What To Expect From A Professional Car Detail

Booking a detail for the first time is harder than it should be, mostly because it is not obvious what you are buying. Here is how it actually runs.

Before You Book

A detailer cannot quote a car properly without knowing something about it. Expect to be asked what you drive, roughly what condition it is in and what you want out of it. Photographs help more than descriptions, particularly of the paint and any problem areas.

Be honest about the condition. A car described as tidy that turns up with ground in dog hair and etched paint means the time booked is wrong for the job, and that helps nobody.

The Quote

A good quote is specific to your car. Condition, size and what you want change the work involved, which is why Freshies quotes each car rather than publishing a price list that would be wrong for most of them.

You should also expect to be told when something is not needed. If your paint does not warrant a multi stage correction, a detailer worth booking will say so.

On The Day

If It Is Mobile

Alofa needs enough room to work all the way around the car and, where possible, access to power and water. If either is a problem, say so when you book and he will tell you what he can work with or suggest the Mango Hill studio instead.

Clear personal belongings out of the car beforehand. It saves time and means nothing of yours gets moved around.

The Walk Around

Expect the car to be inspected with you at the start. Existing damage gets noted, the paint gets looked at properly, and anything you are particularly bothered by gets raised before work begins rather than after.

How Long It Takes

Longer than most people expect. A proper detail is a sequence of stages that each need doing properly, and correction work in particular cannot be rushed without leaving the paint worse. Alofa will tell you the realistic window when he quotes it.

At Handover

Expect to be walked around the car rather than handed the keys. A good detailer will show you what changed, point out anything that could not be resolved and explain why, and run through the aftercare.

If protection or a coating was applied, you should be told when to wash it first and how. If you are not told, ask.

What Good Looks Like

• Paint that feels glass smooth, not gritty, after washing.
• Water beading tightly rather than sheeting flat.
• Clean door jambs, sills and shuts, because that is where corner cutting shows first.
• Interior surfaces clean without a greasy shine.
• Glass clear on the inside, including the windscreen.
• No polish residue left in panel gaps, badges or trim.

Book It

Alofa covers Brisbane mobile and works from the Mango Hill studio. Send through your car and what you are after, or read more about car detailing in Brisbane.