Question: How have self serve customers changed over the years?

[Debra Gorgos]

I recently (going on three years) started a self serve car wash with one IBA. It was on a property that was a car wash but was very run down. Rebuilt in the same location and many neighbors told me about the issues I would have with local low lifes. They were correct. I installed a high quality surveillance system and watched the place closely with my free time. I was very proactive with calling the police the first year. After a few robberies and dozens of times having the police chase off loiterers, druggies etc. we seem to have developed a reputation as a terrible place to loiter or sleep or do drugs or really anything except wash your car. This has paid off and now I rarely have folks there except to wash their cars… Initially the local police department got tired of me calling which is unfortunate but was necessary to develop this reputation.
Currently I am working with the local police department to give them access to my surveillance system.
The folks giving trouble at the car wash are the same folks giving trouble in the rest of the community.
Broken Windows Theory definitely applies at the Self Serve Car Wash!!

I sent you a PM

 

[Reveluv]

Bumping this thread to see how people are doing a couple of years later.

The street people are relentless - guess that’s how you have to act when you’re trying to scrape together $5-10 a day to eat.

 

[MudMoney]

Had to check the date

 

[soapy]

The bucket washers are more plentiful. I never minded it when I was not real busy but now they do it during the busiest times and refuse to leave when asked. Timer not running and they will spend time detailing etc. I ask them nicely a couple of times to move out of the bay then I call the cops and have them trespassed. More people also like to use the dumpsters for free.

 

[washnshine]

I think the proliferation of express exteriors and unlimited memberships has taken the top layer of self serve washers away. Definitely not all of them but maybe the group that was part fussy and part frugal. They can still get an inexpensive wash at the monthly rate and can still towel dry, wipe door jambs and vacuum after the wash if they want for no extra cost. With this “top tier” layer of customers potentially drawn away from the self serve model to some extent, we probably are seeing more of the leftover segment of people on our properties not being of the highest caliber.

 

[Randy]

We’ve been in the Self-Serve car wash business for over 40 plus years and we’ve noticed a decline in the class of the Self-Serve car wash customers. They have little or no respect for the car wash equipment, they seem to think that it’s OK to bring all of their garbage to the car wash, they seem to think it’s a transfer site for the dump, they seem to think it’s OK to steal a Foam brush handle and gun assembly, the car wash owner is rich he can afford to buy more, it’s OK to come to the car wash, park in a bay and spend hours trying up a bay doing drugs or selling drugs, I could go on and on. Those who come to a Self-Serve are a completely different type of person who goes to a tunnel. The theft and vandalism has gotten out of hand in the last 5 years. Now we are fighting the homeless problem, that doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. If we had it to do all over again there’s NO WAY! We’d get into the Self-Serve car wash business. I could go on and on about the things we've had happen at the car wash over the years.