The ins and outs of auto detailing
Last week I took a look at some of the car wash options available to you. So this week I would like to share the experience I had the one and only time I decided to splurge and take my car to an auto detailer for a really thorough clean.
My daughter had been complaining about how old my van was looking so I thought that, since I couldn’t afford a new car, I would at least make this one look as good as it possibly could.
Being a careful shopper I googled “Auto Detailers” in my area and came up with several options. I called a number of them to get an idea of the price and was quoted anywhere from $120.00 to $175.00. A few places said they couldn’t give me an exact price without seeing my car first. Not wanting to bother with an estimate I decided to simply go with the cheapest set quote. I called back to confirm the price and I made an appointment. I was told it would take about 5 hours.
I arrived on time and dropped off my van. Five hours later I returned and was told the price would be $150.00. When I said that wasn’t the price I was told over the phone the manager came in and berated me for bringing in a dirty car and not telling them I had a dog. I was stunned. He offered to split the $30.00 difference but I said that if he felt the job was worth $150.00 then I would pay $150.00, which I did.
When I got home I took a closer look at my car and was really upset to see that they had not cleaned it as meticulously as I had hoped. The tire rims were still dirty, they had not cleaned behind the sun visors and a storage drawer under the seat had not been cleaned either.
I was so upset with the whole experience I started to cry. My young daughter became very indignant on my behalf and said I should go back and complain but I just didn’t have the heart. That was the last time I ever took my car to be detailed.
Now I understand that my experience may be very different from that of others’. I am sure that many of you out there have had very positive experiences when taking your vehicle in for detailing but for those who have never tried it and are curious here are my suggestions.
Do not take in a dirty car. And by dirty I don’t mean junk all over the floor. I had removed everything from my car except the winter dirt and grime from the floor and the dust from the dash. So make sure you clean your car first before you take it in to be cleaned. I had no idea that most people who get this done simply want to maintain their immaculate, high end cars.
Secondly, tell them if you have a dog. This apparently makes a difference to the work involved and subsequently the price.
Thirdly, take it in for an estimate just to make sure you are not caught off guard as I was.
And finally, if your car is not a high-end vehicle, make sure you choose the location very carefully. I took it to an auto detailer in an upscale neighborhood because it was close to the subway. Wrong!! I got the feeling that my van was not nice enough to be taken there even though I was paying the same money as everyone else. I may have had better luck choosing a place closer to home.