You may have seen the IDA logo on my website, on my email signatures, on my social media, my van or on my uniform but you have no idea what it is.
The IDA is the International Detailing Association. A trade association for car valeters and detailers that started in the USA and is now spreading worldwide. The UK has a thriving chapter and others are growing and developing across Europe, Asia and Australia.
There is a whole lot that could be said here… and I’d probably bore you to death so I’ll try to keep this brief. In the UK the car detailing industry is pretty much unregulated. Anyone can put a bucket and sponge in a van or the family car, call themselves a detailer and get out there and work on cars. Compare that perhaps to the CORGI gas register or the body that approves/accredits electricians. You can’t just do those jobs. You need training, skills and qualifications.
Whilst the IDA does not (at least yet) and cannot command the same legal requirements as the aforementioned associations it does provide a framework for valeters and detailers to join, adhere to a code of conduct and invest in their own professional development. The IDA host many webinars, podcasts and training events that allow detailers to increase their knowledge, learn new skills and tactics and expose themselves to the latest products and industry developments.
The IDA also provides a certification and validation process. Certification comes in the form of online examinations. If passed the member is allowed to show to the public that they are a ‘Certified Detailer’. To progress further the member can have their skills and knowledge assessed by professionals within the industry to ensure they are operating safely and skilled in their processes. This is the ‘Skills Validated’ program. It is a face to face exam where a detailer is asked to demonstrate and explain all their processes, different options that may be available to resolve an issue and show that they are fully skilled both in their knowledge and their practical application.
So why is this important to me and why is it important to you? For me it’s about CPD (continuous professional development). I hold CD and SV qualifications and continually update my knowledge/skills with regular webinars, podcasts, training events and more. I also have a huge pool of talent around the UK and the world that I can tap into.
I am a retired police officer but during my career there were often discussions along the lines of ‘How would you explain this in court’. Now I’m not saying that I plan to end up in court from detailing but consider this. If I were challenged about my skills and training I would much prefer to list all my training, skills, qualifications, certifications and my extensive CPD rather than saying I’d done nothing but had watched a video on YouTube by an unknown person or took advice on a forum from someone who appeared to know what they were talking about. I’m invested into and committed to my own professional development within a community of like minded professionals.
As a customer, you want reassurance that the person looking after your car knows what they are doing. Would you prefer to put your pride and joy into the hands of someone who ‘really’ knows what they are doing and is committed to excellence and can evidence it or someone who may be cheaper but you have no idea of their standards or training.
As a caveat.. it would be very fair to say that there are many excellent detailers out there who are not IDA members and who turn out fantastic work, sometimes over many years of experience. But what is their commitment to being at the top of their game? Where do they learn new skills and processes? Maybe you should be considering this and asking such questions before you let someone near your car.
Being a member of the IDA is important to me and I hope it’s important to you.
If you’re not local to me then you can find your nearest IDA detailer anywhere in the world by searching the Detailing Nearby website.