April is car care month

April is National Car Care Month! By focusing on your car maintenance you can reduce costly repairs, maintain the longevity of your vehicle, increase gas mileage by as much as 10% and keep your vehicle in safe working condition.
Here are a few car care tips :

Complete Auto Detailing
Interior & exterior auto detailing helps to restore and prolong the lifespan of your vehicle.

- A car should have an engine shampoo in the spring and fall to remove salt residue, leaves, dirt and debris that can work its way into engine parts and cause poor performance.

- Paint decontamination helps to maintain the surface of your vehicle and helps to prevent damage cause by corrosion.

- Wax should be applied to create a barrier between the paint and hazardous elements like the sun.

- Paint sealant aids in the prevention of damage caused by acid rain, ice, snow, sun, accidental spills, bird droppings

- Removal of brake dust aids in better performance of brakes and reduces contamination to paint. Brake dust flies off your wheels onto your paint - the tiny, hot metal pieces embed themselves into your paint and can be the beginning of rust.

- Interior shampoo is essential after a long, snowy, cold winter. A professional interior shampoo will leave your carpets and upholstery looking its best. Shampooing eliminates salt residue, mud, dirt and debris. Salt is enemy number one when it comes to your carpets - if it is not removed properly the damage can be costly.

- Winter is damp and with dampness comes mold. Professional auto detailing reduces airborne allergens and helps to maintain a healthier environment.


Check & Change Lubricants and fluids
- Engine oil
- Transmission fluid
- Washer fluid
- Coolant flush
- Power steering fluid
- Brake fluid
- Clutch fluid

Keeping fluid levels topped and clean reduces damage to internal parts and keeps the vehicle performance at its best.

Windshield Wipers
Replace both front and rear windshield wiper blades to keep them performing at their best and to reduce damage to glass.

Check and replace parts
- Air filter
- Check engine light
- Belts
- PCV filter
- Hoses
- Radiator cooling fans
- Horn
- Mirrors
- Intake preheat duct
- Battery ( cables, clamps, terminals, carrier hold down and charge indicator)
Regular maintenance of parts reduces roadside breakdowns
Replacing air filters is essential as it keeps debris such as bugs, dirt and other objects out of the fuel system air intake. Dirty air filters reduce gas mileage and increase carbon emissions.

Tires
- Check tire depth
- Tire pressure
Low tire pressure will drastically reduce gas mileage and create more wear on your tires.

Lights
- License plate lights
- Brake lights
- Side lights
- Turn signals
- Tail/ Parking lights
- Headlights

Oldie but a goodie- It's like having a new car without the payments

I had the honor of detailing a 78 Chrysler New Yorker today. Some of you may be asking why a car of this age and make would be a privilege to detail. The answer is simple - it has been professionally detailed since day one. It is not a show car - that has been buffed, repainted, re-chromed or a new interior installed. It is a car that is almost 20 years of age, all original and it looks better than the majority of cars on the road today. It is gratifying to see something this old look that good and know it is because of proper car care.

Most cars undergo brutal treatment. Commercial car washes, unskilled car cleaning personnel, snow brushes, lack of wax, protection and poor chemical quality ... all take their toll on vehicles, reducing the appearance and value. So, when a car of this age comes along that has been cared for by professionals it is exciting to see the longterm lasting effects.

Every year I fix hundreds of cars that are damaged by poor quality car care. Undoing the damage can be frustrating but for car owners it can be a costly mistake. It is unfortunate that most car owners don't learn about the benefits of professional auto detailing until they have been hit hard in the pocketbook. Even sadder, is the fact that most people aren't aware that they could have saved thousands of dollars on repairs and gained more at resale had they cared for the vehicle properly.

I admire a person who takes pride in what he owns. It means he has taken the time to do research and seek out the best person to care for his vehicle. He is protecting his asset by making an investment into it and when he drives down the street in his 20 year old car, people turn their head - not because he's driving an old car they are looking because it is a 20 year old car that looks like he drove it off the lot yesterday. It is something he can drive and be proud of and it is a wise decision that he has made -it's like having a new car without the payments.

Cars have become a major investment and for most it is the second largest investment they will make. People research which cars perform best, which ones suits their lifestyle, and which meet their financial needs but when it comes to car care they head straight to the car wash or a low cost, low quality detailer. Within the first year of owning the car it is a mess and if left untreated by professionals it leads to permanent damage. So many people have told me that they have sold cars in the past because they did not properly car for it and the appearance of the car had diminished and when they did they loss money.

When I hear these stories I just wish others could be witness to it - so that they don't have to be a victim. Loss of: value, years of enjoyable driving and diminished appearance can be prevented. Taking care of a car is no different than taking care of your home. Each year you need to do upkeep to a house in order to help it maintain or gain value - a car is no different. It is an asset that requires an investment and a professional to care for it. You wouldn't try to do the plumbing or electrical in your home yourself, hire someone who is unqualified or contract a person whom you knew was going to use substandard materials just to save a little money so why would you pay to try to care for your vehicle yourself, take it to someone unskilled, use a service that will damage your car or allow chemicals to be used on it that do not provide adequate protection and may damage it?

As a professional car care technician my enjoyment doesn't come from fixing the mistakes it comes when I see a car that has been well cared for and knowing that I contributed to that. There is satisfaction in taking something that looks beat up and rejuvenating it to look in as like new condition as it can be but it is a greater responsibility to keep a car looking that way from the day it is purchased and throughout its lifespan.

Amateur poachers a disgrace to the auto detailing industry

Back in autumn I received a phone call from a female at an express detail shop situated in Guelph. She claimed she had a customer who needed their car high speed polished and wanted to send him down to me but said she needed a price. I gave it to her and had what I thought was a nice conversation about the business. Shortly after, I learned that I had been duped into giving her my prices so she could offer services at prices that undercut me.

Then two weeks ago, my landlord told me he had just received the oddest call. A women commercial car wash that runs an express detailing center at a gas station called asking to rent your unit. I asked who it was and immediately I started to laugh. We figured she was just trying to cause some kind of chaos with me and my landlord. Within the hour her partner strolled into my shop. I was delivering cars back to the dealerships but my wife, who is very intuitive, went to the front and immediately knew who he was even before he announced himself. He said his name and told her he worked for this woman at the gas station as an express detailer. He went on to say he doesn't get into the big detailing end of it . I just do express detailing, wash, windows, vacuum - nothing like the professional stuff you do he said. My wife kinda nodded and laughed. Then he proceeded to tell her the little angel he works with highly recommended us for window tinting and he wanted a price on how much it was to tint his PT Cruiser. Well my wife knew what game he was playing and told him that I would have to see the car to be able to give him the quote. She took his phone number and I called him when I returned. This time he told me it was one of the dealerships we have done some tinting services for that recommended me. I told him I needed to see the vehicle to give a price. He said he would bring it by and never came around again.

Last week one of my contracted window tint installers called me to ask if I knew this woman. I said yes I know of her. He told me she had called him 2 days in a row to get quotes on what he would charge her to do tint jobs at her shop. Then she asked him if he tinted at one of the dealerships. He told her no. She said do you tint for Diamond Detailing he replied yes why. Her answer was I don't like him I think he is an asshole.

Well I guess the only thing worse than people talking bad about you is when no one talks at all. I still can't figure out why she would say that because I have talked to her once in my life and I wasn't the one slithering around misrepresenting myself to get prices and undercut anyone but hey each to their own.

If she had of come to me on the up and up to ask me what my prices were I would have happily given them to her. If she can sell her services for less money good for her - as long as she is informing her clients that her skills aren't at a professional level and what risks they are taking by paying an amateur to do a professionals job. I am sure that isn't the case though. Like so many others, the 2 of them became part of that detailing phenomenon - where the amateur detailer magically becomes a professional overnight.

The thing that the two of them fail to understand is that I do not cater to price shoppers . We cater to clients who understand the value and the financial rewards associated with Master detailing services. Our clients are educated about proper auto care and want to protect their investment. Our clients know a pro detail job when they see it. They aren't seeking low price - low quality workmanship. They know that damage can occur from having amateurs work on their cars and totally reject the idea of a detail shop running their vehicle through a commercial car wash for a quick soap , spray and wax before they do a second rate detail.

Are they that desperate for clients? If so they should have just told me me. I could have referred at least 30 people a day who are looking for cheap work and don't care about quality.
It's unfortunate that there are posers like this in the industry. I feel sickened by it. It is disrespectful to others that are real professionals and masters because they have earned their reputation through training, experience, time and skilled workmanship. But the greater evil is the disservice to the consumers who don't know any better. The misrepresentation of themselves and their services borders on being fraudulent.

I included this example today as an education about the type of car care available and the type of people who perform it. It's not that I think there shouldn't be express detailing services - I just believe that if this is what you offer, it is your responsibility to educate your clients on the long-term and negative effects of this type of service. In addition to this, the people who operate these services should not be trying to pass themselves or their services off for something they aren't. The idea that you can't lose contact with the leaders has cut more throats than it has saved.

When I encounter a true professional who has earned the right to the title I have no problem acknowledging it and do recommend them if I am unable to take on a project. Consumers have the right to be educated and with this lesson comes one final piece of information - shops offering substantially lower prices is an indication as to the level of skill they have achieved and will execute. A true professional charges premium prices because he the services he offers are like an extended warranty that helps to protect the value of a vehicle.

Word of wisdom for the day - "Don't just envy another's good name; to become a master; you must learn from a master all that he has learned, work as hard as the master has worked, put in your time just as the master did, and then you can emulate the work that helped earn him his title."

Sometimes questions are more important than the answers

Yesterday a client asked me a few questions, one of which was whether or not I found auto detailing competitive in Guelph in regards to business's who offer services at a lower price.

My answer was no. To be competitive you must have two or more businesses who are equivalent in ethics, quality, skills and price. You can not make equal that which is unequal. What people are getting here is a winning combination of premium car care - if I ever changed it my customers would notice.

There is a big difference between the chemicals and equipment Diamond Detailing uses compared to those used at car washes and express detail locations. I don't shop for price - I shop for quality. My workmanship must surpass the materials that I use in order to achieve excellence. Excellence is is an art that requires time and develops from training, experience and knowledge.

Price is what you pay; the value is what you receive. The result of quality workmanship is not an act; it is a habit that is long remembered after the price is forgotten. Car washes, amateurs and express detailing shops offer cheaper prices and do undercut us but the truth is we have higher prices because we offer premium detailing services - they have lower prices for less quality. Where quality is the thing sought after there is no comparison. If you think it's expensive to hire a professional detailer to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur! The result can be costly.

Diamond Detailing is a professional detailing business that customers value. Premium car care products, first class service, master skills and continuing client education has allowed us to expand the market to include consumers who, until now, may have been hesitant to make a significant investment to preserve the value of their assets. Consumers work hard for their vehicles and deserve to have them protected by the highest standards.

After a long drawn out answer the man asked me if I enjoy my job. Absolutely I answered. A business that only makes money is a poor business to be in. I am a firm believer that you must have your heart in the business and the business in your heart. People only do well at those things that they truly enjoy - it is almost impossible to excel when the soul is dead. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.