What To Consider When Choosing A Reliable Auto Detailer
Auto detailers are a dime a dozen so how do you go about choosing someone that you can trust? Sure, reviews are a great place to start, but there’s so much more than goes into it than that. After all, vehicles are expensive so you should only trust yours with the best. Keep reading for six factors to consider when deciding where to go for your next detail.
Experience:
All detailers have to start somewhere; however, experience is key, especially when it comes to different paint systems, wheel metals, interior finishes, and other variables that make every car a little different. While a newer detailer with cheaper prices might be fine for a quick clean on a standard, daily driver, you should definitely consider the detailer’s level of experience and think about paying a little more for more of it.
Reputation:
Talk to friends and look online to find someone that is reliable, dependable, and has a history of getting the job completed on time.
Cost:
I would never recommend that anyone go to the least expensive detailer. This only means that they are a high-production shop and have to complete cars rapidly, or they need to cut corners to keep up. The reason why many detailers have raised their prices is to elevate the industry as a whole to maintain employee satisfaction, as well as overall service quality. Good detail shops keep good employees that will do the job right by charging a little more and paying their staff what they deserve.
Setting expectations:
Make sure you are able to review the vehicle with the company to point out specifics. Ie: a stain, a scratch, etc. That way the company can set your expectations appropriately. When you come to pick up your car, there are no surprises. The company should take time to review your car upon delivery and answer any questions you may have. If they don’t have enough time for this, it’s likely a cheaper, high-production shop (like I mentioned in the point above) that you probably shouldn’t waste your time with.
Shop:
Stop by the shop and check it out. At Cochran Auto Detailing, we love visitors! Is the shop clean and organized? Are the staff nice and willing to answer questions? Keep in mind that during the day it is very difficult to keep a shop clean; however, you can absolutely get an overall feel just by swinging by, meeting the staff, and getting your questions answered.
Apples to Apples:
It is very important to make sure that you are comparing companies that do the same service. Some companies rely on high-production and use inexpensive products that are not specifically meant for the surface they are cleaning. For example, if you use an all-purpose cleaner on leather it will pull out the natural oils of the leather over time - yikes. In this case, a reliable shop like Cochran Auto Detailing would use a leather-specific cleaner that is PH balanced to leave the oils and not dry them out.
