Buzzie8
Member
I had a customer call and complain that my wash "knocked off her bug deflector" and that my wash left streaks on her car. I really take it personally when I get a wash quality complaint. It drives me crazy. I have touch free washes so I told her the blower must have knocked her deflector off but the streak problem was what I was most concerned with. This morning, at 5:30AM, I went to the wash and went over everything that might cause streaks. I washed about 6 cars and could not find any problems. I'm thinking that the soap that collected in her bug deflector was blown over her car. After a lot of thought, I decided that I needed to come up with a manifesto to cover everything that drives me nuts about his business. I came up with these six bullet points quickly. I am sure you guys can add to it. I am going to read it each day before work to remind me what to expect in this business.
Self-Serve Car Wash Manifesto
1. There are going to be problems and they will usually happen when you are doing something important (like golfing) or on the weekends. Get over it and remember that you have more freedom with your time than most people you know.
2.. Touchless, or any In-Bay Automatics are not going to give a perfect wash to every customer. The overall condition of the paint, the year, the color, will be important factors on how well your customer perceives the quality of the wash. Make sure your equipment and chemicals are tuned-up and are working as well as they possibly can and deal with any complaints from customers in a way that you would want to be dealt with. Also, remember, no matter how hard you try, you can't polish a turd. If you are getting a complaint once a month then you are probably doing OK. If you are getting one complaint a week, you better try to find out if you are having a problem that you might not have explored well enough.
3. If you take complaints personally, it will drive you crazy and you will not last long in the business.
4. You can't control the weather. If you could, you wouldn't own a car wash. Make sure you manage your money (and time) so that you can make it through the bad weather days and thrive during good weather days.
5. There is a 80%-20% rule when owning a self-serve car wash. 20% of your customers will create 80% of the garbage and clean-up work at your wash. It is the nature of the business. When you show up each day (twice a day for me) the place will normally be trashed. Keep it clean, hire an attendant, or suck it up because you will go crazy if you don't.
6. Car wash parts are expensive. When equipment breaks, fix it immediately and pay the price. If you think about the $1500 you need to spend for a new motor it will drive you crazy. Order the part, and the back-up part and keep the equipment going. It's the cost of doing business.
I know I have more. but thought I would have your input so I would not have to think too hard!
Self-Serve Car Wash Manifesto
1. There are going to be problems and they will usually happen when you are doing something important (like golfing) or on the weekends. Get over it and remember that you have more freedom with your time than most people you know.
2.. Touchless, or any In-Bay Automatics are not going to give a perfect wash to every customer. The overall condition of the paint, the year, the color, will be important factors on how well your customer perceives the quality of the wash. Make sure your equipment and chemicals are tuned-up and are working as well as they possibly can and deal with any complaints from customers in a way that you would want to be dealt with. Also, remember, no matter how hard you try, you can't polish a turd. If you are getting a complaint once a month then you are probably doing OK. If you are getting one complaint a week, you better try to find out if you are having a problem that you might not have explored well enough.
3. If you take complaints personally, it will drive you crazy and you will not last long in the business.
4. You can't control the weather. If you could, you wouldn't own a car wash. Make sure you manage your money (and time) so that you can make it through the bad weather days and thrive during good weather days.
5. There is a 80%-20% rule when owning a self-serve car wash. 20% of your customers will create 80% of the garbage and clean-up work at your wash. It is the nature of the business. When you show up each day (twice a day for me) the place will normally be trashed. Keep it clean, hire an attendant, or suck it up because you will go crazy if you don't.
6. Car wash parts are expensive. When equipment breaks, fix it immediately and pay the price. If you think about the $1500 you need to spend for a new motor it will drive you crazy. Order the part, and the back-up part and keep the equipment going. It's the cost of doing business.
I know I have more. but thought I would have your input so I would not have to think too hard!
