Thanks for a Great Summer!

Fall is here which means this detail season is over for TS Detailing. It has been a fun and busy summer meeting lot of new clients and seeing the same old ones. I look forward to seeing you all again next Spring!

There will still be regular updates to the site and blog, but I will not be checking my phone as often as I am no longer taking appointments until the weather warms up again in March/April. Remember, I have no shop and am completely mobile. This has many great advantages, but the biggest disadvantage is my dependency on the weather and working outdoors. The chemicals I use are temperature sensitive and it's very hard to wash a car on the driveway with ice and snow around (though it can easily be done in the garage... ask me how!).

Some big changes are also underway for the season next year. I have been overwhelmed with calls and inquiries for appointments and pricing, but until recently I have been unable to fulfill all the requests because of my full-time job. This lead me to leave that job to open up my availability to my detail customers as well as spend more time with my family! Hopefully this means that next year there will be no more waiting 2-4 weeks for an appointment and all calls and emails will be responded to immediately.

Another big change is a new service I will be looking to add next year. TS Detailing is proud to announce we are the only authorized professional in Wisconsin to use and apply Optimum Polymer Technologies Opti-Coat, an aftermarket clear coat which is tougher than your factory clear coat (even the Mercedes-Benz 'CeramiClear"). This is just a teaser and will be updating more information about this in the near future.

What I will say, though, is that recent aftermarket coatings have been drastically changing the detail market over the last few years. You know those sham-dealership tactics about selling a 10-year guaranteed protective "paint sealant" (the same paint sealant I use on all my details at no extra charge, by the way) for $300? Well, that technology is here and it's only available through TS Detailing. I will be looking to subcontract again through select Fox Valley area dealerships, so when purchasing a new or used car ask who does their detailing and ask about Opti-Coat.

As always, keep following TS Detailing on Twitter and Facebook for the latest deals and promotions. Gift certificates for detailing are an excellent Christmas gift!

Expensive Car, Expensive Detail

The detailing worlds poster boy for high class detailing, Paul Dalton of Miracle Detail shows that even a $250,000 car isn't immune to improper paint care and swirl marks. This video documenting the 70+ hours of paint correction on a Rolls Royce Phantom shows how much a good detail can rejuvenate even the worst paint conditions.



Black cars always show the biggest improvement after a proper detail so it's no surprise that 90% of the cars TS Detailing has done so far this year have been black. TS Detailing has been the 'go to' detailing specialist for black cars in NE Wisconsin this year and with how busy this year has been I will be looking to open up my availability more for next year. No more waiting a month for the best detail in Wisconsin!

Evolving Social Media

New Digg v4

With the launch of the new design and format for Digg, the massive social bookmarking site, there have been a lot of changes for the way web content gets distributed. While there are still many bugs to be worked out, it currently looks like a new form of Facebook/Twitter/Myspace.

Direct from the About page on Digg.com:

Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web. From the biggest online destinations to the most obscure blog, Digg surfaces the best stuff as voted on by our users.

Now, I have been a member of the Digg community for a couple years now, but chose to keep my personal identity separate from my TS Detailing identity. However, not only is it becoming harder to keep online identities separate, but the bookmarking and marketing abilities are endless. I feel that my blog here can be informational to more than just those locally that follow me and my business. I already contribute as a paint expert on a number of online car care forums (VWVortex.com and Autopia.org) and this has the potential to expand my readership tenfold.

I will be keeping an eye on these recent changes and working with the best way to keep my customers and followers up to date on good information with better ways to integrate TS Detailing with the web community. Follow along with me on Digg and be sure to vote up any of my good articles. That will let me know what you're interested in hearing and what is just fluff.

Customer Service: Priority #1

The Quest for Phone Etiquette

Customers often forget that I only schedule details part-time and my availability during the week is limited. I know some people believe that when they call TS Detailing there is an assistant sitting at a desk by the phone and expect an answer Monday through Friday 7am to 7pm. This is not true; the number listed is my cell phone.

What does this mean? It means that I often am not able to answer my phone when customers call to schedule appointments or ask questions. This is not normally an issue because if you leave me a message I will always call you back within the day. However, if you call and do not leave a message there is a 100% chance you will not hear back from me.

I only stress this because in the last couple days I have received 6 phone calls and not a single one left me a message. Even a simple, "Hi, this is Joe. Please call me back at 555-867-5309," would do. If you can take 5 seconds to leave a message, then I will call you back. You can even send me a text message if you'd like!

The easiest and fastest way to contact me will always be email. Though I'm a product of the electronic age and have many ways to contact me, my phone etiquette is probably different than most. I will never answer my phone while I'm driving, standing in line at Starbuck's, eating dinner with my family, or while with another customer. It is rude and disrespectful. I believe in this age of the internet, where people want information now, that some of that etiquette has been lost.

So please, when inquiring about detail services keep the above in mind! I love to talk and educate people on what I do as well answer general questions about detailing. My emails are often very descriptive and informative while some customers will exchange a dozen emails before even setting up a detail appointment. I do my best to accommodate everybody.

DLUX8 Luxury Detailing (Taiwan)

This is true luxury detailing!

I do believe I have found my dream detailing set up for a brick and mortar detail shop. I haven't found much information about DLUX8 other than their facebook page and a few web forum posts, but it looks like business is good for them!





See that glass wall behind the work area? That's a VIP lounge and cigar room. Very modern furniture with a complimentary iMac and iPad as well as premium espresso, cigars, and food is available for their customers.

I am just drooling over the clean work space, the gorgeous lighting, and the wonderful modern design... not to mention the exotic cars they have detailed. Any local investors want to help me make this a reality for NE Wisconsin?

Daydreaming aside, TS Detailing has plenty of dates available for the month of August. If you don't like waiting 2 weeks for an appointment then don't hesitate to call or email to set a date! My time usually fills up quick. This is the first time this year I haven't been booked out a month ahead so take advantage.

New Uniforms

I'm onto a new idea. Apparently every time I detail, all the dirt and grime I clean off cars ends up on me. SO... when I order my new uniforms I think they will be sleek and cool microfiber track suits. That way I can clean while I move and move while I clean!

Remember you saw it here first when Meguiar's starts selling microfiber track suits for their pro detailer gear!

Seriously though, thank you to the wonderful hosts I had today for my long-distance detail in Waterford (yes, I do travel)! I'm sure it was merely coincidence that you figured out my favorite drink in the whole world is an Arnold Palmer, and I truly appreciate the hospitality (as well as the regular check-ins to make sure I wasn't passed out from the heat). It really makes my week as well as reminds me why I do what I do. I look forward to seeing both of you again soon.

Tomorrow is another day and another detail. I'm still taking appointments for the rest of July! Make sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you haven't yet. I may possibly be offering a free Rejuvenation detail before the end of the month for the quickest reply. *wink wink*

Vacation time!

I will be on vacation with my family until the first weekend in June.
I plan on responding to any calls and emails when I return.

Have a great Memorial Day!

Polishing Glass

Can you polish a glass car?

Your windshield takes just as much damage and abuse as the rest of your vehicle. Over time small pits and scratches can appear and reduce the driver visibility. Small blemishes can often be polished out while larger nicks and breaks as large as a quarter can typically be repaired without the expense of replacing the entire windshield. Automotive windshields are such an important factor in a vehicles structural integrity and safety that insurance companies will often waive your deductible for windshield repair.

Ask us today if you would like to set up a windshield repair estimate along with your detail appointment!

But really, this was all just an excuse to post this really neat video of a glass Nissan 370Z in this new Shell Oil commercial...

Rainy Day Test

Does rain 'bead' on your car?

A simple rainy day test to see how well your car's finish is protected from the Midwest weather is to see if the water will 'bead' on the surface. Your car's paint is microscopically like a sponge. It expands and contracts in the heat and can soak up to 2-liters of water when it rains. So what happens after it gets absorbed?

If your paint finish is not protected by a wax or sealant, rain will soak into the tiny pores of your paint along with any contaminants in it. This means any salt or grime on your car as well as any acids and chemicals in the rain water will find a new home within the paint and degrade the finish faster. This can cause permanent etching and water spots on the paint surface and speed up the oxidation, which is a dulling of the paint surface. All of these paint issues can be fixed with detailing, however it is better to protect your paint with a proper wax or sealant layer.

A synthetic polymer paint sealant (TS Detailing uses Meguiar's #21 highlighting their Hydrophobic Polymer Technology™ which I guess means it's afraid of water?? Silly marketing execs...) will chemically bond to the paint surface and fill those pores preventing the possible introduction of any contaminants into your paint or clear coat. If your vehicles surface is properly protected from the elements, then rain water will bead up and roll off. Is your paint surface beading? Guess where that water and dirt is going if it's not.

I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone that has been reading and keeping up with my blog. I'm trying to get out some fun, interesting, and useful facts about detailing and car washing in general. Please show that you appreciate these insights by commenting and replying to my blog or posting on Facebook! For those taking the time to read all the way to the end, welcome to secret discount #2 - Rejuvenation Detail for only $75 (normally $95)! Good until the end of April; add $10 for oversized vehicles. Just mention the blog when making an appointment. Shhhhh!

Advanced Scratch Repair

One of the trained skills of a professional detailer is compounding and polishing your vehicles paint to remove imperfections such as etching from acid rain or bird bombs, micro-marring from improper wash technique, and oxidation. Proper correction of these blemishes is to remove microns of the paint surface or clearcoat to 'level' the paint surface.

Most vehicles have a paint thickness reading of 4.0-4.5 mils (thousands of an inch) and even severe correction with wetsanding will only remove about 0.3 mils. Is it possible to "polish the paint off your car"? Not likely, as a typical detail will remove less than 0.05 mil of clearcoat. However, frequent severe paint correction could greatly diminish the finish which is why proper paint care is important in the first place. So what happens if the scratch is already through the paint and primer?

A typical rule of thumb is if you can feel the scratch with your finger nail then it is beyond repair from the scope of simple polishing. Scratches into the primer are common and should be touched up with paint to prevent rusting. If the scratch is through the paint and primer into the metal, then it should be touched up immediately. Paint pens and touchup paint bottles can be found at the local automotive parts store or online (I recommend Paint Scratch). Often people just use touchup paint to gob it onto the paint surface and leave it as is, creating a spot even more unsightly than the original scratch. I will show you how I correct these deep scratches to remove them completely from sight.

How To Fix Deep Scratches

This is a scratch repair from a recent detail that was far too deep to be corrected from polishing. I did the repair before the actual detail and documented it here for demonstration.

The blue masking tape is only for the purpose of making the area more visible. I also adjusted my lighting frequently while working on the repair so the image levels were adjusted for better continuity. The camera position and focus were not changed throughout the repair.

The basics of this sort of scratch repair is to apply the paint. Let it dry and fill the scratch, then level the paint surface. Touchup paint comes in both color and clearcoat, however the color is typically the only one needed. As the paint dries it will condense into the scratch, but the excess will remain on the surrounding area. The repair is completed by removing the excess paint by wetsanding the area then buffing the surface to a mirror shine. (See Below)


Here is this process in action:





The scratch is filled with the touchup paint and allowed to dry (about 10 minutes). This is where most people would end the repair, but you can see how obvious the blemish still is.









The sand paper (2000 grit) is presoaked in water to soften and the area of the repair is lightly sprayed with water.














The repair is gently sanded to remove the excess touch up paint. The fresh paint is much softer than the surface, so it comes off fairly easy.













You can easily see the scratch slowly disappearing!











The scratch is no longer visible but now we need to address the sanding marks.











After one pass with the buffer and compound, you can see there is still a little more work to do to remove the sanding marks but the scratch is gone.












No more scratch!!











The tape is removed and the fender polished to a mirror finish and here is how the repair now looks:

The result is many times better than a slopped on gob of paint and there is no chance of further damage from rusting caused from exposure to the environment. This repair can take between 30-45 minutes per scratch.


Here's to a happy owner and a happy BMW!

5 Keys to Proper Spring Cleaning

You are never too young to learn good habits.

Kids often learn to wash the car with dad as they are growing up. I still get a kick out of my daughter washing her Little Tykes car as I wash my own car. Many people continue to wash their cars the same way dad did because dad is always right of course!

However, most kids realize (usually around the age of 15 or so) that dad isn't perfect. Here in the Midwest, the first car wash after the harsh winter is the most important for proper car care. So while your dad may still be the smartest person in the world, here are some tips and habits he may have forgotten to mention:

1. Safely remove the salt and grime built up over the winter with as little friction as possible. If you have access to a pressure washer, use this to rinse the vehicle first before rubbing your cars paint with a sponge. If you do not have a pressure washer, use one of those self-wash bays. Do Not - Use the brush or dry afterward at a self-wash bay. More: Do's and Don't's of car washing
   
2. Use two buckets to wash your car. One bucket will be your soap bucket while the other will be your rinse bucket. Wash your car one panel at a time while rinsing your sponge or mitt often. After squeezing your sponge or mitt clean in the rinse bucket, dip in the soap bucket and continue washing from top-down. More: Info on the Two-bucket Method
   
3. DO NOT SET SPONGES, MITTS, OR TOWELS ON THE GROUND.
4. Ideal time to wash a vehicle is in the morning before 10am and at night after 5pm. This keeps direct sunlight from causing water spots on your paint.
5. Protect your paint! Waxing your car isn't only for motorheads and show cars. Keeping a protective layer on your vehicle is essential to prevent serious and expensive paint damage. The typical clearcoat on a car will last 10 years before eventual damage results from exposure to UV rays and other environmental dangers. If your car is over 5 years old and has never had a professional detail, now is the time to get it done to extend the life of your paint!
   

Proper car care and regular maintenance is strongly suggested to keep your car value high. When reselling a car, price can vary as much as $4,000 between a 'fair' condition vehicle over a 'good' condition vehicle. And while these tips and habits are not a replacement for a good professional detail, proper car maintenance is key in keeping your car clean and minimizes the chance of further paint damage.

With the summer fast approaching, TS Detailing is looking for a location to host our first Free Detailing Seminar of the year. We take the tips and habits picked up over the last 10 years of detailing and present it in an easy, hands-on class for anyone from beginner to professional detailer. If you would like to host a Detailing Seminar for a car club, booster club, or non-profit fundraiser, please contact Todd at 920-470-1754 or email.

Download our Car Care pamphlet for more car care tips and maintenance suggestions.

Detailing Appleton in 2010!

WHAT IS THIS WHITE STUFF?!
Hurry! Get it off!!
As the weather gets warmer and the white stuff starts to melt, I get more and more excited for the detailing season. There is a lot in store for TS Detailing this year and I hope to get others just as excited as I am. I haven't even opened up my phones to take appointments yet but some loyal customers have already started scheduling.

What does this mean for you?? It means this is going to be another busy year for me and new customers need to understand a few things:

1. While I offer a full-time and professional service to my customers, I only have part-time availability. I have a regular salary job that I schedule detailing around, so I only accept appointments on weekends. I may be able to arrange a mid-week appointment if needed, but a 2-week notice is recommended.
2. My services are in high demand and I have a number of loyal customers that schedule ahead. This means I may not be able to set up an appointment within the week (or even month). However, my customers also understand a detail is like a tattoo. You pay extra and wait for a professional that can do it right the first time because it is very expensive to get it fixed later.
3. The month of March is already booked. When inquiring about appointments please have that in mind.
4. Last but not least; I am now taking appointments!! Please give me a call at 920.470.1754 or email me todd@ts-detailing.com to inquire about packages, appointments, or just general questions.

Have a wonderful year Spring and check back often. This is just the start of the updates for TS Detailing this year. I have a new web page design that is almost ready to be imported and I am getting ready to integrate a Facebook fan page and Twitter account. Please be my friend. :)