At DetailedImage.com we regularly post unbiased articles from top quality detailing experts from around the country in our Ask a Pro Blog. The latest article is from Ivan from LUSTR Auto Detail in Chicago, IL and he does a great job comparing a quality detailer verse a business focused on quantity. While Ivan focuses personally on quality detailing he does not condemn or really promote either just explains the differences so you can understand the differences. Here is a preview of the article below:
Quality vs. Quantity
Quality over quantity has been my main motto since I got into the business of car detailing roughly 5-6 years ago. It’s something on which I based the mission of LUSTR Auto Detail and something that’s on my mind during every detail job, usually when I have 10 q-tips in hand trying to pull that last bit of dirt from a lug nut hole
. Thus, it’s become second nature explaining to potential clients the difference between LUSTR Auto Detail services and those provided by the local car washes and detail shops. While it must be done and I enjoy the chance to do so, it’s not the simplest thing to explain what I do differently and why high quality detailing work, like most any other service, costs more money.
However, recently I received a phone call from a potential client, who asked me about the difference in such a way that made me appreciate the chance we as quality detailers have to educate the general public about automotive detailing. It reminded me of a great article Todd Cooperider wrote, explaining What is a “Full Detail”, so I wanted to elaborate a bit more and put a bit of a different spin on it. With that comes this article, which is a short but sweet explanation of some main differences we as quality detailers provide to completely isolate ourselves from local shops, car wash places, and dealers, in other words volume-oriented detail shops. While it’s a short and sweet explanation, it’s a lengthy article as I’ve tried to explain some of the main factors in clear detail, no pun intended. One small disclaimer: While all of us Pros on the Detailed Image blog, as well as other quality detailers out there, share many attributes and beliefs in the art of detailing, this article is written representing solely my methods and opinions based on years of experience.
The client mentioned above, who we’ll call Bob for this article, didn’t ask the usual “How much for my car? Hmm that seems way too expensive.” Or “Your reviews are great, but are you able to match the price of X, Y, or Z Detailers?” Or my favorite “Hi, I want to get a full detail, outside polished up and interior done, how much and when can you do it?” On the contrary, Bob was an owner of a gorgeous mid 2000s luxury coupe who did almost all the paint maintenance on his own, which is always a big plus. In other words, he wasn’t someone who typically uses the quick, lower quality, volume shops and didn’t just call me to price shop based on my great online reviews. Rather, since Bob had decided the car needed a professional touch, he was on a mission to take the best possible care of his aging car and was doing thorough research before making any appointments. Bob simply explained to me that he has been searching for a quality detail shop in the Chicagoland area and came across a few businesses with great reviews on Yelp and other similar websites. After looking through my website as well as websites of a couple other detailing businesses in the area, Bob realized that while I provided thorough information as well as services that seemed to be what he was looking for, other shops had great reviews and offered substantially cheaper services. Since he was after quality and not simply price shopping, Bob wanted to figure out what exactly justifies the substantial price difference and if my services are worth it. So he simply asked for me to explain “What exactly warrants the price difference of my services compared to others in the area?” I won’t type out our entire conversation, partly because there’s no way I remember the specifics, but long story short, there are three main factors that I explained to Bob: Customer Service, Products and Techniques, Passion and Experience. If you want to read the rest of our Ask A Pro Blog click here - Quality vs Quantity.
Hope you enjoyed the preview and you'll continue to read it!
Greg @ DI
Quality vs. Quantity
Quality over quantity has been my main motto since I got into the business of car detailing roughly 5-6 years ago. It’s something on which I based the mission of LUSTR Auto Detail and something that’s on my mind during every detail job, usually when I have 10 q-tips in hand trying to pull that last bit of dirt from a lug nut hole
. Thus, it’s become second nature explaining to potential clients the difference between LUSTR Auto Detail services and those provided by the local car washes and detail shops. While it must be done and I enjoy the chance to do so, it’s not the simplest thing to explain what I do differently and why high quality detailing work, like most any other service, costs more money.However, recently I received a phone call from a potential client, who asked me about the difference in such a way that made me appreciate the chance we as quality detailers have to educate the general public about automotive detailing. It reminded me of a great article Todd Cooperider wrote, explaining What is a “Full Detail”, so I wanted to elaborate a bit more and put a bit of a different spin on it. With that comes this article, which is a short but sweet explanation of some main differences we as quality detailers provide to completely isolate ourselves from local shops, car wash places, and dealers, in other words volume-oriented detail shops. While it’s a short and sweet explanation, it’s a lengthy article as I’ve tried to explain some of the main factors in clear detail, no pun intended. One small disclaimer: While all of us Pros on the Detailed Image blog, as well as other quality detailers out there, share many attributes and beliefs in the art of detailing, this article is written representing solely my methods and opinions based on years of experience.
The client mentioned above, who we’ll call Bob for this article, didn’t ask the usual “How much for my car? Hmm that seems way too expensive.” Or “Your reviews are great, but are you able to match the price of X, Y, or Z Detailers?” Or my favorite “Hi, I want to get a full detail, outside polished up and interior done, how much and when can you do it?” On the contrary, Bob was an owner of a gorgeous mid 2000s luxury coupe who did almost all the paint maintenance on his own, which is always a big plus. In other words, he wasn’t someone who typically uses the quick, lower quality, volume shops and didn’t just call me to price shop based on my great online reviews. Rather, since Bob had decided the car needed a professional touch, he was on a mission to take the best possible care of his aging car and was doing thorough research before making any appointments. Bob simply explained to me that he has been searching for a quality detail shop in the Chicagoland area and came across a few businesses with great reviews on Yelp and other similar websites. After looking through my website as well as websites of a couple other detailing businesses in the area, Bob realized that while I provided thorough information as well as services that seemed to be what he was looking for, other shops had great reviews and offered substantially cheaper services. Since he was after quality and not simply price shopping, Bob wanted to figure out what exactly justifies the substantial price difference and if my services are worth it. So he simply asked for me to explain “What exactly warrants the price difference of my services compared to others in the area?” I won’t type out our entire conversation, partly because there’s no way I remember the specifics, but long story short, there are three main factors that I explained to Bob: Customer Service, Products and Techniques, Passion and Experience. If you want to read the rest of our Ask A Pro Blog click here - Quality vs Quantity.
Hope you enjoyed the preview and you'll continue to read it!
Greg @ DI
