| When talking with most car owners, whether their | | | | Now let’s look inside an Auto Dealership. They |
| ride is a daily-driver or a show-car, most have an | | | | take your car in trade when you by a new one. |
| opinion on the type of car care products to use. | | | | The first thing that they need to do is to clean |
| It used to end with, "You get what you pay for." | | | | and detail the car, then put it for sale on their lot. |
| But today, the differences between car care | | | | The goal is to sell the car as soon as possible for |
| products is blurry, mostly due to marketing which | | | | a profit, but it might sit in inventory for a month |
| has created a lot of hype and confusion for | | | | or more before eventually being wholesaled to an |
| people. Today it seems that “New and | | | | auction or another dealership. The car almost |
| Improved” is a requirement for printing any | | | | always sits outside, has to constantly look great |
| product label. | | | | and the finish has to stand up to the outside |
| Who hasn’t gone to a department store, paid | | | | elements. The dealership has similar needs to the |
| $8 for a bottle of wax and sacrificed most of a | | | | Professional Detailer - products that get great |
| Saturday cleaning and waxing their car? Or | | | | results in a minimal amount of time. They only |
| maybe you’ve decided that the big Auto | | | | want to clean and detail that particular car one |
| Parts Chain stores had better stuff to cut your | | | | time. |
| time and you can get better results for only a | | | | Don’t get me wrong - not all retail products |
| few dollars more? Today, on any “Wax | | | | are bad, and you may be very happy with your |
| Wall”, there is a myriad of choices, all in slick | | | | brand of choice. The major difference of retail |
| packaging competing for your hard earned dollars. | | | | and professional car care products is usually based |
| So, what separates the retail and professional car | | | | on amount of quality ingredients used in the |
| care products besides slick packaging and | | | | formulations. For example, most of you would be |
| marketing? Think about this simple fact: If Auto | | | | surprised when learning that some of the larger, |
| Dealers and Professional Detailers could get | | | | well known retail brands don’t even |
| products of similar quality in the Auto Parts and | | | | manufacture their own products – they have |
| Department Store Chains, why wouldn’t | | | | in essence become marketing companies, and are |
| they? Simple -because time is money and results | | | | very good at it with wide distribution and big |
| matter. | | | | advertising budgets. |
| Let’s look at a Professional Detailing business. | | | | Keep in mind how much you are really spending. It |
| You hire them to clean and detail your car for a | | | | might make sense to choose a retail product |
| fixed price. You don’t care if it takes them 1 | | | | over a professional car care product to save $5. |
| hour or 18 hours – you are paying the same | | | | But, it might make more sense to get better |
| price. Professional Detailers have three major | | | | results in less time that last longer and opt for a |
| challenges. First, their time is their most valuable | | | | guaranteed, professional product. Another bonus |
| asset for earning a living. Secondly, if your car is | | | | when purchasing professional car care products is |
| not looking good for a time after the detail, you | | | | that these companies are used to serving |
| won’t go back to them and they have lost a | | | | professionals and are well versed in car care. |
| customer. Third, most of their business is word of | | | | They often will work with you one on one with |
| mouth. If the results aren’t astonishing, they | | | | your car and can offer expertise to help you with |
| won’t get any referrals. The bottom line is | | | | your specific needs and questions that you have. |
| that they need products that are fast, easy to | | | | Consider your choices when buying retail or |
| use, get great results and last. If they don’t | | | | professional car care products. Factor in |
| use professional car care products, they will not | | | | what’s important to you – cost, time, and |
| be in business very long. | | | | results. |