This is the first of what I intend to be a series of articles that shine a spotlight on some of our local businesses. To kick us off, I reached into the proverbial hat and pulled out the name of Jenks & Son which, happily for me, meant spending an amiable afternoon in the good company of local resident Mark Jenks, the son in that business name.
Set up by him and his Dad in 2015, Mark is now the sole owner of the car valeting business, although it has grown over time to the extent that he is now able to employ two others. One team member spends his days at their unit near Cotford St. Luke where cars can be given more intensive therapies, such as adding a baked-on ceramic coating which protects paintwork for up to eight years. The other two, including Mark himself, are most often out on the road, in their distinctive van, taking their valeting business to their clients’ workplaces and homes.
For someone who’d thought that cleaning cars was a simple matter of a bucket, sponge and a chamois leather, the afternoon spent with Mark working on a client’s Audi was quite an eye opener. As well as correcting my mis-conceptions (neither sponges nor chamois leathers are good options it turns out!), he explained the science behind the products that we were using to not only treat the exterior to a wash and brush up, but give the interior trim and fabric a thorough clean too.
With six years of experience of working on vehicles of all shapes and sizes, from working vans to a cosseted classic Jaguar E-Type, Mark was keen to emphasise that each car is different. Just to start with, different manufacturers use different paints, for example, which require different techniques and treatments if they’re to be brought back to their best. The level of grime and the time since it was last given the treatment are all factors he has to consider too, which is why he’s never able to give a price over the phone without at least having seen photos of the vehicle first.
Perhaps my greatest mis-conception that Mark had to correct though was to do with the whole purpose of his business. I’d naively thought that valeting was essentially about cleaning. Whilst cleaning it obviously a part of it, valeting goes far beyond what most of us can do at home on the driveway. Valeting, it turns out, is more about being proactive than reactive; preventative rather than curative, with the finishes Mark can apply protecting the car against dirt and even water. After 4 hours working together on the Audi, the reason why his business gets so much repeat custom was as clear as my reflection in the now highly polished bonnet.
