If you’ve ever had your car detailed, did you tip?

[cantdrv55]

I’ve never had a vehicle detailed but I’m going to this time. I bought a used truck from a dealership and although it was cleaned, the steering wheel and cup holders gross me out. I’m a little OCD about those things. Anyway, do you tip a car detailer if he owns the biz?

[KFC911]

Tipping is not part of my southern culture for everything that is what I call "normal" stuff.

I sometimes do ... just because ... but not to an "owner" of a biz like this...

Unless she is buck nekkid and hawt

I've never had a car detailed fwiw ....

[afterburn 549]

There is much left out here.
What kind of detailing?
vacuum, wash and wax?
Or full-blown wet sand paint correction detail?

[KFC911]

Methinks he wants Q-tip cleaning, etc. based upon the OP ...

What is the service and what is the price? How much "tip" is expected for doing it properly?

Nada .... then go from there .

[rfuerst911sc]

I think just like a restaurant the results is what says tip vs no tip . If you get the truck back and are just wowed by the results go ahead and give a little extra . If you get the truck back and you say to yourself I could have done this good then no .

[KFC911]

Buck nekkid, hawt waitresses get better tip$

[onewhippedpuppy]

I’ve only ever paid for professional paint correction and ceramic coating, the rest I DIY. It’s expensive enough that I’ve never even thought of tipping.

[cabmandone]

Tip? I helped my detailer buy a house!

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by cabmandone

Tip? I helped my detailer buy a house!

That's a pretty good tip.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

That's a pretty good tip.

Well... it is my son I'm talking about. He does detailing, ppf and vinyl wrap.

[wilnj]

I've had it done twice, both in similar circumstances. New to me car but private party.

The first time I took it to a shop and did tip the workers. The second time was a mobile detailer working for himself and paid cash, I did not tip.

Steering wheels though. 🤮

[wdfifteen]

Never had a manicure
Never had a pedicure
Never had my car detailed
I do pay for haircuts though

[GH85Carrera]

One of my friends does detailing, and ceramic coatings. We have had all three cars we own done. The ceramic coating is just amazing, and on the old single stage paint of the 911 and the El Camino, it keeps dirt from getting into the paint, not just on it. Before I ever had the El Camino ceramic coated the paint would get a thin film of dirt that hand waxing would not remove. Now it stays nice and white all the time. The 911 gets less rain driving and very little snow and only on snow and salt free roads.


On a road trip to and from California, with a side stop in Roswell, NM.



The paint on the 911 gets constant compliments.

So to answer the OP question, yes, but only to get the ceramic coating. He has to clean and detail it first.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Never had a manicure
Never had a pedicure
Never had my car detailed
I do pay for haircuts though

Unless you have pro quality skills you are missing out. I used to DIY all my detailing, I had a professional quality Porter-Cable polisher with all the different pads and hundreds of dollars in compounds, polishes, and waxes. I would easily spend a weekend compounding, polishing, and waxing a newly purchased car and thought they looked pretty good. Then I made friends with a guy who managed a body shop and did detailing on the side, after I let him do one car I never looked back. Now when you add in the benefits of modern ceramic coatings, some of which are only sold to professionals, it’s a game changer.

[unclebilly]

Yes. Then the next day I discovered that the detailer removed and promptly lost the key to the ski roof box that was hanging off the passenger seat on a lanyard. It cost a small fortune to get this sorted out on a holiday and my kids missed a day of ski race training to boot.

We wound up leaving the roof rack on that vehicle when we sold it because we didn’t have a key to remove it. I saw it driving around in the summer with the rack still on it.

[A930Rocket]

I just had my daughter’s Tahoe detailed, for $250, with a guy that owns his own business and does it at your house. No tip.

[juanbenae]

That's one of those if you need to ask, you already know the answer. Just double the tax CP...

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

I just had my daughter’s Tahoe detailed, for $250, with a guy that owns his own business and does it at your house. No tip.

$250 for a full detail on a Tahoe? What was done? When I think full detail, that's wash, clay, one step paint correction with spray coating applied after, complete interior.

[afterburn 549]

Patient correction-
Starts with the best wash the car ever had.
Carefull inspoection for flaws.
Fix them.
Wet sand goes through several stages.
Clay bar.
buffing again several satges.
It's a couple of days' work dependent on the size of the car.
No two shops will do it exactly the same

[onewhippedpuppy]

Your paint has to be pretty far gone if your “detail” starts with a wet sand.