Lawn mowers and grass clippings

[crewchief97]

What do you guys do about people that wash their mowers and leave grass clippings all over the bay for the next customer to track into their car?

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

"I'm sorry sir, this is a car wash, not a lawn mower wash. Our equipment isnt set up to handle grass/mud/whatever, plus the next customer wont be very happy about tracking your grass clippings into their car. I'll clean up when you're done, but please dont do this again."

thats the gist of what I say. Almost all are understanding and dont do it again, over the years it is greatly reduced. Those who argue, I tell them to get off my property.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

^same here. It can't be tolerated. I gladly gave someone directions to my competitors yesterday. The bay was still trashed this morning. I always start out polite but firm. If they refuse, I ask them to leave and not return.

 

[Waxman]

i sweep it up and count the $. maybe only $1 but heck they may get a detail or an express and then i make out.

i have kicked a few out and regret each one. i now see a customer over a lifespan and therefore there is alot of potential to get thousands per customer if they return regularly!

i learned at ica an important fact: only HALF the people ever wash their car. that limits the customer base you have to 50% of the local population.

i keep it clean as i can and get a few problem messes but i manage. my motto is 'customers for life'.

 

[bigleo48]

I sweep and wash unless it is "unreasonable amount" If not, it is posted and I point to my sign next to the gun.

BigLeo

 

[Red Baron]

I won't tolerate it. And the best part is, I think my "Leave The Bay Like You Found It" policy is great for business. For every knucklehead who mouthes off about "Well this iz a car wash ain't it?" I have 10 who compliment me on it always being clean. I don't care if Mudman or Clippingsboy and his wife bring in their new Caddilac twice a week, I'll gladly sacrifice their business for my sanity and a clean car wash.

Like I've said 10,000 times, I'm running a car wash, not a maid service. My customer is paying me to use my water and soap, and rent my equipment and real estate - he's not paying me to clean up after him. He can't afford to pay me for that!

 

[Waxman]

Unfortunately, I think there are several aspects of the carwash business that are like a maid/janitorial service. To me it's inherent in the business. You can't run em all off in a small town.

There is a line and I do not tolerate certain messes. You have to temper your attitude with the public, I think.

 

[Red Baron]

Unfortunately, I think there are several aspects of the carwash business that are like a maid/janitorial service. To me it's inherent in the business. You can't run em all off in a small town.

There is a line and I do not tolerate certain messes. You have to temper your attitude with the public, I think.

I think my way of running my car washes is slightly unique. Twenty eight years ago when I went to work for my dad, one of the first lessons he taught me was to sell into a niche- if you operate exactly like everyone else, you can expect about what they get.

It's true that some "janitorial" work cannot be avoided, but I can minimize it dramatically.

Since my washes aren't my primary source of income I guess that gives me a safety net to push the envelope, but what I'm doing works, and it has worked for enough years that I know it's not a fluke. I would a LOT rather give up 5% of my revenue in exchange for eliminating 50% of the messes and stress, and that is my experience, that 5% of the customers create a very high percentage of the messes and stress. They can go to your car wash.

 

[MEP001]

I'm with Red on this (again). Now if it's a guy with a single mower and he's probably washing it to get it clean so he can work on it, I won't say anything. One, he's more than likely a customer who also washes his vehicles and two, someone's mower from home is usually not all that dirty. Lawn service companies, on the other hand, will make a mess that I can't and won't allow, in fact this thread reminds me that i need to call our landscapers because last Wednesday they mowed in the rain and one of 'em brought his riding mower into a bay and blasted wet grass everywhere. Even on the ceiling. Yes, cleaning bays after a customer is part of the business, but why should I spend 20 minutes sweeping, shoveling and rinsing for $1.25, especially when it's commercial equipment? If I had them mowing through sand and gravel and they said I needed to remove it from the lawn area to keep from dulling their blades, would I say "You're a lawn service, you mow where I tell you" and expect them to keep doing it?

 

[Red Baron]

I'm with Red on this (again). Now if it's a guy with a single mower and he's probably washing it to get it clean so he can work on it, I won't say anything. One, he's more than likely a customer who also washes his vehicles and two, someone's mower from home is usually not all that dirty. Lawn service companies, on the other hand, will make a mess that I can't and won't allow, in fact this thread reminds me that i need to call our landscapers because last Wednesday they mowed in the rain and one of 'em brought his riding mower into a bay and blasted wet grass everywhere. Even on the ceiling. Yes, cleaning bays after a customer is part of the business, but why should I spend 20 minutes sweeping, shoveling and rinsing for $1.25, especially when it's commercial equipment? If I had them mowing through sand and gravel and they said I needed to remove it from the lawn area to keep from dulling their blades, would I say "You're a lawn service, you mow where I tell you" and expect them to keep doing it?

Exactly.

I don't just summarily rip into anyone who makes a mess. I try to see the whole picture. If it's an old guy limping around the bay I'm not going to say anything - in fact if he tries to clean it up I'll tell him I'll do it. And generally, if a guy cleans up after himself I don't care too much what he's washing.

What I won't tolerate is the famer who never washes his grungy old truck, he just shows up to blast the heavy mudd off because his wife doesn't want it in her drive.

Rarely will I say anything to a guy who left the switch on Spot Free - but if he leaves it on Rinse then I know he was only there to make a mess, not wash his truck.

 

[Tom Thumb]

I try to be nice and tell them I do not want the grass in the pits, most of them have no problem the ones that do I tell them to go elsewhere.

 

[crewchief97]

mowerr and grass

Most of my problem are riding mowers covered with grass, when they get done its all over the walls and you can't see the floor. One day it was 5 to 6 inches deep from the walls to about 4 foot out. I'm in a very rural area and have a constant problem with very heavy mud deposits also ( over ankle deep) and now the grass. At what point is to much?

 

[MEP001]

Rarely will I say anything to a guy who left the switch on Spot Free - but if he leaves it on Rinse then I know he was only there to make a mess, not wash his truck.

I've had people wash stuff out of their bed or knock the heavy mud off their truck and leave it on soap.

 

[MEP001]

At what point is to much?

When it costs you more in clean-up time and lost business than they spend, in my opinion. Like Red, I have at least ten people who compliment me on the wash to every one who doesn't like that I won't let them wash their lawn mowers, back hoes, drywall pump trailers, barbecue pits, etc. I've been a hard-ass about quite a few things for years, and every year our numbers are better, and the amount of severe messes and people playing excessively loud music is less. It depends on the wash you want to run.

 

[jloebker]

gee, I've found a great piece of equipment to use on debris left in the bay, it's called a push-broom. Works Great. As I have said before the best revenge is TAKE THE MONEY!

 

[Red Baron]

Most of my problem are riding mowers covered with grass, when they get done its all over the walls and you can't see the floor. One day it was 5 to 6 inches deep from the walls to about 4 foot out. I'm in a very rural area and have a constant problem with very heavy mud deposits also ( over ankle deep) and now the grass. At what point is to much?

I understand your frustration. It took me awhile but eventually I earned a reputation as: That #$%& that runs the nice car wash. I was in a bay once and the 2 guys in the bay next to me didn't know I was there and could hear their conversation. It was something like:
Guy one: We better clean up this mud cause the owner is a real pr#% about that.
Guy Two: #%&$ him, he can come and clean up the mud himself.
Guy One: I hear the owner is a 2nd degree black belt karate instructor.

It's a tough balance to achieve but if I can have my good customers appreciate my efforts, and the mess makers fear me, that works for me. lol

 

[Red Baron]

I've been a hard-ass about quite a few things for years, and every year our numbers are better, and the amount of severe messes and people playing excessively loud music is less. It depends on the wash you want to run.

I could have written those words myself.

My personal opinion (which is the only one I'm qualified to have) is that car wash owners who allow anything and everything do a tremendous disservice to the industry and their fellow wash owners. Granted, it's your car wash, run it like you want, but if more owners stopped allowing these mess makers at all washes, it wouldn't take long for the public to learn that the local car wash is no longer a place for yiour old tires, batteries, and a place you can trash in exchange for $1.50.

 

[Red Baron]

gee, I've found a great piece of equipment to use on debris left in the bay, it's called a push-broom. Works Great. As I have said before the best revenge is TAKE THE MONEY!

Well you're a better man than me if you and your broom can and will clean up 4" up sloppy mud in a bay left by a single truck - sloppy enough that it's nearly impossible to pick it up with a shovel.

If your customers are like mine they learn pretty quickly that you'll take a lot of crap, and next thing you know 50% of them are throwing their McDonalds bags and other trash into the bay rather than walking 5' to the Pitch-In can, rather than the 2% who don't yet know that I won't tolerate it.

 

[Waxman]

i guess i just don't see grass clippings as such a big deal.

i'm here all day; might as well clean up as the day progresses.

i have few problems and keep the wash pretty neat and tidy.

 

[MEP001]

i'm here all day; might as well clean up as the day progresses.

That's the biggest difference right there. Some people know it's wrong and choose an unattended wash. I've seen guys in pick-ups drive in, see me and leave, only to come back later to blow landscaping mulch over 2,000 square feet of the lot. You're also there to clean up after people right away, so you won't have a bay down until you get there.

I do the best I can to keep the wash "pretty neat and tidy," and by that I mean the place is immaculate when I leave. The rest is preventing problems that need me there to resolve, whether it's preventive maintenance on equipment (I replace hoses before they break, for example) or preventive cleaning by telling a repeat bed-washer that he's not welcome as a customer.