Our first winter!

[newy]

This is our first winter in the business and and we a re finally very busy

We are an express wash with self serve bays in PA and we do not normally towel dry but with the weather in the single digits we put someone out there on the weekends because with the ton of salt on the cars the salt seems to stay in the water and my spot free is not as spot free as it was.

So, is this normal to have more residual then when no salt is on the ground?

Do people just want the salt off and don?t mind a little spotting in the winter?

Should I towel dry all week?

Should I towel dry only weekends when it?s crazy busy?

Is this sending mixed message to my customers?

Or is it ok in the winter since it is like 10 degrees and towel drying helps clear freezing mirrors?

Sorry for so many questions but my husband and I are going crazy we just want people to be happy and come back as all of us do and we would greatly appreciate any advice from the experienced people!

 

[Chiefs]

Spotting and streaking is problematic in the winter time whether or not you use spot free water. While you wash all the slt off the exposed surfaces of the vehicle, all you achieve inside the molding, door panels, trunk molding and mirror housing is a wetting of the salt inside which can never be totally removed. Thus when you blowers blow it all out and as the customers drive dwon the road, all of this salt laden water drips and blows out of the areas causing spotting and streaks - this is part of the problem with calling your rinse spot free. I would simply call it a final rinse and not spot free. If you do, then don't be surprised when customers begin calling you out on this issue - particularly if you charge anything extra for the spot free rinse.

This spotting/streaking problem will disappear once again when the winter is over and they stop spreading salt on the roadways.

I address this topic in my newsletter that we hand out to customer to read as they ride through. We too are an express exterior. I simply inform them as to why the problem occurs, when it will disappear and what their best course of action is - which is to wipe their vehicle down the way they would normally after they come out of the tunnel and then drive it home or to wherever they are going. By the time they get to their destination, most if not all of this slat water will have blown out and dried leaving these spots/streaks. I advise them to simply take the damp towel they used to wipe their car down with and use it to wipe away the spots/streaks which will come off quite easily.
There is not much else you can tell them to do.

Bill
Chief's Auto Wash

 

[newy]

Thanks Chiefs! We have explained to our customers about the salt and residual in short terms and we have had no complaints. I think I have expectations that may be unrealistic for this time of the year and conditions. I tend to be a bit of a nut when it comes to the cars. I think I need to relax. We have a great wash and we have excellent customer service and I think that speaks volumes to our customers. Do you have an opinion on towel drying at all? Have you ever done it at your wash and stopped?

 

[Earl Weiss]

Thanks Chiefs! We have explained to our customers about the salt and residual in short terms and we have had no complaints. I think I have expectations that may be unrealistic for this time of the year and conditions. I tend to be a bit of a nut when it comes to the cars. I think I need to relax. We have a great wash and we have excellent customer service and I think that speaks volumes to our customers. Do you have an opinion on towel drying at all? Have you ever done it at your wash and stopped?

1. Don't confuse your expectations for that of your customers.
2. Towel drying sometimes will result in confusion from those who got it once expecting it always.

 

[newy]

Earl, are you saying that my expectations are probably beyond the customers?

 

[Earl Weiss]

Not knowing you or your customers I cannot say for sure. I do think you will ccreate confusion and discontent by giving them a towel dry service intermittently.

Examples. Customer says "I did not get any bubbles"
I say "is the car clean"
Customer says "What difference does that make" .
My expectation was that the clean car was the end goal. His was that the sizzle was at least as important as the steak.
I take over a wash with poorly operating equipment, so guys were washing cars with buckets and brushes before it entered the tunnel. I got everything working, eliminated that labor and cut the price in half. Some people were disappointed that no one washed the cars by hand before it went thru the wash. Within 2 years I tripled the volume it was doing. It is now probably 4 times that amount after some price increases.
At the same time I take away the guys with buckets and brushes another place loses 2 important pieces of equipment on a busy day so I put two guys with buckets and brushes in place to hit the areas addressed by the dead equip. I get customer complaints that they are not getting the good machine wash. (Who'd a thunk!)

 

[Earl Weiss]

How did the towel drying affect your throughput ability and labor cost.