Difference Between Detailing And Valeting.

randy hickey

Now that we've got our own home, I was thinking that it would be no harm to start populating it with a few threads for the uninitiated.
I know there will probably be some duplication of information on older threads, but we gotta start somewhere!

So,that said, what is the difference between detailing and valeting?

For me, the detailer is the person who will go over a vehicle systematically with a fine tooth comb, both inside and out, striving to leave it in a condition as near to the day it came out of the showroom as is humanly possible.This tends to take days rather than hours.
On the other hand the valeter tends to be concerned with doing a presentable job, inside and out, as quickly and as economically as possible.The valeters task is generally completed in just a few short hours.

Now there is definitely overlap between the two, and I know that I'm being a tad over-simplistic here, but I would welcome thoughts and contributions from others on this, bearing in mind it's being aimed at the uninitiated!

MetzgerMeister

Since I do this as a sideline, valeting is cleaning things inside and out to make the car nice to the average person.

Detailing is getting a car as you said, better than factory condition for the people who are into their cars. This involves paint correction, wheel arch detailing (removing the wheel arch liners and cleaning behind them and then the liners themselves, engine and engine bay detailing (not just a pressure washer blasted at it), glass polishing (removal of scratches), wheels taken off the car, detarred, iron cleansed, sealed inside and on the face, applying specialist coatings to the paint and interior plastics, carpets etc.

Valeting takes a few hours and detailing takes a few days.

vectra

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Detailing is getting a car as you said, back to Better than factory condition for the people who are into their cars.

Fixed one fine Detail there for you. :P

Curran

What has already been said is accurate.

I suppose there is a slight issue, in that, the lines between valet and detailing have become a little blurred. MetzgerMeister considers his sideline work to be valet, however its VERY high end valet, and crosses into detailing to a certain degree. If you ask a valet do they know what a claybar is, the majority will say "huh" and a few may say "Yeah, but thats far too much work"

Valet; most of the time, will at best, last 2 weeks. They work quickly to give the appearacne of a clean and shiny car / tidy interior - for the majority of motorists, they are over the moon with that. Generally, its bulk products that do a job quickly and are cheap (usually not ideal for the car); for example the use of TFR (traffic film remover) which is great for cleaning, but not good for plastics and rubber, nor your protection (if any) that has been previously applied. It'll be a quick detailer type product that is applied to the exterior that will have deterioated / washed off the car in a short space of time....this is not helped by the fact that the car owner wont have the products at home to wash the car properly or takes it to the brush / jet wash the following week. You'll see buckets without fresh water, sponges, brushes, water blades, TFR, acid wheel cleaners, etc, etc. A few hours work at best, and thats pushing it.

High End Valet; on the other hand borders more closely with detailing - the person working on the car, knows far more about products, how to use them and wont shy away from buying them, even if, they are a bit more expensive. They'll know about de-tarring, de-ironising, claying, hand polishing, protection and what works best with what. They'll get the car properly cleaned and protected. The appearance will be good and provided the owner looks after the exterior, the appearnce should last the suggested durability of the protection applied - wax maybe 3-4 months, sealant maybe 5-6 months, or going further nano-tech sealant maybe 1 year plus. You'll see, snowfoam lances, wash mitts, two buckets minimum with water changed regularly, drying towels, microfiber cloths, etc, etc. Small touches that wont be noticed intially, like door jambs and shuts, around badges and trim, exhaust tips, cleaned. Perhaps the person may or may not be willing to take on light correction jobs. A full days work or more!

Detailing; as pointed out is all of what a high end valet would do, and take it further and as MetzgerMeister pointed out, can be but not limited to, paint correction and exterior coatings, interiors, engine bay, wheel removal for cleaning and treatment, arches clean and treated, arches removed and sealed underneath, removal and replacement of badges / trim, arranging for wheel refurbishments / paintless dent removal / bumpers or panels or trim painted, while car is in having work done...rarely a set price list as obviously the work is limited by various factors: if the car is a daily driver / weekend car/ show car, owners expection of the finished work, and the owners budget (a detailer usually is never 100% satisfied, but wont work for free )


So in short, the industry needs a new definition for the work done by those that are a large step above Valet, but who dont consider themselves Detailers. Then you have guys who do Valet work and when asked about Detailing work will take on the work no problem...but thats another days arguement! :pac:
You'd have to be a proper car enthuiast to consider the prices of a Detailer (given the work) and High End Valet....95% of motorists are happy with just the run of the mill Valet that you get in Tesco, from products carted around in a shopping trolley!

MetzgerMeister

I would consider what I've been doing since 2006 to be valeting but I only got into detailing in the last few years and I've only offered it to my customers for the last year or so.

BTW, in your second paragraph, since when does a valet last 2 weeks?! :pac:

randy hickey

Excellent contibutions there lads - this is exactly what I wanted.

It's very important for those of us who knock out a few cars in our spare time AND the full-timers like Curran, to take every opportunity to educate people that there is a world of difference between what they get at the shopping centre valeters and what we give them.

It is very bloody frustrating when somebody enquires about getting a car "polished", and they come back to you a week later to announce rather indignantly that they got it done for €60 with the local valeter.
When you look at the car, the interior has been valeted to a mediocre standard, and the outside has been washed and treated with a spray-on glaze.Not alone had it not been "polished" - they hadn't even bothered to use a masking product like SRP, so swirls and scratches are still visible everywhere as before!

Oh, "and it only took 4 hours" as opposed to the full day just to do a single stage correction that I had told them!:mad:

Anyway, the more we can educate Joe Public about the difference between the two, the less this scenario will arise.

Curran

randy hickey wrote: »

It is very bloody frustrating when somebody enquires about getting a car "polished", and they come back to you a week later to announce rather indignantly that they got it done for €60 with the local valeter.

I feel your pain, but at the end of the day, they arent the type of people you want enquiring about work, so its best not wasting your time talking to the wall trying to point out all the issues with the work they've had done....if they're happy, then good luck to them! They'll hopefully stumble upon / coming looking for advise from (when the car looks rubbish in a few weeks even though it had a "job" done), this new Car Detailing Section and take a closer look at their car and see that its been hacked / that they've been taking to the "cleaners"! Pun intended

randy hickey wrote: »

Anyway, the more we can educate Joe Public about the difference between the two, the less this scenario will arise.

Again, as 95% of the public dont know and dont care either! Sure most think polish/wax is the same thing!

Curran

Curran wrote: »

Valet; most of the time, will at best, last 2 weeks.

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

BTW, in your second paragraph, since when does a valet last 2 weeks?! :pac:

Should have worded it a bit better alright! Allow me to re-word it slightly!

Valet; most of the time, the results, will at best, last 2 weeks.

MetzgerMeister

To the common motorist, "polish" can mean anything from just dry it by hand, wax it, SPRAY MR. SHEEN ON IT, apply a gloss boosting polish and leave it at that with no wax. Then when you explain to them that polish has no protection, they think you are trying to make more money out of them :rolleyes:

Curran

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Then when you explain to them that polish has no protection, they think you are trying to make more money out of them :rolleyes:

But, but, but, I applied SRP on my car and it was beading like crazy.... for a day or two!!

TomMc

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

To the common motorist, "polish" can mean anything from just dry it by hand, wax it, SPRAY MR. SHEEN ON IT, apply a gloss boosting polish and leave it at that with no wax. Then when you explain to them that polish has no protection, they think you are trying to make more money out of them :rolleyes:

While some of the general public may not know the difference betwen polish and wax, if they are having their cars valeted, they would generally mean "polish it" when it is dull or faded (oxidised) and "wax-it" if it is new, newish or in good condition and they just want something to make it look even better. It may even be to look the part at a business meeting, a family outing/reunion, or when selling a vehicle, more than from the paint protection angle.

If clients aren't prepared to pay for a two stage polish and wax, there are plenty of products that will hit the happy medium and both polish and protect in one. They best fit the valeting end of the trade, since it best reflects what most customers want or are willing to pay for. Works for the valeter as there aren't major time constraints, while fitting in with their client's budgets and expectations.

If something more along the lines of paint correction is required, then it is up to the detailer to point out to the customer what is involved (no quick fix that will last), how long it will take and what it will cost and let them then decide if they are willing to allow you the necessary time and spend far more than they originally planned. After all you know more than they do, but it is up to you to be businesslike (professional) and give them all the options (any upsells, before starting any work) so they can make an informed decision. Otherwise they may think you are trying it on when you really have their best interests at heart or take pride in your work (and want to seal and protect the highly polished paint finish you have worked hard to achieve, for as long as possible). Even though some may still put the car through an alkaline car wash with low grade waxes, within weeks and so undo much of your previous efforts.

Curran

While I agree with what Tom has said, but there is the flip side to that too!

The reputation of the person's work is at stake also.
Customer (C) - Asks for a polish
Person (P) - Explains work involved and price
C - No thanks, I'll just have the basic package
P - No problem, thats our Wash and Wax package for X - it will give you a nice bit of shine to the car, but no where near as good as a polish....for XYZ reasons and the C is half listening or doesnt ask quesitons about something they dont understand!
C - Well, I think I'll go with the basic package, kinda smashed at the moment and I need it looking well for the daughters communion.
P - No problem, we'll do what we can!


Job is done to right standard. Customer is happy - excellent

C to his Mate (M) - Got my car polished at "X" down the road
M - Polished? You got a receipt for that? Cos you'd wanna bring it back

Fair enough the C's mate might work out in the end that he only paid "X" and realise that there was no way he paid for a polish, but see how easy it is for a repuation to be ruined!

TomMc

Lads, a person's reputation will not be ruined if the customer gets the service they paid for and is happy with. It is up to the detailer to advertise their services properly (with the correct names for each one), so even the average consumer gets an idea of the basics and what is what. In any competitive business, you have to educate the customer to a certain degree about your products and services (what added value you bring) if you want to be successful.

A person who knows what is involved with "paint correction" (not one who doesn't) isn't going to think less of a business because of what somebody says they got or whatever language they use to describe it, but more by what they actually paid for in Euro. After all, a hand polish, light machine polish and full paint correction are three different tasks, which could be described as a "polish" job.

Even the most skilled detailers still have to do quite an amount of details (that do not cover paint correction), to stay in business (long term), pay rent, insurance and all the other overheads and also earn a wage. Any that think they can do 1-2 day correction details only and not do more basic work in a full time professional operation (not merely a sideline) will not be in business for very long. And people do not think any less of them for doing a one step machine polish or even just a maintenance detail which a customer might call a "polish" to their peers.