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The Road To Heaven
Instead of taking valuable time out of the weekend to clean your car, car detailers can wash, vacuum, clean and polish it for you. All it takes is a telephone call. You have the option of taking your vehicle to a car detailing workshop, or mobile car detailers will come to you.
So How Does a Detailer Detail?
Attention to Detail Manager, Alistair Ewell says the extent of a detail depends on what a customer would like to have done to their vehicle. A complete detail includes:
*Removal of any debris, bugs or tar from the vehicle's exterior,
*Washing the vehicle's exterior using a special detergent,
*Washing tyres, wheels arches and mud flaps,
*Cleaning and polishing windows,
*Drying the exterior using a chamois cloth,
*Vacuuming the vehicle's interior,
*Drycleaning seats and carpet,
*Machine polishing the exterior,
*Cleaning the plastic surfaces inside the vehicle,
*Cleaning the door jams and door rubbers,
*Cleaning bumper trims, and
*Blackening the tyres.
In this occupation, commonly known cleaning equipment such as vacuums, steam cleaners, machine buffers, shampoo machines and treatments such as waxes, solvents and leather care oils are often used. Given this equipment, a detailer's work environment may be noisy.
The length of time it takes to detail a vehicle depends on the customer's specifications, the condition of a vehicle and the rate at which detailers work (detailers usually charge a set fee, not by the hour, for their services).
Car detailers work outdoors or indoors in showrooms or workshops. Mobile detailers also travel to various locations - either people's homes or their workplaces.
It's Not Called Detailing For Nothing
Paying attention to detail is high on the list of personal attributes that detailers must be able to demonstrate, as are good customer service skills and communication skills.
''The ability to talk and communicate is important because you have to determine exactly what your client wants. We maintain many of our client's vehicles on a regular basis, and many of them are from a high-end market. They expect quality work, so detailers need to do a thorough job,'' says Alistair.
This can be quite a physically demanding occupation. Detailers are required to spend most of their work day on their feet and they need to carry buckets filled with liquid as well as moderately heavy cleaning equipment, such as vacuum cleaners. They also do quite a lot of bending to reach the more tucked away sections of a vehicle. A reasonable level of physical fitness, which would also be conducive to quick and efficient cleaning, would also be beneficial.
People in this occupation tend to work regular hours, but they may also be required to work on the weekend, to please the customer.
Good cleaning skills and the ability to follow instructions are important. Some cleaning products may be quite toxic, so detailers should have a good understanding about how to use these correctly and safely. Being well organised and able to manage their time as well as having an eye for detail are also advantageous. An interest in and some knowledge of cars would be the cherry on the cake!
It is possible for car detailers to advance to a supervisory or managerial level after gaining significant experience. If self employment is more to your liking, then this too is a viable option. If self employment is the path you would like to follow, then it would be advantageous to develop a range of business skills.
According to an industry spokesperson, there are relatively good employment prospects in Western Australia for car detailers.
''There are two things in life that are probably the most expensive acquisitions for people, a house and car. People generally want to look after objects that cost them a lot of money. Cars also tend to be a status symbol. The better their cars look, the better some people feel about themselves.''
In addition, moderate job turnover contributes to sound employment prospects for car detailers. The annual starting salary for a junior car detailer is about $11,000 and this may go as high as $35,000 for a detailer with a few more years experience.
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