Can this be done Part Time?

[Jon_M]

Hello all,

I have an opportunity? to "manage/maintain" a 3 Self Service Bay, 1 IBA(PDQ's Laser 4000), 2 Vacuum, car wash.

Oh and I know nothing about this equipment but am a fairly quick learner.

I have a full time Job right now that's fairly secure and compensates ok.

So my question is can managing/maintaining a car wash be done on a part time bases?

I apologize if this sounds vague i just don't know any more details on the equipment other than mentioned above.

Thanks in Advance

Jon

 

[Red Baron]

My 3/1 is operated by me part time, but I never know which part.

I think it can be done but you'd need to be super organized. You'd need to have someone in place who could go rest your automatic bay when a customer does something wrong, otherwise you'd be shut down until you get off from work, and people will stop coming after that happening about twice.

 

[MEP001]

It's definitely doable, but your level of commitment will determine the overall income of the wash. If you plan to do everything, including cleaning and equipment maintenance, count on an average of two hours a day minimum, every day. I've successfully turned around a very poor wash, but all I did for the first year during the week was work all day, go to the wash, go home and sleep.

 

[pitzerwm]

I ran my 6 SS, and then it was a 5/1 for 20 years part time, but it might be at midnight that you're there, depends on you.

 

[madscientist]

My 3/1 is operated by me part time, but I never know which part.

everything red baron said is right. although you can make some basic assumptions about when you'll need to get there, like right at kickoff of tx/ou, or right when your family sits down for thanksgiving dinner, or right when you walk in your front door having just come from the wash, etc....

 

[Jon_M]

Thank you for the replies,

midnight? holy crap you mean you just don't show up collect the cash and get rich?? just kidding

Is there a "Car wash operations for Dummies" book out there somewhere?

I think i just might give this thing a go, I won't be getting any money out of it for a while due to the condition of the place so all the money it is making now will just go right back in for improvements and updates.

Oh and feel free to post any and all hints and tips my horns could not be any greener.

Thanks again,

Jon

 

[Jeff_L]

I don't think you can use the term "part time". It really can be a full time job some days, and other days it can be a part time job. Can you manage the wash while working full time? It all depends on how much time you are willing to dedicate to the wash when you're not at your full time job. You have to be very flexible, provide a clean wash, keep all the equipment running all the time, and most importantly provide quality customer service.

 

[pitzerwm]

This is the "carwash for dummies" book.

You can do anything that you put your mind to, but at what price. Will your other job survive, will your marriage survive? No matter what you do in life, there is a price to pay, sometimes its expensive, but the rewards are usually in direct relationship to the risk.

 

[Greg Pack]

I think with good clean up help you can do it with an average of 10-15 hours per week of your time. Be prepared to spend some time on weekends and holidays away from your family.

 

[Waxman]

I'm at my wash all week long and on Saturdays. Sundays my Dad comes by 2-3 X and empties $, cleans bays, empties trash.

IMO, you need to be at your wash much more than a couple hours a day; maybe not every day, but many days.

The level of service you can provide is so high when you are there and greatly minimized when you are not.

Customers need help. Bays get dirty fast. Trash fills up. The busier you are, the faster the cycle!

My detail shop is next door to the wash, 25 feet away, so I have a very high level of service and involvement, daily. To me this is the way to run a carwash. But I'm a new guy and full of pi$$ and vinegar, ready to wash as many cars as I can and be 'down' as little as humanly possible. So far my total downtime on anything has been VERY minimal.

And YES, THIS IS the 'carwashing for dummies' book; right here, on this message board. Congrats; you found it and didn't even know it.

 

[JustClean]

I don't think you can use the term "part time". It really can be a full time job some days, and other days it can be a part time job. Can you manage the wash while working full time? It all depends on how much time you are willing to dedicate to the wash when you're not at your full time job. You have to be very flexible, provide a clean wash, keep all the equipment running all the time, and most importantly provide quality customer service.

Absolutely right! Your income kind of rises and falls with you being there.
You being absent means:
More @#$%-heads who think they can trash the place
More angry customers (often called idiots) that don't know what to do (forget signs - nobody reads signs)
More vandalism
More damage
Longer break-downs
etc, etc.

I personally would take it up if I could leave my normal job anytime to fix a breakdown otherwise maybe only at the weekends....

 

[MEP001]

Oh and feel free to post any and all hints and tips my horns could not be any greener.

I hate to dishearten you, but your chance of success will be very limited if you don't already know what you're doing. There's a lot more than just cleaning involved in a successful and profitable wash. Working on an automatic is very complicated if you don't know exactly what you're doing. Diagnosing a self-serve problem can be almost impossible if you haven't been doing it for years. Paying someone to fix the problems can mean no money leftover for upgrades.

This isn't "easy money." I run a very successful wash, but it's practically a full-time job. I haven't had a vacation in 20 years. I can't find someone to clean the wash that will do a good job, or won't carelessly tear stuff up, or won't steal.

It can be done, but it won't be a walk in the park.

 

[Jon_M]

I hate to dishearten you, but your chance of success will be very limited if you don't already know what you're doing. There's a lot more than just cleaning involved in a successful and profitable wash. Working on an automatic is very complicated if you don't know exactly what you're doing. Diagnosing a self-serve problem can be almost impossible if you haven't been doing it for years. Paying someone to fix the problems can mean no money leftover for upgrades.

This isn't "easy money." I run a very successful wash, but it's practically a full-time job. I haven't had a vacation in 20 years. I can't find someone to clean the wash that will do a good job, or won't carelessly tear stuff up, or won't steal.

It can be done, but it won't be a walk in the park.

MEP001,

I am not disheartened by what you have said i am on an information gathering quest at this point and I am taking in all the information given here. the good the bad and the ugly believe me just from reading posts here on the forum over the past couple of days is making my head spin,, not to mention what i see when i walk into the equipment room. I have a while before i have to commit or walk away, so please keep it coming

Thanks

Jon

 

[Jon_M]

PM reply

i apologize for this but in order for me to reply to a PM i need 5 posts I have 3 right now so please ignore this

Thanks

 

[Jon_M]

i think this makes 4

number 4 sorry

 

[robert roman]

Sounds as thought the owner is desperate for help if he/she is considering someone with no carwash experience. If so, I would consider exacting a very good deal for cleaning the business up and getting it back to where it needs to be.

As for time, I would consider budgeting 20 to 25 hours a week for routine maintenance, housekeeping and incidental repairs. I would also consider another 10 hours or so if you want to take the extraordinary step of boosting customer service by actually being on site for most of the peak operating hours on Friday and Saturday.

Hope this helps.

Bob Roman
www.carwashplan.com

 

[Waxman]

I would say, in my limited experience, what you call 'extraordinary service' I call good customer relations and high service.

For example, we were washing cars this morning for the detail shop jobs and a young lad was washing an extremely dirty white Hyundai and having lots of trouble, spending more than a couple bucks. We saw his dilemma (a car that hadn't been washed in over a year) and helped him out, using a strong chemical for our detail prep washes. The car came out great!!! Furthermore, the kid was psyched! He said "man, I'm going to tell all my friends how awesome this place is!". The lad is 16. Imagine the $$ I will make from him and his friends over their driving careers!

Now THAT's great service and, IMO, we should all strive towards this as much as possible. You can't be at the wash 10 hours/week then complain the economy is hurting your net.

 

[robert roman]

I was trying to make a point. I said "extraordinary" because 9 times out of 10there is no attendant to provide customer service.

 

[Kevin James]

Yes it can be done part time. There isn't a car wash in our area that is attended. Most of them including mine only have someone there once a day for about a 1hour or so to do the clean up, check the systems and go. If there is a problem then it will be dealt with at that time. I personally go to the car wash once a week to check on things. I?m not about to go there or pay someone to go there, hang out all day and hold the customers hand. If they can?t figure out how to operate the equipment then they shouldn?t be driving a car.

 

[Waxman]

Robert:

Yes, I got your point and also made one about offering as much service as possible. I think it boils down to this; some days a carwash attendant is unnecessary. Other days, an attendant is critical and can make the difference between a nice profit or little gross for any number of reasons.

Kevin James:

If I missed out on $ from every customer who was 'too stupid' to operate carwash equipment, that'd be alot of $.