Gareth Birdsall is the proud owner of Platinum Auto Spa, one of Vancouver’s top destinations for luxury car detailing. Before opening his business in 2022, Gareth worked in areas such as appliance installation, landscaping, and hospitality, all of which taught him important skills that he brings to his business every day. Gareth shares the story of how he started Platinum Auto Spa, what it takes to manage a luxury car detailing business, and his plans for the company’s growth.
Q: Gareth, can you tell us about your work history and how it led you to open Platinum Auto Spa?
GARETH BIRDSALL: Prior to launching Platinum Auto Spa, I worked in appliance installation, landscaping and hospitality. These kinds of associations have influenced how I deal with other people and clients. I have always been fascinated by the amount of time and effort that is expended in maintaining exotic vehicles. With my love for cars and a solid background in the service industry, it felt natural to open a luxury car detailing business. When I started Platinum Auto Spa, my mission was to bring the highest quality service to Vancouver’s luxury car market.
Q: What made you choose the luxury car detailing niche, and what makes Platinum Auto Spa stand out from other companies in the field?
GARETH BIRDSALL: This concept came from my passion for vehicles with my years of experience in customer service roles. Luxury car owners are very particular when it comes to their vehicles—I saw it as an opportunity to provide them with a service they’ve never experienced before.
My company stands apart from others because of our concrete focus on quality. We never rush the process or take shortcuts. We use only the best equipment and take time to understand each vehicle’s needs. But above all, what truly makes us stand out from other companies is our passion for helping people and providing excellent customer service.
Q: How did your previous jobs influence you as an entrepreneur?
GARETH BIRDSALL: The skills acquired from my earlier jobs are quite useful in my present position. Being an appliance installation tech, I learned the importance of accuracy and getting the job done right. Landscaping helped me develop a strong work ethic, as the job was often physically demanding and time-consuming. The hospitality industry taught me how to interact with customers. All those experiences helped provide me with a very good base of service excellence which is essential in the luxury car detailing industry. At Platinum Auto Spa, we combine these experiences to serve customers better.
Q: What challenges did you face upon opening your business, and how did you overcome them?
GARETH BIRDSALL: The car detailing industry is quite competitive. In the beginning, the most difficult thing for us was to figure out how to beat out the competition. There are several businesses providing similar services, therefore it is important that we stand out by providing the best quality and services. We’ve managed to bypass this challenge by focusing on what we do best—luxury car detailing—and making sure that every single person who walks into our shop feels valued.
Building brand awareness was another challenge we experienced. Like any other new business, it was challenging for us to build credibility and attract loyal customers, it was. For us, we focused on delivering the best results for our customers, and those customers would share their positive experiences and refer us to others. Because of this, we’ve managed to gradually increase our customer base in the last two years. We have many testimonials to prove this.
Q: What’s next for Platinum Auto Spa?
GARETH BIRDSALL: We’re constantly expanding and developing different facets of our business. In the next period, we hope to add more services to cover greater aspects of luxury vehicle care. We also have a few shops in Ontario which cater to a wider clientele. What we hope to achieve is to contain the expansion of the brand while still emphasizing quality products with exceptional service delivery. In the end, our vision is that Platinum Auto Spa is the ideal place for luxury car owners who want the best care for their cars.
