Finer Detailing Case Study - The Devil is in the Detail

Finer Detailing Ltd is a one-man business offering first-class specialised car detailing in Greater Manchester. Iain Brown, who established Finer Detailing back in 2007, provides a wide range of detailing services, including full car detailing, ceramic paint protection sealant, wax top-ups, and more. Growing his successful business through word of mouth, Iain has worked on Jaguar’s and Alfa Romeo’s, all the way through to Vauxhalls’ and Volvo’s. CHALLENGE Finer Detailing’s tenancy ran out in June of this year, and when Iain moved into his current premises in Heywood, his new landlord would not permit the workshop to have any digging works carried out to the foundations to create an indoor wash bay. Iain has rented four workshops over the past 13 years for his business, and in the former three, he had works undertaken to remove 4 cubes of concrete in the floor, install a new soil pipe and drain, and re-lay new concrete in the washbasin. It was all very messy, and a big costly job for this one-man-band. This led him to consider an affordable and less intrusive solution. Iain took advice from builders and experienced individuals who advised him to build above the floor. He then searched on Google and found two companies that provided above-ground car cleaning solutions, Morclean being one of the two, and the first company to respond. BRIEF Finer Detailing needed a dedicated wash bay area mounting in the Detailing Workshop, which would allow him to clean the cars as they came in, and to provide Iain with an area to store vehicles, that had already been detailed, ready for collection. He required a solution that fully contained any overspray, that was easy to install, and created no upheaval or mess. INTERESTING FACT Prior to the launch of Finer Detailing, Iain used to be a customer services manager, and a job centre manager. So, when asked what made him want to make the career change, he said: “It all started from a hobby. I prefer to work for myself than other people, so I turned my hobby into a business. I’m very passionate about what I do and thrive on the wow factor of my work.” APPROACH Morclean listened to Iain’s dilemma, presenting him with options and advice rather than telling him what he needed. He already knew in his own mind what he was looking for, a unique build totally customised to the demands of the business. Morclean’s approach made him take the plunge, despite going against his personal principles and buying blind. Morclean suggested installing a bespoke surface-mounted wash pad that was relocatable if he needed to move premises again in the future. Iain and his-father-in-law installed the wash pad, with Iain saying: It was dead easy to do, taking just a couple of hours”. Iain also installed a floor to ceiling clear corrugated screen as he said: “I cannot afford for water to get past the enclosure, and any splashes run down and fall onto the 6 x 4 m pad.” The wooden walls were notched out so that they overhang the pad, and he installed a commercial fan into the ceiling to circulate the boxed-in wash pad area. This enables cars to be dried quickly and effectively, so as not to affect any of his detailing work. Iain said of Morclean: “Everyone’s been really patient and understanding. Questions have been answered, and while I was quite nervous about buying and installing a wash pad from a company I’d never heard of before, the quality of the build is second to none”. RESULT The new wash pad area allows people to drop their car off the day before the work is being done, so that Iain can wash the car that evening ready for the morning, with a 12-year-old Jag on his job list today! Iain enthused: “The wash bay allows me to get on with one job whilst waiting for a finished job to be collected. It means that I can fill and utilise all my hours effectively.” INTERESTING FACT Despite running his business around a hectic home life, Iain is living proof that you can turn your hobby into your dream job! People have since made enquiries about his bespoke wash pad, standing aghast of the transformation. Iain certainly likes to make an impact, both in his work and his working environment, and the new wash bay has certainly provided the “wow factor”. I’m very passionate about what I do, and. I thrive on the quality of my work. My workshop is my kitchen, providing the fillet steak of the car detailing industry.”

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