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Self Serve Automation

B

Bubbles Galore

Active member
What do you guys have automated at your wash? Do you get notified when something breaks through e-mail or text? I am just curious what you guys have done to make your wash more automated.

I am thinking about having my changers contact me if they go down through the internet. What other things could you monitor at the wash? Just looking for ideas.
 
I installed a PLC that controlled all aspects of the SS (wanted to eventually redo the IBA into it) It also could be accessed by laptop and phone, tied into my alarm system it called and I could control some stuff.
 
everything

I can control everything from home. I set prices, set timers (4 min for car self serve and 4:30 for truck bay), see what function each bay is on (brush, wax,....), turn bay lights on and off, sart and stop any bay (or all bays at once), I can be notified on my cell phone or email. It records all bay functions and displays them on a spreadsheet (total minutes and by percentage) so I can see what functions are money makers and what functions need to go. I can look at every transaction in each bay and see what time they are taking place. With this ability I find the best day and time of the week...more importantly, I can find the worst time and run my best promotions then. I can also check my daily totals with my cell phone. It gives me s/s bays, autos, and total of both.

I can literally run everything from home...eventhough I am here every day...nice to know its there when I need it. Its also nice to be able to print off balance sheets when making a deposit...you will know if you are being shorted VERY quickly.

I love it...
 
Changer 'out of service' automation

I put together a device that attaches to my USB port on the PC and along with the interface I developed, I'm able to have emails and text messages sent when the changer 'out of service' light turns on. I have two changers hooked up to this and it has worked out very well.

I developed the whole thing myself, but it appears you can purchase detection hardware for a decent price, check out:
http://www.controlbyweb.com/five-input/index.html

That one is much better because it works off of Ethernet rather than a USB connection. You still need a software interface though.
 
Not sure

I have some pics and a handout for the system I have...I don't know how to post it on here. You could message me with your email and I can mail it to you.

A.J.
 
I had a guy who automatically filled all the trash cans for me every day with old food, bottles, paper plates, cups and cartons - I finally caught him today and put a stop to it.
 
How were you notified MEP? Visually (overflowing trash), or with your nose (overwhelming stench)? :-)
 
Too bad we can't automate common sense. I got to the wash yesterday afternoon, and someone was vacuuming up an entire bale of straw instead of picking it up and throwing it away in the EMPTY garbage can. That vac got plugged pretty quick and then they complained to me. Oh the joys of owning a wash =)

No one has any more automation ideas or solutions?
 
Bubbles Galore, do you use claws on your vacs? They really help prevent people doing exactly that sort of thing. I use the swivel nut cuffs with the nut secured to the hose and the claw secured to the cuff so customers can't remove it to get large or voluminous debris. It also prevents socks and towels from getting caught in the hose.

Another automation idea would be to monitor all your coin acceptors, particularly the bays, so if one sits idle for too long while all the others are in use you would be notfied that there's a problem or someone waxing or detailing in a bay on a busy day.
 
Yeah, I also use the swivel cuff and the claw attachment. They didn't get much straw in the vac, it must have plugged right away.

How hard would it be to set something like that up? I have eight bays, as much as I hate to say it, I rarely run into that problem of having to ask someone to move because I have some waiting customers.
 
Sorry

Had to make a trip to the ER with my son...broken femur....anyway...I sent a couple of pics to Bill like I was told. Maybe he will put them up.

A.J.
 
I'd like a system that sends my cell phone a text message if something suspicious is going on.

Parameters should be able to be changed/configured, but I would set them to send me the text message if:

a) Hours are between 10pm and 5am,
b) There is no car in any of the bays,
c) There is significant motion detect near any device that has money in it.

Last year, I had someone spend 20 mins trying to break in and get money out of a bay and out of the vacs. A system like this would have alerted me, but given the parameters it wouldn't have sent me very many false alerts as very little "normal" activity occurs between 10pm and 5am.
 
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