Anxiety of owning a self serve car wash

[DiamondWash]

Man I swear I think my anxiety and blood pressure are going up after I remodeled our Self Serve bays with new extrutech paneling, new lights, all new equipment because I haven't had this new of a car wash in 16 years, it's like buying new furniture and telling your kids: don't sit on it, don't lean against it, don't touch it, don't even look at it!.

 

[Keith Baker]

It's like waiting for the first scratch in your new car.
It sounds like a first class remodel, I'll bet your customers appreciate it.

 

[getnbusy]

Steve ,
has the extensive rehab translated into an increase in gross sales ? how much ?

I know how you feel about being anxious. I am in the middle of a rehab now and I swear I am wondering if the people (customers) even give a rats patoot. Most of the customers coming into a SS carwash in my area are expecting a crappy carwash. I am wondering if its gonna help or hurt.

 

[DiamondWash]

The overall response from customers has been very positive, as for an increase in gross sales I wouldn't know yet. I know the customers respect a car wash that looks nice and clean and well maintained. Spending a ton of money on a rehab is stressful especially on the self serve side because there is more interaction with the equipment and new paneling from customers and that's what freaks me out, Automatic bays not at all.

 

[Greg Pack]

Unless you are in a real rough neighborhood the extrutech will be fine. I've had some in a SS bay for eleven years. I've get a few dings here and there, but it will still look better than anything else I've seen used.

 

[MEP001]

I just stopped at a wash with vinyl paneling, don't know what brand it is but it's stained really bad. It's only been up a year. I'll try to find out what brand it is.

 

[DiamondWash]

Well it finally happened some a$$hole put some pretty good gouges in my self serve bay paneling, has anybody had to replace panels considering they are screwed to the walls with a bead of adhesive on the back of them.

 

[Randy]

That's one of the problems with extrutech paneling, it's easy to punch holes in it. We won't use it anymore for that reason. It looks nice when it's new. It didn't take a month before one of our wonderful customers took a foam brush and beat the crap out of the wall paneling. Then a customer decided that it would be a great place to hang his mats on the wall and spray paint them black. Replacing the panels is not a fun or easy task to do them right so they look like they've been replaced.

 

[DiamondWash]

Ughhh! I strongly agree that Extrutech Wall Paneling should mainly be used in Automatics or Tunnels not self serves now, yes it looks awesome when new if nobody is interacting with it. That was one of main main dreaded questions with Extrutech "how do you replace a panel once installed?", sorry I'm just venting because we as owners spend so much money on our washes and when we see customers damage or destroy it you have to wonder how you are not in jail for assault or murder.

 

[MEP001]

FWIW, this was done 20 years ago. It's just floor tile on cinderblock, $1.50 a tile. It has never been cleaned.

 

[soonermajic]

MEP, that looks very good after 20 years.
Isn't there another SS bay covering that guys use? Maybe real smooth, but a little more expensive?

 

[SteveZone]

How much is it for someone to come by and power wash those walls? Bet the place would look brand new!

 

[OurTown]

Actually there's a power washer in each bay.

 

[MEP001]

It would take more than a power washing to make them look good. Actually the tile was dingy looking when he put it up. He picked it because it wouldn't show dirt as bad.

 

[JGinther]

FWIW, this was done 20 years ago. It's just floor tile on cinderblock, $1.50 a tile. It has never been cleaned.

I think you might want to add: "in Texas" (I'm guessing). Freeze popping is a hard to beat problem with tile further north....

 

[MEP001]

I think you might want to add: "in Texas" (I'm guessing). Freeze popping is a hard to beat problem with tile further north....

You're right, I've even had a glazed block get pushed out of the wall from water freezing in it.