Tips & tricks to provide superior service

by Prentice St. Clair

 Over the past nine or so years, I have contributed articles to this magazine covering all sorts of topics related to detailing. Yet sometimes the best advice is the simplest. To that end, I occasionally submit an article describing some of the little extras that make a complete detail job just that much better in quality.

As I described in the last such submission: 

“Often the difference between a true professional and a “wanna-be” is in the small details. The wanna-be may be able to get the basic job done at a low cost. But the professional will be able to achieve spectacular results by providing value far beyond that included in the basic job. This is done through the active pursuit of perfecting the details. An extra few minutes here and there can mean the difference between a car that looks good and a car that looks fabulous.”

The goal of this discussion is to offer some tips and tricks that help you to provide a service that is superior to others. By superior results, you will delight your customers, develop a reputation for excellence, and command top dollar pricing. This time around, I would like to offer advice on handling things like chrome trim, door handle wells, wheels, plastic lenses, and trunk jambs during the standard detail process.

Chrome

The prevalence of chrome as a form of automotive trim work has come and gone over the years. It was very popular up until the 1990s, when chrome seemed to take a hiatus from the designer’s palette. In the first decade of the 21st century, however, chrome has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity.

Regardless of the current trends in the use of chrome trim, most of us detail operators work on a variety of vehicles from several decades and we see our fair share of chrome trim. I believe that the standard detail package should include some shining-up of the chrome trim, assuming the trim has only normal accumulations of grime and tarnish.

Moreover, shiny chrome is an important addition to the final product of a truly sparkling clean car. There are a couple of things that you can do to really make the chrome trim extra dazzling.

Before you begin to polish the chrome, dress any attached bare plastic trim with your favorite vinyl dressing. This will help prevent the chrome polish from soaking into the trim and leaving it white. Chrome polish and a soft applicator is not enough to break through the tarnish and grime that collects on the surface. Instead, use a scrub sponge or steel wool in conjunction with the polish.

After you rub the polish on the main surfaces, leave the polish residue and cut in the edges around the trim and hard-to-reach areas with a horsehair detail brush or used toothbrush. On chrome bumpers, make sure to polish the wrap-around lip on each end of the bumper. Also work the polish in on the bottom of the bumper, as far as the chrome surface goes.

On chrome grilles, make sure to polish the underside of each slat, as well as the upper inside corners. Why is this important? Yes, it is true that you may not be able to see the surface directly while standing in front of the vehicle, but you can probably see the reflection of the undersides from other chrome parts.

The customer may not notice specifically whether or not these chrome details have been performed, but when all the edges and undersides of the chrome trim are shiny, the overall appearance of the completed vehicle is that much better.

Door Handle Wells

The inside of the door handle wells (the area behind the exterior door handle) is often scuffed and grimy. This is not necessarily a result of dirty fingernails, but more a result of fingernails incidentally grinding in dirt that is already settled on the area while the customer reaches around the door handle.

On lighter cars, door handle wells appear to be soiled with dark dirt or grime. This soil can be removed using one-step polish-wax and a soft applicator. In fact, I like to pull off one of my used orbital polisher pads after I am done waxing the car and use it to take care of the handle wells and other contoured body panels that the polisher heads cannot reach.

On darker cars, the handle wells often have scuffing that appears like white scratches, and typically wax or polish-wax will take care of these.

Wheels

As with the edges of chrome, wheels have details that, when properly handled, make a difference in the final appearance of the car. An easy one is to clean the lug nut wells with a long-bristled vent brush during the prep wash. The lug nuts are typically ignored by the finishers at the car wash, so they tend to accumulate brake dust and other residue.

On some trucks, the center cap is chrome. You can clean it up with chrome polish. You can take it to the next level by popping off the center cap and polishing right up to the normally unreachable edge of the cap. Also wipe the part of the wheel that is covered by the cap. Make sure to secure it back to the wheel with a couple of firm taps of a rubber mallet.

Plastic Lenses

Most vehicle headlamps these days are made of plastic. When I am applying detailer’s clay to the car, I go over the headlamps at the same time. Later, as I am applying wax to the paint with my orbital polisher, I go over the headlamps, too. This treatment, performed each time the vehicle exterior is detailed, will help to keep the headlamp lenses from fading or turning yellow.

The same goes for the taillight lenses. They tend to collect surface contamination just like the rest of the painted panels on the back of the car. Claying and waxing the taillight lenses leaves them sparkling and adds to the overall sparkle of the car.

On older vehicles, the lenses on the front, back, and side marker lights may have raised lettering. Make sure that wax plaque is removed from these—just as you would with the vehicle badging—by lightly brushing them with a horsehair brush.

Trunk Jambs

During the prep wash, it is important to clean the jambs of the trunk, just like you would the door jambs. The trunk jambs are often dusty, dirty and grimy. I’ve seen trunk jambs that were so neglected that they actually had mold growing in the corners!

To clean the jambs, first rinse them by spraying water into seam between the trunk lid and the fender while the lid is closed. Then open the lid and mist the jamb areas with all-purpose cleaner and scrub with your favorite detail brushes. Use smaller brushes to get underneath the hinge workings if they cover part of the jamb. Sometimes these areas have never been cleaned and need some extra scrubbing and rinsing.

If you are using a pressure washer and concerned about getting water into the trunk, rinse the jambs by closing the lid and then pointing your pressure stream at the seam of the trunk. Later, while drying the car, open the trunk and wipe the jambs dry. This will help pick up any remaining dirt residue. Finally, as you complete the final detailing on the vehicle, you can use spray wax and a utility towel to perform a final wipe on the trunk (and door) jambs, which will leave them super-clean.

The customer who notices that the jambs have been cleaned will be quite impressed that you include this in your service. The customer who does not notice the jambs specifically will notice that the overall appearance of the trunk area is improved.

What’s the Point?

I have presented but a few of the many examples of areas in the vehicle that may require extra attention to make it look as new as possible. It may seem overwhelming at first glance to have to deal with all of these details, but remember that “detailing” is the business that we are in! I suggest incorporating the cleaning and protecting of these areas into your normal detailing process. If you handle the special situations while you are taking care of the larger areas that surround, you will be able to incorporate the finest detailing into your normal process, thus reducing the amount of extra time required to complete the job.

Obviously, I have been describing a premium level of service that yields an excellent result. This type of service commands a premium price. Remember that your pricing should compensate you appropriately for the time you have spent on the vehicle, as well as the extra value that you provide in producing a vehicle that is as clean as it possibly can get.

Summary

To those of you reading this article who think I have written the obvious, I say, “Great! You must be doing a good job detailing.” For the rest, I hope that you have learned some tips and tricks that help to bring your detailing skills to the next level. Your customers will appreciate the extra attention that you pay to their vehicles. They will also appreciate the overall appearance of the highly detailed vehicle.

Prentice St. Clair is the president of San Diego-based Detail in Progress Inc. which offers consulting and training in the automotive detailing and reconditioning industries. He can be reached directly at 619.701.1100 or by e-mail at prentice@detailinprogress.com.