Dealers Turn Detail Departments Into Revenue Sources

By Keith Duplessie, CD-SV, RT

Lean production techniques organize equipment, personnel, and materials to enhance sales, productivity, and quality while minimizing waste

For too long, the in-house detail departments of new car dealerships have dragged down profit.  One reason for this financial drain has been the industry’s typically disorganized, non-standardized approach to detailing, which results in an unnecessarily high cost of labor, chemicals, and materials with slower turnaround and lower quality work.

Now, however, top dealers are borrowing from the auto industry’s lean production techniques.  They are managing equipment, personnel, and materials to optimize productivity, workflow, and quality while minimizing waste.  By doing so, they are transforming their detailing operations from a profit drain into a revenue source.

Such an approach can supply superior quality detailing and cut 25% or more of the time and labor needed to ready a vehicle for the lot.  It can also save several dollars per vehicle in chemical and material costs for approximately a 1-year ROI.

“We have essentially cut our detailing time in half and improved the quality using lean production techniques,” says Chris Davis, Detail Manager at Wagner Auto Group, a full service new and used auto dealer in Shrewsbury, MA.  “Superior detailing has become a sales advantage because impeccably clean cars sell and dirty ones do not.”

Greater Efficiency

One example of this more efficient approach to detailing that is gaining ground among dealers involves the use of accurate chemical dispensing systems.

Such a system puts all the tools and supplies needed by detailers within easy reach so they never have to leave the vehicle or service bay.  These are placed on both sides of the vehicle to allow more than one person to work independently at the same time.  This increases productivity so more vehicles are detailed per day, and the vehicles get to the lot faster ready for sale.

When Wagner Auto Group recently set up a new detailing facility, it included eight chemical dispensing workstations along with a variety of other equipment. 

The workstations dispense up to 12 necessary cleaners, shampoos, and treatments through color coded, chemical lines, eliminating the waste, distraction, and mess associated with squeeze and spray bottles.  Even more viscous chemicals, such as waxes, polishes, and compounds, are dispensed through the system, which further expedites the paint finishing process.

“Everything is ready right where you need it so there is no wasted time or effort,” says Davis.  “With two techs working on a vehicle, we can essentially detail the interior and buff and wax the exterior in approximately 30-45 minutes per car.” 

Because each workstation includes a powerful wet/dry vacuum, this eliminates the need for clumsy portable shop vacuums.  “Our detailers do not have to drag around shop vacuums between vehicles, so there is no worry about bumping them,” says Davis. 

For cleaning and shampooing carpets and fabric upholstery, each workstation has an internal heated soil extraction system.  Two coiled air lines are also available for operating pneumatic tools such as buffers, shampooers, and orbital waxers.

One key to making the system more efficient than shops using spray bottles is an accompanying chemical mixing and distribution center that automatically dilutes all water-based chemicals to exact proportions.  This improves safety and quality while eliminating chemical waste and improper mixing.  All chemicals, including ready-to-use products, are delivered to the workstations installed in the detailing center.

“The chemical dispensing system is essentially foolproof and ensures that we get consistent quality formulations for our details,” says Davis.  “We also save at least several dollars per vehicle by avoiding spills, improper mixing, and other waste.”

Greater Profitability

The bottom line for dealers looking to transform their detailing into an actual profit center is enabling everyone, including technicians and managers, to work smarter, not harder.

“With our ultra efficient detailing process, we can now take a dirty car from the lot, get it prewashed, prepped, detailed, photographed, and put back on the lot ready for in person and online sales in an hour,” concludes Davis.  “We estimate 1-year ROI on the detailing equipment.”

About the author: Keith Duplessie is owner of DETAIL PLUS Car Appearance System, a Dallas, Texas-based manufacturer of car detailing equipment including ChemSpense workstations and Chemical Dilution and Dispensing Systems. He managed sales and technical services at the company before acquiring it in 2017. Keith is a Founding Member of the International Detailing Association.

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the IDA.