09/09/2026
There are some customers who walk into the 10-8 garage and remind me pretty quickly that the law enforcement world really isn’t all that big.
This 2017 Toyota Corolla LE belongs to a police wife and first-time 10-8 customer. She dropped the Corolla off and brought her husband along, and somewhere during the introductions we figured out that he had worked with someone I know from the law enforcement community.
Well, that was pretty much the end of me being productive for a while.
Once a couple of cops—current, former, retired, or some combination thereof—start talking about people we know, the job, life after the job and everything that comes with it, the clock apparently stops mattering. We got to talking so much that I almost forgot there was a Corolla sitting in my driveway waiting for me to actually do some work. LOL.
Eventually I remembered that 10-8 is a detailing business and not a police reunion, said goodbye and got started.
The Corolla was definitely ready for some attention. Inside, there was the normal collection of dirt, dust and debris throughout the cabin, along with dirty all-weather mats, carpeting, door jambs and the little areas that accumulate grime from everyday use. The cloth seats needed attention as well, and the dashboard, console, doors and interior surfaces all got a complete reset.
I blew out the cracks and crevices, thoroughly vacuumed the cabin, cleaned the seating surfaces and interior panels, scrubbed and cleaned the all-weather mats, and worked through those dirty door jambs until the entire interior looked clean and uniform again. The trunk wasn’t forgotten either. It was emptied of the loose dirt and debris and cleaned up just like the rest of the vehicle.
Then I moved outside.
White paint has a funny way of looking “pretty clean” from a distance while hiding a layer of road grime, dirt and contamination up close. Once the Corolla received a proper hand wash, and the wheels, tires, lower panels and all those neglected exterior areas were cleaned, that white paint came back to life. The difference in the finished car was exactly what I wanted to see.
Because I spent the beginning of the appointment solving the world’s problems with another member of the law enforcement family, I got a little bit of a late start on this one. But nobody punches a time clock at the 10-8 garage. I kept working and finished the Corolla in the early evening.
When she came back and saw her car, she was genuinely pleased with the result—and she made sure I knew it.
I have to admit, I still appreciate that part of this business.
In my former profession, appreciation wasn’t exactly something that came with every call for service. You could do everything right, solve the problem and move on to the next one without hearing much about it.
Apparently appreciation is trending at 10-8, and I’m perfectly happy to let that trend continue. 💯
Thank you to this first-time customer for trusting me with her Corolla, and thank you to another law enforcement family for finding its way to my garage. Between the conversation, the connections and seeing how happy she was with the finished vehicle, this was a good day at 10-8.
Every detail. Every car. Every time.
Ron
10-8 Hand Washing and Detailing
Elmhurst, IL
(773) 954-6019
[email protected]