Auto Detailing Excellence

Kar Klean Professionals, Inc. was voted Best Of The Best in Auto Detailing 2000

by the readers of the Courier News.

Ardex Chemical Training Class for Clearcoat Paint Polishing
Member of the Professional Detailers Association 1993-1995
Professionals Detailers Association "Detailing Seminar" 1993
Proud Sponsor of the Branchburg Twsp Police Dept. D.A.R.E. Car

Article:

How many times do you leave yourself open to unhappy customers and possible legal action? In this litigious society, you can even be sued for the way you detail a customer’s vehicle.

For example, your local police department calls and wants you to clean one of their patrol cars. You schedule an appointment and anticipate a long lasting relationship with the department.

The scheduled day comes. You vacuum and scrub the rubber flooring. You remove the grime from the steering wheel and dashboard, but it looks dull and unappealing. You take out your favorite vinyl, rubber or plastic protectant. When the car is finished, it sparkles. The next day you get a call from a disgruntled police chief. One of his officers got in the car, slipped and twisted his knee.

First, you better have the right insurance. Second, now is the time to reevaluate your cleaning procedures before something like this happens to you.

Do not use vinyl, rubber or plastic protectant on running boards, rubber floor mats, pedals, steering wheels, stick shifts or brake handles. Slippery when wet doesn’t always apply to just water. Be careful when using a protectant on the seats. Using too much of a good thing could lead to stained clothing.

Have you noticed that car manufacturers are making dashboards with a matte finish? This is to reduce sun glare. Don’t put the shine back on the dashboard. You could find yourself being held liable if your customer has an accident. If you apply protectant, make sure you wipe off the excess immediately. If it’s still shiny you should remove the protectant.

Engine cleaning is a service that could create issues for you. Granted, a clean engine does look nice. However, today’s newer vehicles have a dozen or more electronic sensors in the engine compartment. These components are supposed to be waterproof or water-resistant, but if something goes wrong you will be responsible for the repair bill. Not to mention a vehicle that doesn’t run, a towing bill and one very upset former customer. Older vehicles may have cracks in electrical lines or components that can pose a problem--from the engine not starting to a fire.

Still want to clean engines? Do you have a grease trap or pit that you are washing engines in? Environmental fines for polluting ground water with run-off could run into the tens of thousands of dollars and could bankrupt your company. Many insurance companies will not cover environmental pollution unless you have special insurance coverage. This could also apply to water run-off when you’re washing vehicles. Check your local and state laws.

Do not clean seatbelts unless you are absolutely positive what you are using will not break down the material. If you are not comfortable cleaning the belts, advise the customer of your company policy. Tell them that because of possible legal consequences you will not clean the seatbelts. Most people will understand and ask you for a recommendation on how they should clean the seatbelts. Refer them to the owner’s manual or the car manufacturer. You have to take yourself and your company out of the legal loop.

When you remove child booster seats don’t put them back. Place them back on the seat sideways or in the trunk or tailgate area so that the customer knows that the seat is not secured. Again, explain to the customer your company policy.

When a customer mentions that a certain item is broken or scratched most of us assume we can fix it. Do not go beyond your ability to repair or fix something. This leads to bigger problems. If the customer points out a problem or you discover a problem while detailing, be honest and explain to them that you can’t fix it. Advise them to take it to a professional who can make the proper repair. Write a description of the problem on the receipt and have them sign the receipt. Not everyone maybe as honest as you, so protect yourself.

Make sure you have a disclaimer on all your brochures and price lists. Post the disclaimer in a prominent spot in your shop. It could be as simple as this: “The ‘XYZ Company’ & its employees will not be held responsible for owner neglect, paint quality or mechanical breakdown.” Check with your insurance agent or lawyer for the proper wording for your state.

We all want to help the customer as much as possible, but keep this well-known quote in the back of your mind when you do your next car detailing, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. It could save you a disappointed customer and possible repair bills or a lawsuit.

Biography

Robert Del Monte is owner and operator of Kar Klean Professionals, Inc., Branchburg, NJ since 1985. He is a past member of the Professional Detailers Assoc. He has taken classes in detailing through Ardex and automotive technology courses at Somerset County Vo-tech. He also has educational background in business, criminal justice and web development and marketing. The Courier News readers voted Kar Klean Professionals the “Best of the Best in Detailing” in central NJ for the year 2000.

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Legal Notice: The information contained on this site should not be relied upon as legal, business or tax advice. The operator is not providing any warranty regarding the reliability of the content contained on this site.

Seller guarantees the labor, parts and materials used in performing all services for a period of 30 days from the date of completion of services. Liability is limited to replacement of parts. Seller shall not be liable for cost of such repairs and /or replacements performed by any third party unless buyer has given seller a reasonable opportunity to furnish such repairs and/or replacements first. Buyer shall not be entitled to recover from seller for any consequential damages to property other than set forth above, damages for loss of use, loss of time, loss of profits or income or any other incidental damages. In addition expressly excluded is any seller liability for defects pertaining to safety or performance by way of "strict liability", negligence or otherwise.