Customer said my filler work was 'too smooth' and now I'm torn

Last Tuesday a guy picking up his fender told me the panel was so smooth it looked fake, said he wanted some texture left like the factory had. At first I thought he was crazy, but then I walked the lot and looked at newer cars up close. Some OEM panels really do have that slight orange peel, and I've been blocking everything dead flat for years now. So which is it, do we chase perfect glassy paint or match what the factory actually sends out? Curious if any of you have changed your finishing process after a customer callout like this.

2 comments

2 Comments

ray_campbell461mo ago

Three years back I had a customer with a classic Mustang tell me the opposite, he wanted it like glass and I left a tiny bit of peel on the roof by accident. He pointed it out with a flashlight and I had to redo the whole thing. Now I keep a set of test panels around, one blocked dead flat and one with that factory texture, and I show customers before I spray. The factory peel is usually just from the clear coat shrinking at different rates, so it's not like you're doing bad work if you leave some. But honestly, most people still can't tell unless they're looking at a 45 degree angle in direct sun. I've started asking at the estimate stage, takes 10 seconds and saves me from this exact headache.

alicehernandez1mo ago

Wait, he pulled out a flashlight to check the roof? That's next level... some people really do see everything.