Trash Cans

[Waxman]

I plan to keep trash cans for as long as I own the wash, because I am a car detailer by trade. Part of cleaning a car properly is throwing the trash away that accumulates in the car. You are offering an inferior service by not giving people a way to dispose of their car trash. It's bad business, IMO. Instead of removing trash cans, just raise your prices until the trash collection / disposal makes sense.

YES, people abuse the trash cans. YES it bugs me, too. BUT>>>>>> should Mcdonalds stop giving sweet n sour sauce because people take extra every time? Same with ketchup, napkins, etc. What about sweet n low??? The elderly have been stealing that stuff since it was invented!!! These companies know how to offset these costs of doing business. You should, too.

And where are you guys dumping your vac cleanout bins if you have no dumpster? Or did you eliminate your vacs, too??

You guys are going too far with this. Hire an attendant, dump your trash and raise your prices.

 

[Keith Baker]

Anyone selling toilet paper yet as an add on?

That seems like making a profit on someone else's misery. But you may be on to something. Do you think I should put them in the $1.00 or the $1.50 column of the spiral vendor?

 

[water guy]

Trash Can Is Gone !!

 

[KleanRide]

I’m with Waxman on trash cans being a necessary part of the biz, but what irks me to no end is the trash they throw on the ground when they’re standing 5 feet from a can.

I may try not picking it up for a couple of weeks. If they complain about the lot being trashy I’ll tell them it’s because their mommy doesn’t work here anymore.

 

[water guy]

Good Luck On That

 

[KleanRide]

Good Luck On That

Less risk than shooting them

 

[Keith Baker]

I’m with Waxman on trash cans being a necessary part of the biz, but what irks me to no end is the trash they throw on the ground when they’re standing 5 feet from a can.

I may try not picking it up for a couple of weeks. If they complain about the lot being trashy I’ll tell them it’s because their mommy doesn’t work here anymore.

The problem that I see with that is the people who want a clean car will go somewhere else and spend their money. The people who trash the place will think no one cares and will continue to do so.

 

[water guy]

Actually I took the trash can Out because during this Crazy Time with this Crap that's going Around.I have no desire to dumping trash out of a Trash Can .When this Crap clears Out I probably will Return Them.Dont need to handle anyone's garbage at this Time.And I put up a Sign Explaining .

 

[Sequoia]

You are offering an inferior service by not giving people a way to dispose of their car trash. It's bad business, IMO. Instead of removing trash cans, just raise your prices until the trash collection / disposal makes sense.

Considering the huge diversity in car washes, I don't think you can make a blanket statement that your way of doing things is how it should be done at all car washes.

As a detailer, with an on-site presence and a larger volume, of course what you are doing makes sense for you. And you are likely in an area where purchase of garbage collection service is mandatory and enforced by your County or local govt.

In my small 3-bay rural SS, things are different. There is no mandated trash pickup. So locals learn to go to the car wash to dispose of their household goods, including diapers, ketchup and mustard bottles, half opened liter bottles of pop, and so on. With my dumpster overflowing, mama bear and her cub visits most nights. She spreads dirty diapers, ketchup and mustard, and more ALL AROUND the vacuum area. Because, of course, you want the dumpster near the vacuum. At daylight the ravens come in and really scatter the material.

As the day begins, customers pull up toward a vacuum, see the huge mess of debris and offensive material, then pull away and leave. Is that good customer service? I suppose I could add a 2nd shift for cleaning up all the trash early in the day, but revenue from an unattended small SS doesn't match up with multiple visits per day.

Finally, regarding pricing. I didn't raise my prices, but I did (over time) increase the frequency of trash pickup until I had maxed that out with the most pickups in a week possible. Virtually nothing changed-- the dumpster was always full, the problems repeated, and I was actually receiving a significant increase in trash which immediately started coming once the trash pickup frequency increased. It's almost like I put up billboards announcing I could handle a larger trash volume.

With trash cans gone, I am saving $3,000/yr just on trash pickup service. My wash is much cleaner and nicer looking. Customers don't pull near vacuums then leave because of the huge mess. And I'm not paying for hours and hours to regularly clean it all up.

So, I'm glad you way is working for you. Going trash-free is working for me, and I intend to keep it that way. It's good business ... for me.

 

[Waxman]

I see your points! Every wash IS different and we can't be here 24/7. We all have to run the business, and not let the business run us.

 

[lb60605]

I am considering removing trash cans due "the public was using is as a public trash bin" at the vacuum center. This may be a good
time to close it down due to the coronavirus hysteria. we had rain and overcast weather all week, today is the first day of sun and
it is somewhat slow?

 

[lb60605]

Water Guy what did you say in your sign?

 

[Keith Baker]

Considering the huge diversity in car washes, I don't think you can make a blanket statement that your way of doing things is how it should be done at all car washes.

As a detailer, with an on-site presence and a larger volume, of course what you are doing makes sense for you. And you are likely in an area where purchase of garbage collection service is mandatory and enforced by your County or local govt.

In my small 3-bay rural SS, things are different. There is no mandated trash pickup. So locals learn to go to the car wash to dispose of their household goods, including diapers, ketchup and mustard bottles, half opened liter bottles of pop, and so on. With my dumpster overflowing, mama bear and her cub visits most nights. She spreads dirty diapers, ketchup and mustard, and more ALL AROUND the vacuum area. Because, of course, you want the dumpster near the vacuum. At daylight the ravens come in and really scatter the material.

As the day begins, customers pull up toward a vacuum, see the huge mess of debris and offensive material, then pull away and leave. Is that good customer service? I suppose I could add a 2nd shift for cleaning up all the trash early in the day, but revenue from an unattended small SS doesn't match up with multiple visits per day.

Finally, regarding pricing. I didn't raise my prices, but I did (over time) increase the frequency of trash pickup until I had maxed that out with the most pickups in a week possible. Virtually nothing changed-- the dumpster was always full, the problems repeated, and I was actually receiving a significant increase in trash which immediately started coming once the trash pickup frequency increased. It's almost like I put up billboards announcing I could handle a larger trash volume.

With trash cans gone, I am saving $3,000/yr just on trash pickup service. My wash is much cleaner and nicer looking. Customers don't pull near vacuums then leave because of the huge mess. And I'm not paying for hours and hours to regularly clean it all up.

So, I'm glad you way is working for you. Going trash-free is working for me, and I intend to keep it that way. It's good business ... for me.

Do you have people dumping even with the trash cans removed? I'm pretty sure I would.
Your right everyone's situation is different. Most of the critters running around my wash are two legged.

 

[Sequoia]

Once the dumpster was gone, things changed overnight. I don't know where all the trash went, but it went somewhere other than my wash.

In the first month I probably got 4 or 5 medium sized bags of trash left where the dumpster used to be. I was careful to get these quickly removed. Then maybe a couple more bags, here and there, over time.

Now, I haven't gotten any trash for several months. And no pallets, cans of paint, rolls of old carpet, or any of the other "presents" either!

 

[water guy]

We have very fortunate.Its been very respectful

 

[mjwalsh]

Anybody try recycle bins or seen anyone else at their car washes have recycle bins ... it seems like that could possibly help mitigate the volume of trash???

Maybe also helpful from a public relations standpoint???

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Anybody try recycle bins or seen anyone else at their car washes ... it seems like that could possibly help mitigate the volume of trash???

Maybe also helpful from a public relations standpoint???

Yeah, no one would take advantage of that...

 

[Jeff_L]

...If they complain about the lot being trashy I’ll tell them it’s because their mommy doesn’t work here anymore.

I doubt the ones who would complain are the offenders.

 

[MEP001]

I doubt the ones who would complain are the offenders.

Yeah, I watched someone today, instead of picking up the bigger bits of trash before vacuuming like a normal person he was clogging up the vac claw, then he'd turn around to pull it out of the claw to drop it on the ground a foot from the trash can.