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Wobble Head Foam Brush Revisited

bigleo48

bigleo48

Active member
So I ordered a Wobble Head foam brush handle to check it out...not cheap at $150 each from Kleenrite.

The brush is very sturdy and perhaps a little heavy...but seems well made. I installed it with a sign saying "Brush Handle Not Broken. Handle Stiffens when Foam Brush Selected"

I must say it works very well and as advertised. Will monitor customer comments for the next month or so and report back. Then I'll decided if I add it to the other 7 bays.

Big
 
Good to hear, and I like the forward thinking of posting that type of sign.

I have two concerns:
  1. Price - tough to swallow.
  2. Winter - what happens during the freezing temps? Does the wobble mechanism freeze or stay "wobbly"?
 
Big Leo,

I saw today a customer using a wash mitt which would hold up paid time usage even more than if they cheated on the foam brush time a bit ... from my observations.

A big factor would be if a car wash consistently had lines of customers waiting.

MikeW
 
I think the wobble head idea is dumb.

Spend money on things that reward the customer, not things that punish the customer.

For example; I have a customer who just bought a new Toyota. He is a Veteran and someone I have known for about 20 years. He comes in, sprays the car down and uses his own mitt. I am NEVER going to say a word to this customer. He is in twice a week, spending his money.

Why punish the customer? Bad business decision, IMO.
 
Jeff, Price is the price and they weep ok.

Mikew, People do all kinds of stuff...but misusing the foam brush is extreemly common. I don't agree with "A big factor would be if a car wash consistently had lines of customers waiting". One thing I've learned is that you want to make hay when the sun shines. So when we get those lineup days...you don't want the free users wasting time/money.

Waxman, I see what your saying and I agree and disagree to a certain extent. We all have regulars who like to do things their way and we don't bug them. However, potentially pushing away the cheapskates doesn't bother me too much (something along the line of firing bad customers). They can go and fill up my competitions bays (which are not as good and he has fewer bays) with 5 minutes of foam brushing without soap, crossing up the hoses and then spending $3 rinsing. They are also more likely to complaining about one thing or the other. I have a few of those too.

So this is a test. At this point the price is the bigger issue.
 
It works through the winter months just fine. We still haven't heard a single complaint about it but we are a new location. I also think the positives outweigh the negatives by far. It feels like a higher quality brush. You could increase your soap output slightly so your customers see a difference. Add another delivery pump with a different color soap and flip the colors back and forth every 10 seconds (cheap and easy to do). Doing those things could reduce the possible complaints. Customers using a brush without the time running could also be holding up your bay for the next customer.
 
Etowah
So I've had this in service now for a few weeks and I have yet to get one single complaint (we have attendants there daily and its in one of our busiest bays).

I guess I really like it. It works very well, stiffens almost instantly and stays stiff for about 15 seconds after the FB soaps function stops. It is sturdy, weeps fine and has a quality overall feel. So I'm going to install it in the 7 remain bays.

In the last few years I've been working at eliminating problems and annoying areas of the wash. Like replacing or enhancing equipment and monitoring, so things can run smoother for both the customers and our staff. This is just another one to cross off the list and every time I do cross one off, it makes me feel so much better and I wonder why I didn't do it sooner.
 
bigleo48. I couldn't have said it better myself. We have had the same experience although the location we have is new. Your experience has me thinking we should move ahead to an existing location and give it a try.
 
I installed 9 of them back in November at one of my washes. They work great and I was actually only going to use them in the winter months...I have decided to keep them on year round. They are made well and they feel great to hold on to. I was a little worried about how customers would react to them, however them seem ok with them and I believe people are feeding the timers a little more when the brush goes limp.
 
Decided to reduce my aggravation and start with 4.

Also going to install new Hogs hair brush heads with the handles.

Figured I'd do remaining 4 later if I like it.

Figured it may not only enhance revenue but reduce "Brush Abuse". (Like using it as a broom to sweep out truck beds. ) This reduction of abuse will enhance brush life.

I also bought the signs. Does everyone use the signs?
 
Earl,

I put all 8 in and not one complaint. A few people thought they were broken...but once explained, they were ok. I too feel it will keep the brushes nicer and last longer.

I made my own sign, much like the one you can purchase. However, I prefer the "Safety Brush" name. How can you argue with 'Safe'!
safetybrush.jpg
 
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