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No matter how hard you try.....

M

Mr. Clean

Member
As part of our prep, every windshield gets "mopped" to ensure brows and bugs are completely removed. Recently, a regular customer returned to the wash after having had his car washed earlier in the day to "suggest" that we had scratched his windshield. He'd heard a thump when the attendant was brushing the glass.
Having used triple sided hog hair brushes for years, I couldn't believe it possible to contact a surface with anything but bristles.
Upon his return today, I tried to demonstrate the degree of improbability and ended up serving myself a HUGE portion of humble pie as, in fact, I was able to inflict more scratches to the glass with the exposed corner of the brush head.

The new windshield gets installed tomorrow; round brush heads are on the way .
 
I know how you feel. I did that myself one time when trying to prove to a customer that our wheel cleaner did not damage his rims. Humble pie does not taste that good.
 
I get calls all the time and I think to myself "this is impossible". Notice I said: "think to myself", as I have often found when the public is involved, ANYTHING is possible!
 
Key is don't do things that allow the customer to think you are/could be damaging their car.

You can get equipment that eliminates the need for any type of prepping of the vehicle.

We have carwashes in my town, exterior washes, that do not prep and do not touch the car on the way out and they come out completely clean.

It is a question of knowing what kind of equipment you need and using the right kind of chemicals.

Come on out to Portland and I can show you car washes that wash thousands of cars per month with no prepping and give the customer no reason to complain about alledged damage.

Just well intentioned thoughts.

Bud Abraham
 
buda said:
Come on out to Portland and I can show you car washes that wash thousands of cars per month with no prepping and give the customer no reason to complain about alledged damage.

Just well intentioned thoughts.

Bud Abraham
Click to expand...

They don't need a real reason. Had a young woman recently drove to Chicago from Florida. Lots of cooked on bugs. Said we scratched the hood. She came back to see me after my guys said we didn't do it.

She said "The red Brush did it, thats why scratces are red." . Told her the top brush is Blue and the Side Brushes which are red don't due the top of the car. Scratches ran from front to back. Only an inch long or so. Told her we didn't only wash a one inch section dofferent than the rest of the car. Then on a hunch took soe bug and tar remover ad took off the red bug guts that had gotten smeared during the driving and wash process.
 
This is the reason I do not want to use hog hair brushes. I don't want the customer being concerned and worrying that the hog hair might scratch their car. @ Bud Abraham I would love to know how those car washes are doing it because I have been looking for some answers and haven't found much yet
 
Express

There is no way I can explain it you need to see it.

As mentioned, equipment, chemical are the keys.

Come out to PDX happy to show you around

Bud A
 
I wish I could Bud but I don't have that kind of time to travel, thank you for the offer though I appreciate it.
 
Express

Call Dan Hanna 503 793 1679 he can help you explaining what equipment and chemical to use. Tell him I said to call.

Regards
Bud Abraham
 
Express said:
This is the reason I do not want to use hog hair brushes. I don't want the customer being concerned and worrying that the hog hair might scratch their car. @ Bud Abraham I would love to know how those car washes are doing it because I have been looking for some answers and haven't found much yet
Click to expand...

And you don't use wrap around brushes because??????
 
We aim to give a clean finished product at every price break. We do not apply bug goo on our $6 basic wash but we do a high pressure water prep that has bug goo injected (actually it is No Touch) So today I had a customer call and say he got the $6 wash and he still had bugs on the windshield and grill. He talked to my guys and they explained that there is not a bug guarantee on the $6.

I still want to put out a good product. We have instructed the staff to be sure windshield is CLEAN which obviously didn't happen in this case because that will probably satisfy most $6 customers.

But this guys is.."so you don't guarantee a clean car at $6" Any verbage so I can give an informed a thoughtful anser?
 
carnut2 said:
We aim to give a clean finished product at every price break. We do not apply bug goo on our $6 basic wash but we do a high pressure water prep that has bug goo injected (actually it is No Touch) So today I had a customer call and say he got the $6 wash and he still had bugs on the windshield and grill. He talked to my guys and they explained that there is not a bug guarantee on the $6.

I still want to put out a good product. We have instructed the staff to be sure windshield is CLEAN which obviously didn't happen in this case because that will probably satisfy most $6 customers.

But this guys is.."so you don't guarantee a clean car at $6" Any verbage so I can give an informed a thoughtful anser?
Click to expand...

IN MY CITY ALL EXTERIOR CAR WASH OPERATIONS CHARGE $6.00 FOR A BASIC WASH AND "THEY ALL REMOVE INSECT RESIDUE."
YOUR CUSTOMER COMES TO YOU FOR A CLEAN CAR, NOT A CAR THAT HAS INSECT RESIDUE LEFT ON THE FRONT END AND WINDOWS. IF YOU WANT THEM TO COME BACK YOU NEED TO REMOVE SUCH FOREIGN MATTER.
IT IS EASILY DONE BY APPLYING A BUG REMOVER CHEMICAL (diluted to mfg specificiations) DIRECTLY ON THE CAR VIA A COILED HOSE AND APPLICATOR GUN. TAKES NO MORE THAN 5 SECONDS TO SPRAY IT ON FRONT END AND WINDSHIELD.

AND, IF I CAN RECOMMEND A PRODUCT THAT WORKS ALL THE TIME, TRY KAADY CHEMICAL CORP'S "D-BUG" A GREAT PRODUCT

AT ANY PRICE, YOU CANNOT LET A DIRTY CAR LEAVE YOUR CAR WASH OPERATION OR YOU CAN KISS THAT CUSTOMER GOODBYE.

JUST SOME WELL INTENTIONED THOUGHTS

BUD ABRAHAM
 
True re clean car is what they come for. In our town, most washes cut services on their $6 - half the driers, no r/o etc. I have been through several very mediocre washes here. And truthfully most of them start at $8.

Anyway, what about muddy trucks, caked on wheel wells etc. Do your washes have no upcharges or do you clean every car at each price break the same?

Again in our area many car washes charge 5 plus bucks for bug removal and 5 to 10 for excessive mud.

So you prep every single car identically? I would have to view your packages to see what your upgrades are. All they all cosmetic/appearance and protection? Polishes, shines, sealants?
 
carnut2 said:
true re clean car is what they come for. In our town, most washes cut services on their $6 - half the driers, no r/o etc. I have been through several very mediocre washes here. And truthfully most of them start at $8.

Anyway, what about muddy trucks, caked on wheel wells etc. Do your washes have no upcharges or do you clean every car at each price break the same?

Again in our area many car washes charge 5 plus bucks for bug removal and 5 to 10 for excessive mud.

So you prep every single car identically? I would have to view your packages to see what your upgrades are. All they all cosmetic/appearance and protection? Polishes, shines, sealants?
Click to expand...

you should not model your service to your customers based on what your competition does.

If should be your goal to provide, "exceptional" service, not the same as the competition, but better service.

There are exceptions in every area and with every wash, but a customer should get a clean car when it comes to taking off dirt, bugs, etc.

Caked on dirt, brakedust, dried egg splatter; bird droppings, road tar are all exceptions to the dirt a car wash should be expected to remove. You need to educate your customer with an information sheet about what your wash can and cannot remove.

The simple way to handle extremely dirty vehicles is to tell the customer you will re-wash the car before then go thru as the vehicle is extremely dirty and may need a re-wash. This policy will gain you so much goodwill with customers that it will offset any losses you think you will incur by rewashing the vehicle.

You need to have a customer first attitude, how can you take better care of the customer rather than short-cutting the customer.

By the way, what is the minimum wage in your state?
 
buda said:
The simple way to handle extremely dirty vehicles is to tell the customer you will re-wash the car before then go thru as the vehicle is extremely dirty and may need a re-wash. This policy will gain you so much goodwill with customers that it will offset any losses you think you will incur by rewashing the vehicle.
Click to expand...

What he said.

But we also explain that if the second wash does not get results special circumstances exist that require special atention. While we would like to guarantee a clean car these conditions do not permit the process to provide one i.e baked on bird poop, tree sap egg, tar etc.

Once had a guy tell me ABC wish will get it clean . Since they chare triple what we do I told him for the same price we could give these areas extra atention.
 
That is our dilemma. Everyone here says give the best possible wash even using bug spray and hogs hair brushes, why would anyone pay more than six dollars for a wash?
 
I think Buda's market is largely urban. Not to many issues with bugs, mud etc.. You need to let the customers know that there are differing levels of service available at your wash either by signage or word of mouth.
 
Thank you Jon. Our clients are primarily large trucks and suvs. Our customers have gravel drives and tow their boats to the surrounding lakes on weekends or to the motocross tracks.

So our new menu signs that are on their way indicatethe $6 is for lightly dusty frequently washed cars. Our bug guarantee is posted on our other three wash packages.

I am slo curious if Bud hand towels. I know of several washes that can hide or diminish the stray bug with a hand dry.

We are a true express.
 
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