Team-BHP - Detailing & related services - 3M Car Care (Sector 10, Noida)

The 3M Car Care outlet in Noida has not been listed in our directory. I think it is worth listing. So here goes.

Works handled:
Car Detailing
Wraps
Paint protection
Other standard offerings by a 3M Car Care outlet

What I like:
Bright, clean work area
Attention to detail
Meticulousowner
Competent staff

What work I had done from them:
Paint protection / sealant on VW Vento

Pricing: Rs.3,600 plus taxes, total Rs.4,100

Contact Details:
FS Motors, A4, Sector 10, Noida
Phone: 098188 84477, 0120 424 2475
Owner: Ranpreet Singh
Landmark: near those road side furniture shops on the road from DND to Barabais (please refer maps at end of post)

Remark:
it is a decent sized establishment, not very spacious but not cramped either. The waiting area is a bit small though. The owner Ranpreet is knowledgeable and professional; during a chat he told me he did Business Management in the UK. He is a young chap. He stuck to the timing promised and delivered the car just 15 minutes later than promised.

As you drive into the shop there is a straight driveway which they also use as work area; it is very well lit. At the end of the driveway, off it on the left is an enclosed wash area. Off this driveway, on the left again, next to the wash area are three car bays / work areas. Overall the layout is quite neat and logical.

The staff are quite thorough and know their job. While I took the Essential Paint Sealant package, they also cleaned and rubbed cleaning compound on the tyres and plastic parts, even in the engine bay. I specifically requested Ranpreet not to wash / spray the engine, so they did not.

They did the following jobs as part of Paint Sealant package:
Spray wash and wipe dry with micro fibre cloth
Apply 3M clay (I missed watching this step)
Apply 3M polish: applied with rotary polisher using foam pad. Masking tape and paper was applied on strategic locations, but not over entire glass area.

Apply 3M wax sealant with a foam pad by hand and rub in with micro fibre cloth

Clean all rubber, plastic and glass thoroughly, including engine bay, tyres, mmedia unit screen and MFD glass.

Overall I am pretty satisfied with their work.

The owner of this outlet tells me the coating / sealant will last 8 months. My only worry is how the 3M coating will withstand being cleaned with the salty water of Noida. I am a sucker for brands, so I will keep going to 3M Car Care outlets until such time similar options come up. I will not go to a local outlet which purportedly uses better products, because it does not carry the assurance of quality workmanship and material that a branded outlet gives.

I visited the 3M car care in Noida on Tuesday morning. I had a word with the owner, Ranpreet, the previous evening, but he wasn't at the store on Tuesday. An SA named Hemanta assisted me.

3M basically offers these packages:
1. Paint essential - for new cars;
2. Power shine/ some other keyword - for old cars;
3. Trizact treatment - for high-end cars.

Other than this, they sell 3M and Meguiars products, 3M vinyl wraps, PPF and some other products. They also have annual packages for washing + detailing. For a Creta, 9 washes + 5 detailing treatments in a year worked out to 22,000. :eek:

I found the pricing a bit on the higher side. The Paint Essential program was 5,760 for large cars. Under body anti rust came at 5,300 I think with 5 year warranty (2 year warranty one is some 3,700) and 10 checks over the same period. Their engine coating was 1,760. In comparison, Waxoyl charges 4,400, 2,300 and 500 respectively. (but they don't have a workshop in NCR)

Anyway, I went for paint essential, anti rust (5 year) and nomad mats (265 per sq ft).

What I liked

Clean, well maintained workshop. It was broomed and wiped every hour I believe;
Workshop has 6 stations, including 1 for washing, 2 covered with a transparent curtain and 3 side by side. All 6 are covered;
Good lounge area to wait. All information is displayed on pamphelets, has a wifi for customers;
Or if you prefer, you can wait on the floor around your vehicle. Everybody is happy letting you take pictures while the work is on. No restrictions whatsoever.
The general percpetion in the generic 3M thread on TBHP is that 3M uses compound rubbing on new cars. They didn't. But I asked them to rub an area on the bonnet specifically which they oblidged for.
At one instant while buffing, the microfibre cloth fell down. The workman dusted it off thrice before using it again.
Sufficient manpower to get the job done promptly. The 7 step treatment, underbody coat and mats took a total of 3 hours;
The workshop was busy even on a Tuesday morning. Had almost 5 cars for various jobs and 3-4 inquiries;

What I didn't like

Microfibres clothes used are very old and looked dirty. Considering the volume they get and price they charge, I'd atleast hope for a new stack of clothes everyday;
All products used are 3M branded products while the display in the lounge has Meguiars. Not that they commit anything, but the general feeling you get is they use what they sell. They don't. Infact, the wax used in the "Paint Essential" program is the same wax they'd use after a regular wash. Makes you wonder why did you pay 5700 for the treatment then!! No wonder even 3M assures a mere 6 month protection. In comparison, Waxoyl offers better protection for a less price and is an equally respectable brand.

About nomad mats
I got the mats in 1+1+1 combination; that's 2 for the front and a single mats for the rear. In my car, they look pretty discreet and are nice and spongy. The fitting took almost 2 hours since the workman cut the entire mat in the required shape covering every nook and corner starting from the rear footwell to under seat area. Literally every corner was covered.

What I don't like about the mat is, there is no mechanism to hold them in place. They're just lying there. The hook provided by the company protrudes and looks ugly.

Some pics

Before the treatment began

The workshop area

Jacked up for under body coat. They used pressurized air to clean and dry the area before applying the coat

The claying, buffing, coumpounding, polishing and waxing area. Notice the number of people engaged on a single vehicle

In between a dusty Baleno came and the owners asked for a demo. A small area was masked and worked upon. Here's the result

Nomad mat cutting in progress. This job was really impressive. More than mats, the corner to corner fitting.

The lounge area with product display

The outcome on my car!

The damage to the wallet. Also got a warranty card for the anti rust coat.

Yesterday it rained after a mild storm and I experienced the beading, or the lack of it.

Overall - I'm happy with the workmanship but not too happy with the outcome, especially considering the price they're charging. For a brand new car, I could still see swirl marks and minor scratches, especially on the bonnet. Agreed they were already there when I took delivery but I had especially pointed it out to the SA and they were still there. The standard response was - it's a black car, it will have such scratches.

In future, I might ditch 3M and go with a local detailer. The reason I didn't do so now is no detailer in my area has his own workshop and I don't have a shaded area with a power point. Might have to explore one farther towards Karol Bagh/ Kirti Nagar..

Before I start, i must state (i) that I did not avail of their service (explained below); and (ii) I am a stickler for punctuality and take wastage of my time very seriously.

I visited the 3M, Sec-10, Noida outlet two days back and was generally happy with the place. Discussed the treatment (interior Germkleen) with Ranpreet, the owner, who came across as a pleasant and knowledgeable person. Called Ranpreet the next day and fixed an appointment for today (October 24) morning at 9.30 a.m. and was informed that the process would take about an hour and a half. Ranpreet also confirmed that he would be there.

Reached the place at 9.30 a.m. and found that they were just about opening up. Even their own vehicles were still parked inside. The only person available said that Ranpreet would come in by 11 a.m. and all other would be there shortly.

People started tricking in shortly (in about 5-10 minutes) but it was clear to me that work on my car would not start for some time and I decided to leave. As I was leaving a lady (maybe the receptionist) sent one of the persons to ask me to wait as work could start shortly.

I still decided to leave as I felt that a minimum of 20 minutes would be required for them start up their systems and actually start the work. I later received a call from the same lady who was at the outlet who quite calmly told me that 10-15 minutes delay is quite normal and should be expected.

I am disappointed with the outlet for their lack of professionalism insofar as punctuality is concerned. There was no reason for them to call a customer at 9.30 a.m. if they were not going to be ready to start work. An enterprise which does not value it's customer's time is not getting my business.

CDM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDM (Post 4292735)

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I am disappointed with the outlet for their lack of professionalism insofar as punctuality is concerned. There was no reason for them to call a customer at 9.30 a.m. if they were not going to be ready to start work. An enterprise which does not value it's customer's time is not getting my business.

CDM

I am not anti 3-M but this is standard across all outlets, the owners are mostly ridden by bigger cars coming in, and if you have a small car, or god forbid a slightly rusted old beater they will not care, for the time or the effort or the value of the customer.

When I went to 3M gurgaon the first time, I went in a beater Esteem. The owner was furious lol: with the exhaust of the car and the steering oil leak and the central locking sound.

I gave them two more chances in a gap of 6-8 months, first with my brand new Polo, they were a lot more attentive and pushing for their products.

Then with a friends A4, and holy god they treated us like one. :P

If they had just done it right with the esteem I would have gotten a collective of ten cars to them for washing, but they all go to another outlet nearby now.

Let's hope 3M India gets their act together.

My office colleague who bought a used 2011 Honda City has used this outlet's service last month to get the interiors detailed. He was pretty happy with the outcome and completely soiled beige seats were cleaned to his satisfaction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDM (Post 4292735)

I later received a call from the same lady who was at the outlet who quite calmly told me that 10-15 minutes delay is quite normal and should be expected.

Actually she is right. A used car dealer was so surprised when I reached his place precisely at the time of appointment. He wasn't appreciative as much as he was surprised.

Over the last 1 year of dealing with used car dealers and property dealers I realized that half an hour of waiting time isn't supposed to be even mentioned. A sorry takes care of 1 hour and a double apology is enough when someone is late by more than an hour.

I used get really angry when someone wouldn't respect my time but then I was young to the outside world and within a few years realized that that's how most people work. There are very few folks who respect the other person's time. :Frustrati

Quote:

Originally Posted by devilwearsprada (Post 4293157)

Its not just 3M but most automotive shops work in a similar fashion.

There used to be a 3M outlet in East of Kailash, South Delhi. One time I went looking for that outlet and realized that 3M has moved from that area and another outlet which does detailing, PPF etc. has opened.

Long story short, the owner/manager decides to leave me hanging in the middle of a conversation when a Cayenne parked in front of the outlet. While I was supposed to get a 5k worth job done, the Cayenne guy wanted a PPF wrap on his whole car, I'm guessing that'd be close to 200k at least.

I was told to come the next day since Cayenne guy had a prior appointment, which he did not! Since I couldn't do much I just left.