New owner

[newy]

We just opened our first car wash last week in SE PA it is an 80 ft express with self serve bays, we offer free vacs on the express wash only. I have been running business very successfully for almost 20 years but never a car wash. We have researched it for over 10 years but there is nothing like experience!

I would appreciate any info or guidance from the seasoned ones in the biz.

Thank you.

 

[Waxman]

1. Take what you consider top-notch, first-rate, exemplary cusutomer service and UP IT!

2. Be your most efficient self. Carry this idea on to your employees as much as possible. Efficient with all costs to provide the service; chemicals, utilities, water, and labor to name a few. Create a mindset of everincreasing efficiency.

3. Focus on quality; everything from a clean car, to employee appearance and site cleanliness are critical.

4. Be a leader, not a follower. Develop your own charity car wash program, hand out free litterbags with your logo, walk around with a spray can of scent and offer it free. Come up with offbeat marketing campaigns to draw customers in.

5. Make it fun. Don't let stress get the better of you making you unhealthy. Try and balance your work and home lives as much as possible. If you have a commute, listen to inspirational books on tape or soothing music when you've had a hard day at the wash.

Good luck.

 

[newy]

Great advice! Thanks a bunch.

 

[Greg Pack]

Since you're new I would suggest really watching the cars leaving your tunnel with a critical eye. Watch for the dirty cars to come in and see what they look like when they leave. The sides will almost always be fine. Look at the backs of SUVs and wheels. Also, make sure the cars are dry. These things can be tweaked through chemistry or equipment adjustments.

In a prepless express chemistry can make you or break you.

Carwash college at the Sonny's factory in Florida is money well spent.

 

[Chiefs]

Chemicals alone cannot clean what equipment cannot reach. The areas of concern to all operators should be fronts and rears of vehicles as well as the windshield (especially the area between the lip of the hood and the other side of the wiper blades. If you leave a mask on the windshields, customers will not be happy and it will ask them to call into question the quality of the rest of the wash. Wheels are especially troublesome due to brakedust. Here you need not only a great wheel cleaner but a high pressure unit that will completely cover the wheel and pivot as the wheel passes which increases both coverage as well as cleaning time.

The formula is simple - Clean - Dry - Shiny cars. Anyhting less and you will be in trouble.

Owning and operating a tunnel is far different than operating an in-bay. First customers expect and demand) far more quality than from an in-bay. Secondly, you have attendants for them to complain to, in-bay's do not. Lastly, the customer will expect you to take care of extra-ordinary cleaning problems that they come in with (snow, ice, mud, bugs, bird droppings,etc.). Faill to do that and you will have disgruntled customers regardless of what you charge.

Lastly, do you really think that free vacuums are going to generate more volume?

Bill

 

[newy]

Chiefs, Good info! My husband and I are big on customer service and very personable. We have already had some interesting situations but got thru them fine. I am personally a little obsessed with producing a clean car. My equipment guy and chemical guy keep telling me basically to get over it but according to everything I have read it seems I need to stay on them. What do you think? The cars are coming out great! Clean, dry and shiny but I have this thing for the little spots only on the far corners of say a mirror or the far corner of a window. Is this expected? I do not want to be ridicules.

 

[Scottswashandlube]

Most new operators open with very little capital, I hope you are not one of them. I would expect to spend at least 15% of income towards marketing your new wash.Val Pak, Clipper, Welcome Wagon, Billboard, local paper.Got to get your name out there.
I'm in Pa. also and unfortunately the weather is not cooperating,but hang in there and good things will come.

 

[newy]

Hey thanks for the info. We are aggressively working on getting our name out there but it seems slow then it picks up then slow again. We are going to businesses and schools and athletic associations as well as paper ads and flyers. Do you see a big benefit in the local clipper mags? Where in PA are you? How was business the past few days Sunday and Monday?

 

[Scottswashandlube]

Newy I am just outside of Reading in Exeter Township, check out our web site scottswashandlube.com
Sunday and Monday were pretty good days but the year has been a disaster.The weather patterns have not been good, we get the snow then 3 days of soaking rain.I cant remember the last week we had of good weather without at least 2 or 3 days of rain, thank god for the lube center it always takes money to the bank rain or shine, its the one stable part of my business that keeps me sane.Feel free to give me a call or stop by anytime

 

[pitzerwm]

Unless you have one hell of an operation you better have more asstes/profit centers or a day job.