Is Knoxville Auto Detailing expensive?
I got a call the other day form a guy. After receiving a free quote from me, he told me my detailing prices were too expensive. A few days later after giving another client the same quote she told me that "it sounds like a bargain for what I get". That's why I decided to write a blog to explain why a $250 to $375 detail is worth it, or maybe not. You ever hear the saying around Knoxville, "You get what you pay for"? Detailing is no different. Detailing takes time, and the time it takes to detail the average vehicle is the reason for the prices most competent detailers charge. Here's a quick example.
Bob has a 2001 Buick Lasbre. It's his A to B vehicle. He drives it to work--he drives it back home. Does he love it? It's his car, yes he loves it. But is he in love with it? No. He doesn't look back at his Buick when he parks it. He doesn't spend anytime online searching for "Buick Lasbre upgrades"; he doesn't knock the dirt from his shoes before entering his Buick, he doesn't obsess with the best wax to keep his black paint looking fresh. Although Bob cares for his Lasbre, he could care less if the body was clayed to remove environmental fallout. All Bob wants is to knock off last week's dirt from the surface. Bob doesn't need to spend $250 to have his Buick detailed. Bob would tell me in a heart beat "Marcus, your detailng prices are too expensive". In Bob's case I would agree, and respectfully recommend he visit the local quick wash for ($30).
Tiffany just purchased a 2017 Ford Festiva. She loves the car, It has everything she's ever wanted in a car plus it
is her favorite color (red). She want's to keep her Festiva looking its very best, so after visiting her local quick wash she was disappointed after leaving. The car had been waxed but the paint surface was still grimy to the touch. She still had a few french fries underneath her seat, and there were still a few stains on her dash-board. When she got home she noticed her gas cap area was full of dirt and grim. But what really got under her skin was there was dirt near her wheel well.
Tiffany searched "Knoxville auto detailing", and after reading our reviews on Groupon, Yelp and Google, she decided to call Your Place Auto Detail (Knoxville mobile detailing company). i loaded my detailing van full of everything I needed including water/generator and headed to her location the same day. After she told me everything she wanted, I started working. I knew the job would take 4 to 5 hours and quoted her a price of $250.
I started with a Deep vacuum. A deep vacuum consist of moving all seats backwards and forwards, opening all compartments including glove box and truck area plus the area around the windshield. This area gets full of leaves and sticks. After the deep vacuum she received a carpet shampoo to remove deep stains and odors. Next I proceeded to extract the water left from the shampoo with a hot water extraction. This machine will make most carpets look new as it lines the floor and pulls up the moisture. Was I finished at this point? No, It was time to give the entire interior a steam bath. Steam cleans and disinfects. Steam penetrates areas that hands can't reach, so any debris, or grease was blasted away in seconds. As Tiffany's interior started to come alive, I tackled her glass inside/outside to leave them streak free.
Next, I inspected the paint before I hand washed the entire surface. Her paint was the perfect example of why Knoxville auto detailing requires claying the paint. This step is critical. Without this step , all the environmental fallout would still be on the paint's surface ( road tar, Knoxville' thick pollen, etc..) After hand washing and claying the paint I decided to top her paint with a fresh coat of syntheic wax. She asked about ceramic and I told her in my opinion, a ceramic coat would not be best int his case considering she was driving a Festiva, and ceramic coatings can cost $1500 or more. She agreed. The synthetic wax made the car's paint "pop" in the sun. Being a Knoxville auto detailing company, I know that wax, rather it be ceramic, synthetic, carnuba , etc.. is crucial for our air quality. After waxing her car, I topped off her wheels with the best tire shine on the market. She was pleased and set up another appointment two mounts later. So is it expensive to get a vehicle detailed by Your Place Auto Detail?
I don't know, depends on if you're Tiffany or Bob?