Special treatment? Dont mind if i do!
 

On my way to register my car (blue slip > RTA) i decided to pop in to my local toyota (i bought the car interstate) to book in a 1,000km service. When i got there they immediately put my car through, where there were other cars to be serviced that morning. i didnt ask for it - they just immediately did it. it was ready in an hour and came back washed ;)

anyone else noticed special treatment?

also... while waiting for the car to be ready a rep comes over, offers me coffee. i asked him why it takes an hour to do a new service as it was only checks and he says its because its probably being cleaned for me. Then he started telling me about this new toyota coupe, the 86. i agreed with his compliments, 'totally awesome car - mines the one u guys are servicing right now'.

man... i swear this car, even stock is such an attention magnet!

umm why would you book in a 1,000 km service? i'm guessing they were so nice to you based on the assumption you were going to be coming back every 1,000 kms :lol:

There's a complimentary checkup at 1000kms

lol my bad...

yes if it was a paid 1,000 service they shouldve laid out a red carpet for me! lol

That is special treatment, even if the 1k 'service' is just a check up.
I wouldn't let them wash it though, I'm too paranoid of scratches!

+1:D

shudders when that kid slams open SUV door in the side of parked 86..........

+1+1

I was told to bring it back after a month. Last night mine reached 1600 km in a week. I am keeping an eye on oil and water etc.
I would hope a dealership has some idea how to wash a new car.

I never got coffee or having the car washed guess i ain't that speical enoguh lol - but then again i just went home as i live across the road and picked it up when it was ready...

I don't think the dealers would do a good job anyways at washing the cars - just bring it to them in pristine condition and they wont bother washing if they were obliged to haha :D

it was washed that morning. didnt realise they were going to wash it. i dropped the car off and walked to maccas and came back early.

I would have asked them to unwash it again :D

^like this...
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wBwU5tb-qw"]Toyota 86 - Experience Raw Driving - YouTube[/ame]

that would be amusing to watch someone unwash a car!

reminds me of something that happened to me once > gather round children! story time!

We had a client come in to the shop (im a jeweller) and ask if we can replace his wedding ring that he lost that night, and by the looks of him, he hadnt been to bed yet. He needed this ring made by that afternoon. Now this guy looked pretty guilty of something he would rather his wife not know, how else would he lose his ring :\ So i made the ring to the specs he could remember, but there was one other instruction that came with the ring... it had to look worn. After finishing this beautifully polished gold ring, i got to "unwash" it hehe, throwing on the ground, stepping on it, wearing it and scuffing against brick walls, all of which was quite fun!
he picked up the ring and his wife was none the wiser! his concience on the other hand...

Now what did we learn :P

That money can buy you happiness?

That it easier for a Camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man get into heaven?.

Or......

If like me you legitimately lost your wedding ring (lost weight, it came off my finger into my suitcase - I found it an hour later after tearing my hotel room apart - and I've been married for 10 years to the best girl in the world and wouldn't cheat on her with - insert name of favourite hollywood starlet here) I'd fess up - cause a lie will always bite you in the arse.

Most people in that situation learn nothing, because they think they are cleverer than everyone else.

Pretty sure my wife is the best girl in the world :P i dont sleep with my ring on, and my cats like to play with it, its somewhere in my apartment, its been a couple days now and i feel wierd without it on now

We'll agree to differ on who is the best girl in the world :D

I don't wear mine (work hazard), it feels weird when I put it on!

My wedding ring cost $46! bargain! :bellyroll:

Usually it's 1,000km or 1month. Which ever occurs first.

Agree with everyone about not getting them to wash it!
I will ask if they can vacuum instead:D

A. only cheat with people who dont care about cheating and keep the ring on?

B. you can cheat and stuff up if u have $?

C. DONT CHEAT!

I feel naked if I dont have my ring on - which i only take off going boating , rock climbing or heping someone move.

After once being a detailer myself at a dealer, I wouldn't necessarily write the car cleaners off. Most of them actually really like cars, take pride in their work and when a 'special' car arrives make the most of doing a good job on it.

Hey dude,
I agree and disagree. I have done my time as a detailer in a dealership service department. I was, and even though I am in a TOTALLY different role still do, one to take pride in my work. I always was extra careful with the special cars, etc. But after 10years in the auto industry I have seen just as many detailers who aren’t into cars and don’t take as much pride in their work.
It’s a tough call.
I don’t write them off immediately. The main reason I won’t get the dealership to wash mine is that I will be doing it regularly anyway haha. I am lazier with vacuuming :P

Yeah fair call, I have been out of the game for 10+ years so its probably changed. :(

Still met quite a few detailers tho at different dealerships (when I have had my cars serviced) who are very passionate about cars.

this is exactly why I don't let the dealers touch my car. They shouldn't wait until a 'special' car comes in to make the most of doing a good job on it, every customers car is 'special'.

Peoples definition of a 'good job' vary severely too. Just safer not letting anyone touch it.... not just the dealers.

LOL, I'm sorry but this made me laugh.

Laugh all you want, but damaging peoples cars is not a laughing matter....

seeing as i was the one who was at the dealer getting the wash, they did a fine job. no scratches, no marks... just possible drool lol.

LOL Wut?

And being a anal retentive person over a car will do nothing but make you excessively stress over the minor imperfections found on your car, cause you to no longer enjoy your car and give you a stomach ulcer!!

Seriously, if you think that people are out to damage your precious car, then you really need to get out a lot more dude.

+1 if its insured then who GAF? its only metal and plastic...

No, I just don't let them touch it, no problem....

I've been caught too many times before, nothing about being obsessive. Truth is the dealer's detailers are not paid enough to care, any detailer is paid absolute minimum to do absolute maximum volume. That's the truth and you know it.

A simple dirty bucket wash with a rag used on the last 1000 cars doesn't cut it I'm sorry....

that's your opinion, and that's absolutely fine.

I like to look after my stuff, and like others to respect my stuff too.

So would you care if someone keyed your new car? It's insured lol! :bellyroll:

So do I but thats what insurance is for. Of course I would care but if I didn't want it scratched, it would never leave the garage but then whats the point of having it in the first place? :iono:

I agree in the end getting obsessive can end up taking the joy out of your car, it's a balance, but I am with Type[R]+ on this one...

I spend time (and a heap of money on quality products) looking after my cars, and it can all be undone so quickly.

Once (and only once) when I was really busy I took a car to one of those 'car wash cafe' places where you can enjoy a crap coffee (and an even crapper car wash) and they literally scratched the entire car all over... Never again. I cry when I go past there and see GT-R's, AMG's etc in there!!

It's not that they set out to ruin the car, they are just using rubbish products and old/dirty cloths etc while being pushed hard to do a fast job. Most people don't care obviously, all you have to do is look around you at a set of traffic lights and see pretty much every car will be full of swirls from going to places like this.

On the other hand, going to a proper detailer is an entirely different story!! At a dealer you just don't know who you're doing to get so I prefer to decline. Also they will use a non ph neutral wash more than likely so it's just stripping the wax and sealant I've put on faster.

Here is a 2010 Commodore SSV that has been abused by incorrect washing technique. The car is about a year and a half old...

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...G_0776Copy.jpg


50:50 shot showing the difference between good and bad.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...G_0793Copy.jpg


What the paint is meant to look like

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...G_0790Copy.jpg

I know which one I want my car to look like.....

Is this a one off story? Sadly no. I get people seeing me all the time asking why my cars always look so good. They say they 'keep them spotless', but just look so dull. It's not hard at all to keep your car looking the best. Obsessive? Can be for some, but just about everyone wants a nice looking car, and a new car to look new for a long time.

And yes, to fix this damage is expensive. Sure you could claim insurance, pay your ~$500 excess, and then higher premiums from then on, just to fix damage that is easily avoided.... That's if your insurance will accept your claim at all....

I just want to clarify that I was referring to scratches from getting 'keyed', that someone brought up, and not from cheap car washes/lack of maintenance etc. There is a difference.
I find that most people don't even WASH their car much at all, let alone polish/wax it etc. Comes down to laziness and to some people its just a cage to get from A to B and that's it. Most average people are not enthusiasts.