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Author Topic: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer  (Read 14634 times)

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Offline Too Stroked

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #45 on: April 14, 2021, 06:45:09 PM »
If you look closely, you'll see that I (somehow) failed to remove / correct the sanding marks under the paint. I guess I have my limits.  :dunno:

Offline sscully

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #46 on: April 16, 2021, 06:09:36 PM »
That is incredible.  I am not shocked that there is still clear on it, those scratches were plenty, but they did not look deep.

I was shocked how much you have to do to get through the few mils of clear that are on cars.
- what's his name previously at Autogeek ( now at megs/3m ) used a paint thickness gauge and  went after a clear paint job on a car, showing how little is removed when wet sanding a vehicle.

Great job on that.. Did you guys figure out why the new vehicle showed up in such bad shape ?
Steve

Offline Too Stroked

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #47 on: April 16, 2021, 06:16:40 PM »
Great job on that.. Did you guys figure out why the new vehicle showed up in such bad shape ?

Thanks, and no, we have no idea what happened to it. As long as I got it fixed, everybody's happy.

Offline Too Stroked

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #48 on: April 21, 2021, 07:37:55 PM »
Well boys and girls, my adventures as a dealer detailer may be numbered. It has to do with the new ownership of the dealership I work at and their policy on detailing. They outsource all of it. The company they outsource to offered me a job yesterday. The compensation they offered was an insult and I told them that to their face. My current boss (the Service Manager) and biggest customer (the Used Car Manager) don't want me to leave, but totally understand my position. This should get interesting, but I'm out of town for a few days and really could care less. Maybe it's time to retire - for the third time. Stay tuned.

Offline Blown F-150

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #49 on: April 21, 2021, 09:01:52 PM »
Lol, it’s a sign! Retire and do some jobs on the side for beer money.


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Offline Rollingrock

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #50 on: April 22, 2021, 11:53:33 PM »
Trying to catch up here, all I can say is holy shit balz.....Tom, we knew you were good but shit man, I think you may be the Oracle. 

You mentioned Extractor....is that a dealer grade they have or what?   

Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

Offline Kitzy

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #51 on: April 23, 2021, 03:03:03 PM »
Either sell yourself to them and convince them to keep you on or just ride off in to the sunset and enjoy the extra free time.  Get a second dog.


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Offline Rollingrock

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #52 on: April 23, 2021, 03:21:13 PM »
Just caught that last part from you Tom

Yeah will wait till they start using this outside compahy and the jobs don't come back as good and they dont' get as much for the cars.   

Karma is a bitch. 

You can have 2 out of three things:

They want it Fast?
They want it amazing Amazing?
They want it Cheap?

Pick 2, can't have all three.

   
Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

Offline Rollingrock

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #53 on: April 23, 2021, 04:02:14 PM »
Either sell yourself to them and convince them to keep you on or just ride off in to the sunset and enjoy the extra free time.  Get a second dog.


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Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

Offline Too Stroked

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #54 on: April 25, 2021, 08:53:45 AM »
Just got back from a 23 hour drive back from Colorado in a 26' Penske box truck. Thanks for the kind words and advice guys! My plan is to sit and wait to see what happens. If the dealership wants to keep me on as an employee - doing what I did - that's great with me. If the outsourced detailing company wants me to simply wash and vacuum cars for minimum wage, well, you know what they can do with that. Since the new owners take over this coming Thursday, I should know pretty soon. Wish me luck!

Offline sscully

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #55 on: April 26, 2021, 05:25:59 PM »
Just got back from a 23 hour drive back from Colorado in a 26' Penske box truck. Thanks for the kind words and advice guys! My plan is to sit and wait to see what happens. If the dealership wants to keep me on as an employee - doing what I did - that's great with me. If the outsourced detailing company wants me to simply wash and vacuum cars for minimum wage, well, you know what they can do with that. Since the new owners take over this coming Thursday, I should know pretty soon. Wish me luck!

Sorry things fell apart, I think it is time to exit and see what the marina has going on, maybe use your own boat a bit more. 
- Your flat rate on some of these wrecks had you making min wage to begin with, so going that route full time is not worth it.

The new owners obviously have a template they apply to everything so they get the same thing every time.
Think I see a saying around here about you will always get the same thing if you do the thing you have always done.  They don't understand part of the sales volume ( gross revenue ) was from having you in house caring about what you are doing.

I wonder how you can get the word out that you can fix the vehicles they will be selling after that 1st wash and all the glaze washes off showing the mess under it.
- I imagine the new owners are a bottom dollar AIO / glaze queen production show customer..  Can't tell the difference from my house..
Steve

Offline Too Stroked

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #56 on: April 27, 2021, 06:17:18 PM »
Looks like I'll be packing my stuff up tomorrow. $15.25 an hour for meatball detailing doesn't excite me in the least.

Oddly enough, I'm not having any hard feelings towards the former owners of the dealership on this. They allowed me to come in, show them what I could do, work with them on the most cost effective way to significantly up their used car game, then execute my vision. I learned a ton and they got to make some pretty decent money. The appraisers from the new owners even commented that our used cars looked better than the used cars at any of their other 28 dealerships. (Now I can understand why.) At least I get to walk out the door with my head held high and I still have the respect of the old owners and managers. I made sure not to burn that bridge.

What's next? Other than a few weeks off to catch up on a few projects that I'm way behind on, I'm not sure. I don't think I'm going to go back to dealer detailing though. I much prefer the kind of work I was able to do in my own garage. I can pretty well assure you that I'm not going to actually retire though.

Offline Blown F-150

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #57 on: April 27, 2021, 07:09:53 PM »
Good for you Tom, that certainly sounds like the right attitude and approach.

I’m sure you’ll find something to occupy your time.


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Offline Rollingrock

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #58 on: April 28, 2021, 02:35:37 PM »
yeah not to echo but good calll.   Go out on a high and yes I would prefer to do my own thing in my own garage on my own time with out the pressure or eyes and looking over the shoulder from a dealer.

As you know, I had a nightmare detail on a black lexus a few years back.  I got taken advantage of and had to do that car 3 times b/c they kept messing up what I fixed.   

Never again will I do that.   

Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

Offline Too Stroked

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Re: Adventures of a Dealer Detailer
« Reply #59 on: April 29, 2021, 07:18:19 AM »
Thanks guys. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I packed up my stuff and left yesterday after one last detail. It was kind of sad because believe it or not, I was really enjoying what I was doing even though it wasn't exactly the quality level I was used to at home. And I really liked the guys in Service that I worked beside.

Something interesting happened during the day yesterday though. First, I found out the Used Car Manager and the Service Manager went to bat for me with the new corporate owner and his staff. Believe it or not, the owner did remember me and his promise that I would have a job going forward.

First, the Service Manger introduces me to the VP of Service (his new boss) and we have a really, really nice conversation. He profusely apologized for what happened and said that was not the way it was supposed to go down. He did say he could not change the fact that they were not going to do their own detailing at our dealership, but he had some openings at other dealerships they owned near us - like right across the street at a Dodge dealership. He also offered a possibility of detailing customer cars at their BMW and Mercedes dealerships across town. I thanked him for taking the time to personally come talk to me, then asked if I could take a week or two to unwind, catch up on a few things, then get back to him. He was good with that.

A little while later, the Used Car Manager brings another suit and tie type over to my bay and introduces me to his new corporate boss. We have almost the exact same conversation.  Just like the last guy, this guy seems pretty darn decent and sincere about me finding a job somewhere in their (29 store) organization. Wow! Again, I asked if I could take a week or two to mull things over and he's good with it.

So my take away(s) are that 1) Good work does get recognized and valued - even if you think it doesn't. 2) Now I have to decide if I want to keep doing dealer detailing or try something else since so many places are hiring for all kinds of jobs right now. Your thoughts?

 


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