Mud mess signage in bays??

[Harper220]

Has anyone ever posted signage in their SS bays to the effect... "please wash down your mud" or "please clean up your mess"?

I know that most people don't read signs, but just curious if anyone has signs posted and how has it worked out? I figured every once in a while that maybe someone might clean up their mess and I'd make a few extra bucks in the mean time.

 

[MEP001]

Red Baron uses such signs, but their effectiveness is based partly on his surveillance video. In my experience, signs do no good if there's no enforcement.

 

[Greg Pack]

I've done it. I also posted policies about this at the changers. It does help somewhat over time. It also helps to catch the serial offenders ( in my case a bunch of redneck kids) and inform them of your policy. It's controversial among operators but I'm glad I did it. I think I lose money on mud, they can go screw up my competitor's washes.

 

[Harper220]

I've done it. I also posted policies about this at the changers. It does help somewhat over time. It also helps to catch the serial offenders ( in my case a bunch of redneck kids) and inform them of your policy. It's controversial among operators but I'm glad I did it. I think I lose money on mud, they can go screw up my competitor's washes.

If you don't mind me asking, what do you have posted word for word in your bays and by your changer? As far as the post before, I'm not sure if cameras would make a difference on wether or not somebody would clean up after themselves??

 

[MEP001]

Cameras will always make a difference if the customer knows they're being watched for making a mess.

 

[soapy]

I post a sign saying $25 clean up fee if you leave bay muddy. It seems to have helped a little. I also think you loose money when a heavy mudded vehicle comes in.

 

[pitzerwm]

My signs are in the Library, pictures or some place like that.

 

[Harper220]

My signs are in the Library, pictures or some place like that.

Thanks... just the answer I was looking for.

 

[Red Baron]

If you don't mind me asking, what do you have posted word for word in your bays and by your changer? As far as the post before, I'm not sure if cameras would make a difference on wether or not somebody would clean up after themselves??

I've taken an increasingly aggressive approach to heavy mud. Last week I put up 20" x 28" www.postergrip.com sign frames in each SS bay, with Coreplast signs that say:

$25 CLEANUP FEE!
Please leave the bay like you found it!
You will be billed a minimum $25 cleanup fee for abuses:
* Heavy Mud Deposits (leave the bay like you found it)
* Grease (if it's not under your hood, don't clean it here)
* Pickup Bed Debris
* Paint or Painting Equipment
* Trash
This is a car wash, not a made service. We want it
clean for our next valued customer.
Just passing thruough town? You tag # has been
videorecorded and you may be invited back through
Small Claims Court to enforce our policies.


The signs are laid out in an easy-to-read layout that's hard to miss. I have preprinted letters and stamped envelopes in my desk at the CW and $25 invoices - if I can get a tag # I identify them through publicdata.com and send them a bill. I don't expect a check, nor do I expect that customer to come back, whick is ok by me.

 

[MEP001]

The link to www.postergrip.com comes up as a domain for sale. The thought of a frame to hold replaceable signs interested me and I'd like to look into it.

Does publicdata.com work very well? I plan to start aggressively pursuing people who dump or damage stuff. Some jackass this evening left a crappy old weight bench in a bay - I knew by the way he drove around once and was watching me that he was going to do something, and I didn't keep a close enough eye on him. The SOB even checked once to make sure I wasn't looking before he drove off, which I watched him do later on video.

 

[MEP001]

I signed up for an account at PublicData and searched for the jackass's plate number and it turned up his very complete info. I'll be giving him a call tomorrow.

I'm thinking about starting a blog with pictures and info on people, call it a "wall of shame" that others can look up, as long as it's not illegal. If it is I'll still do it, just without any detailed info.

 

[MEP001]

I've started the blog at mep1.livejournal.com - it's free.

 

[Red Baron]

The link to www.postergrip.com comes up as a domain for sale. The thought of a frame to hold replaceable signs interested me and I'd like to look into it.

Does publicdata.com work very well? I plan to start aggressively pursuing people who dump or damage stuff. Some jackass this evening left a crappy old weight bench in a bay - I knew by the way he drove around once and was watching me that he was going to do something, and I didn't keep a close enough eye on him. The SOB even checked once to make sure I wasn't looking before he drove off, which I watched him do later on video.

Try: http://www.mdiworldwide.com/ProductLine_PosterGrip.aspx They work well even in our windy area. I have some that haold an 8-1/2" x 11" sheet so I can print it out, laminate, and have a nice looking sign that will last and is easily changeable.

I used abika.com for awhile but they were slow and expensive. Publicdata.com has a monthly/yearly fee and then you can search as many plates as you want. About 10% of the time it finds "No record" of the plate. If I see a guy making a big mess and think he might not clean it up, I may get his tag and run it on Publicdatawhile he's still in the bay -- if I get a "No Record" then I wait around to talk to him as he drives off -- if I can get his info I just send him a letter and maybe an invoice for $25.

I think it is great for the car wash industry that owners are beginning to crack down on abusers. It will take awhile but I think we can reverse the thinking from the days before cameras, where customers were conditioned to think the car wash is where you leave your junk.

"I didn't see your sign" is something I hear a lot when I confront an abuser. I usually tell them "Well, according to the video, you read the sign, looked both ways to see if someone was watching, then proceeded to make a mess.

 

[MEP001]

I have some that haold an 8-1/2" x 11" sheet so I can print it out, laminate, and have a nice looking sign that will last and is easily changeable.

Thanks, that's actually what I had in mind, something helpful and informative that I can rotate out on occasion, and that I can design and print myself.

 

[Red Baron]

Thanks, that's actually what I had in mind, something helpful and informative that I can rotate out on occasion, and that I can design and print myself.

I wouldn't waste the extra money on the clear plastic sheeting protector. It invariably gets dirt between it and your sign and etches both. I just get the heavier weight laminatign sheets and they've never blown out even in our 70 mph winds.