


> I usually find when some company is charging 100 for a machine polish they just run around the car with 3M fast cut without checking paint levels followed by some protection (skipping the refining stage)


I couldn't agree more!

However, they may be good at a maintenance wash?


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## CleanDetail (Mar 7, 2009)

Ns1980 said:


> Just had a flyer through the door of a local company. They're 'detailers' but have very low prices and come to your home/office.
> 
> Am tempted to drop them a line and discuss their processes / products used to see if they might be a good choice for the odd wash when I'm out of time.
> 
> ...


Can always spot the valeters using "detailing" as a selling point as in the flyer it then goes back to calling it valeting....

Just another valeting company using the word detailing to try and get more customers. Fair play to trying but it gives the actual "detailers" a bad name :wall:

ATB
Nick


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## spiros (Mar 30, 2010)

in some point guys might you have right but prices depends..
For exaple if 3 guys do one step polish to one car ,,, they need 3-4 hours (medium car). 100 for 3 hours i believe are ok..

if one guy then spend 3 hours for machine polishing ..then is impossible:lol:


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## Chuffy (Mar 5, 2008)

Don't get me wrong, some people would be happy with the work unaware of the hollograms you can see in direct sunlight.
I used to see a customer who had a Q7 that was resprayed black by a body shop that left hollograms and wet sanding marks on lower pannels but he through it looked mint and was happy.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Wheel 'scrub' makes me a bit nervous Nick, don't let them near your S4 without seeing them work on something else first, would be my advice!


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

However, they may be good at a maintenance wash?

I want to guage what shampoo/mitts they use and if it's a 2BM. They might even use a pre wash?


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## TubbyTwo (Apr 14, 2011)

We get these at work as well. Think I still have the leaflet somwhere, kept it due to the fact it said "premium sponge wash and acid clean wheels".

nice.:detailer:


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

MidlandsCarCare said:


> Wheel 'scrub' makes me a bit nervous Nick, don't let them near your S4 without seeing them work on something else first, would be my advice!


Don't worry Russ - this is more for my family members who love me doing their cars but don't appreciate my standards...!


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## Wheelzntoys (Jan 28, 2012)

We have mobile washers come to my office.

3 men, they use same bucket of wash for 4 cars and use brushes. Real quick swirly work, office doesn't care, I pointed out the bad workmanship but they like the convenience of mobile rash.


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## Nally (May 30, 2012)

90 for correction pads are probley crap and reused.
Too good to be true


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## *MAGIC* (Feb 22, 2007)

Exactly why I dont call myself a detailer anymore.

Far too many buy a machine and then call themselves detailers.


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## President Swirl (Oct 23, 2011)

Assuming we are talking about the ' Forecourt gazebo ' massive, valeting = sponges. Detailing = toothpicks.


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## R0B (Aug 27, 2010)

Chuffy said:


> I usually find when some company is charging 100 for a machine polish they just run around the car with 3M fast cut without checking paint levels followed by some protection (skipping the refining stage)
> 
> *Detailing means noting to me now, it's now an overused word. Detailing is the American word for valeting. I used to associate detailing with machine polished and spending a few days on your car, now it can be just the same as valeting.*


Never a truer word said my friend :thumb:

If your a peruser of many a car forum like myself you will of course have noticed the many pictures of cars that owners have 'detailed'...this being a wash 2bm of course,dry, tyre dressing etc in many cases.
when i perform the above i tend to think I have washed my car,no more no less......

I think we have reached the point were the word means absolutely nothing as you point out other than a word people grab onto to demonstrate they feel there cleaning regime is a cut above...me im happy to wash my car every week and 'detail' it twice a year.

Damn it even when i wax or seal it its just waxing or sealing it.....detailing for me was and always will be the transformation of a cars appearance through machine work to breath new life into poor paint and thorough detailed cleaning of all aspects of a car.
Now its washing a car well........
Rant over :lol:


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## Guest (Jul 2, 2012)

i would avoid at all cost nick!trust me


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## CleanDetail (Mar 7, 2009)

*MAGIC* said:


> Exactly why I dont call myself a detailer anymore.
> 
> Far too many buy a machine and then call themselves detailers.


Could not have said that better my self!


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

I'd reckon they do a lot of commercial vehicles judging from the advert. Also words like compound and scrub along with "all seats cleaned" like its something special rather than just doing three of them, would make me suggest that the level of detail and care mightnt be there.

I bet they tidy up a minger car very well, just you're not going to get it jewelled and zymoled are you!


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## absolute (Jan 19, 2010)

Chuffy said:


> I usually find when some company is charging 100 for a machine polish they just run around the car with 3M fast cut without checking paint levels followed by some protection (skipping the refining stage)
> 
> Detailing means noting to me now, it's now an overused word. Detailing is the American word for valeting. I used to associate detailing with machine polished and spending a few days on your car, now it can be just the same as valeting.


I'm pretty uncomfortable with the D word. It's origin, it's overuse etc. Please don't bash me but I have major trouble actually getting the d word off the tongue, i'll say, paint correction or similar.

The term 'valet' and especially 'valeting' (is that a word yet) i've been cringing and bearing for some time now.

:devil:


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## Damien (May 8, 2011)

That frustrates me. It makes it hard for someone who does a proper valet or detail. To the customer who only sees the words valet or detail the price looks way better than the pro down the road.


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## Beau Technique (Jun 21, 2010)

Sure this old nutshell will always spiral and gain a divide. Valeting can be as thorough as detailing if carried out by the correct service provider however, it has always been divided by the level and extent going to with regards to how in depth the clean is along with paint correction that it becomes detailing. For me, detailing has become more of whom has the bigger stick and offers all manner of automotive refinishing which it never was before. It can and does get confusing now if im honest.


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## McClane (Dec 9, 2010)

absolute said:


> I'm pretty uncomfortable with the D word. It's origin, it's overuse etc. Please don't bash me but I have major trouble actually getting the d word off the tongue, i'll say, paint correction or similar.
> 
> The term 'valet' and especially 'valeting' (is that a word yet) i've been cringing and bearing for some time now.
> 
> :devil:


Really? I just take some examples of it more seriously than others. Does it need to command any more attention than that?

Try not to worry about such stuff really, I just like cleaning my car with expensive flannels  :lol:


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## WannaBd (Dec 18, 2010)

Not all people who valet are "bad" I've valeted for a few years now, and reading on this forum has helped me improve my techniques, I agree with Scott above that valeting can be done to a high standard, I like to think all my work is & have the same regular customers 1-2weekly since I started, but a valet and detail are miles apart, in the exterior paint department anyway, I'd love nothing more to go out daily and machine polish cars & make pink red again, swirled black paint black again, and charge £100's for it but the deal is the masses want the cheapest option & only a small minority can & want to employ a professional "detailer". So until I have got enough experience with machine polishing techniques, I'll carry on serving my valet customers who want a clean & tidy car.


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## JakeWhite (Oct 14, 2011)

I dunno why everyone is saying valeting is a cringe-worthy word when alot of the pro's on here advertise it in their services? Valeting is still a skill if done properly, the trouble is people are starting to associate valeting with these quick £5 splash n dash places and it's lost it's proper meaning. I see it in 3 phases, these £5 places are a 'car wash', then you have proper, professional valeting which involves thorough work with no machine polishing, no wheels off etc etc, then detailing which involves machine polishing, removal of wheels etc etc etc. I advertise valeting, does that make me crap and inferior


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## Damien (May 8, 2011)

I agree with the above comments. It's the quick wash & hoover valeters who do the name damage & then make it worse by buying a rotary and some polish and offering a 'detail' for buttons. Local valeter near me charges £25 for a full valet, 2-3 hour job any size..... Beats my price. Will take me twice as long to do a full valet. But then again like anyone serious about doing the thing right you could say I 'detail' the interior to as close to or better than new look because I'm a fussy ******* and would expect the same if paying for it. 

Sometimes it's just hard to sense into the general public that you get what you pay for.


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

JakeWhite said:


> I dunno why everyone is saying valeting is a cringe-worthy word when alot of the pro's on here advertise it in their services? Valeting is still a skill if done properly, the trouble is people are starting to associate valeting with these quick £5 splash n dash places and it's lost it's proper meaning. I see it in 3 phases, these £5 places are a 'car wash', then you have proper, professional valeting which involves thorough work with no machine polishing, no wheels off etc etc, then detailing which involves machine polishing, removal of wheels etc etc etc. I advertise valeting, does that make me crap and inferior


well said jake :thumb:


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## JakeWhite (Oct 14, 2011)

Damien said:


> I agree with the above comments. It's the quick wash & hoover valeters who do the name damage & then make it worse by buying a rotary and some polish and offering a 'detail' for buttons. Local valeter near me charges £25 for a full valet, 2-3 hour job any size..... Beats my price. Will take me twice as long to do a full valet. But then again like anyone serious about doing the thing right you could say I 'detail' the interior to as close to or better than new look because I'm a fussy ******* and would expect the same if paying for it.
> 
> Sometimes it's just hard to sense into the general public that you get what you pay for.


When I full valet I'm knocking on closer to 6-7 hours. I don't advertise rushing my work, rushed work generally equals sub-standard results. (unless you're lucky enough to have the skill of being quick and spotting every little detail along the way).


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## rs_si (Apr 20, 2010)

Everyone's got to earn a living. I think it's a bit harsh critisizing this leaflet based on some of the wording used. All businesses play on wording in their adverts to try and set themselves apart from the competition. You need to catch the customers eye and it seems the american word "detailing" sounds a bit more special than "dave's car cleaning" (no offence to people called Dave)

Although you generally do 'get what you pay for' his work might actually be quite good if he's a one-man-band trying to build up a business and customer base. In the current economic times not many people are going to pay £100's for paint correction. The average car owner begrudges paying £5 to get there car "cleaned/valeted/detailed..."


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## Damien (May 8, 2011)

JakeWhite said:


> When I full valet I'm knocking on closer to 6-7 hours. I don't advertise rushing my work, rushed work generally equals sub-standard results. (unless you're lucky enough to have the skill of being quick and spotting every little detail along the way).


Aye that all sounds about the same as myself.


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## Bayside32 (Apr 10, 2011)

rs_si said:


> Everyone's got to earn a living. I think it's a bit harsh critisizing this leaflet based on some of the wording used. All businesses play on wording in their adverts to try and set themselves apart from the competition. You need to catch the customers eye and it seems the american word "detailing" sounds a bit more special than "dave's car cleaning" (no offence to people called Dave)
> 
> Although you generally do 'get what you pay for' his work might actually be quite good if he's a one-man-band trying to build up a business and customer base. *In the current economic times not many people are going to pay £100's for paint correction. *The average car owner begrudges paying £5 to get there car "cleaned/valeted/detailed..."


Have to Disagree with that suggestion tbh, Detailing is becoming more popular in my eyes with even more people starting to gauge what its all about, therefore paying good money to have their pride and joy looked after, Lets face it the Studio would be empty if people weren't paying lol.


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## MirfieldMat (Mar 13, 2011)

Bayside32 said:


> Have to Disagree with that suggestion tbh, Detailing is becoming more popular in my eyes with even more people starting to gauge what its all about, therefore paying good money to have their pride and joy looked after, Lets face it the Studio would be empty if people weren't paying lol.


maybe you know something I dont or work where there is lots of money flying around, but the areas around me arent into 'paying good money to have their pride and joy looked after'. And there are some wealthy areas around where I am, and I have spoken to quite a few folk that are more than happy to shove their 50k merc through a hand car wash for a fiver every few weeks and wouldnt dream of spending £200-400 for any kind of 'detailing'.

truth is the vast majority of people dont know what 'detailing' is, dont see the worth in it or simply cant afford to do it.


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## Bayside32 (Apr 10, 2011)

At the end of the day it doesn't matter what price tag your car has or How "Luxurious" it is, For me Detailing is for people who care about their cars not matter what make, model, colour etc....

People will pay the money if they know what their getting at the end of it all, Yes there is always going to be that Percentage of folk who are Ignorant towards Detailing because they don't want to spend the money or because they think their £5 wash will suffice.

My point is people are spending the money, otherwise as I said the Pro's wouldn't be posting their efforts on this and other Forums would they??

I also think with the amount of people joining up to this and other Forums Detailing is only going to get more popular in the Future.:thumb:


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## eatcustard (May 4, 2011)

Like in all trades there are some that will try it on.
I always go by recommendation.


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## rs_si (Apr 20, 2010)

I agree that 'detailing' is getting more popular which is good for the industry.


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## absolute (Jan 19, 2010)

I've got it, I've got it!!!

VALETAIL!!!

---
I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?olfjub


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