The Art of Garbage Management

[ScottV]

Probably the most frustrating issue that I deal with on a daily basis at my washes is garbage left behind by customers. I never would have suspected that people were such hogs, and care nothing about filling and overfilling our trash cans with household garbage, batteries, water pumps, and anything else that they dont want to take to the landfill themselves.

I recently heard that another operator in an adjacent town got so frustrated that he pulled all of his garbage cans off the site. He put up signage and has been pleasantly surprised at the outcome. With the exception of a few violators, nobody is leaving anything behind. I feel like the biggest violators are folks that never use a vac, SS bay, or IBA but just stop at my sites to dump garbage. Those are the folks that I dont consider as customers.

I know this issue has been hashed over a number of different times on this site, but I was wondering if any of you have had experience (good or bad) with elmininating the garbage cans altogether?

ScottV

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Havent removed the cans, but not a day goes by that I dont think about it.

What I did do is put up signs citing the theft of services ordinance, and we do periodically contact people and tell them to either pick up their junk before 8AM or they can pick it up at the courthouse next week.

Trash management became a lot more manageable. Still frustrating, but more manageable.

 

[washnvac]

It is amazing to me how many idiots leave their personal mail, along with their other junk. I have sent quite a few bills with photos; this has allowed me to collect a few checks for my aggravation. Some have not paid, but I did not pursue it. My time is more important.

 

[johnny]

i find as time goes on you get more and more if you do nothing,
then i get fed up and go through it and take it back to there house and put it at there front door or in the middle of there driveway,
then the problem goes away for awhile

 

[lighthousecarwash]

I'm getting ready to swap out all my trash cans as they are getting pretty ratty looking. I don't have any lids on my cans now and will be attempting to use snap on lids with about a 8 or 10 inch hole cut in the top. I'm not sure if this will slow any of it down, or just get more junk piled on my vaccum islands, but I'm going to give it a try. I see people pull up to the islands, roll down the window, throw in the trash and drive off. I have mixed feelings about running out and chewing on them, as they may use the car wash on a regular basis.

No trash....I wander how life at the car wash would be with no trash? Whatever would I do for an hour every day?

Lighthouse.

 

[pitzerwm]

I found that by replacing 30 gal cans with 15 gal cans and locking the dumster, added signs reduced my problems.

 

[Red Baron]

I don't tolerate it even a little. Just sent a letter to a guy along with a snapshot of 2 paper towels leaving his hands for the bay floor, less than 5' from a trashcan.

If a guy is that inconsiderate I don't want him around.

 

[Red Baron]

And just to follow up, I think car wash owners as a group have brought this on themselves. For decades they have conditioned the general public to think that the car wash is the place to go to get rid of the crap you don't want anymore. They have been conditioned to think that once they drop their quarters in the slot, whatever they want to do with the wand is their business.

Any chance I get to correct that I do. The customer is not hiring me as a maid service. They are renting my equipment, compensating me for my property taxes and investment in real estate, and buying my water and chemicals. I'm not a maid.

 

[Greg Pack]

I don't tolerate it even a little. Just sent a letter to a guy along with a snapshot of 2 paper towels leaving his hands for the bay floor, less than 5' from a trashcan.

If a guy is that inconsiderate I don't want him around.

And I thought I was bad.......

You are the ultimate Carwash Nazi....

NO CAR WASH FOR YOU!

 

[Red Baron]

And I thought I was bad.......

You are the ultimate Carwash Nazi....

NO CAR WASH FOR YOU!

LOL You're probably right. I've been doing this 13 years and that's probably 1 year too many.

 

[captain cw]

I have seen almost everything in ten years of car wash ownership, but last week a hunter left his deer head, legs and entrails for me. I was so mad, I'm glad he was not there. I think I would have gotten myself incarcerated. I love this business, but this is the part I hate the most!!!

 

[Jeff_L]

...i get fed up and go through it and take it back to there house...

That's exactly what I do with household trash, take it back to where it came from. Since I go through my washes in the wee hours of the morning, I usually don't encounter anyone as I take it back to the neighborhood. I don't leave a note or anything, they know where it came from, and now they know I know!

As for other types of dumpers (brakes, wood, etc.), I do my best to catch them and stop the practice.

The other people who drive through and throw away a cup, can, gum wrappers and not use the vac or wash that day, I don't do anything about. I chalk it up to they might be a customer some day. At least they'll know where to wash their car when it's time!

 

[Jeff_L]

I have seen almost everything in ten years of car wash ownership, but last week a hunter left his deer head, legs and entrails for me. I was so mad, I'm glad he was not there. I think I would have gotten myself incarcerated. I love this business, but this is the part I hate the most!!!

Not sure which is worse, deer carcass or a dozen catfish in July!

 

[MEP001]

Not sure which is worse, deer carcass or a dozen catfish in July!

Shrimp, definitely shrimp.

 

[Fatboy769]

That's exactly what I do with household trash, take it back to where it came from. Since I go through my washes in the wee hours of the morning, I usually don't encounter anyone as I take it back to the neighborhood. I don't leave a note or anything, they know where it came from, and now they know I know!

As for other types of dumpers (brakes, wood, etc.), I do my best to catch them and stop the practice.

The other people who drive through and throw away a cup, can, gum wrappers and not use the vac or wash that day, I don't do anything about. I chalk it up to they might be a customer some day. At least they'll know where to wash their car when it's time!

Ditto on the household trash Jeff. I even make sure that I split the bag before slinging it into their front yard. I figure that, if they don't give a $hit about me or my facility, why should I give a $hit about them.

 

[Red Baron]

It's not about the trash with me. It's the disrespect I can't tolerate. I can overlook stupidity, carelessness, and even laziness. But if I get the hint that they're taking that "By gosh this is a car wash and I'll do whatever I want when I deposit my quarters," it's gonna take a left turn down Nastyville Rd.

I can safely say that, without exception, anyone who has ever been chewed out by me at the car wash in the last 13 years, did two things to make it happen:
1. They ignored a clearly posted sign. and;
2. When I point out the sign they cop'd an attitude.

If they've done both of those things, step 3 is pretty predictable.