Do You Really Want a Mobile Car Detailing Service?

Have you considered all the risk factors that come with bringing g a mobile detailer to your home? The insurance implications or worse, their criminal background. Let's delve deeper.

CAR OWNER EDUCATION

Jay Latona

3/8/20246 min read

Are you considering hiring a mobile detailer? Have you considered the risk associated with having this service performed at your home? Let's take a deeper dive into why maybe it isn't the best possible solution despite being so convenient.

Understanding the Unregulated Auto Detailing Industry

Before we dive into the lack of regulation within the industry of auto detailing, let’s first understand why that matters to you.

Auto detailing is a highly unregulated industry, the bar to entry is incredibly low;

  • No business licensing requirements

  • No education or training requirements

  • No background checks

Because it's a relatively simple job, many underqualified people jump in and "start their own detailing business". The state can't stop addicts or violent felons from starting businesses, BUT a lot of commercial leasing companies will err on the side of caution when leasing space to potential business owners, especially if it's a violent offender. What I'm saying is if you are going to hire a mobile detailer: make sure they also have a commercial shop.

Why should you confirm they have a commercial shop?

  • Guarantees they've been vetted

  • Will have more than adequate insurance

  • Will be registered and legitimate

The Demand for Mobile Car Detailing Services

The demand for car detailing services has been steadily increasing over the years. According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets.com, the global car detailing market is expected to reach $16.2 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2020 to 2025.

Mobile car detailing offers a convenient service all from the comforts of your own home. You can jump on a sales call and before your day wraps up come out to spotless vehicle....

Factors You Must Consider

You could potentially be putting your family in danger and your home in financial disarray. If the detailer is hurt on your property, what happens? Did you confirm he was actually insured and ask for his documentation? What if you just opened your home to a violent offender, a thief, or worse. Car detailers have a reputation in the auto restyling communities, many of them being drug users, addicts, and felons. Do you really want to risk having these people at your home?

Violent Criminals

To reiterate the ease of starting your own business, many blue-collar businesses are started up by Felons. This isn't to say all felons are bad, or that second chances shouldn't be given because I very much think Jesus would forgive, therefore I would as well. HOWEVER, I would not welcome them to my home with my wife and children without actually knowing them. Auto detailing is littered with folks from all walks of life.

Sex Offenders

Depending on the state you live in you may or may not be able to access the criminal record database, you can however access the registry for sex offenders regardless. If you are here in Colorado, check out this link to search the name of the owner or detailer before allowing them on your property. Can't find that information easily? Pass.

Drug Users

Colorado is obviously a legal state for marijuana, and many people don't care about someone's recreational usage, but what if they are using in your driveway. Are you liable for their now illegal use in public since it's on your property? What if they use something more concerning?

I literally had a man nodding out in my hallway once. A company that came to deliver my CPAP machine. He showed up hours late, so I had left the house by then, but my wife was home alone with this man. She texts me to come home immediately and within a few minutes I walk in to see this man slumped into my hallway wall to support himself. Of course, I came in really aggressive and angry with this man and threw him out, nothing happened fortunately, and he was fired from the company, but it was really scary for my wife. It's not a risk I'd willing take to endanger the people I love.

Con Artist

I had a friend once hire a roofing contractor to replace her roof. He was by far the cheapest and she was on a budget, so really, he was the only one in her price range. The "company" she hired wasn't registered with the State. He wasn't a legitimate business, and you can bet he didn't have insurance which was why he was so cheap to begin with. While all this should have been red flags to her, it wasn't. He "fell" off her roof and injured his back. He sued her for damages, and you guessed it, never even ordered the supplies for her roof so she got scammed. Auto detailers can do the same thing. Slip, fall, trip, it's your property at the end of the day. If you gave them permission to be there, you can be held liable. I say this all the time, don't hire a Facebook detailer that isn't a real business. Yes, they will be cheaper because they don't have to pay the state their dues, or insurance or whatever other expenses come with business ownership. That few extra dollars you save comes at a huge risk.

Bigger Machines = Better Clean

Very few detailing companies in town have legitimate mobile rigs. It's usually just a guy with his car and the things he can fit in it. This includes us! Since the cost to outfit a legitimate rig far outweighs the benefit to us, we opted to provide a better service in shop and focus on the work we put out from the shop and not in your driveway.

The machines we have in shop won't fit in most vehicles and therefore the compact version of those can't offer the same level of cleaning power. Other services like ceramic coatings, window tint, vinyl wrap, paint protection films should never be done in a mobile setting. If we can't control the conditions of the environment the results WILL be lackluster. Every time, no matter what they tell you! We have a temperature-controlled environment in the shop and control the air movement to reduce the risk of contamination.

Love the Convenience of Mobile Detailing, but Not the Risk.

Many legitimate detail shops will background check their guys, or at the minimum offer a pickup and drop off service for your vehicle or a shuttle service for you to get to and fro.

Shuttle Service

Big detail shops understand the busy schedule of the working professionals that are often times our customers. Most of us will offer either a free shuttle service or cover Uber or Lyft. Sometimes they advertise this, other times you have to ask. I don't want to raise my prices across to board to cover the expenses so I don't advertise that I offer this, so unless a customer expresses a need to get to somewhere or doesn't have a ride, I won't mention it, everyone would take advantage otherwise.

Pick up and Drop off

For the same cost of mobile detailing, we offer a pickup and drop off service for your vehicle. We carry additional insurance to cover us for this and again you can still do what you need to do at home or the office and come outside at the end of the day to a clean car.

Our Professional Opinion

Covid-19 made people homebodies which put convenience over everything else. The best service will always be done in a shop. Most mobile detailing exclusive businesses can't afford to run background checks or pay for commercial space, let alone proper training and certifications. Truth be told that there have been dozens of 'detailers' come to us looking for jobs that were clearly high on drugs and things much more sinister than marijuana. These people are out there in the community offering cheap detailing to support habits. If a basic interior detail is less than $100 I can guarantee you one of 3 things. They're brand new, they're an addict/criminal, or they aren't any good.

Conclusion

Go to a shop that has good reviews, history, customer referrals. In today's market and unregulated industry of car detailing it's better to not risk having criminals in your front yard. You'll also get a better service if you come in shop. Moral of the story is, although it's convenient , it's not worth the risk.

If you would like to book a service with us please visit us!