Trash cans are gone

[sparkey]

I finally pulled the trigger and got rid of the trash cans at my two car washes. Best thing I ever did. I get a little bit of people just throwing trash on the ground but very little. No more POS minivans that pull up and block the entrance to the bays for 40 minutes at a time just dumping trash and not spending a dime. No more filling the entire can and spend $1 on a vacuum. Its seems a little weird when they dump the dumpster there is 1' of trash in the bottom of it. This is becoming a trend in my area. I know of 2 other washes in neighboring towns that have also pulled their trash cans with similar results.

 

[chaz]

I agree it can be frustrating.....if I’m on site, I’ll say something to the “customers”. At this point I’m keeping my cans....I feel like it’s part of doing business. I have plenty of people who spend time AND money at my place and I’m not ready to inconvenience them. I did raise my vacs from $1 = 4 min, to $2 = 6min....did that over a year ago....that helped a ton with trash issues, and makes the cleaning of the vacs a bit less miserable as I’m gettIng a lot more income from my vacs.

 

[mac]

Good idea sparky. I used to have a customer with a six bay plus 2 autos. He was , and still is, an idiot. He insisted on having two, yes two, trash cans by every vacuum. Not only was he the city dump, it just plain made the place look, well trashy.

 

[OurTown]

We ran off a lot of these type of customers and now rarely have a trash problem. I do notice that when we are busy there's not as much trash. On really slow weekdays that's when shenanigans are more likely to happen.

 

[MEP001]

sparkey, do you have any signage about it? Hopefully you won't end up with people bringing their own garbage bags, filling them up and leaving them by your dumpster (Seen it many times) or just sweeping it out on the ground. Might not hurt having a sign stating a fine for dumping or littering, I assume there's an ordinance against it.

I used to come in every Wednesday and would find one or two bays full of litter, finally on a Tuesday evening I was there and caught the guys. They were buying cars at a vehicle auction around the corner, and they'd come in, open the doors and use the high pressure to just blow all the garbage out in the bay. They got CTW's.

 

[Randy]

We have 2 garbage cans at the car wash. We tried removing them once and it was a total disaster. The customers would toss there trash where the garbage can was, toss it on the ground or set their trash on the vac island. The birds and the animals would get into it and spread it around. After 2 weeks we gave up on the disaster

 

[Waxman]

I have 2 cans at my wash. I empty them daily +.

I feel that this is a necessary service that I must provide the customer.

After all, they are coming to the wash to clean their car.

Put yourself in the customers' shoes; your car interior needs cleaning. If you are like me, there are a few pieces of trash in the interior that are in the way of completing a nice vac job. You pull up to the vac island, grab the trash off your floor, and there are no trash cans anywhere!

I feel that by eliminating trash cans, you are providing below-average service. The self service car wash business is about helping the customer achieve their goal: a clean car. It is the reason they visit your business.

Think about it: only half of car owners wash the car. the ones that do wash only come 3 x per year! I know I need to always be washing MORE, not LESS!

I know the trash is a pain in the a$$. I know people abuse it. But not every customer does. In my experience, the majority of customers do not abuse the garbage or bays. I think you are punishing all the customers based on the actions of a few. Is that good business practice?

 

[JGinther]

If you want to get rid of your problems at the car wash, you just have to get rid of your customers. Pretty simple really. i would think that getting rid of thrash service would be a good first step toward that. Receiving a small payment for trash would be ideal, but pretty unrealistic considering throwing trash is free everytime.

 

[MEP001]

Put yourself in the customers' shoes; your car interior needs cleaning. If you are like me, there are a few pieces of trash in the interior that are in the way of completing a nice vac job. You pull up to the vac island, grab the trash off your floor, and there are no trash cans anywhere!

Ok, I'll put myself in the customer's shoes. I don't let trash pile up in my car. If I were to go to a car wash to clean and vacuum, there would be no trash in it to throw away. No one I know personally lets weeks or months of garbage pile up and expects someone to provide a facility for them to dump it in, whether as part of washing their car, or for the purposes of one vac cycle, or especially for free.

I can't see myself ever pulling out the cans, but I fully understand and sympathize with the problem sparkey was facing.

 

[Roz]

I changed from traditional trash cans I used to need to dump into the 6 yard bin. The large trash bin was being used by people to dispose of large household items so I moved to 110 gal bins from the trash haul company that get lifted by the trash truck each week. No more large bin, no more small trash cans, no more headaches, no more need for someone to empty the trash cans. Trash company handles everything!

We still get a few customers who abuse the service but overall everyone is happier with the system.

 

[MudMoney]

Once I gated my wash @ 10 pm I cut down on the trash.I have 20 30 gal.cans on site for 3 bay ss.That is 3 at each vaccum stand and in the bays.Yes I get those that only come to empty their trash ,I see them out my office window and wander out there to talk to them. The trade off is my vacs do 18% of what my bays do.There was a wash in town where the new owner decided not to let muddy pick ups use the bays.In a rural community that is a no no.He was out of business in 2 years.Trash is money most of the time,Mud is money all the time.

 

[2Biz]

I agree with Swampdonkey….Even though it infuriates me to see someone pull in and dump car trash without spending a dime. At least they know where I'm at and hopefully a large percentage will be back when they do want to spend some money, even if only at the pop machines. I used to have domed cans that were screwed down to the concrete and I had to use garbage bags. Ever since I found Hypodermic needles in the cans and on the ground, I refuse to ever touch garbage again.


To remedy, I purchased 1/2 yd heavy duty totes (With wheels) from our local Rumpke and also have a 2 yd dumpster. When the totes get half full or a little more, I upend them in the dumpster without ever touching the garbage. And people actually close the lids probably 99% of the time! More win win's, no more garbage bags saving several hundred $$$ a year and the totes hold more garbage so I don't have to dump as often...I never fill the 2yd dumpster that is dumped once a week, so I'm good for the time being!

A little humor....I didn't know I got photo-bombed by the Mail Man until after looking at the photo later on my PC...That was good for a laugh or two!

 

[chaz]

Ok, I'll put myself in the customer's shoes. I don't let trash pile up in my car. If I were to go to a car wash to clean and vacuum, there would be no trash in it to throw away. No one I know personally lets weeks or months of garbage pile up and expects someone to provide a facility for them to dump it in, whether as part of washing their car, or for the purposes of one vac cycle, or especially for free.

I can't see myself ever pulling out the cans, but I fully understand and sympathize with the problem sparkey was facing.

At least at my wash folks dumping a ton of crap is not the normal. But with all do respect...it sounds like you are putting your feet into shoes of a perfect customer...I would imagine even you accumulate some daily litter that you’d expect to be able to discard when using pay vacs....and not have to hang onto the litter until getting home?! At my wash trash and litter on the ground just like C/C fees are considered part of the cost of doing business.

 

[chaz]

I agree with Swampdonkey….Even though it infuriates me to see someone pull in and dump car trash without spending a dime. At least they know where I'm at and hopefully a large percentage will be back when they do want to spend some money, even if only at the pop machines. I used to have domed cans that were screwed down to the concrete and I had to use garbage bags. Ever since I found Hypodermic needles in the cans and on the ground, I refuse to ever touch garbage again.


To remedy, I purchased 1/2 yd heavy duty totes (With wheels) from our local Rumpke and also have a 2 yd dumpster. When the totes get half full or a little more, I upend them in the dumpster without ever touching the garbage. And people actually close the lids probably 99% of the time! More win win's, no more garbage bags saving several hundred $$$ a year and the totes hold more garbage so I don't have to dump as often...I never fill the 2yd dumpster that is dumped once a week, so I'm good for the time being!

A little humor....I didn't know I got photo-bombed by the Mail Man until after looking at the photo later on my PC...That was good for a laugh or two!

Good idea. I too have Rumpke collection (great company) just wondering out loud of they’d simply empty the toters and eliminate the dumpster? I currently have an 8 yard that’s typically about 3/4/full each week

 

[2Biz]

My wash is in town and I am charged for local collection on my utility bill, same as residential. I pay for the dumpster directly to Rumpke. I purchased the 2 cu yd Dumpster outright for $500 from Rumpke, It's mine. What it did was lower my monthly charge from $95 down to $52.50, a no brainer. They won't offer up that option, you have to ask for it. That was 8 years ago....

So what I did was purchase 6 totes for $75 each planning on doing the same as what you are wanting to do. I set 4 totes out the first week only to get cited (they put a sticker on the cans) that they will only pick up two totes with the in town contract. So now I have some spare totes and just dump the totes in the dumpster. I only set one tote out for local collection, its the one I shovel mud into. Its never been an issue, but I try not to make it too heavy even though they have the new tote lifts on the garbage trucks. Its really not that hard to dump the garbage totes in the dumpster, but my 2 yd is a lot lower to the ground than your 8 yd. You might have to devise something to help you get the job done if you go that route.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Good idea. I too have Rumpke collection (great company) just wondering out loud of they’d simply empty the toters and eliminate the dumpster? I currently have an 8 yard that’s typically about 3/4/full each week

OMG, Rumpke is the worst business of any kind I have ever dealt with. We've had them for 5-6 years now. I have had to call them at least 50 times for missed collections, only to get a lame a$$ excuse and I'll make a note of it. It's not like I'm in some obscure location. I'm on the main highway, only a few blocks down from their office. I even changed my collection day to Thursday so I would be able to call them on Friday after I'm missed/ignored.

 

[MEP001]

At least at my wash folks dumping a ton of crap is not the normal. But with all do respect...it sounds like you are putting your feet into shoes of a perfect customer...I would imagine even you accumulate some daily litter that you’d expect to be able to discard when using pay vacs....and not have to hang onto the litter until getting home?! At my wash trash and litter on the ground just like C/C fees are considered part of the cost of doing business.

I really don't accumulate trash in my car (Truck actually, but anyway...). Even before I had the convenience of a whole car wash available to me at work for free, I never let trash accumulate in my vehicle.

I used to manage an ugly old wash that was never abused with trash. I don't know why, but aside from a very rare mess I just never had people dumping or leaving large messes. Now I find the occasional pair of cans completely full overnight and video shows they either didn't vac or spent maybe one cycle, but it's not a problem that I'd ever consider removing the cans. I doubt I'd do that no matter how bad it got unless I was the only wash in town, and if I did I'd have signs and cameras and involve the cops in prosecuting.

 

[Randy]

I love the ones who come into the car wash park by the vac island, get out, they weigh in at around 350lbs plus, open all 4 doors and start scooping the garbage out of their car with their big fat A$$ up in the air, looks kind of like a badger digging a hole. When they are done they close the car doors and drive away or the one last week who came in a dropped off a big black garbage bag full of $hity adult diapers. These kind of things really reinforce my love for humanity. For those of you who don’t get dumped on you should consider yourselves very fortunate, because it can be very frustrating. When you do call the police and they decide that they will cite the individual you’re the “A” hole for calling the police. It never seems to end!!!

 

[gshick]

Hey Sparkey,
My I am a self-serve car wash owner and manager of 6 locations in Richmond, VA. Would love to talk to you about getting rid/locking trash cans. If you could send your contact info to my email I would love to give you a call and chat. Thanks!
Garat.shick1@gmail.com

 

[Greg Pack]

My observation was a long time ago that the more cans I have, the more trash I get. I used to half two cans per island, when I went to one per island the volume of trash went down substantially. I think plenty of huge trash cans around the lot could send a signal that "we've got plenty of room for all of your trash"