Regular Wash vs. Full Detail

Regular Wash vs. Full Detail

What is a detail in relation to a wash? Does my Car actually need one? There is a lot of confusion surrounding what a detail is so let’s go ahead and clear the record! 



What is a full detail?

An informed consumer is a dangerous thing! Many businesses want to keep their customers in the dark about certain processes because they make money when there is information asymmetry. This is when there is an imbalance in how much the business knows about the process in relation to how much the consumer knows. A good example of this is a repair shop - there is a reason they have bad reputations and many people feel as if they have been taken advantage of. 


So then let's get a working definition of what a detail is in comparison to washing your car. A detail is an in depth cleaning of your vehicle's exterior and interior, and will usually include some type of protection applied at the end of the washing process. Now, prices vary depending on how "in depth" the detail actually is, however details are generally much more expensive than a wash. A wash is just that - a wash! If your car is dirty, it will be cleaned after a wash, however they are usually external only, and focus mainly on the windows and paint of the vehicle. They take less time, and they are the foundation, or the starting point, for details.


Should I get a detail or a wash for my vehicle?

In our experience, we have found that most people actually only really need a wash. Details are a one size fits all solution, meaning that your car may not need everything that a detailer is offering. For example, your vehicle may have clean wheels and clean carpets, however the detailer is going to clean these parts of the vehicle regardless since it justifies their higher pricing. This means you are paying for a service you actually don't even need. 

 

Washr solves this process by allowing our users to add services to their wash for when they need a bit of extra cleaning, instead of giving a one size fits all approach. This is better for your wallet and it also bridges the information gap since we believe an informed consumer is a happy consumer. More transparency is better for everyone, unless their business is built on keeping people in the dark.



So here is a tl;dr - details are a one size fit all approach to cleaning your vehicle. They cost more due to how in depth they are because they take more time. Washes are generally more flexible, they are also more economical than their detail counterparts since you are not paying for services that your vehicle may not need.