Obvious signs of a bad detailer / detail company

Easy qualifiers for bad detailing businesses

Just like anything else in life, there are good auto detail companies and bad ones. We'll help you determine whether you're looking at, and considering a bad detail company.

​Bad reviews. Every company, even good ones, get bad reviews from time to time. People have bad days, things get miscommunicated, and sometimes, customers choose a company that is not right for them. However, if a business has MORE bad reviews than good ones, or is trending towards getting bad reviews more frequently, then you may be looking at a bad company.  A business with few or no reviews, may not have been in business long enough, or perhaps they are not invested enough, therefore it is hard to determine whether it is worth the risk to try them out. 

Bad customer service. You can spot bad customer service over the phone, online or via email, even before using a business to do work for you. If you can sense a bad attitude on the other end of the phone line, or don't get a call or email back, or are not getting the answers to your questions, then it is likely you are experiencing the type of service you would, should you go with that company. If it seems unpleasant, there may be a chance the company is unpleasant to deal with altogether.

Poor online presence. These days, it is very obvious that everybody is online. Businesses that are not online, or have a poor presence online, may not be invested in their business. Getting seen online is very easy, especially for a detailing business - and if said business can't get with the program and continues to operate like in the past, then it is possible that they are also using old or poor techniques or products.
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No license and insurance. This is obvious. If a detail company does not have insurance and is not licensed, it is not even legal to be operating. Also, should anything go wrong and your car damaged, then the unlicensed, uninsured business will not likely be able to take care of the problem. 

Outdated way of doing things: Rotary polishers and wash brushes

Old equipment, old products, old techniques. It is not necessary to do things the newest way, especially with detailing, as processes and products are seemingly advancing  very quickly. However, the reason auto detailing is advancing and moving forward, is the industry is moving away from equipment and products and techniques, that can be more harmful to your car than good. Old equipment, old school products and techniques may be a sign of an outdated business.

Good examples of this include using rotary polishers with wool pads as the main tool to polish paint. Rotary polishers can burn paint in the wrong hands, and are usually used by novices in poor detailing environments, to get the job done quicker. Mostly, rotary polishing work that is not finished down, usually contains ugly buffer marks, commonly called holograms. Now, this is not to say that a rotary polisher has no place in auto detailing, but detailers using a rotary polisher as a main tool are sometimes unqualified to do so.

Another example would be using thin cotton towels that are not soft microfiber. A lot of detailers are no longer using aggressive towels, but they can still easily be found at most full-service, drive through car washes. These towels scratch up paint severely, especially since they are used over and over and supplied by bulk towel services. 

Lastly, anyone using a car wash brush to detail your vehicle should know that they are causing a lot of damage to your car's paint. If your detailer uses these in place of a plush wash mitt, in spots on the car that can be reached with a mitt, then it is easy to consider that this detailer is not looking out for your best interest.