A auto detailer in Arizona who spends 2.5-4 hours on their work is a detailer who is going to do the best possible job on your car. However, detailers that spend 1-2 hours or less on detailing a car is probably going to result in low quality work. That’s a given. Going cheap is rarely a good approach. It’s even more damaging to you when your detailer is trying to save themselves money while charging you the same amount that a more professional detailer would charge.
So how do you avoid the cheap detailer problem?
Keep watch for the following five red flags, all of which are signs that your mobile detailing company is trying to save itself some money.
Sign 1 – Using Regular Water Instead of Deionized Water
It may seem like a natural thing for your mobile car detailer to use your domestic water supply to clean your car. Your water is readily available, so why not use it? The problem with this approach is that you likely have “hard water,” especially if you live in any of the central American states. Hard water contains calcium carbonate, alongside other minerals, that’s safe to drink but can cause major problems for your car’s paintwork. The minerals this water contains cause micro scratches and can bed into your car’s paint, leaving discolored patches behind.
A good mobile detailing always uses deionized water. This type of water is specially treated to remove all ions – including mineral traces – to make it as pure as possible. It’s the best choice for cleaning a car. Any detailer that uses your domestic supply instead of deionized water is trying to save money.
Sign 2 – Ultra Low Prices
Low prices can suggest that a company is probably cutting corners somewhere when providing their service. That applies to car detailers as much as any other industry – a bargain basement quote is always a red flag.
According to Bankrate, a partial car detail costs around $175. A full detail, which includes your car’s interior and exterior, usually ranges from $200 to $350, depending on the scale of work required. Be wary of any mobile detailing service that undercuts these averages by a significant amount. For instance, a $165 partial detail may be fine. The detailer is probably just trying to undercut their rivals while taking a hit to profitability. But if your provider offers a partial detail in the $100 range, that’s a sign that they’re using cheap products.
Speaking of which…
Sign 3 – Poor Quality Cleaning Products
There’s a big difference between the car cleaning products available to consumers and the professional-grade products a mobile car detailer should use. Take ceramic coating as an example. Both consumer-grade and professional-grade ceramic coating products contain silica dioxide (SiO2). However, the latter contains it at a much higher concentration, resulting in a professional coating lasting for several years longer than one done using a consumer product.
That’s assuming your detailer uses professional-grade ceramic coating products. Ask about the detailer’s cleaning products before you accept a quote. If most of what they use is available in stores, your detailer might be trying to save themselves some money.
Sign 4 – A Lack of Transparency
Let’s say you’ve asked the question about your detailer’s car cleaning products that we recommended earlier. Your detailer says not to worry about it. Everything they use is professional-grade and you’re guaranteed to get a good detail. However, the detailer doesn’t mention specific product names.
There’s a reason for that.
Offering as few specifics as possible is a tactic that detailers trying to save themselves some money use so you can’t do your research. If you don’t know the name of the product, you can’t check to see if it’s really professional-grade. Take this lack of transparency as a warning sign. A good mobile care detailer not only answers your questions but provides you with specifics because they want you to research and see that they offer the best possible service.
Sign 5 – Other Customers’ Reviews
Sometimes, the signs that a detailer is trying to save themselves some money don’t come from the detailer themselves – they come from other customers. The detailer’s reviews teach you more about the quality of service they provide than anything the detailer tells you.
Look for those reviews.
Avoid the detailer’s website testimonials. Those testimonials are specifically chosen to reflect the best aspects of the service provider and, in some cases, can even be fabricated. Instead, stick with sources like Google Reviews, social media, and online forums. Look specifically for reviews that mention issues like car waxes and ceramic coatings not lasting as long as expected or cars that develop stains over time. Both are signs that a detailer has gone down the cheaper route when choosing the products they use.
Also, be wary of fake online reviews. Estimates suggest that up to 30% of online reviews are fabricated. Signs of fake reviews include most of the reviewers only having only left one review, multiple reviews that use similar language, and a lack of verification – such as no images – with the review.
Spot the Signs of Cheapness to Find the Best Mobile Car Detailer
On one hand, you could view a mobile car detailer in Gilbert AZ for high-end cars that tries to save themselves money as good for your budget, especially if they pass those savings to you. On the other hand, cheap is rarely good when it comes to your car. A detailer that skimps on the important things – such as the type of water they use – often creates more problems for you to handle in the future.
So, look for the five signs of a detailer trying to save money. As tempting as it may be to spend a few dollars less than you expected on getting your car cleaned, the detailer’s money-saving tricks always benefit them more than you.
