Valet Service?

[Hornet3D]

Now I have my Aygo cleaned polished and protected to a degree I am happy with I now have that nagging question, do I have the dealership valet the car at service time.  For years now the answer have been no and I have expressly asked the dealership not to valet the car and I always hand it over in a condition where is not needed.  I have been surprised with the reluctance to comply with the request but in the end they generally did.  I do not wish to malign the dealership but there is no way they will use the same care in cleaning the car as I would and it would be wrong to expect them to do so, to them is is just another car after all.

In the short time I have been on this forum there are a lot of people who put a great deal of effort into keeping the car looking stunning so I wounder what everyone else does at service time, to Valet or not, that is the question.

[Dave the aygo]

I have stopped the dealership cleaning mine when I opened the doors they are still dirty and wet so I don't see the point like you it always Goes to the garage clean

[FROSTYBALLS]

Down to personal choice.

[Hornet3D]

6 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

Down to personal choice.

Of course, and there must be occasions where the car is dropped off in a less than perfect state where the valet team really do earn their keep.  It was just the personal choices I was interested in.

[Broadway One]

6 minutes ago, Hornet3D said:

Now I have my Aygo cleaned polished and protected to a degree I am happy with I now have that nagging question, do I have the dealership valet the car at service time. 

Hi all......gave up on the so called "free" complimentary valet years ago.

My local Toyota dealership used a thriving independent car washing/valeting service next door to their showroom.

They did a great job, particularly minting 2nd hand vehicles from the sales line which caused me to think they had a running contract with the car wash company.

Unfortunately my "free" valet at service was done by Toyota workshop staff (waste of time IMO)

I regularly suggested on post service comments they offer a full valet at the next door facility at cost.

Surprised & disappointed that I never received a response.

Barry Wright, Lancashire.

 

  

[FROSTYBALLS]

We tend to use the 'free valet service' (the cost of which is probably built into the service cost) especially since the pandemic, as the interior touch surfaces get sanitised (with a completed checklist hung on the mirror).

[Big_D]

I also tend to use the free valet service. 

[Wiz201]

I just had my two year intermediate service, and they always just do an exterior wash and vac inside, but its nothing special really.

[Cyker]

Same experience as Wiz; They just jet wash the car and give it a quick wipedown and vac.

[Big_D]

True, but it saves me having to do it. I hate washing the car in the winter. Far too chilly for my delicate hands 😁. In summer, I quite enjoy washing the car. It can be soothing.

[Catlover]

17 minutes ago, Big_D said:

True, but it saves me having to do it. I hate washing the car in the winter. Far too chilly for my delicate hands 😁. In summer, I quite enjoy washing the car. It can be soothing.

Get yourself a pair of Marigolds. 😎

[mic]

I don't have a problem with my Toyota dealership doing a wash and vac on the Aygo as they hand wash it and I have watched them several times to see how they treat customers cars and have not seen anything to worry me. 

On the other hand however, I have had a very bad experience a few years back with a Mercedes dealer which unbeknown to me (it was my first service) used a mechanical car wash which ripped the shark fin aerial clean off the roof causing £00's in damage. They obviously agreed to cover all costs to repair however since that moment always refused a wash no matter how dirty the car was.  

Have also noticed my Audi dealer uses a mechanical wash and its always a fat NO. 

[Big_D]

54 minutes ago, Catlover said:

Get yourself a pair of Marigolds. 😎

Do I rub my delicate hands with them before or after I wash the car?? 

[Big_D]

I've not been a fan of mechanical car washes.

[Hornet3D]

The mix is about what I expected.  For me, if I spend a few hours washing my car it is a fair expectation that the main dealer is not going to spend that time washing the car and thus add nothing to the finish.  It is a total waste of time for them which I why I was surprised when dealers were reluctant to skip a procedure that is essentially a waste of time and effort. 

If you don't like washing the car or live in flat so no easy access to water for washing or any number of other valid reasons I can well see the appeal of having the valet doen.  

[NorthantsRob]

I'm a firm No to complimentary washes - I'm the only one who cleans my car. 

 

[Bernard Foy]

9 hours ago, Hornet3D said:

Now I have my Aygo cleaned polished and protected to a degree I am happy with I now have that nagging question, do I have the dealership valet the car at service time.  For years now the answer have been no and I have expressly asked the dealership not to valet the car and I always hand it over in a condition where is not needed.  I have been surprised with the reluctance to comply with the request but in the end they generally did.  I do not wish to malign the dealership but there is no way they will use the same care in cleaning the car as I would and it would be wrong to expect them to do so, to them is is just another car after all.

In the short time I have been on this forum there are a lot of people who put a great deal of effort into keeping the car looking stunning so I wounder what everyone else does at service time, to Valet or not, that is the question.

I’m a bit like you, I wouldn’t have the dealership touch the outside of my car, but I don’t mind them hovering around the inside. Also I won’t take it to the local car wash. I do the outside of the car myself, although it takes me a little longer than it used to, due to the date on the birth certificate 😝and the pains and aches that accompany that. But old age is a privilege that’s not granted to everyone 🙏

[Hornet3D]

19 minutes ago, Bernard Foy said:

I’m a bit like you, I wouldn’t have the dealership touch the outside of my car, but I don’t mind them hovering around the inside. Also I won’t take it to the local car wash. I do the outside of the car myself, although it takes me a little longer than it used to, due to the date on the birth certificate 😝and the pains and aches that accompany that. But old age is a privilege that’s not granted to everyone 🙏

Yes, that was another reason for the change in the the CRV was getting harder and harder for me to wash and look after both inside and out.  The Aygo is very different, I can reach the roof (just) without steps for instance and there is a lot less car to keep clean.  The main reason for the change is that the CRV no longer suited our lifestyle so sadly it had to go, hopefully is now has a new owner that can make much more use of it than we were doing.

[Dave the aygo]

Where I work I am the only person that still cleans my own car at my age all the others have them cleaned for them how time's have changed 

[steveo3002]

ive worked at a few dealers , they dont treat the cars well at all

strong truck wash degreaser sprayed all over then scrubbed with a brush thats been on the floor is the typical job ...they only pay the guy a couple of quid per car

[Hornet3D]

7 hours ago, steveo3002 said:

ive worked at a few dealers , they dont treat the cars well at all

strong truck wash degreaser sprayed all over then scrubbed with a brush thats been on the floor is the typical job ...they only pay the guy a couple of quid per car

That is also the reason I never have any of the protection coats put on by a dealership the job tends to get given to the apprentice (well when there were such people) and the general cleaning staff.  

That is not the case with all dealers but then how are you suppose to knew the ones that will take care from those that won't .  I would rather do it myself and if I was not able to do it myself I would rather pay a professional car detailer to do the work.  It is going to cost about the same but the detailer should come out on top every time.

[Cyker]

That's if they even put it on! I'm almost certain the Supagard coating was never applied to my car at all by the dealer; I called Supagard and they just sent someone down to re-apply it and he didn't think it had been done either, and was very keen to show the difference as he was doing it panel by panel. (It's nice when people are enthusiastic about their product)

Was glad I spoke to Supagard directly - They were super easy to deal with. Just organised the reapplication with no fuss whatsoever. If nothing else their customer service is far better than my Toyota dealer's!

Still don't think I'd pay for the coating as it's pretty much lost all its hydrophobicness and the car is filthy now as rain doesn't wash the dirt off as well as it did at the beginning. To be fair, it is still doing something, as the bird poop that the car seems to get bombarded with randomly is still much easier to remove (Just rinse it off with a hose when I get home, don't need to soak it to soften it up and then scrape the rest off like I used to have to on my old cars). Is a nice freebie if you can get them to throw it in.

Would like to put on a better coating on at some point, but no idea what are good long-lasting ones...!

 

[Rhymes with Paris]

22 minutes ago, Cyker said:

That's if they even put it on! I'm almost certain the Supagard coating was never applied to my car at all by the dealer; I called Supagard and they just sent someone down to re-apply it and he didn't think it had been done either, and was very keen to show the difference as he was doing it panel by panel. (It's nice when people are enthusiastic about their product)

Was glad I spoke to Supagard directly - They were super easy to deal with. Just organised the reapplication with no fuss whatsoever. If nothing else their customer service is far better than my Toyota dealer's!

Still don't think I'd pay for the coating as it's pretty much lost all its hydrophobicness and the car is filthy now as rain doesn't wash the dirt off as well as it did at the beginning. To be fair, it is still doing something, as the bird !Removed! that the car seems to get bombarded with randomly is still much easier to remove (Just rinse it off with a hose when I get home, don't need to soak it to soften it up and then scrape the rest off like I used to have to on my old cars). Is a nice freebie if you can get them to throw it in.

Would like to put on a better coating on at some point, but no idea what are good long-lasting ones...!

 

Hello Cyker, not surprised at your experience with supagard (the dealer applied part).

When I bought my old CRV from a dealer , not Honda, I told the obnoxious salesman not to bother trying to flog me magical coatings on the bodywork and upholstery or gap insurance or any other add one that would benefit the dealer mainly even if done properly,or at all,he asked me if I wanted a job as I knew about these scams,err I mean customer benefits 🤣

As the car was six years old when I bought it I was pretty sure that the road dirt would not have been removed properly by clay bar or other methods first.

I do remember the liquid diamond protection that was around in the 80s which seemed pretty good when self applied , not sure if the current simonize liquid diamond polish is the same thing at all , not used it.

I used to use Mr sheen furniture spray on my motorbikes with good effect after washing and drying ,threw water and dirt off a treat until the next wash.

[Hornet3D]

5 hours ago, Cyker said:

That's if they even put it on! I'm almost certain the Supagard coating was never applied to my car at all by the dealer; I called Supagard and they just sent someone down to re-apply it and he didn't think it had been done either, and was very keen to show the difference as he was doing it panel by panel. (It's nice when people are enthusiastic about their product)

Was glad I spoke to Supagard directly - They were super easy to deal with. Just organised the reapplication with no fuss whatsoever. If nothing else their customer service is far better than my Toyota dealer's!

Still don't think I'd pay for the coating as it's pretty much lost all its hydrophobicness and the car is filthy now as rain doesn't wash the dirt off as well as it did at the beginning. To be fair, it is still doing something, as the bird poop that the car seems to get bombarded with randomly is still much easier to remove (Just rinse it off with a hose when I get home, don't need to soak it to soften it up and then scrape the rest off like I used to have to on my old cars). Is a nice freebie if you can get them to throw it in.

Would like to put on a better coating on at some point, but no idea what are good long-lasting ones...!

 

I had Supagard applied to my Honda CRV and it was certainly applied, you could see which parts of the panel had been done and where it had been missed so the car went back for a second go.  It was after this I did some research which showed me clearly what an error I had made.  

Good place to look for coating reviews is on YouTube there are hundreds there on all different coatings some lasting months and others five or six years.  I general the longer the protection the more careful you have to be while the protection coat hardens.  I did a lot of watching and finished up trying Can Coat from Gyeon as it is designed to be easy to apply and it is, in fact you think you are not applying anything.  The shine after a few hours shows there was a coating being applied and boy does the water bead.

[Hornet3D]

1 minute ago, Hornet3D said:

I had Supagard applied to my Honda CRV and it was certainly applied, you could see which parts of the panel had been done and where it had been missed so the car went back for a second go.  It was after this I did some research which showed me clearly what an error I had made.  

Good place to look for coating reviews is on YouTube there are hundreds there on all different coatings some lasting months and others five or six years.  I general the longer the protection the more careful you have to be while the protection coat hardens.  I did a lot of watching and finished up trying Can Coat from Gyeon as it is designed to be easy to apply and it is, in fact you think you are not applying anything.  The shine after a few hours shows there was a coating being applied and boy does the water bead.

Whoops Error - that should read my Honda Civic