06 Apr 5 Top Tips For Getting Your Car Detailed – Industry Insights

Throughout the below post, we have shared our top five industry tips for what to think about before getting your car detailed. If you have a vehicle you wish to take care of, then a visit to a detailing studio is always a great first step. To get the best value detail possible and avoid making the wrong choice, make sure you discuss the following key points with any prospective detailer.

What is your expectation from the work or product being applied to the car?

• Don’t be shy about telling the detailer what you want, this is the only way we can ensure you leave us with a car you are happy with.

Be upfront about what you are happy to spend

• Detailers will offer a range of services for most budgets, but there is always going to be a minimum we need to charge for our service.
• By knowing your maximum budget, we can provide you with options up to this point and a clear picture of what is possible.

Ask for a recommendation from an existing customer

• While reviews are great, the chance to ask further questions from an existing customer can really help you decide how to proceed.
• Many customers who use our services are more than happy to chat about their cars and can provide you with an honest and real-world review.

Do your research

• Websites, social media pages, forums and Google are an unlimited source of information on almost anything and can really help guide you to making the right choice.
• Searching for negatives can be much more useful than positives.
• Discussing the negatives can be very helpful in getting to know who you are dealing with and how you may be treated if you have an issue later on.
• I have always encouraged customers to let us know if they have a problem and offer to help, regardless of whether it is covered under warranty.

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning” ~ Bill Gates

How much should a car detail cost me?

• While this is a complex question to answer, the following are average industry prices you can expect for a typical car detail:
  • Cleanse and prepare a vehicle exterior ready for machine polishing (£200 including vat).
  • Single-stage polish – Ideal preparation for protective coating or removal of very light swirls (£200-£300 including vat)
  • 2-3 stage correction polish – Ideal for removal of medium to heavy swirls and scratches, achieving an 85-90% level of paintwork perfection in most cases (£800-£1000 including vat).
  • Ceramic coating application – £70-£200 inc vat for 50ml bottle of Ceramic product. £200-£300 for application (medium to large vehicles)
  • Paint Protection Film (PPF) – Front Bumper £400-£450 including vat. Full Front End – Bumper, Bonnet, Wings & Mirrors £1500-£1800 including vat. Full Car Coverage £3000-£5000 including vat.

Hopefully, we have provided you with an insight into the industry. It’s always our aim to be transparent and provide real value to our clients. If you want to check our any other blogs, please see the below links.

Additional Links

If you’re a car lover and want to see more information on how to best protect your car for the summer sun, we recommend reading the blog here.

Do you want to meet our team and understand what services we offer in further detail if so visit our blog here.

If you would like to know more about how to protect your car’s paint, check out our previous blog here.

Alternatively, book your car in for the signature DSJ detail here.

More information on how to protect your car with ceramic coating can be found here.