The short answer to whether you should tip your car detailer is yes. However, tipping is not always 100% necessary, some detailers do not expect tips as a standard, and some detailers price their services in a manner that covers any gratuity. It does vary and depend on where you live and who is detailing your car.
Coming from a car detailing company, it may seem biased. But rest assured; all Panda Pros are paid fairly, and Panda Pros keep 100% of all of their tips. We also want the best for our Pros, we love to see everybody win.
We’ve broken down why we believe you should tip your car detailers and how much you should tip them.
Why You Should Tip Your Car Detailer
Here are all of the reasons why we think you should tip your car detailer, especially after a job well done.
Car Detailing is a Service Based Industry
You likely wouldn’t think much of tipping waitstaff, your barber, or a bartender for a job well done. The things these all have in common is the fact that they’re all service based industries. A skilled professional has fulfilled a service, and you’re helping them continue to pursue this.
A study was recently conducted into tipping culture, here are Bankrate’s Tipping Etiquette guidelines.
Car Detailing is a labor intensive, skilled career
If you’ve chosen somebody to detail your car, you’ve likely identified them as a skilled professional that you trust with your car. Most detailers will have several years of experience, and will use advanced techniques and technology on your car. Your car is probably one of your biggest investments, why would you avoid paying for quality service?
Car detailing is an investment into the condition of your car. Good detailing isn’t cheap, and cheap detailing is very unlikely to be good.
A Tip Helps Identify a Job Well Done
If you’re satisfied with the service that your car detailer has completed, they’ve left your car spotless, it looks show ready. Your tip helps them pursue their passion, support themselves and encourages them to continue their good work. If you’re a regular tipper, you’ll likely receive a premium service and build up a great rapport with your chosen detailer. A win-win.
The Cost of Living & Inflation
Life is particularly expensive for everybody right now, and if you’re able to, a tip helps every service worker live a little more comfortably. We’re here to connect you with the best car detailers in your area, what happens afterward is up to you.
How Much You Should Tip Your Car Detailer
Do you tip your car detailer? Did you know whether you should or shouldn’t? We hope to lay a difficult question to rest, and help avoid any awkward interactions. Here’s our very short and easy guide to tipping your car detailer if you’re happy with their work:
10-20%: The service was satisfactory/good. (This is a standard detailing tip)
20-30%<:The service was fantastic.
Why Some People Do Not Tip Car Detailers
While tips are highly appreciated, sometimes people really may not want to tip their car detailers and there are quite a few reasons for that.
Bad Experiences
Tipping is often tied to the quality of the service received. Imagine someone already paying a good amount of money for the service and getting below-average service from a detailer; such as unprofessional behavior or poor communication. In this case, people might be hesitant to tip.
Perception of Pricing
Some people feel that the price they are paying for the detailer already includes the compensation. So, high service prices can sometimes give an impression that workers are well-compensated and they feel additional tips are unnecessary.
Budget Constraints
Many people see tipping as an optional expense that can be cut to save money. With the rising cost of living, some customers might be more conscious of their spending and may not have a budget to tip on the top of service fee.
What To Do If The Service Was Poor
We advise thoroughly inspecting your car after your detailer says that they’ve finished. Ask them questions about why things look the way they do. Some things may not be as they appear, for example, car seats need a chance to dry before they look their best. However, if you’ve found errors in their work, and they haven’t taken a chance to rectify this, you are not at liberty to tip.
As tipping is not an industry standard, and more of a courtesy, there likely will not be significant consequences for not doing so. However, we would always advise giving your detailer a chance to rectify any issues, as most errors are very small in the scope of things, and can be fixed with a microfiber cloth or another pass with a vacuum.
To summarize, tipping a detailer is a personal choice. It’s not just about money but more about showing appreciation and acknowledging someone’s hard work. If you ask us if you should tip your car detailer, we believe you should, but we understand that not everybody wants to, or is able to.
