Busy Day - Detailer sets up shop

[GP85]

I thought I would share a funny story from my car wash today.

It was a busy day at my wash(5 SS, 1 IBA) and I noticed on the cameras a dodge ram with a large tank in the bed pull in front and block 2 cars in our vacuum bays. I did a few things around the equipment room and looked back at the camera monitor and the guy is using a high pressure foam cannon from his truck and spraying down both cars in our vacuum bays!


I walked out and stood there watching until the detailer goes “Hi, how’s it going?” I politely replied “Hi, I'm the owner and I wanted to see what you guys had going on over here?”

He fumble his words and said they were using the vacuums which they were clearly not. His two “customers” were very nice and I explained there is no drainage in our vacuums bays and they needed to move out to the front parking spots. There were a lot of customers around so I tried to be as nice as possible. They moved, parked, and I proceeded to dry off the vacuums and swept all of the water and soap out of our vacuum bays as new customers pulled in.

I told my employee and he laughed and said

“That’s like bringing your own steak to a restaurant and ordering a water!”

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

 

[Earl Weiss]

1.I typical walk up with my hand out and say if you want to set up shop here the rent is payable in advance. . $2000 / month Please.

2. Back in the Full serve gas days customer asked my dad to check his oil. My Dad told him the car was a quart low. Customer goes to his trunk, pulls out a quart and asks my dad t put it in. My dad says "We only put in products purchased here". Customer says "But I bought Gas Here" My dad says "would you go to the diner nd buy a cup of coffee and hand the Cook 2 eggs and ask that they be cooked for you?" Customer says "You sell eggs here"?

 

[Axxlrod]

I thought I would share a funny story from my car wash today.

It was a busy day at my wash(5 SS, 1 IBA) and I noticed on the cameras a dodge ram with a large tank in the bed pull in front and block 2 cars in our vacuum bays. I did a few things around the equipment room and looked back at the camera monitor and the guy is using a high pressure foam cannon from his truck and spraying down both cars in our vacuum bays!


I walked out and stood there watching until the detailer goes “Hi, how’s it going?” I politely replied “Hi, I'm the owner and I wanted to see what you guys had going on over here?”

He fumble his words and said they were using the vacuums which they were clearly not. His two “customers” were very nice and I explained there is no drainage in our vacuums bays and they needed to move out to the front parking spots. There were a lot of customers around so I tried to be as nice as possible. They moved, parked, and I proceeded to dry off the vacuums and swept all of the water and soap out of our vacuum bays as new customers pulled in.

I told my employee and he laughed and said

“That’s like bringing your own steak to a restaurant and ordering a water!”

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

That's the exact analogy I use when I explain to bucket washers that bring their own soap/wax and wash mitts.

 

[HeyVern]

I thought I would share a funny story from my car wash today.

It was a busy day at my wash(5 SS, 1 IBA) and I noticed on the cameras a dodge ram with a large tank in the bed pull in front and block 2 cars in our vacuum bays. I did a few things around the equipment room and looked back at the camera monitor and the guy is using a high pressure foam cannon from his truck and spraying down both cars in our vacuum bays!


I walked out and stood there watching until the detailer goes “Hi, how’s it going?” I politely replied “Hi, I'm the owner and I wanted to see what you guys had going on over here?”

He fumble his words and said they were using the vacuums which they were clearly not. His two “customers” were very nice and I explained there is no drainage in our vacuums bays and they needed to move out to the front parking spots. There were a lot of customers around so I tried to be as nice as possible. They moved, parked, and I proceeded to dry off the vacuums and swept all of the water and soap out of our vacuum bays as new customers pulled in.

I told my employee and he laughed and said

“That’s like bringing your own steak to a restaurant and ordering a water!”

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

You're way too nice

 

[GP85]

You're way too nice

Thought about being an asshole but I’m lucky enough to be in a nice demographic. Busy Sunday with a lot of customers around. I guess he’s been spotted washing cars in random places in town.

 

[GP85]

That's the exact analogy I use when I explain to bucket washers that bring their own soap/wax and wash mitts.

Got a good laugh.

Couldn’t believe that guy telling customers to meet at a car wash with his mobile detail truck.

 

[OLFOT]

Da nerve of some people! On occasion I have to run off a detailer trying to set up shop at one of my locations. One time there was a guy that insisted he was spending money on water in my bay so I couldn't stop him. I had to threaten to call the law and have him physically removed.
There are some sneaky detailers that have the customer drop off and pick up the vehicle at his house. They bring it to my self serve and tie up the bay using only water to make a bucket of soapy water, then a rinse.
Some are so tight they bring a bucket of soapy water with a lid on it and pay only to rinse!
I usually catch on to them when I start seeing them too often in different vehicles.
Coincidentally, yesterday, I found business cards from one such detailer on the coin boxes in my bays.
Some years back a guy would come to one of my locations that is next to a neighborhood store. He would park his truck in one bay and have the customer park in another. He would walk over to the store, steal a bucket of water to make his soap. He would wash and only spend some quarters to rinse. Sometimes he wouldn't be finished with one customer and he would have the second customer wait in another bay, tying up three bays. I finally figured out what he was doing by reviewing camera footage. I caught him red-handed and ran him off. He had the nerve to hang out at the store and tell people how he quit using my carwash because I had "too many rules".
Had one guy that would have the customers come at a scheduled time and was making them think that MY carwash was HIS. He would pull in with his truck like he owned the place, blocking the vacuums or blocking the entrance to a couple of bays,etc. I ran him off, only to catch him again a day or two later. He wanted to argue that he was spending money and would help me keep the place clean. I told him no thanks, go buy your own carwash to do business at.
There isn't enough space here for me to type out all of the times this has happened in the ~23 years I've had these self serve carwashes.