After fixing up and running my SS car wash for 21 years, top-notch, I'm exhausted. I just signed the papers yesterday to sell to a local business family. They own a large gas station, express tunnel, mechanic shop, rental truck business. We met through our
soap salesman and they run their business the same way I do (clean, quality & customer service)
When I started in 2003, I was so green, cute and positive!
My husband and I had money and NO experience running a business or hands-on skills. The seller gave us 2 hours of
training, a HUGE set of keys and then moved out of state. The learning curve was straight up! By true grit, fear of failure, tenacity and God's grace, we survived and thrived. I kept the car wash in our divorce, and over the past 12 years I worked hard to replace and improve everything (credit cards, payment
app, new vacuums, in-bay dryers, LED lights, asphalt, electronic vendors, water softener, air compressor, etc). I vowed that if I ever became a negative, cynical owner - I would sell. 2024 was a very busy year and I realized I had lost my joy! I know running a car wash is a lot of work, but in addition to the normal wear and tear,
credit card theft, unexpected repairs, it felt more intense this year. My well was running dry, and I was burning out...
1. I have become a product of my own success! My SS wash is open 24 hours and busier than ever - more trash, more wear and tear on the hoses and equipment. We're on-site about 30 hours a week to help customers, clean and make repairs, and direct traffic.
2. Poor customer support & declining quality. If I don't have the support from a vendor, how can I continue to offer a high-quality service to my customers? In the past 7 months, I was dealing with a growing pigeon population in my billboard (billboard was dragging their feet certifying a replacement pest control service), 8 of 10 motors on my new vacuums smoked, melted and burned up (bad motors, blame game), my huge logo sign was peeling (inferior vinyl, no customer service), trying to replace damaged metal building trim (5x company sent wrong trim).
3. Demanding customers. Just had a phone call last night at 8:30pm. Customer called mad that my new vacuums (with great suction), vacuumed up his truck keys. It was cold and raining outside. When I told him that I could meet him Saturday morning to retrieve them, he threatened to break into my new vacuums!
4. Hot summer. I believe that climate change is a real thing. Hot sun, hot asphalt. Heat increases the stress hormone (cortisol) in our bodies, leading to more rage and demanding customers. 5 months ago, a customer pulled a gun on another customer because he cut in line waiting for a SS wash bay. WTF!?
The good news is that all the issues were resolved, but the damage was done to me emotionally and physically. It was exhausting to have to document everything, threaten legal action, and stand firm. While I may feel intimidated, I always put on a strong face! After 21 years, running my car wash was no longer fun. I have found a great family to buy it and now I can relax and enjoy my life. I walk away with my head held high - no regrets, no remorse!
works for me!
