Does coating = obsolescence?

[gclark26]

I havent jumped on the coating wagon yet. My understanding is coating is basically adding a film over the paint for protection. This coating can last up to 2yrs.
Thats 2yrs without a wax or need for paint correction.
At that rate we just wash the car for 2yrs.
Seems like we are putting ourselves out of business.

[jarred767]

Re: Does coating = obsolescence?

I began offering opti-coat to customers about a year ago, and they claim it will last much longer than 2 years (supposedly 10+). I agree that it kind of means you lose that customer, but I like to look at it in a way that since I charge much more for the upgrade, in essence, I'm getting more upfront and don't have to do that extra work later. It does mean that you need to spend more time and resources in the future attracting new customers to take their place though.

I haven't opti-coated enough cars to put much of a dent in demand, but I could see how it could be a potential red flag down the line, especially if you do high volume coatings.

[Eldorado2k]

@gclark26. Reading your post makes me curious about how someone in your shoes [business side/professional detailer] handles things. I hope you don't mind me asking a couple questions.
If you were to do a complete correction [using M105 for example] on a vehicle, and the owner allowed it to become trashed/swirled up within a few short months, [6 months or so] Would you feel comfortable with correcting it again? Using the same method? Or how do you deal with a situation like that?

Also, I could understand how using a certain wax over another might be better for your business. That being said, if all customers had zero prefference on what kind of wax was used on their car, as long as it looked good when they got it back, what lsp would you choose? Barring "spray wax" what respectable lsp is better for business in your opinion?

[gclark26]

Re: Does coating = obsolescence?

Eldo
I simply drew a logical conclusion based on the longevity of coatings. My question has nothing to do with [business side/professional detailer] handles things.
How people car for and maintain their vehicle is not my responsibility.
You insult me.

[Eldorado2k]

Don't take it the wrong way. My question had nothing to do with you, personaly. I tried to prevent a missunderstanding by asking if you wouldn't mind me asking a couple questions.. However I simply wanted to get an idea of how it looks like from the other side of the spectrum, which is why I even made sure to include the customer being responsible for trashing his own car, on his own time.
Once again, my questions wern't meant to judge you in any way.

I'm just trying to learn tidbits of new information. And IMO, asking a real person with real experience beats reading an article somewhere. I hope that clears up any missunderstanding and it's all good.

[AceM3]

See even tho OptiCoat or any other coating might be permanent, our for a few years it still needs to be maintained. Improper care will result in premature wear or failure. So as far as the industry being hurt, there should not be any worry. As long as you play the game right.

[jfelbab]

Re: Does coating = obsolescence?

IME, coatings are not scratch or swirl immune. Coatings do offer the paint a greater degree of protection than a wax or sealant and thus if swirled they can be polished off and reapplied preserving the original paint under it. If you are detailing your or a customers vehicle every 3-6 months to remove marring, you will likely still see marring every 3-6 months in the future unless there is a change to the way the car is cared for.

[billddrummer]

Re: Does coating = obsolescence?

I don't know enough about coatings to register an opinion.

But I won't be having that done with my vehicle.

[The Guz]

Re: Does coating = obsolescence?

There are more and more coatings on the market. PBL, DP, Duragloss, Sonus Ion are a few of them besides CQ and OC. There are write ups about OC and it's durability has been proven. Some of these other coatings are a bit newer but they are not showing to be as durable. Maintenance is also different. Typically claying is all that is needed for a coating. It's also fairly common to add Car Pro Reload to get some slickness back. PBL offers a coating booster and coating detailer in their line. So as someone stated on autogeek, there are "coatings" and there are "coatings".