Cold snap thinking about closing

[Bubbles Galore]

Is it sunny out? I am at work right now and my father-in-law just called and said he has six people washing and 2 vacuuming at my wash. Call it what you will, the sun is out and regardless of the cold, people are loving the sun! Maybe it's just the crazies in my town, but they are out and washing, no need for me to close.

 

[Jeff_L]

Bubbles, that's why I stay open as well. I figure if I'm going to be spending the money keeping the hoses and bays from freezing, I might as well receive some money from those hard core customers who wash in these temps.

The other reason I stay open is that I never want my customers to guess whether I'm open or not. I want them to know that when they want to wash, no matter the weather, time, date, etc., that I'll be open for them to do it.

I can see both sides of the coin though, there's pros and cons to staying open or closing in this weather. It all depends on your personal preference and there's no right or wrong answer. Just wish we could get some snow or ice with this cold so the roads can get salted once again!

 

[Randy]

I hope you guy?s that feel the need to stay open during icy, snowy weather have really good liability insurance. A slip and fall will ruin your day and many more after that.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Shouldn't all businesses have good liability insurance? Not sure I quite understand what you are getting at.

I don't understand why a self serve car wash would close due to weather. If I can handle twenty degrees with my floor heat and weepmizer, then why can't I handle -10? Before everyone gets all cranky with me, let me state this....I don't care whether or not you close, I am just stating an opinion. All I am saying is that if I have invested all this money into the technology to stay open in "milder" winter weather, then why can't I handle this?

Today's high was about 7 or 8 degrees, BUT it was sunny ALL DAY! When I got to my wash tonight, I had 7 wet bays and 6 out of my 8 vacs had to have their hoses wrapped up. I also had 4 garbage's overflowing. I can't get that when it is 25 degrees and sunny.

It's your own business decision as to whether or not you want to close in this weather. If it puts your mind at peace, then do it. What puts my mind at peace is knowing that if someone wants to give me some money, I will take it.

 

[bigleo48]

Minus -17 here today, but stayed open and I was actually fairly busy! Did about $800 of business between my IBA and the SS bays. However, as it goes down below -20 tonight, I will be shutting down the IBA. Did it last night and didn't even get a customer. Just posted a sign saying "Too Cold To Wash...will open in morning"

BigLeo

 

[Ric]

Minus -17 here today, but stayed open and I was actually fairly busy! Did about $800 of business between my IBA and the SS bays. However, as it goes down below -20 tonight, I will be shutting down the IBA. Did it last night and didn't even get a customer. Just posted a sign saying "Too Cold To Wash...will open in morning"

BigLeo

Where are you located?

 

[Dirt]

I keep it open no matter what, even if I make 1 customer happy.
Anyway, do you know how long it takes to rinse frozen soap off of a car?

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I don't understand why a self serve car wash would close due to weather.

Because I lose money, it's really that simple.

If enough of your customer base washes in cold weather to offset your increased costs, then stay open. I would! Unfortunately my customers don't.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I completely understand that. It is your own personal business decision and I respect that.

Can you explain to me the ways that you save money though? I got there tonight and found out that my flojet pump for my foam brush had froze up. I am pretty sure that would have happened whether or not I was open or closed.

I am not trying to be a smarta** either. I really want to know how you are saving money that would justify closing. Closing my wash may have been something I would have considered if it was going to be nasty and cloudy and precipitous For me it just so happened that the sun was out the last two days and that enticed people to wash.

 

[MEP001]

Some have mentioned that their gas bill to keep the floors ice-free is more than the income in a month. Closing the wash, covering the bay floors and lowering the floor heat temperature would save a lot of money.

 

[Ric]

Some have mentioned that their gas bill to keep the floors ice-free is more than the income in a month. Closing the wash, covering the bay floors and lowering the floor heat temperature would save a lot of money.

What would you cover the bay floors with?

 

[Eric H]

Some have mentioned that their gas bill to keep the floors ice-free is more than the income in a month. Closing the wash, covering the bay floors and lowering the floor heat temperature would save a lot of money.

These are the people that are not charging enough per cycle. Raise the price = make some money
BTW: 2 degrees here at 8 am. clean up guy says we're washing 1-2 car at a time. should be busy today with a high of 15 degrees

 

[Waxman]

Ditto.

-9F here this morning. I waited until 930am to open the auto. and had a guy call (just after 8am)and say 'it ate my $$'. my cleanup guy forgot to cone the iba entrance...oops! I was only a couple min. from the wash, so I got right there to help.

Yeah, high of 18F here today. Sunny as heck. We will wash some cars.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

These are the people that are not charging enough per cycle. Raise the price = make some money

True enough Eric - but you cant charge more than the market will bear. In general I'm a believer & supporter of raising prices, and I do. But there is a limit - I'm in a blue collar rural community of 6,000. Yes, I am thinking about seasonal pricing, but the number of days that I actually close is small enough that I dont think its worth the confusion.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I am not trying to be a smarta** either

No worries, I dont think anybody took it that way.

First let me point out that I am not an engineer, I just like numbers to support my observations and instincts, and I like to experiment. So how does closing save me money?

Over the years I've "experimented" with my floor heat settings. I monitored the outdoor temp, the floor heat temp, ice formation in the bays (yes I did it safely), and my gas bills. I've basically got it adjusted to the point where the floor is just warm enough to prevent ice, but low enough to minimize gas usage. It works as long as the temps stay above approx 20 at night, and hits the 30s during the day (typical temps around here), my gas bills are down as a result of these adjustments.

If the temps get down below 20, I have to turn up the floor heat by about 5 degrees.
If the temps get down below 15, I have to turn up the floor heat by another 5-7 degrees.
Below 10, another 5-7 degrees.
Otherwise I get ice in the bays.
So I burn more gas to keep the floors above freezing as the temps drop. Kind of obvious, I know, and easily observable as well. But the point is, gas costs $.

(continued)

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Think about mammals. Our primary method of losing heat is by sweating; this works because evaporating 1 ounce of water requires approx 17000 calories of heat. 17000 calories = approx 68 btu. So when a customer spends $3 to get the salt off, your bay floors get wet... I dont know how many ounces of water get evaporated, but I do know that my floor heat boiler doesnt shut off when the floors are wet. And when the wind is blowing, the effects are magnified. Not to mention melting snow and ice - too many of my customers use my wash to clean the snow and ice chunks off their cars, it all sits there getting melted by the floor heat.

Floor heat is a direct cost - avoiding it is a specific savings.
Have I calculated the exact $ savings?
No.
But here's where knowing my market comes in - I'm virtually certain that I would have had less than 5 customers yesterday. That $15 - $20 of revenue isnt enough to justify the increased utility costs, increased labor, and potential liability.

I dont see this as so much of a "personal decision" as a business decision. Golf courses close when its cold out because they dont have enough customers to make a profit. Same for me. If I washed a lot of cars on cold days, I'd figure out a way to stay open. But I dont, so I dont.

hth, at least a little.

 

[dclark3344]

If there is very much competition then it is very futile for all to stay open. Thankfully my competition has started closing very when it is close to freezing and he has been turning his lights off at night. I have been the one to keep salt in the bays and stay open in all kinds of weather. I have seen a definite increase in my business and only a slight decrease in his. I think we are probably both better off now. I did have a slip and fall about 4 years ago. When the temp was below freezing, sunny and I was backed up with customers. The first thing he did was walk out front of the automatic between cars and broke his ankle when he fell. He requested I call 911 and want everyones name and contact info that came over to see what happened. The insurance company has done a wonderful job of keeping it tied up with depositions, legal filings etc. They did pay him $5,000 which is what my med pay coverage was but his bills with the ambulance and hospital stay, therapy etc.. is over $25,000. The insurance has not paid him anymore and we still have not had our day in court. It has not cost me a dime and I have gotten several nice dinners out of the insurance company at meeting etc.... Insurance companies and the court does not award on these cases like they did in the past. There is some logic in that this could have happened in the middle of the street, your own driveway, porch etc... and you have to take some responsibility for your own actions and that we all know water and temps below 32 make ice.