The Gift Of Detailing

‘Tis the season we have all been waiting for… where we take the time to find great gift ideas for friends and loved ones.  However, you probably have someone who is hard to buy for. Maybe they have everything they need, don’t have a wish list, or all the good gifts have been bought by someone else.  What do you give to someone like that?

Let me answer that with another question: have you considered giving the gift of a vehicle detailing or detailing gift certificate?

Think about it!  Anyone with any kind of vehicle, be it a car, boat, trailer, RV, motorcycle, etc. can benefit from a mobile detailing service. Even if the car is brand new off the lot, it’s likely the vehicle will need a little something to keep it clean, protected and well-maintained.  And unlike most gifts that are based around services, car detailing is an easy one to plan for, especially with us here at Onsite Detail. Because we go to the customer, your gift receiver doesn’t have to worry about scheduling around a drive to a shop. That means they can relax at home or get their vehicle detailed while at work and not lose work hours!

Sounds great!  But how does one go about preparing this gift?  This handy guide is here to help!

Step 1:  Figure Out What They Want or Need

Unlike most gifts that require some sneaky investigation to figure out, cars and other vehicles are hard to hide and therefore easy to check.  If it’s someone you live with it is even easier to go look at their car and find any “needs detailing” spots. Otherwise simply asking for a ride or to look at the car can be helpful ways of finding out what could be worked on.  Plus, it’s a good way of finding out what the make and model of the car is!

It helps to know what to look for when checking out the vehicle.  I suggest looking at both the interior and exterior and seeing what first catches your eye.  

For interiors, is there a strange smell or stain that could use work?  Does the interior have sticky cup holders and a dusty headliner? Could the seats use some leather treatment?  

As for the exterior, are there swirl marks on the hood?  Is the plastic and rubber fading? Could it use some hard water spot removal, or even just a wash?  If the vehicle is an RV or boat or similar, could it use a good wash and wax?

If they’ve mentioned anything in particular, hone in on that!  It may be something they’d love to have done but likely wouldn’t spend on themselves to do.  My own mother once discussed how her passenger door handles were starting to oxidize, so I got her Buffing & Polishing to get it restored as part of a gift.  She likely wouldn’t have bought that for herself, but she was more than happy to receive it!

Step 2: Find the right service

Now that you know what they could use for a detail, it’s time to look at the services.  With us you can do this two ways. First is to browse the website. You can look at interior, exterior, or both when it comes to our list of services, as well as specialty services like a clay bar treatment, plastic restoration, and leather treatment.  Once you have an idea of what you want you can submit an Appointment Request form and we’ll reply within a day to get you started!

The second way is to call us at 801-412-9274 (which you can also send text messages to) on the weekdays between 9am and 5pm.  Our Admin staff are more than happy to help you narrow down the right service and figure out pricing and availability. It’s also a good way to ask questions, such as vehicle sizes or potential travel charges.  Our goal is to get you the right service for your gifting needs!

If you’re still not sure what to get them for a specific service, you can easily purchase a gift certificate instead.  This is especially wise if the person has a crazy schedule or you can’t see the vehicle often or well enough.

Step 3: Making the Appointment

This is a part where you make an important choice: do you want this to be a surprise, or do you want them in on the idea?  If you’re going for the former, you can easily make an appointment with us by calling or filling out a Request Form. A pro of doing it this way is our staff are agreeable in making this work, and since we are mobile we can be flexible in scheduling.  Cons, however, include setting up a good time and date without completely informing you gift receiver of what is going on. You also would need access to their car. If they have a roommate or spouse that can work with you, it might help to ask for the assistance!  If setting up a scheduled time is tricky, you can surprise them in other ways, like sitting them down and explain your plan during a surprise visit.

However, if they’re not one for surprises or the hassle is just too much, it’ll be worth working with them to make the appointment work.  Having them nearby when calling or coordinating a scheduled appointment time can lead to a smooth appointment setup that gives them what they want or need.  

If none of these ideas really work, you can always give them a gift certificate!  This is especially useful if you want to give them something physical. You can put it in a card or small decorative box, or wrap it like a scroll with a ribbon to give as a tangible gift.

Step 4: Celebrate!

Once the appointment is set, let us do the hard work!  We will arrive and detail your friend’s or loved one’s vehicle and make it like new.  With no need to travel, buy product, or work outside on a potentially overwhelming job, you reap the full benefits of a detail service.  Your gift receiver will get a much-needed service done without big hassle, we get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you get to enjoy giving a gift that will be greatly appreciated.  Everyone wins!

With the big holiday season on our doorstep, we at Onsite Detail are ready to make your holidays happy for you, your friends and your loved ones.  We look forward to hearing from you!