Missing Pitzer, not much here anymore

[Whale of a Wash]

The ACF is not the same without bill. It seems lifeless ,less humor, less interesting.
He really made it come alive

Maybe the loss of washes in this country has our numbers down , but it seems like only about 30-40 use the ACF
Anymore. Just seems like all the colorful people are gone. Galen, Pat Crowe, Pitzer and a few others.

Some of the categories haven't been used for a year. Not much help there!

Are there any other car wash sites out there that are helpful ,useful, or interesting?

 

[cebo]

I've been awol for a while, but just jumping back in the frying pan with another location and been lurking lately. Pat did his best to pull us to the middle of the road. I wonder how he is doing.

 

[robert roman]

Forum is what the participants make it.

Generally, most forums have many more followers or readers than talkers.

Many former participants on this forum and the other carwash portals were newbie’s looking to make their first investment. This pool has evaporated.

There are less self-serve establishments, about 23 percent less.

Most new carwash projects are express exterior tunnel. Many of these are investor sites owned by people who don’t participate in associations or forums.

So, many of the discussions on the forums are nuts and bolts stuff because self-serve category has become mostly a parts and service business.

Most business concepts and ideas do not live forever. The forum is no different.

Bill launched and grew the forum until it reached maturity. When a business/industry reaches maturity, there are several options.

Take action to extend life cycle, ride the decline or exit.

Figuring out how to best hang on isn’t very interesting stuff. How to transform a business or industry category is. However, these discussions are far and few between.

 

[Eric H]

I almost made a similar post last week asking for the newer members and the lurkers to check in. I am a member of 2 other forums (not in this industry) and post there about once a month. Usually there are 10-20 members that answer the majority of questions, about the same here from back in the day. I think the real issue with lack of action here, as Robert pinter out, is the lack of new investors. Recently I have noticed an increase in the number of my customers that are asking me what it take to open a carwash. I am taking it as an indication that the industry, or at least the economy, is improving. Hang in there things always go in cycles.

 

[2Biz]

Before buying the wash 4 years ago, I was an avid RC’er and belonged to several popular RC forums. Daily, there were new threads started with modelers taking you through the latest build or mod (Including pictures).…The members were proud of their accomplishments and was happy to share what they learned and made.

For me, I tried to carry that over to this forum starting with projects like CFL Conversions, LED lit business sign, Modding an old Mark VII Pumpstand, Demand heater for floor heat, sharing PLC ladder Programs for the wash, and more (with Tons of pictures).

So why isn’t that the norm here? You’re right….This forum is dead and I can’t figure out why? I’ve tried to bring “What Works” from the other forums, But really has never caught on. I always searched the forum before starting the threads stated above. So, to the best of my knowledge the projects had never been discussed here. Surely I wasn’t the first to come up with any of that.

I'm with the OP, Its confusing to me, too, why there's not more activity on this site.

 

[Washmee]

Sometimes there are people on forums who suck the air out of them. They always have a long winded answer to a question or are constantly negative in their outlook. People like to post things and have positive discussions but the forum hogs are always there to shoot the topic full of holes. Other times there is a self proclaimed expert who always has the answer and other posters just figure it's not worth the effort to have another viewpoint. Bill was a bit of a loose cannon who was never afraid to put someone in their place if he felt they were getting to pushy with the other members of the forum. At the same time his edginess encouraged other people to really express their views. We need another Pat Crowe or Bens Carwash type poster to liven things up a bit around here.

 

[MudMoney]

I've noticed the lack of interest also,I check everyday but my 2 cents has already been said and I don't see a need to copy what has been said.The forum is going thru a cycle like any other business and might swing back & get interesting again.I'm on other sites not related to car washing and those to are in a down ward cycle.

 

[Waxman]

i could be alot more negative/argumentative/controversial but i choose not to.

i started out very positive and yes the business has jaded me a bit and hardened me.

i still think i am positive but now more tempered with reality.

i have also branched out more into used car sales, p.d.r., etc. i just closed on apartment building which keeps me hoppin.

so things change and people also find other things to do on the internet. alot of it is time wasting imo.

 

[Bud]

I can't speak for everyone naturally but I have been in this business for 33 years and really have tired of the BS that goes along with it although I still enjoy some of it. I am winding down and would probably have been out by now if the economy hadn't taken a nose dive. Maybe some of us are just "plain" tired of it and don't have a lot to say anymore. I want to be out in the next year or so for sure. I still enjoy the "forum" from time to time. It has been a good thing.

 

[ScottV]

That's interesting, I've noticed the same thing about this Forum. I used to check it daily, after Bill sold it, I just felt like I didn't identify with the new Moderator. Nothing personal, I've just never met him. I miss Galen, Big Leo, and some of the other more colorful posters. A few have and always will be blow-hards, but you just learn to scroll past their lengthy diatribes.

 

[K Lazy K]

So I am one of the constant lurkers on this site. I've never been one to post on the internet, but I have gained so much knowledge from this site that I can't imagine not having it as resource. So I am going to get out of my comfort zone in order to add my two cents to the forum in hopes that someone may find the information usefull, insightful, or maybe even funny. I have had some crazy stuff happen at my wash since I opened it 7 years ago that some of you may find interesting as well as wrestled with all of the decisions to make like pricing, maintenance, theft, and the occasional exploding vacuum, etc.

K
5 SS Bays and 2 Autos

 

[I.B. Washincars]

The OCCASIONAL exploding vac!!! You mean it's happened more than once!!!

I've been in/around this business for 45 years and have had only one catch fire. I've had one that the tub was level-full and had gasoline running out the door...that didn't explode!!!

Other than that, Welcome to the forum. There's a lot of nice guys here, and Randy

 

[mac]

My God, if people are missing Pat Crow things must be really bad. I try to talk to as many operators as I can, and always mention the forum. It's amazing that many of the long time operators have never heard of it. I keep telling the newer operators about it, but there just ain't that many anymore. I felt things were going downhill when my post showing the crying goat after Obamas talking points was banned. If you can't have a little edgy humor you might as well be selling slurpees at the Circle K.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

Banned your cartoon! Another reason to miss Bill. Must be one of ideal democrats running this or a someone who censors everything that doesn't fit his train of thought- sorry same thing

 

[Greg Pack]

For those of you long enough to remember the late WR, he is the one I miss the most. He was a real character.

 

[MudMoney]

I liked when there was thread about rating companies,tends to make them fix their screw-ups.I agree about the edgy humor I like forums that aren't PC,which maybe a political form site here would spark some interest.Right now this site isn't very interesting anymore.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I think I remember something about that screaming goat thread. If it had been my call, maybe I would have deleted it too. Political discussions always turn into arguments. Everyone can come up with their own set of "facts" to back up their argument for their guy/party. Frankly, I hate to see threads devolve into politics. Maybe Jackson should set up a "politics" section. I know I would like to see all that crap contained in one section so I wouldn't have to look at it unless I wanted to.

Missing Pat Krowe...bring him back, I'm a moderator now It might be entertaining to watch him and mjwalsh "discuss" dollar coins...

Re: Pitzer - I didn't see him as that "colorful" of a character. He seemed pretty "matter of fact" and level-headed to me. He did put up with a ton more of Pat C's crap than I would have before banning him. Who knows whether PC was chasing more potential posters away than he was drawing in to his load of crap.

I think the decline is simply because this industry has been in decline for several years. Older ones retire/go out of business and not many new investors to take their places. Gotta face it, it's the newer guys that need more help, ask more questions, than us grizzled old vets.

My 2¢

 

[Washmee]

I think I remember something about that screaming goat thread. If it had been my call, maybe I would have deleted it too. Political discussions always turn into arguments. Everyone can come up with their own set of "facts" to back up their argument for their guy/party. Frankly, I hate to see threads devolve into politics. Maybe Jackson should set up a "politics" section. I know I would like to see all that crap contained in one section so I wouldn't have to look at it unless I wanted to.
I thought we already had a forum for that "Just About Anything"
Missing Pat Krowe...bring him back, I'm a moderator now It might be entertaining to watch him and mjwalsh "discuss" dollar coins...
Did you miss my winking smiley face?
Re: Pitzer - I didn't see him as that "colorful" of a character. He seemed pretty "matter of fact" and level-headed to me. He did put up with a ton more of Pat C's crap than I would have before banning him. Who knows whether PC was chasing more potential posters away than he was drawing in to his load of crap.
I miss Bills bad jokes.
I think the decline is simply because this industry has been in decline for several years. Older ones retire/go out of business and not many new investors to take their places. Gotta face it, it's the newer guys that need more help, ask more questions, than us grizzled old vets.

no argument


My 2¢

................

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Yeah, I know that "Just about anything" should encompass politics, but politics always just turn into pi$$ing matches. Putting them over in there own little corner so the majority of us don't have to wade through their pool of pi$$ may make it better.

 

[Earl Weiss]

.............. It's amazing that many of the long time operators have never heard of it. I keep telling the newer operators about it, but there just ain't that many anymore. .

Therein lies an importnt Dilemma. Many operators do not belong to any association, go to any trade shows, or check out the internet forums. Same may not know about these resources and many more not really care to use them.

Is there a way to change this?