It looks like I have my 35 year old 4 SS/ 1 IBA sold. Problem is, there is no way the new owner's are going to be able to maintain it. How would I track down a reliable service company to help them out? They want me to stay on and help, but if I wanted to do that I wouldn't be selling in the first place. I'm in east central Florida, so PM me any names or contacts that may be able to help the new owners out. Thank you.
How to find car wash maintenance service?
- Thread starter LeeD
- Start date
Waxman
Super Moderator
well I guess I see where you're coming from. If you ran a nice wash for all those years you really don't want to see it go screeching downhill as soon as the ownership transfers. On the other hand if I were happy with the price I received I'm not sure I'd really care about how the business was run after I left.
Why is it your responsibility to find someone for the maintenance? What about if you could stay on for a few months and train someone to do the job after you left? couldn't you just suggest a car wash distributor and then make a list for the daily cleaning schedule?
I have a friend who sold his chain of car washes to an individual and that person is doing nowhere near the job that my friend did in upkeep, Repairs, and maintenance. It pains him to see this, especially when he goes to wash his own car and gets dripped on by the leaky boom swivel And then no form comes out of the foamy brush etc.
But we all have to sell the washes at some point and I guess I'm wondering how much sense it makes to get too upset about what the next guy does for maintenance and repairs and upkeep. If you ran a really nice wash chances are the new owners won't do as good a job and maybe we just have to be OK with that.
Why is it your responsibility to find someone for the maintenance? What about if you could stay on for a few months and train someone to do the job after you left? couldn't you just suggest a car wash distributor and then make a list for the daily cleaning schedule?
I have a friend who sold his chain of car washes to an individual and that person is doing nowhere near the job that my friend did in upkeep, Repairs, and maintenance. It pains him to see this, especially when he goes to wash his own car and gets dripped on by the leaky boom swivel And then no form comes out of the foamy brush etc.
But we all have to sell the washes at some point and I guess I'm wondering how much sense it makes to get too upset about what the next guy does for maintenance and repairs and upkeep. If you ran a really nice wash chances are the new owners won't do as good a job and maybe we just have to be OK with that.
The only way these young guys who are buying these car washes now are going to make any money and survive is to learn as much about there equipment, be hands on and do all of there own maintenance and repair work themselves. That's what we had to do 39 years whenwe got into the car wash business, we had to figure it out for ourselves, it was cost prohibitive to call in a distributor to fix anything. We asked a lot of questions, went to all the conventions and figured it out.
Thank you for your responses, and to answer your questions I guess my main objective is selfish in that I live right behind the car wash and I would rather not be bothered with maintenance questions. I would rather have them call their "service man". There is a 30 day training period, hopefully they will take full advantage of that.
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
I have a sneaking suspicion that some of the "quiet in the background" car wash owners (engineering life-long learners) in the USA tend to be more successful than some others who might be a bit "too naive". That is why I am hoping before retiring 100% ... to possibly connect with some young aspiring engineers at our local brand new U of Mary (recently became a 4 year program) engineering school. Good Lord Willing ... that will "begin to happen when I take the learning institution's offer on a tour" of that part of their school.
The person who promised me the tour (& some interaction) though said.... "just turn it over to a commercial real estate broker". Not sure if anyone agrees with me on possibly connecting with some young aspiring engineering aptitude (either gender) persons. IMHO ... that very well could turn out to be the more responsible route for my specific transition away from the facility. Maybe I won't be successful but I can at least know in my heart that I tried!
Greg Pack
Wash Weenie
How about checking with forum user Mac here for a service provider? He sold his company, but hopefully can still recommend it.
Thank you, I sent him a pm.
OASIS WASH
Member
Good luck man, no one works on SS anymore in florida. There is literally 1 guy in jacksonville and he stays so busy by the time he gets to you its been 6 months, no kidding! Everyone shifted to the tunnel carwashes because there is more money in it and they are building one on every corner in Florida! I hope you can find someone but I am in a city of 1 million people and none of the distributors are interested in my SS either.
