Lessons In Mud

[Red Baron]

About an hour ago I see a red Dodge pickup caked with mud pulled into one of my SS bays. I walk up to tell the guy "Just want to let you know about our 'Clean Up Your Own Mud' policy, before you drop any coins." The guy turns to me, it's my karate instructor from 18 years ago, a 6th degree black belt who could knot my forehead faster'n you can say RainX. I smiled, skook his hand and told him he could leave all the mud he wanted, I'd clean it up when he left.

Had a good visit in my ER when he was finished. It just goes to show how perilous it can be to chew a customer out.

 

[jprb]

Did he leave the mud or not?

JPRB

 

[Red Baron]

Did he leave the mud or not?

JPRB

Yes.

It's been a frustrating day on the mud front. Heavy rain for a week now. I've invested a good bit in signs stating that we just aren't going to allow big messes anymore. They don't care! Tell ya, my family are farmers who helped settle SW Kansas more than 125 years but the car wash business is sure giving me a bad opinion of farmers. If I could get away with it I'd have every one of them go somewhere else. They account for 90% of the big messes and 5% of my revenue.

My next approach will be to set up my cameras to capture tag #'s and send them bills for $25 minimum, followed up with a Small Claims Court suit is they don't pay. Word should get around...

 

[pitzerwm]

IMO, you shouldn't have allowed it. He touches you he goes to jail for a long time. Making a mess like that is a low life, I don't care how many belts has accumulated. I stood up to guys a lot bigger than I, of course, I always packed, so I figured that I was bullet proof.

 

[Jim Caudill]

Your problem is that you thought you were in the car washing business, and you built and maintain your wash, as though that were true.

The problem is, a certain percentage of the public does not view your wash in the same way. They look at your facility as a place to dispose of grime, trash, and mud. This detritus can come from horse trailers, smokers & Bar-B-Que grills, pickup beds, old vehicles being towed by wreckers, lawn mowers and landscapers, tree trimmers, and asphalt pavers (just to name a few). Notice I didn't include the bass fishermen and ATV'ers or monster 4-wheelers.

These folks look at your place as an absolute bargain (regardless of your startup cost) to get rid of trash & grime. He!!, $2 to get rid of all the remnants from a dump trip or clean my bed of the leftover mulch? What a deal!

 

[soapy]

In our town we have 2 drive in movie theaters. This year they did not open them and not many people know why. I can just imagine that after every show they were left with a 2 acre trash heap. This is the only business I can think of that has to put up with the trash we do.

 

[Red Baron]

IMO, you shouldn't have allowed it. He touches you he goes to jail for a long time. Making a mess like that is a low life, I don't care how many belts has accumulated. I stood up to guys a lot bigger than I, of course, I always packed, so I figured that I was bullet proof.

I told him to ignore the signs, which is usually what I tell customers if I'm there where I can clean up the mud.

We were very good friends at one time - he took me from a beginner white belt to 2nd degree when we competed against each other at tournaments. He was also a paramedic when I had a car wreck in '94 and he rushed to the ER to plead with surgeons to amputate my leg below my kneee rather than above, to no avail. We've been through a lot together, and while we're not close friends anymore, the respect is still there - I still addressed him as Mr. Liles rather than John.

Odd story, a convixted sexual predator attacked his young daughter and wife one night, but wiggled out of charges somehow. Every morning for a week I parked my pickup down the street from the perv's house waiting for him to go to work. I was going to work him over like there was no tomorrow, but each time he spotted me and ran, even when I borrowed my brother's trusck to fool him. Never did catch the perv - probably best for both of us.

 

[Washmechanic]

To Jim Caudill, Amen, you've been there.
To Red Baron, I understand where you are coming from, but I would have a very hard time calling someone a good friend who trashed my business like that.

 

[mac]

Here's a thought. Has anyone collected the mud to sell. Some places like here in Florida, good soil is worth some money.

 

[Waxman]

My lot slopes off the back.

I use the mud for free fill. You should see all the free land I've accumulated!

 

[pitzerwm]

I too did that for 20 years, one day the neighbor had to survey his lot for a loan, turns out about 20' were his, or well I had sold by that time.