Everyone is living a pretty fast-paced life these days – some of us to the point where we don’t have time to wash our own cars.
Fortunately, over the years, a huge industry has developed so that we don’t have to wash our cars – the car washing and detailing industry.
If you are getting your car washed, how much somebody should you tip the attendant or detailer? This can be difficult to know, especially if you are not used to tipping out a service.
No worries, I will help you out. Read on for the details about tipping car washes.
How Much Should You Tip a Car Wash Attendant?
If you had a basic hand wash, a tip of $2 to $5 is appropriate, while a full-service wash warrants a tip of $5 to $10 (again, depending on how well the attendant did). If you had an auto wash, the attendant is just there to look after the machine and there is no expectation to tip the attendant.
However, if you think the attendant did a great service, tip whatever you want (at any car wash).
With car wash attendants, tips are not used as regularly as with food delivery and restaurants so they will most likely be quite thankful for any tip, or a tip.
The expected tip for a car wash attendant would generally be in that range, so that’s a good starting point number to leverage into a more generous or large tip that you feel comfortable and appropriate with if the attendant has done a fantastic job.
Some will tip just like in a restaurant, anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of the price of the wash, but often it is a similar number as above.
The average car wash costs around $15 in the US. Regular car washes, therefore, are quite inexpensive, often because very simple services are offered as opposed to detailing.
In any event you can use your best judgment, and any of the numbers I mentioned above will be more than welcomed by an average car wash attendant.
How Much Should You Tip a Car Detailer?
It’s normal to tip between 10-20 % of the total package value as a tip to a car detailer, but you may only do so when they have done a really good job. The more specialized and skilled work of the car detailer likely deserves a more generous tip.
A car wash attendant may only spend less than 30 minutes getting your car cleaned up. A detailer can spend 2-5 hours on your car depending on how much work you are requesting and the package you purchased.
Detailers are not like servers in a restaurant who keep a good attitude and accept tips regardless of food quality. Servers didn’t cook the food and we can always tip for their good service regardless of the food quality.
Detailing is a uniquely skilled and premium service. It is reasonable to expect a great job to be done prior to tipping.
What Does a Car Wash Attendant Do?
If your car wash is not an automated version, it will be staffed by an attendant who washes your car by hand. If your car wash is automated, there will be an attendant working to help manage the operation of your machine.
If your car wash attendant washes your car by hand, they will likely be using either a power washer or a dual-bucket system where they quickly use sponges and the car shampoo to get the car clean, rinsing off promptly and drying with microfiber towels.
The car wash attendant can do a standard cleaning that may include basic vacuuming inside the car, but for the most part a standard car wash is only an exterior clean.
The job goal of the car wash attendant is to do their best to get all the dirt, dust, and anything else making your car’s surface look bad off of it.
They don’t pay much attention to close detailing of your vehicle, and they generally don’t provide things like waxing, polishing, and additional paint protection as a standard option.
In an automated car wash, the attendant does the same thing to make sure the machine is working correctly, tell you if there is anything you need to do to prepare to enter the car washer, and maybe do some extra rinsing if the machine misses something (which is rare now a days).
Lastly, given that car wash attendants are on the front line of their business, they have to do well with customer service, asking you questions and helping you with the issues you might have with the service in some way.
What Does a Car Detailer Do?
Car detailing is, of course, related to car wash attendants, but ask any detailer and they will tell you that there’s a lot more to it.
A detailer is the next step up from a car wash attendant, with many detailers being freelancers having created small companies with car detailing to be their career path. They love cars and are dedicated to understanding the geography of a car, and how to clean every single section of it, both exterior and interior.
A car detailer will offer a variety of cleaning services usually sold in the form of detailing packages that vary from pretty basic and go up to much more comprehensive (and expensive).
A basic detailing package will generally be around $50 for a midsize sedan car, and if you have a larger car like a full-size SUV, then you’ll usually be paying around $70 for a basic detailing package.
It does vary from place to place, but it is relatively common for a detailer’s basic detailing package to be three or four times more expensive than a car wash. A detailing package can easily go into the hundreds of dollars on the high end.
The level of cleaning offered by detailers is much more in-depth than even car wash attendants.
Detailers will break the car into individual sections, and then spend a considerable amount of time focusing on each section in detail, using careful attention to clean that section in line with the shape and build of the car.
Detailers will also typically offer waxing and additional paint protection in their lower-end packages as well. Detailers will also vacuum, dust, stain removal, odor removal, and much much more on the inside of the car.
A major difference in the work of a detailer vs. a car wash attendant is the “restorative” aspect. A car wash provides for a clean car, but a car detailer works to restore that car back to how it was, when it was brand new.
Car Wash or Car Detailer? Which is Better to hire?
To wrap up this blog, I want to provide you with some more thoughts regarding the balance between hiring a detailer or going through a car wash. Each option will come with its obvious benefits or drawbacks.
A car wash is a lot less expensive than detailing, however, detailing clearly provides a much deeper level of clean. Ultimately, you just need to think about your need. Below, I’m going to provide you with a few scenarios to illustrate just that:
1. You simply have a dirty car that you would like to not look so dirty.
If this sounds like your scenario, then you can choose a car wash, possibly weekly or every couple of weeks depending upon your location and driving habits, or level of dirtiness.
However, if you have kids, think about having them wash the car over a weekend. It’s a good exercise in responsibility for them while keeping them productive.
2. You haven’t cleaned the car forever, and you have a possible sale on the horizon.
This is a case where detailing would be a good idea. When a car hasn’t been cleaned for a while, there is a good chance a lot of dirt/mud is stuck where it just won’t come out with a regular car wash.
A good detailer will be able to see into every angle, every corner, every dark recess, and make sure those areas get cleaning. In addition, having that level of restorative clean is going to help with the wow factor when it comes to selling the car.
The curb appeal of the car is going to have a big influence on whether or not your buyer is willing to pay your suggested price for the car.
Think about your car cleaning needs, and make the best choice for your situation. And, remember, always tip someone who does a good job with your car. Even if it is just a couple of bucks for someone to manage to get your car looking much cleaner, it goes a long way!