Wednesday, January 18, 2012
How Do You Like Them Apples!
Pull out a calculator. How much would an extra 32 cents per car add to your bottom line over the next year? $20,000? $50,000? Now what would you say if I told you that that’s exactly what one operator did, with minimal investment, and is willing to share his easy to replicate formula?
Marcus Kittrell, owner of Marc-1 Car Wash, is famous for pushing the status quo. But on a recent phone call with his Vice President of Operations, Kevin Hendricks, I was astounded to learn of his latest success.
Regular readers may recall an interview that appeared in Auto Laundry over a year ago when an F3 tornado severely damaged one of Marcus’s three car washes near Birmingham Alabama. Reopening as an express-exterior with free vacuums, Marcus introduced a seemingly minor wash package modification that he later rolled out to his other two locations. This simple idea has added tens of thousands of dollars in incremental revenue to his business. Below are some excerpts from the conversation with Kevin that I’m sure will leave a lingering scent of green apples in your brain for weeks to come.
ANALETTO: Many Express Operators have experimented with raising the price of their base wash package, is that something Marc-1 is considering?
KEVIN HENDRICKS, VICE PRESIDENT, MARC-1 CAR WASH: Not at all. A customer told me something the other day that blew me away. He had just purchased a $5 wash and was vacuuming his car. When I asked him how he liked the wash he starts telling me that the wash isn’t why he’s a regular customer. He tells me that we’d do more business if we put up a big sign that said “Unlimited Vacuums Only $5 – Includes Free Car Wash!” I had to laugh. By talking constantly with customers, I’ve learned that the things they value, and that keep them coming back, are often the little things you do. A low price will get people on the lot, but you’ve got to produce a great car, and take it a step further if you want to earn their loyalty. We have a philosophy that a customer has to feel like they’ve won something when they visit our washes. To give them that feeling we provide a lot of extra services for free. There’s a self-serve bug prep area before the tunnel. In the vacuum area customers can use free body and window towels, window cleaner, and mat cleaners. I believe strongly in the express model. I know a lot of guys with $3 and $5 base washes are considering raising their base price points but we feel that that’s what gets people on our property. Then it becomes our job to show them the value of picking a higher priced wash. Right now we have no plans to raise our base price and are actually in the process of installing scent machines as another free service included with the wash. We’re averaging between $8.12 and $8.34 per car between the locations and are instead looking to invest in higher-end automated services to push that number even higher.
ANALETTO: Over the last year, you’ve increased your per car average by 32 cents at one location, what were the steps you took?
HENDRICKS: Late last year we decided to add a $14 wash option. Before the change, we offered $5, $8, $10, and $12 options, with the $12 wash giving a customer Rain-x, triple shine, tire shine, and extra high-pressure blasters. We didn’t change any of those packages. We didn’t even add the $14 wash option to our menu signs. Instead, we added an option on the video transaction kiosk for the $14 top wash, which included a green apple scented low-PH polishing foam. We haven’t even advertised it and the impact has been amazing. At one wash, the average dollar per car went up by 32 cents.
ANALETTO: $14 is considered high for an express-exterior by many, where did you come up with the idea?
HENDRICKS: After the tornado struck our full-serve wash, we took advantage of the renovation opportunity and converted it to an express-exterior like our other two washes. What we did differently was add a $14 top package. After seeing that wash reach an $8.45 per car average in less than a year, we decided to roll it out to the other locations.
ANALETTO: Was the impact the same at both washes?
HENDRICKS: No. One site went from $7.80 per car and now is averaging $8.12 a 32 cent increase. The other went from $8.10 to $8.34, only a 24 cent increase, but a higher average overall. What is interesting is that even after adding the $14 package at both washes, the percentage of customers buying the $10 wash stayed absolutely fixed at 19% both years. $8 washes also remained fixed at one wash and increased by only 1% at the other. The real change was that $5 washes dropped 2% at both locations while the $12 and $14 washes combined gained 2%. Also interesting was that the $12 and $14 washes were split 50/50 between the two, meaning half of our former $12 customers became $14 customers. On top of that both sites grew in overall volume making for a great year so far. We’re adamant in our belief that a business can’t rely upon credit to finance its growth. The extra revenue however has allowed us to explore new equipment investments to increase the value we can deliver to our customers.
ANALETTO: Do you think you’ve hit the price ceiling in your market for an express wash?
HENDRICKS: Not yet. Coming from a full-serve background we’re used to being in front of customers and spend a lot of time surveying what they want and learning from their answers. Express washing has revolutionized our industry. I remember after the tornado, when we converted from a full-serve to an express, one customer made a point to tell me that it would never survive. I told him to give it a chance, and sure enough, a few months go by, and he’s telling me it was the best move we could have made. There are a lot of people struggling, and the $5 express wash delivers what they need. You’ve got to deliver a great value and customers have to feel that they’ve got the upper hand. All day long I get customers ask me how we can afford to give away so much at $5. We invest a lot of money and labor into washing towels, giving out free supplies, constantly replenishing the bug-prep areas, and more. But there are a lot of people who want more and are willing to pay for it. Those free services improve their experience, get them to come back more often, and move them into higher wash packages. So what’s the price ceiling? Sure, a full-serve can probably command $22 to $25, but we don’t want to get back inside the car. We don’t want to manage 20 people with the constant training and management headaches. Our next logical step is to follow our philosophy of making every customer feel like they’ve got the better end of the deal, add more free services, and add more automated online wash features. As we roll out new services, I think the ceiling price for an express wash, not only in our market, but in all markets, will be between $20 and $25.
ANALETTO: That’s double your current top package; do you think it’s realistic?
HENDRICKS: Just like a full-serve, getting a higher price has a lot to do with the experience the customer has in addition to getting a great wash. Although an express wash doesn’t need the same labor as a full-serve, it’s still a service business. By constantly talking with customers in the vacuum area, listening to their suggestions, encouraging them to use the free services we provide, and doing everything we can to make them feel welcome, we’re trying to deliver the same level of personalized experience you normally see at a full-serve. At an express wash, it’s so easy to forget to stop and talk with, or smile and wave hello to your customers. I’m constantly reminding both myself and my staff that we have to do everything we can to serve our customers, and when we think we’ve done a good job, give it another 1% better effort. We’re fortunate to have a truly dedicated staff. But no matter how much you talk about customer service and facility maintenance to your staff, you’ve got to “walk the walk” and invest in their training if you want it to happen. Nobody would have said getting an extra 32 cents per car with a green apple scented polish was realistic, but it worked. We’re looking for more ways to use new detergents, equipment, and other options available to increase the “Wow” factor a customer has when visiting any of our locations. If we stick to our philosophy of adding visible services that make customers feel like they’re getting the better end of the deal, then there’s no reason we can’t continue to increase our average ticket. Kevin Hendricks was introduced to car washing over 18 years ago when Marcus Kittrell gave him his first job. Kevin credits Marcus with everything he knows about the industry and for helping him and so many others to find success and enjoyment in the business of washing cars.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Be the Best at Something - Taking an Ownership Position in Your Market
By: Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine
Driving to work recently, I heard a promotion on the radio to double the size of your business in twelve months. Before pitching a phone number to call for more information, author Chet Holmes asked “what if I could put all your potential buyers in a giant stadium and present to them all at once, making your company famous in a single day if you do it right?” Immediately picturing myself in the center of the local high school stadium near one of my washes, filled with every prospective client in the town, I decided to give it a shot. After fumbling around for the perfect words for my 15-second monologue to promote the car wash, I quickly realized that this wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Sure I could say “we deliver a clean car fast and affordable.” But that’s not going to excite anyone to run out and visit the wash. Sadly, customers don’t appreciate how difficult it can be to deliver a clean, dry, shiny car at an affordable price. As soon as you put up a sign saying CAR WASH, that’s the bare minimum that they expect from your business. Immediately my mind turned to discounting my commodity. Now I imagined saying “we deliver a clean car fast and affordable – see me for a coupon for a free wash to try it out.” Certainly better, but is that the best I could do? If I had the opportunity to tell every person in my town why they’d be foolish to not run out and visit my wash, and to do so regularly, what reason would get them to wash and become loyal customers? Basically, what could I say that my competitors couldn’t that would compel them to action? I sat down and started to write out a list of competitive advantages I felt were important to my customers, along with steps to own that position in my market – and here they are.
Own Community
Involvement
For some, this happens naturally. An outgoing entrepreneur decides to build a car wash in the community where they live. Everybody knows and trusts them. They’re involved in the schools, religious organizations, fundraising projects, disaster relief, and community groups. But in today’s world of fragmented communities, that rarely happens. There are thousands of special interest groups, and thousands of opportunities to become involved in your community. Start with fundraising.
For some, this happens naturally. An outgoing entrepreneur decides to build a car wash in the community where they live. Everybody knows and trusts them. They’re involved in the schools, religious organizations, fundraising projects, disaster relief, and community groups. But in today’s world of fragmented communities, that rarely happens. There are thousands of special interest groups, and thousands of opportunities to become involved in your community. Start with fundraising.
First, consider the old standbys. Hosting charity wash days
with a percent of the profits going to the organization can both increase
traffic and present a great opportunity for media coverage. Another favorite is
for kids to sell wash books and keep a part of the profit. More recent
fundraising programs leverage technology to improve performance. For washes
with newer gated kiosks, it will be increasingly common for these units to have
the ability for a customer to enter a code to donate a portion of their payment
to a favorite charity. For example, you may negotiate with the local band that
every time a customer buys the top package and enters the assigned code, you’ll
give the band two dollars. If you don’t have one of these hi-tech kiosks and
can stomach a chaotic lack of control, this can also be accomplished with
printed and even electronically distributed coupons that you allow to be
duplicated. Imagine all the students and parents involved in your fundraising event
sending out electronic coupons to friends and relatives across the social
networking sites to buy your top package. Picture thousands of potential
customers planning a trip to your wash to help the people they love. Grass
roots marketing can deliver exciting results, but normally, only the first
business in a community to do something new will reap the reward.
Fundraising isn’t the only path to becoming known as a
business involved in the community. I’ve known car wash operators who, during a
natural disaster, continued to pay their employees while they assisted with
cleanup of the town, while wearing their uniforms. Why wait for a natural
disaster? Actively volunteering in your community can deliver huge rewards. By
simply dedicating one employee for one 8-hour shift once per month to help on a
volunteer project in your community, you’re putting your staff, in uniform,
alongside potentially influential people that can refer people to your wash.
Imagine when someone working alongside them asks “do you work at the car wash?”
When your employee replies “yes, the owner really supports volunteer work and
once a month lets us work our shift helping the community,” you’re on your way
to becoming the car wash that cares – a very memorable position. Don’t forget to
leverage your good deeds to their maximum potential. Make sure to post your
actions on your website and social networks, as well as send a short press
release to the local papers.
Own Convenience
Remember Domino Pizza’s guarantee of 30-minute delivery or its free? Positioning your car wash as the most convenient, fast, and consistent product can be remarkably powerful and profitable. Be forewarned. This is by far the most demanding market position to pursue. Success relies upon automation, efficient processes, and procedures that must be documented, trained, and adhered to.
Remember Domino Pizza’s guarantee of 30-minute delivery or its free? Positioning your car wash as the most convenient, fast, and consistent product can be remarkably powerful and profitable. Be forewarned. This is by far the most demanding market position to pursue. Success relies upon automation, efficient processes, and procedures that must be documented, trained, and adhered to.
Like most things at a car wash, owning this position starts
with labor, or more accurately, the absence of labor. This isn’t an article on
labor reduction, so I won’t go into detail. But in order to offer convenient
hours of operation, rain-or-shine, and a consistent service time, labor cannot
be involved in the wash process. Owning this title isn’t only related to labor
reduction. Look at your product offerings, and wherever possible, separate and simplify.
If you have an express-exterior option, create a separate menu with limited
choices. The same thing goes for any express detailing, professional detailing,
or full-service wash options you provide. By separating each service category
into a distinct menu with fewer options, customers will have a clearer
understanding of what to expect, and staff will be more experienced in
delivering that expectation. This practice also lets you close sections of your
wash during inclement weather while remaining open on a published schedule, the
foundation of convenience for any service business. Sometimes less really is
more.
Now it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. Doing
the legwork to offer a consistent quality service in a promised time is only
one side of the equation. The other is a bit scarier – an advertised guarantee.
If you’re prepared to offer a “15-minutes or its free” or similar policy, and
deliver a consistent quality product, you’ll be fast on your way to owning the
title as the most convenient car wash in the market.
Own Quality
The Ultimate Driving Machine. When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best. Can you think of any other products where price is an important, but secondary consideration? I won’t go into the nuts and bolts of delivering a clean, dry, shiny product – if you’re considering taking ownership of the highest quality car wash position in your market I’ll assume you’re already on top of your game. What I will say is that the relentless pursuit of perfection in delivering a quality wash is only one part of this position. You’ll want to focus equal, if not greater effort, on creating a customer experience. Start with uniforms, signage, landscaping, and everything that a customer can touch or see, but don’t stop there. Analyze staff interactions and develop standardized greetings and procedures. I’ve seen full-serves where attendants spread the drying towels on the ground so that a customer could wipe their feet before entering the car. I’ve seen express-exteriors with beautiful signage detailing their 7-step wash process to protect your car. Pursuing the position of highest quality wash can take many directions, but it starts with delivering an absolutely consistent quality product.
The Ultimate Driving Machine. When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best. Can you think of any other products where price is an important, but secondary consideration? I won’t go into the nuts and bolts of delivering a clean, dry, shiny product – if you’re considering taking ownership of the highest quality car wash position in your market I’ll assume you’re already on top of your game. What I will say is that the relentless pursuit of perfection in delivering a quality wash is only one part of this position. You’ll want to focus equal, if not greater effort, on creating a customer experience. Start with uniforms, signage, landscaping, and everything that a customer can touch or see, but don’t stop there. Analyze staff interactions and develop standardized greetings and procedures. I’ve seen full-serves where attendants spread the drying towels on the ground so that a customer could wipe their feet before entering the car. I’ve seen express-exteriors with beautiful signage detailing their 7-step wash process to protect your car. Pursuing the position of highest quality wash can take many directions, but it starts with delivering an absolutely consistent quality product.
Wrap-up
Can you give a 15-second presentation on what sets your business apart from every competitor in the marketplace? A position so compelling that it will move people to action? If you can, you’re halfway there. Next, your employees need to live, breathe, and believe in your position. From that base, you may never find yourself in front of a stadium of customers, but supported with advertising, your customers will find you.
Can you give a 15-second presentation on what sets your business apart from every competitor in the marketplace? A position so compelling that it will move people to action? If you can, you’re halfway there. Next, your employees need to live, breathe, and believe in your position. From that base, you may never find yourself in front of a stadium of customers, but supported with advertising, your customers will find you.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
5 Misconceptions to Getting Consistently Clean Wheels
By: Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine
“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right”- Henry Ford
Turning out a consistently clean, sparkling wheel is often
the differentiating factor between competing car washes in a market. It’s also a
difficult task for a professional car washer to deliver and often the most
misunderstood. Like many of the articles I write, this one was prompted by a
recent conversation I had with a friend in the industry. For years, using
strong acid-based wheel cleaners, this operator would periodically replace his
tire brush, always in stainless-steel to hold up to the acid. Seeing an order
for an aluminum tire-brush machine, I asked him if he had placed his order
correctly to which he replied “I did - I’m finally off the crack.” The passion
he had in explaining the process he went through to eliminate all labor, switch
to easier to handle non-acid wheel cleaners, and improve the quality and
consistency of his wheels made me realize there are many operators that could
benefit by learning about his experience. His customers are happier, his
employees are happier, and he’s happier – and it all starts by dismissing the 5
misconceptions associated with getting a consistently clean wheel.
Misconception 1: You need to wash wheels by hand
Labor in any part of the wash process, especially wheels, results in inconsistent quality, slower throughput, and unpredictable customer wait times. Consider what occurs at many washes today. The car enters the wash and wheels are sprayed with a pressure gun, cooling the wheel which reduces the reactivity of the detergent to break the bond of brake dust to the wheel. Next, an aggressive acid-based wheel cleaner, corrosive to wash equipment, is applied to the wet wheel. Whatever cleaner doesn’t drip off the already wet wheel is instantly diluted before being immediately hit with a pressure gun again. The wheel cleaner, unless highly concentrated, does not have sufficient dwell time or physical agitation to do its job effectively. And the problem gets worse. As the day progresses, employees get more tired. As volume peaks, there is less time to spray each wheel. When you need to speed up the conveyor, you need to add more labor, and wash consistency and quality drop further. But that’s just the beginning of the problem. Hoses, cars, people, spinning brushes, and strong detergents are all shuffling around in a congested area. Management andtraining requirements to ensure safe detergent handling and operating procedures are adhered to skyrocket. And when things aren’t working, you need to throw more at it. More labor. More and stronger wheel cleaners. More problems – and more reasons to keep reading this article to learn how to break the cycle!
Labor in any part of the wash process, especially wheels, results in inconsistent quality, slower throughput, and unpredictable customer wait times. Consider what occurs at many washes today. The car enters the wash and wheels are sprayed with a pressure gun, cooling the wheel which reduces the reactivity of the detergent to break the bond of brake dust to the wheel. Next, an aggressive acid-based wheel cleaner, corrosive to wash equipment, is applied to the wet wheel. Whatever cleaner doesn’t drip off the already wet wheel is instantly diluted before being immediately hit with a pressure gun again. The wheel cleaner, unless highly concentrated, does not have sufficient dwell time or physical agitation to do its job effectively. And the problem gets worse. As the day progresses, employees get more tired. As volume peaks, there is less time to spray each wheel. When you need to speed up the conveyor, you need to add more labor, and wash consistency and quality drop further. But that’s just the beginning of the problem. Hoses, cars, people, spinning brushes, and strong detergents are all shuffling around in a congested area. Management andtraining requirements to ensure safe detergent handling and operating procedures are adhered to skyrocket. And when things aren’t working, you need to throw more at it. More labor. More and stronger wheel cleaners. More problems – and more reasons to keep reading this article to learn how to break the cycle!
Misconception 2: You can get a clean wheel without a tire
locator switch
A tire locator what? This function, included standard with most modern controllers, tells the computer exactly where a tire is located in the wash process. Using a combination of an entrance photo eye and a tire locator switch, information is fed back to the computer to activate wheel cleaning components accurately and for an extended duration. Getting clean wheels requires complete online application of an alkaline-based detergent, sufficient detergent dwell time with physical agitation, and high-pressure wheel cleaning for a five-foot travelling distance. The foundation of getting clean wheels every time online doesn’t start with some magical detergent or equipment component – it starts with having a computer setup to locate and track wheels throughout the wash process. I’ve been to many locations where people are still using treadles for chemical application running alongside an underutilized computer capable of tracking wheels. Without the ability to automatically adjust detergent application in relation to conveyor speed, or set high pressure washers to pivot and track wheels for prolonged contact, getting clean wheels online without labor is impossible. Once in place, a whole new world of possibility for accurate and consistent wheel cleaning opens up.
A tire locator what? This function, included standard with most modern controllers, tells the computer exactly where a tire is located in the wash process. Using a combination of an entrance photo eye and a tire locator switch, information is fed back to the computer to activate wheel cleaning components accurately and for an extended duration. Getting clean wheels requires complete online application of an alkaline-based detergent, sufficient detergent dwell time with physical agitation, and high-pressure wheel cleaning for a five-foot travelling distance. The foundation of getting clean wheels every time online doesn’t start with some magical detergent or equipment component – it starts with having a computer setup to locate and track wheels throughout the wash process. I’ve been to many locations where people are still using treadles for chemical application running alongside an underutilized computer capable of tracking wheels. Without the ability to automatically adjust detergent application in relation to conveyor speed, or set high pressure washers to pivot and track wheels for prolonged contact, getting clean wheels online without labor is impossible. Once in place, a whole new world of possibility for accurate and consistent wheel cleaning opens up.
Misconception 3: You can’t wash wheels without aggressive
acid-based wheel cleaners
No doubt acid-based wheel cleaners are effective. However, burdensome training and management requirements to ensure safe handling, coupled with the fact that they can reduce the lifespan of car wash equipment have caused many operators to switch to alkaline-based alternatives. When used correctly, you consistently get a cleaner wheel, eliminate labor, and prolong equipment life, all by switching to a detergent that’s easier to handle and more user-friendly. It all starts with detergent application to maximize mechanical and chemical wash synergy.
No doubt acid-based wheel cleaners are effective. However, burdensome training and management requirements to ensure safe handling, coupled with the fact that they can reduce the lifespan of car wash equipment have caused many operators to switch to alkaline-based alternatives. When used correctly, you consistently get a cleaner wheel, eliminate labor, and prolong equipment life, all by switching to a detergent that’s easier to handle and more user-friendly. It all starts with detergent application to maximize mechanical and chemical wash synergy.
Two feet after your photo eyes, you want to have a CTA applying
a non-acid foamed wheel and tire cleaner. A single CTA is sufficient for
conveyor speeds up to 80 cars per hour, but if you intend on exceeding that
speed, you will need to have a second CTA applying the same non-acid foamed
detergent 40 inches after the first, allowing the wheel to turn upside down for
full detergent application. Avoid the mistake of “flooding” the car with water
which does little other than dilute the effectiveness of your chemistry! Next
you will apply an alkaline presoak followed by a low-PH foamed presoak before the
vehicle enters your friction wash equipment area. Soap and mechanical wash equipment continue to
agitate undiluted detergent for 8 to 10 feet or more, delivering the necessary
dwell time before the high pressure wash equipment strips road grime from the
wheels.
Misconception 4: You don’t need a tire and wheel brush
Today’s tire brushes aren’t just for tires. With most designs having a brush diameter of 12 or more inches, they are designed to reach into wheels to agitate detergent and loosen road soil from wheels. Failure to agitate detergent on wheels with a sufficient dwell time spanning at least 96 inches, the average length of a tire brush, will not deliver a clean wheel. Operators concerned with more aggressive designs of polypropylene or nylon brushes can consider foam brushes available from several manufacturers – just make sure you have a tire and wheel brush in your wash!
Today’s tire brushes aren’t just for tires. With most designs having a brush diameter of 12 or more inches, they are designed to reach into wheels to agitate detergent and loosen road soil from wheels. Failure to agitate detergent on wheels with a sufficient dwell time spanning at least 96 inches, the average length of a tire brush, will not deliver a clean wheel. Operators concerned with more aggressive designs of polypropylene or nylon brushes can consider foam brushes available from several manufacturers – just make sure you have a tire and wheel brush in your wash!
Misconception 5: You don’t need a high-pressure wheel
blaster
It is impossible to clean wheels without high pressure. Not a few inconsistent seconds from an attendant with a prep-gun, but concentrated high-pressure cleaning that maintains contact with each wheel for five feet of travel through the tunnel. Provided you’ve applied sufficient undiluted foamed wheel cleaner, agitated for 96 inches of travel using a tire brush with a diameter of at least 12 inches, then five-feet of cleaning from either a pivoting or tracking high-pressure wheel cleaner is enough distance to allow the wheel to turn completely upside down to reach all angles.
It is impossible to clean wheels without high pressure. Not a few inconsistent seconds from an attendant with a prep-gun, but concentrated high-pressure cleaning that maintains contact with each wheel for five feet of travel through the tunnel. Provided you’ve applied sufficient undiluted foamed wheel cleaner, agitated for 96 inches of travel using a tire brush with a diameter of at least 12 inches, then five-feet of cleaning from either a pivoting or tracking high-pressure wheel cleaner is enough distance to allow the wheel to turn completely upside down to reach all angles.
Summary
Having switched to alkaline-based wheel cleaners and automated wheel cleaning so long ago, I sometimes forget the daily struggle many operators continue to have managing labor and safe detergent handling procedures. There’s no free lunch. Getting a clean wheel without labor is a challenge that will require experimentation with non-acid detergents and CTAs that work best with your water and climate conditions. You may have to invest in or upgrade your tire brush to a newer design capable of reaching into wheels. And you’ll need tracking or pivoting wheel blasters capable of maintaining contact with each wheel for five feet of travel at your fastest conveyor speed along with a tunnel controller with a tire locator switch to run them. The payoff however is huge. Labor savings and longer equipment lifespan can be easily calculated. But having happier customers and employees with fewer headaches involved with safely managing acid-based wheel cleaners can be truly priceless.
Having switched to alkaline-based wheel cleaners and automated wheel cleaning so long ago, I sometimes forget the daily struggle many operators continue to have managing labor and safe detergent handling procedures. There’s no free lunch. Getting a clean wheel without labor is a challenge that will require experimentation with non-acid detergents and CTAs that work best with your water and climate conditions. You may have to invest in or upgrade your tire brush to a newer design capable of reaching into wheels. And you’ll need tracking or pivoting wheel blasters capable of maintaining contact with each wheel for five feet of travel at your fastest conveyor speed along with a tunnel controller with a tire locator switch to run them. The payoff however is huge. Labor savings and longer equipment lifespan can be easily calculated. But having happier customers and employees with fewer headaches involved with safely managing acid-based wheel cleaners can be truly priceless.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Remodeling Attitude - Treat each day like it’s your grand opening
By: Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine
"Youth is a quality, not a matter of circumstances." Frank Lloyd Wright
In a single day, I often find myself
having absolutely opposing conversations. One minute I can be speaking with an
operator that recently opened up a new location. They’re talking with
enthusiasm about acquiring new customers, constantly tinkering with new
promotions, tweaking wash quality, training, and site appearance. To them,
their business is like a newborn child, employees are partners, and each new
customer an achievement that needs to be coddled with loving care. Later in the
day, my phone rings, and I’m talking to another car wash owner about increasing
competition, reduced customer spending, economic unrest, and the latest ideas
to cut costs and raise prices to combat these challenges. To them, their
business is like an adolescent child not conforming to their expectations, employees
are adversaries, and customers only care about getting more for less.
Remember TWA, MCI, Compaq, General
Foods, E.F. Hutton, and other once-great organizations that have long since disappeared?
Countless articles have been written on the demise of each. Hindsight always being 20/20, it’s easy to
find a timeline that documents the blunders that led to each company’s decline.
I’d venture a guess however that each organization began its downward spiral
the day the culture and attitude lost its youthful enthusiasm to love and
coddle its customers.
Many factors dictate if a company will
stand the test of time. Responding to changes in the market place and
developing more efficient and profitable practices is crucial to success. But cultivating
a positive attitude in your business with the same enthusiasm you had on the
day you opened your first wash can overcome a lot of challenges. Let’s take a
look.
Destroy Indifference
Attitudes are contagious. Enthusiasm is infectious. This is the phenomenon that drives the successful launch of any business. Think back to the grand opening of your first wash. Chances are you labored over every detail. Uniforms, signage, and wash packages were carefully crafted. Package names, price points, and service offerings to bundle incremental value were debated. You probably made so many last minute refinements that your sign company threatened to charge you a penalty if you made any more changes to the graphics! You were greeting customers. You were talking with staff about what was going well and looking for ways to make things better. The air was filled with enthusiasm to earn the business of every customer that entered the wash. That energy infected you and your staff and most were working with urgency to win the loyalty of each and every customer. Employees were energized to self-manage their work to make sure every customer was satisfied. If a customer wasn’t happy with the wash, your staff would have gone out of their way to fix the problem. Does that energy still exist today? If not, what happened?
Attitudes are contagious. Enthusiasm is infectious. This is the phenomenon that drives the successful launch of any business. Think back to the grand opening of your first wash. Chances are you labored over every detail. Uniforms, signage, and wash packages were carefully crafted. Package names, price points, and service offerings to bundle incremental value were debated. You probably made so many last minute refinements that your sign company threatened to charge you a penalty if you made any more changes to the graphics! You were greeting customers. You were talking with staff about what was going well and looking for ways to make things better. The air was filled with enthusiasm to earn the business of every customer that entered the wash. That energy infected you and your staff and most were working with urgency to win the loyalty of each and every customer. Employees were energized to self-manage their work to make sure every customer was satisfied. If a customer wasn’t happy with the wash, your staff would have gone out of their way to fix the problem. Does that energy still exist today? If not, what happened?
Over time, about 20% of your traffic
will be comprised of loyal customers accounting for 50-80% of sales. The other
80% fall into one of the following categories; impulse customers that purchase
the wash package or special that seems good at the time based on a whim; discount
customers that only wash based on the size of your markdown, and need-based
customers that have a specific intention to get a car wash with minimal loyalty
to any particular wash. To grow your business everyone knows to focus efforts
on the loyal customers and to offer specials to entice the impulse buyer to a
higher ticket. Unfortunately the discount and need-based customers, being in
greater numbers, tend to misdirect our efforts and sap enthusiasm of both
owners and staff to love and coddle all customers in general.
If enthusiasm is allowed to die,
indifference, which is even more contagious, takes its place. One day you might
decide that the practice of collecting community tips and dispersing the reward
for winning customer service in pay checks just isn’t worth the effort. Then, instead
of looking for ways to constantly improve site appearance, wash quality,
training, and customer experience, you’re focused on cutting costs, possibly
cutting what kept loyal customers glued to your wash. Indifference can creep
into your business in hundreds of small ways and spreads to your staff and
loyal customers at lightning speed.
Hopefully what I just wrote makes absolutely
no sense to you. Hopefully your employees are smiling, engaged with customers
as if it was your grand opening, and business is booming. But these are
difficult times. If you suspect even the slightest possibility that
indifference is trying to destroy your business, stop and determine if your
wash can benefit from an attitude remodeling. It’s easier to do than you think
and usually costs nothing.
Meet & Greet Your Customers
A little conversation can go a long way. If you’re not already doing it, invest as many hours each week as you can in walking around and talking with customers. Thank them. Ask them for recommendations to improve your service. Listen to them. Have no doubt that your employees will watch your every move and model their behavior based on your enthusiastic interaction with customers. Take advantage of this free and easy way to fight indifference from creeping into your business.
A little conversation can go a long way. If you’re not already doing it, invest as many hours each week as you can in walking around and talking with customers. Thank them. Ask them for recommendations to improve your service. Listen to them. Have no doubt that your employees will watch your every move and model their behavior based on your enthusiastic interaction with customers. Take advantage of this free and easy way to fight indifference from creeping into your business.
Empower Your Employees
Treat every unhappy customer like a loaded gun and give your employees the tools and training they need to take out the bullets. Absolutely monitor for abuse, but give every employee the authority to both refund the price of a wash and to issue a re-wash. Another helpful tactic to empower enthusiasm at your wash is to distribute a few vouchers for free car washes in paychecks each week. Whether they give them to friends & family or barter for other services, they now have clout as an employee of your wash, a sure-fire way to fight indifference.
Treat every unhappy customer like a loaded gun and give your employees the tools and training they need to take out the bullets. Absolutely monitor for abuse, but give every employee the authority to both refund the price of a wash and to issue a re-wash. Another helpful tactic to empower enthusiasm at your wash is to distribute a few vouchers for free car washes in paychecks each week. Whether they give them to friends & family or barter for other services, they now have clout as an employee of your wash, a sure-fire way to fight indifference.
Identify Loyal Customers
Finding a way to visibly mark your loyal customers is absolutely vital. Not only will you be able to give them the special attention they deserve, but your staff will be constantly reminded that their efforts on delivering enthusiastic customer service does matter. Point-of-sale technology is readily available to make it easy to capture data and automatically connect with your loyal customers. Alternatively, club cards, vehicle stickers, branded air fresheners, can all help make sure you know which customers on your property demand your highest level of attention.
Finding a way to visibly mark your loyal customers is absolutely vital. Not only will you be able to give them the special attention they deserve, but your staff will be constantly reminded that their efforts on delivering enthusiastic customer service does matter. Point-of-sale technology is readily available to make it easy to capture data and automatically connect with your loyal customers. Alternatively, club cards, vehicle stickers, branded air fresheners, can all help make sure you know which customers on your property demand your highest level of attention.
Innovative Offers for Impulse Customers
There are two equally important reasons to constantly innovate new creative special offers to try and move impulse customers to higher tickets. The first reason is obvious – revenue generation. The second reason though is a bit more subtle, it gives you a reason to engage in conversations with staff about the success of each offering. A simple, “how is the special X promotion working?” engages employees and helps combat indifference.
There are two equally important reasons to constantly innovate new creative special offers to try and move impulse customers to higher tickets. The first reason is obvious – revenue generation. The second reason though is a bit more subtle, it gives you a reason to engage in conversations with staff about the success of each offering. A simple, “how is the special X promotion working?” engages employees and helps combat indifference.
Focus on Facility Maintenance
Landscaping, paint, bathrooms, driveways, lobbies – your ability to keep all areas of your wash spotlessly maintained and cared for works like a powerful force field against employee indifference. The opposite is equally true. If you allow the appearance of your site to deteriorate, you’ll be left forever trying to answer the question “did my best customers leave because my wash didn’t look cared for, or did they leave because my employees felt indifferent and didn’t care for my best customers.”
Landscaping, paint, bathrooms, driveways, lobbies – your ability to keep all areas of your wash spotlessly maintained and cared for works like a powerful force field against employee indifference. The opposite is equally true. If you allow the appearance of your site to deteriorate, you’ll be left forever trying to answer the question “did my best customers leave because my wash didn’t look cared for, or did they leave because my employees felt indifferent and didn’t care for my best customers.”
Concentrate on Wash Performance
Cars change. Climate conditions change. Water quality changes. The question is, are you constantly evaluating and tweaking your detergent and wash equipment to deliver the best possible product? Talk about wash quality constantly with all employees. Involve everyone in preventive maintenance and share your ideas for continuous improvement of the wash process. Basically, the more visible you can make your passionate obsession for delivering a clean, dry, shiny car – the harder your employees will work to satisfy your customers.
Cars change. Climate conditions change. Water quality changes. The question is, are you constantly evaluating and tweaking your detergent and wash equipment to deliver the best possible product? Talk about wash quality constantly with all employees. Involve everyone in preventive maintenance and share your ideas for continuous improvement of the wash process. Basically, the more visible you can make your passionate obsession for delivering a clean, dry, shiny car – the harder your employees will work to satisfy your customers.
Summary
Sometimes, the best things in life actually are free. Remodeling the attitude of your car wash doesn’t call for any large sum of money, education, or special talent. Just a little friendly conversation, careful role-modeling of good customer service, and constant vigilance in maintaining your site, and suddenly employee indifference will melt away.
Good
luck, and good washing!
Sometimes, the best things in life actually are free. Remodeling the attitude of your car wash doesn’t call for any large sum of money, education, or special talent. Just a little friendly conversation, careful role-modeling of good customer service, and constant vigilance in maintaining your site, and suddenly employee indifference will melt away.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Damage Claims - Reducing damage to your business through diplomacy
By: Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine
The second rule of navigating damage claims is to embrace the principle that most people are reasonable (you’ll have to read all the way to the bottom for the first rule). If your mind just filled with the memory of a screaming customer demanding payment on the spot for damage they believed came from your wash, I realize it may be hard to believe, but let me repeat, most people truly are reasonable. In this article I’ll cover using cameras and research to reduce liability, along with tips to avoid damage claims in the first place. The real trick is having the diplomacy to lead customers to rational behavior when their adrenaline is pumping. At your car wash, there’s an even bigger challenge – which is how to create and train the processes and procedures that turn a good manager into a good diplomat, one that handles each damage claim in a clear, consistent way, every time.
I remember a situation once with a regular customer and his
BMW. On this model, BMW had an air deflector on the driver-side wiper, but not
on the passenger. One day he comes through in a hurry, looks at his car after
the wash, demands to see a manager, and begins yelling that the car wash ripped
the air deflector off the passenger side wiper. My first reaction was to tell
him that the car never had a deflector on the passenger side, but instead
followed my own training, listened, and said nothing until he finished. I then
explained that if we damaged his car we would of course pay for any repair and
asked him to fill out the damage claim form, at which point he nearly exploded,
saying that he didn’t have time to fill out papers. Again, my first reaction
was to ask him how he expected us to reimburse him for a claim he wouldn’t even
fill out, but I again followed procedure and moved him to a third-party, in
this case, the BMW dealer. After I wrote down the pertinent information,
including the VIN number, I simply told him to go to the BMW dealer, get a
price for the passenger wiper, and to bring it to us so that we could fill out
the damage claim form and resolve the situation. One week later, after the BMW
dealer informs him there’s no such part – he comes back, apologizes, and thanks
me for not calling him a liar. It turns out he was on his way to a friend’s
funeral service and wasn’t in the best frame of mind.
The moral of the story is that most people are reasonable
when you have the diplomacy to lead them to rational behavior. Unfortunately, diplomacy
requires self-discipline. Regardless if you run a military or a car wash, don’t
expect your front line people to have self-discipline without rigid procedures,
rules, and training in place. So how do you make this happen? Let’s take a
look.
Step 1: Diffuse the Situation and Document the Claim
Most washes have a form with the phrase “Damage Claim Report” in big bold letters at the top. Think about it. Right from the beginning, the title of the form has said that the customer has been damaged, has a claim against your business, and is reporting that fact for compensation. Change it, and change it fast. Call it a “Customer Experience Report” or if you must, a “Customer Unpleasant Experience Report.” Next, state your resolution procedure at the top of the page, right under the title, before asking for contact information. Your policy might have a heading such as “If you ever have an unpleasant experience at our wash”; with five bullets that say something to the effect of: (1) We promise to listen to your experience completely, and will never interrupt you until you have told us everything that occurred. (2) We promise to write an accurate report of the experience and provide you with a copy. (3) We promise to photograph your vehicle before leaving the property and provide you with copies of the pictures for your records. (4) We promise to provide you a list of certified third-party shops that can perform an honest and free-of-charge estimate to repair any damage. (5) We promise to review your experience and if the damage is shown to have been caused by improper action of either our equipment or staff, resolve the claim quickly and professionally. It’s important to state your policy in writing on the form first, and then have spaces to write in contact information including vehicle VIN#, manager and customer written descriptions of what occurred, and company legalese. The reason is simple. Even though you’ve trained your managers to act diplomatically, in the heat of the moment, it’s easy for them to forget. By repeating your policy in the one place they’re sure to see it, you remind your manager of your expectation for diplomatic self-discipline, the steps they must complete, and assure the customer that they will be attended to in a respectful and orderly manner.
Most washes have a form with the phrase “Damage Claim Report” in big bold letters at the top. Think about it. Right from the beginning, the title of the form has said that the customer has been damaged, has a claim against your business, and is reporting that fact for compensation. Change it, and change it fast. Call it a “Customer Experience Report” or if you must, a “Customer Unpleasant Experience Report.” Next, state your resolution procedure at the top of the page, right under the title, before asking for contact information. Your policy might have a heading such as “If you ever have an unpleasant experience at our wash”; with five bullets that say something to the effect of: (1) We promise to listen to your experience completely, and will never interrupt you until you have told us everything that occurred. (2) We promise to write an accurate report of the experience and provide you with a copy. (3) We promise to photograph your vehicle before leaving the property and provide you with copies of the pictures for your records. (4) We promise to provide you a list of certified third-party shops that can perform an honest and free-of-charge estimate to repair any damage. (5) We promise to review your experience and if the damage is shown to have been caused by improper action of either our equipment or staff, resolve the claim quickly and professionally. It’s important to state your policy in writing on the form first, and then have spaces to write in contact information including vehicle VIN#, manager and customer written descriptions of what occurred, and company legalese. The reason is simple. Even though you’ve trained your managers to act diplomatically, in the heat of the moment, it’s easy for them to forget. By repeating your policy in the one place they’re sure to see it, you remind your manager of your expectation for diplomatic self-discipline, the steps they must complete, and assure the customer that they will be attended to in a respectful and orderly manner.
Step 2: Be Prepared
This step is rather straightforward, so here it is. Every car wash should have surveillance cameras that record the condition of a car before it enters the wash. Every car wash should have a written policy of what they are, and are not responsible for, clearly posted for customers to read. Every car wash should have negotiated discounts, or reciprocal service agreements, with local body shops. Every car wash should have a camera and printer onsite with managers trained to photograph all vehicle damage before the car leaves the property. Every car wash should maintain an updated laminated card with a picture of any vehicle with a history of problems and any special handling procedures. Every car wash must have a “Customer Experience Report” to document claims. Every car wash should collect the VIN# of any vehicle that has an incident at the wash to research pre-existing damage. And, whenever possible, every car wash should visually inspect all vehicles before they enter the wash. To accommodate this practice without slowing production, many washes, especially express-exteriors, will simply train drive-on attendants to touch any scratches or blemishes they see and then point up to the camera. This recognition of damage by an attendant before the car enters the wash makes a powerful statement to a customer watching the video who may not have noticed the damage before.
This step is rather straightforward, so here it is. Every car wash should have surveillance cameras that record the condition of a car before it enters the wash. Every car wash should have a written policy of what they are, and are not responsible for, clearly posted for customers to read. Every car wash should have negotiated discounts, or reciprocal service agreements, with local body shops. Every car wash should have a camera and printer onsite with managers trained to photograph all vehicle damage before the car leaves the property. Every car wash should maintain an updated laminated card with a picture of any vehicle with a history of problems and any special handling procedures. Every car wash must have a “Customer Experience Report” to document claims. Every car wash should collect the VIN# of any vehicle that has an incident at the wash to research pre-existing damage. And, whenever possible, every car wash should visually inspect all vehicles before they enter the wash. To accommodate this practice without slowing production, many washes, especially express-exteriors, will simply train drive-on attendants to touch any scratches or blemishes they see and then point up to the camera. This recognition of damage by an attendant before the car enters the wash makes a powerful statement to a customer watching the video who may not have noticed the damage before.
Step 3: Research Your Liability
Although cameras that record vehicles entering the wash are a solid first line of defense, often you’ll have to dig deeper. With the VIN# of the vehicle, you’ll first want to look up any recalls that may be related to the damage that occurred. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, www.nhtsa.gov, is a good place to start. If that doesn’t help, turn to a paid reporting service such as CARFAX or AutoCheck. These services not only let a car buyer research a vehicle’s history, they can also alert a car wash operator to check if the damage to a vehicle occurred from an earlier accident that was improperly repaired. Imagine you discover that a car, whose bumper fell off in the wash, was previously in a front-end collision. You’re able to alert the body shop to check if an improper repair caused the damage, remind the customer of the accident, or if they’re the second owner, inform them that the car was previously damaged.
Although cameras that record vehicles entering the wash are a solid first line of defense, often you’ll have to dig deeper. With the VIN# of the vehicle, you’ll first want to look up any recalls that may be related to the damage that occurred. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, www.nhtsa.gov, is a good place to start. If that doesn’t help, turn to a paid reporting service such as CARFAX or AutoCheck. These services not only let a car buyer research a vehicle’s history, they can also alert a car wash operator to check if the damage to a vehicle occurred from an earlier accident that was improperly repaired. Imagine you discover that a car, whose bumper fell off in the wash, was previously in a front-end collision. You’re able to alert the body shop to check if an improper repair caused the damage, remind the customer of the accident, or if they’re the second owner, inform them that the car was previously damaged.
Step 4: Resolve to Your Advantage
Your business is about delivering value to the customer. If your research concludes that you are responsible for the damage claimed, fix it fast with a sincere apology. On the other hand, if it turns out that you are clearly not liable, diplomatically inform the customer, in person if possible, show them whatever videos, reports, or other information that demonstrate why you’re unable to pay for their claim, and again sincerely apologize. In either case, you’ll want to provide them with vouchers for free services on the spot, wait a week, and mail them a letter with another coupon for free or discounted services. Some operators will give nothing – which they justify by saying they’ve lost the customer anyway. Personally I prefer to shower any customer with a damage claim, whether paid or not, with vouchers for free services. If they’re so angry that they refuse to use my wash again, they’ll either throw the vouchers away, or give them to friends. This dissuades them from speaking negatively about my business in the community I serve. And if they use the vouchers, I’ve managed to maintain a customer, and potentially turn them into a raving fan.
Your business is about delivering value to the customer. If your research concludes that you are responsible for the damage claimed, fix it fast with a sincere apology. On the other hand, if it turns out that you are clearly not liable, diplomatically inform the customer, in person if possible, show them whatever videos, reports, or other information that demonstrate why you’re unable to pay for their claim, and again sincerely apologize. In either case, you’ll want to provide them with vouchers for free services on the spot, wait a week, and mail them a letter with another coupon for free or discounted services. Some operators will give nothing – which they justify by saying they’ve lost the customer anyway. Personally I prefer to shower any customer with a damage claim, whether paid or not, with vouchers for free services. If they’re so angry that they refuse to use my wash again, they’ll either throw the vouchers away, or give them to friends. This dissuades them from speaking negatively about my business in the community I serve. And if they use the vouchers, I’ve managed to maintain a customer, and potentially turn them into a raving fan.
The First Rule to Preventing Damage Claims
Although you can’t guarantee that every car enters your wash undamaged, you can absolutely ensure that your wash doesn’t damage a good car. Proper equipment and wash materials, correctly maintained, with appropriate use of lubricating soap, will nearly eliminate any potential for vehicle damage. Combine that with continuous staff training and coaching, and you’re on your way to reducing the impact of damage claims on your business.
Although you can’t guarantee that every car enters your wash undamaged, you can absolutely ensure that your wash doesn’t damage a good car. Proper equipment and wash materials, correctly maintained, with appropriate use of lubricating soap, will nearly eliminate any potential for vehicle damage. Combine that with continuous staff training and coaching, and you’re on your way to reducing the impact of damage claims on your business.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Sweating out the Summer - Maximizing Productivity When Business Slows Down
By: Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine
The second rule of navigating damage claims is to embrace the principle that most people are reasonable (you’ll have to read all the way to the bottom for the first rule). If your mind just filled with the memory of a screaming customer demanding payment on the spot for damage they believed came from your wash, I realize it may be hard to believe, but let me repeat, most people truly are reasonable. In this article I’ll cover using cameras and research to reduce liability, along with tips to avoid damage claims in the first place. The real trick is having the diplomacy to lead customers to rational behavior when their adrenaline is pumping. At your car wash, there’s an even bigger challenge – which is how to create and train the processes and procedures that turn a good manager into a good diplomat, one that handles each damage claim in a clear, consistent way, every time.
I remember a situation once with a regular customer and his
BMW. On this model, BMW had an air deflector on the driver-side wiper, but not
on the passenger. One day he comes through in a hurry, looks at his car after
the wash, demands to see a manager, and begins yelling that the car wash ripped
the air deflector off the passenger side wiper. My first reaction was to tell
him that the car never had a deflector on the passenger side, but instead
followed my own training, listened, and said nothing until he finished. I then
explained that if we damaged his car we would of course pay for any repair and
asked him to fill out the damage claim form, at which point he nearly exploded,
saying that he didn’t have time to fill out papers. Again, my first reaction
was to ask him how he expected us to reimburse him for a claim he wouldn’t even
fill out, but I again followed procedure and moved him to a third-party, in
this case, the BMW dealer. After I wrote down the pertinent information,
including the VIN number, I simply told him to go to the BMW dealer, get a
price for the passenger wiper, and to bring it to us so that we could fill out
the damage claim form and resolve the situation. One week later, after the BMW
dealer informs him there’s no such part – he comes back, apologizes, and thanks
me for not calling him a liar. It turns out he was on his way to a friend’s
funeral service and wasn’t in the best frame of mind.
The moral of the story is that most people are reasonable
when you have the diplomacy to lead them to rational behavior. Unfortunately, diplomacy
requires self-discipline. Regardless if you run a military or a car wash, don’t
expect your front line people to have self-discipline without rigid procedures,
rules, and training in place. So how do you make this happen? Let’s take a
look.
Step 1: Diffuse the Situation and Document the Claim
Most washes have a form with the phrase “Damage Claim Report” in big bold letters at the top. Think about it. Right from the beginning, the title of the form has said that the customer has been damaged, has a claim against your business, and is reporting that fact for compensation. Change it, and change it fast. Call it a “Customer Experience Report” or if you must, a “Customer Unpleasant Experience Report.” Next, state your resolution procedure at the top of the page, right under the title, before asking for contact information. Your policy might have a heading such as “If you ever have an unpleasant experience at our wash”; with five bullets that say something to the effect of: (1) We promise to listen to your experience completely, and will never interrupt you until you have told us everything that occurred. (2) We promise to write an accurate report of the experience and provide you with a copy. (3) We promise to photograph your vehicle before leaving the property and provide you with copies of the pictures for your records. (4) We promise to provide you a list of certified third-party shops that can perform an honest and free-of-charge estimate to repair any damage. (5) We promise to review your experience and if the damage is shown to have been caused by improper action of either our equipment or staff, resolve the claim quickly and professionally. It’s important to state your policy in writing on the form first, and then have spaces to write in contact information including vehicle VIN#, manager and customer written descriptions of what occurred, and company legalese. The reason is simple. Even though you’ve trained your managers to act diplomatically, in the heat of the moment, it’s easy for them to forget. By repeating your policy in the one place they’re sure to see it, you remind your manager of your expectation for diplomatic self-discipline, the steps they must complete, and assure the customer that they will be attended to in a respectful and orderly manner.
Most washes have a form with the phrase “Damage Claim Report” in big bold letters at the top. Think about it. Right from the beginning, the title of the form has said that the customer has been damaged, has a claim against your business, and is reporting that fact for compensation. Change it, and change it fast. Call it a “Customer Experience Report” or if you must, a “Customer Unpleasant Experience Report.” Next, state your resolution procedure at the top of the page, right under the title, before asking for contact information. Your policy might have a heading such as “If you ever have an unpleasant experience at our wash”; with five bullets that say something to the effect of: (1) We promise to listen to your experience completely, and will never interrupt you until you have told us everything that occurred. (2) We promise to write an accurate report of the experience and provide you with a copy. (3) We promise to photograph your vehicle before leaving the property and provide you with copies of the pictures for your records. (4) We promise to provide you a list of certified third-party shops that can perform an honest and free-of-charge estimate to repair any damage. (5) We promise to review your experience and if the damage is shown to have been caused by improper action of either our equipment or staff, resolve the claim quickly and professionally. It’s important to state your policy in writing on the form first, and then have spaces to write in contact information including vehicle VIN#, manager and customer written descriptions of what occurred, and company legalese. The reason is simple. Even though you’ve trained your managers to act diplomatically, in the heat of the moment, it’s easy for them to forget. By repeating your policy in the one place they’re sure to see it, you remind your manager of your expectation for diplomatic self-discipline, the steps they must complete, and assure the customer that they will be attended to in a respectful and orderly manner.
Step 2: Be Prepared
This step is rather straightforward, so here it is. Every car wash should have surveillance cameras that record the condition of a car before it enters the wash. Every car wash should have a written policy of what they are, and are not responsible for, clearly posted for customers to read. Every car wash should have negotiated discounts, or reciprocal service agreements, with local body shops. Every car wash should have a camera and printer onsite with managers trained to photograph all vehicle damage before the car leaves the property. Every car wash should maintain an updated laminated card with a picture of any vehicle with a history of problems and any special handling procedures. Every car wash must have a “Customer Experience Report” to document claims. Every car wash should collect the VIN# of any vehicle that has an incident at the wash to research pre-existing damage. And, whenever possible, every car wash should visually inspect all vehicles before they enter the wash. To accommodate this practice without slowing production, many washes, especially express-exteriors, will simply train drive-on attendants to touch any scratches or blemishes they see and then point up to the camera. This recognition of damage by an attendant before the car enters the wash makes a powerful statement to a customer watching the video who may not have noticed the damage before.
This step is rather straightforward, so here it is. Every car wash should have surveillance cameras that record the condition of a car before it enters the wash. Every car wash should have a written policy of what they are, and are not responsible for, clearly posted for customers to read. Every car wash should have negotiated discounts, or reciprocal service agreements, with local body shops. Every car wash should have a camera and printer onsite with managers trained to photograph all vehicle damage before the car leaves the property. Every car wash should maintain an updated laminated card with a picture of any vehicle with a history of problems and any special handling procedures. Every car wash must have a “Customer Experience Report” to document claims. Every car wash should collect the VIN# of any vehicle that has an incident at the wash to research pre-existing damage. And, whenever possible, every car wash should visually inspect all vehicles before they enter the wash. To accommodate this practice without slowing production, many washes, especially express-exteriors, will simply train drive-on attendants to touch any scratches or blemishes they see and then point up to the camera. This recognition of damage by an attendant before the car enters the wash makes a powerful statement to a customer watching the video who may not have noticed the damage before.
Step 3: Research Your Liability
Although cameras that record vehicles entering the wash are a solid first line of defense, often you’ll have to dig deeper. With the VIN# of the vehicle, you’ll first want to look up any recalls that may be related to the damage that occurred. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, www.nhtsa.gov, is a good place to start. If that doesn’t help, turn to a paid reporting service such as CARFAX or AutoCheck. These services not only let a car buyer research a vehicle’s history, they can also alert a car wash operator to check if the damage to a vehicle occurred from an earlier accident that was improperly repaired. Imagine you discover that a car, whose bumper fell off in the wash, was previously in a front-end collision. You’re able to alert the body shop to check if an improper repair caused the damage, remind the customer of the accident, or if they’re the second owner, inform them that the car was previously damaged.
Although cameras that record vehicles entering the wash are a solid first line of defense, often you’ll have to dig deeper. With the VIN# of the vehicle, you’ll first want to look up any recalls that may be related to the damage that occurred. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, www.nhtsa.gov, is a good place to start. If that doesn’t help, turn to a paid reporting service such as CARFAX or AutoCheck. These services not only let a car buyer research a vehicle’s history, they can also alert a car wash operator to check if the damage to a vehicle occurred from an earlier accident that was improperly repaired. Imagine you discover that a car, whose bumper fell off in the wash, was previously in a front-end collision. You’re able to alert the body shop to check if an improper repair caused the damage, remind the customer of the accident, or if they’re the second owner, inform them that the car was previously damaged.
Step 4: Resolve to Your Advantage
Your business is about delivering value to the customer. If your research concludes that you are responsible for the damage claimed, fix it fast with a sincere apology. On the other hand, if it turns out that you are clearly not liable, diplomatically inform the customer, in person if possible, show them whatever videos, reports, or other information that demonstrate why you’re unable to pay for their claim, and again sincerely apologize. In either case, you’ll want to provide them with vouchers for free services on the spot, wait a week, and mail them a letter with another coupon for free or discounted services. Some operators will give nothing – which they justify by saying they’ve lost the customer anyway. Personally I prefer to shower any customer with a damage claim, whether paid or not, with vouchers for free services. If they’re so angry that they refuse to use my wash again, they’ll either throw the vouchers away, or give them to friends. This dissuades them from speaking negatively about my business in the community I serve. And if they use the vouchers, I’ve managed to maintain a customer, and potentially turn them into a raving fan.
Your business is about delivering value to the customer. If your research concludes that you are responsible for the damage claimed, fix it fast with a sincere apology. On the other hand, if it turns out that you are clearly not liable, diplomatically inform the customer, in person if possible, show them whatever videos, reports, or other information that demonstrate why you’re unable to pay for their claim, and again sincerely apologize. In either case, you’ll want to provide them with vouchers for free services on the spot, wait a week, and mail them a letter with another coupon for free or discounted services. Some operators will give nothing – which they justify by saying they’ve lost the customer anyway. Personally I prefer to shower any customer with a damage claim, whether paid or not, with vouchers for free services. If they’re so angry that they refuse to use my wash again, they’ll either throw the vouchers away, or give them to friends. This dissuades them from speaking negatively about my business in the community I serve. And if they use the vouchers, I’ve managed to maintain a customer, and potentially turn them into a raving fan.
The First Rule to Preventing Damage Claims
Although you can’t guarantee that every car enters your wash undamaged, you can absolutely ensure that your wash doesn’t damage a good car. Proper equipment and wash materials, correctly maintained, with appropriate use of lubricating soap, will nearly eliminate any potential for vehicle damage. Combine that with continuous staff training and coaching, and you’re on your way to reducing the impact of damage claims on your business.
Although you can’t guarantee that every car enters your wash undamaged, you can absolutely ensure that your wash doesn’t damage a good car. Proper equipment and wash materials, correctly maintained, with appropriate use of lubricating soap, will nearly eliminate any potential for vehicle damage. Combine that with continuous staff training and coaching, and you’re on your way to reducing the impact of damage claims on your business.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Coaching - What did we do right? What happened that we didn’t expect? What can we do better next week?
By: Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine
“The person that said winning isn't everything, never won anything.” Mia HammWatching a well-run car wash on a busy day is a magical experience. Volume starts to spike, everything starts to click, and rhythm takes control. Employees automatically adjust equipment and procedures to handle the volume. It’s like watching a synchronized swimming event at the Olympics – and it’s absolutely beautiful. Every new investor I’ve ever met that becomes enamored with our industry has first visited one of these magical car washes on a busy day. But the truth is not every car wash achieves that rhythm. I’ve seen new investors, even large corporations, attempt to copy the car wash that inspired them. They’ll mirror the site layout, equipment, wash packages, and procedures. Some hit a homerun. Others miss their projections. Having copied a business model they saw working with their own eyes – they tend to assume that they built it on the wrong spot, or didn’t market the wash properly. Sometimes that is true. But when you stop and think of the phenomenally successful car washes you’ve seen with poor visibility and non-existent marketing, you realize there’s got to be other components to winning. In sports we acknowledge that every successful team has one thing in common – a winning coach. Well, the same holds true for your business. So how do you become a winning coach at your car wash? Fortunately, the path to elevating the performance of your staff is easier than it appears.
Create
a Game Day Mentality:
People like to win. People like to be part of a winning team. People like to prepare for the big game, go all out for a few hours, and high-five each other afterwards. Before the game, people are receptive to a coaches input to help them win. After the game, they will again listen to the coach to help them win the next time. In business however, we sometimes forget this locker room lesson. Instead, we often rely solely on monthly sales targets and incentive programs. We assume people are purely rational, and that they will maintain higher productivity, or manage others to higher productivity, in order to collect their financial reward at the end of the period. Don’t get me wrong. Incentive programs are an important management tool. They guide your managers to think strategically and work to sustain higher levels of productivity. Unfortunately, most employees struggle to maintain a sense of urgency for an extended period of time. It’s too easy to think “we still have time to hit our numbers.” Or worse, they may not be confident that the numbers you’ve established are attainable even if they are. Either way, period based incentives, although valuable – lack the same energy and enthusiasm of preparing for a game. So how can you create a “game day mentality” at your wash? Easy, start with your busiest day. Next, read the rest of this article to see how you can leverage your game day to coach your employees to higher levels – to set record wash days – and raise production, enthusiasm, and customer satisfaction every day in between.
People like to win. People like to be part of a winning team. People like to prepare for the big game, go all out for a few hours, and high-five each other afterwards. Before the game, people are receptive to a coaches input to help them win. After the game, they will again listen to the coach to help them win the next time. In business however, we sometimes forget this locker room lesson. Instead, we often rely solely on monthly sales targets and incentive programs. We assume people are purely rational, and that they will maintain higher productivity, or manage others to higher productivity, in order to collect their financial reward at the end of the period. Don’t get me wrong. Incentive programs are an important management tool. They guide your managers to think strategically and work to sustain higher levels of productivity. Unfortunately, most employees struggle to maintain a sense of urgency for an extended period of time. It’s too easy to think “we still have time to hit our numbers.” Or worse, they may not be confident that the numbers you’ve established are attainable even if they are. Either way, period based incentives, although valuable – lack the same energy and enthusiasm of preparing for a game. So how can you create a “game day mentality” at your wash? Easy, start with your busiest day. Next, read the rest of this article to see how you can leverage your game day to coach your employees to higher levels – to set record wash days – and raise production, enthusiasm, and customer satisfaction every day in between.
Pregame
Warm-up - Communicate Expectations:
Assume you’ve chosen Saturday to be your game day. Decide on an attainable and meaningful goal for the day. It could be the number of cars washed, total revenue, or some other combination. For simplicity I’ll pretend you’ve decided to use the total number of cars washed. Look up what your previous best day was, for example, let’s say it was 500 cars. Now hold a meeting with all of your employees together, the team, before the start of the day. You, the coach, will explain some change you made during the previous week to grow volume. This could be an advertisement, new wash special, uniform change, wash improvement, customer greeting, nearly anything. Let your team know what the current record is that they have to beat, in this case 500 cars washed. Tell them that you believe they can beat that record today. Paint a pretty picture of what success will look like. Set the prize they’ll get if they beat the previous record. Be creative, it does not have to be money. Keep the prize sustainable, meaning it’s better to offer a moderate prize consistently rather than a huge prize one week and a tiny prize the next, so pick something you can afford if they succeed every week. If you do use cash, give an equal amount for every member of the team. Now that you’re the coach on game day, let’s look at some easy ways to elevate their performance.
Assume you’ve chosen Saturday to be your game day. Decide on an attainable and meaningful goal for the day. It could be the number of cars washed, total revenue, or some other combination. For simplicity I’ll pretend you’ve decided to use the total number of cars washed. Look up what your previous best day was, for example, let’s say it was 500 cars. Now hold a meeting with all of your employees together, the team, before the start of the day. You, the coach, will explain some change you made during the previous week to grow volume. This could be an advertisement, new wash special, uniform change, wash improvement, customer greeting, nearly anything. Let your team know what the current record is that they have to beat, in this case 500 cars washed. Tell them that you believe they can beat that record today. Paint a pretty picture of what success will look like. Set the prize they’ll get if they beat the previous record. Be creative, it does not have to be money. Keep the prize sustainable, meaning it’s better to offer a moderate prize consistently rather than a huge prize one week and a tiny prize the next, so pick something you can afford if they succeed every week. If you do use cash, give an equal amount for every member of the team. Now that you’re the coach on game day, let’s look at some easy ways to elevate their performance.
Develop
a Game Plan:
Put your aces in their places. On game day you have to put your starters where they can do the most good. Part of coaching is to elevate staff performance. The other part is getting your top performers to bring up the game of those around them. Don’t just let your best people know what they’re doing well, put them alongside less experienced employees and ask them if they can help you get that person up to speed. With one question you’ll motivate them to do a better job and train your other staff.
Put your aces in their places. On game day you have to put your starters where they can do the most good. Part of coaching is to elevate staff performance. The other part is getting your top performers to bring up the game of those around them. Don’t just let your best people know what they’re doing well, put them alongside less experienced employees and ask them if they can help you get that person up to speed. With one question you’ll motivate them to do a better job and train your other staff.
Build
Confidence:
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Although you have set a day’s end goal for your team, in the trenches, working one-on-one with individual staff, you want to keep it small. I remember training temporary staff at full-serves to finish a car. I’d review the whole process, they would do it with me correctly, I’d walk away, and they wouldn’t get one thing right. When I went back to correct them, I’d only fix one mistake, sandwiched between two compliments. “That was good, I liked your energy, and next time you want to box the windows like I showed you and wipe side-to-side, the windows come out better that way. And also, you did a really good job keeping the towels folded.” Now they might get 3 or 4 things right. A few minutes later, I’d correct one more thing, again sandwiched between two positives. “I noticed you’re wiping the windows perfect which is great, and next time, when you’re leaning down to do the door jambs, don’t forget to hold the other towel in your hand while touching the car. And also, you did a great job starting at the front of the car and keeping the can in your pocket.” This time when I walk away, he’s thinking he’s lucky I didn’t notice the other things he did wrong, and within 15 minutes, he’s doing the job correctly. The formula is simple and powerful. You did this right, and you need to fix this, and also you did that correctly. The first thing to remember is to sandwich one negative between two positives to motivate your staff to achieve. Second, use the word “and” instead of “but” between your comments. A small change in wording that builds confidence instead of putting your employee on the defensive.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Although you have set a day’s end goal for your team, in the trenches, working one-on-one with individual staff, you want to keep it small. I remember training temporary staff at full-serves to finish a car. I’d review the whole process, they would do it with me correctly, I’d walk away, and they wouldn’t get one thing right. When I went back to correct them, I’d only fix one mistake, sandwiched between two compliments. “That was good, I liked your energy, and next time you want to box the windows like I showed you and wipe side-to-side, the windows come out better that way. And also, you did a really good job keeping the towels folded.” Now they might get 3 or 4 things right. A few minutes later, I’d correct one more thing, again sandwiched between two positives. “I noticed you’re wiping the windows perfect which is great, and next time, when you’re leaning down to do the door jambs, don’t forget to hold the other towel in your hand while touching the car. And also, you did a great job starting at the front of the car and keeping the can in your pocket.” This time when I walk away, he’s thinking he’s lucky I didn’t notice the other things he did wrong, and within 15 minutes, he’s doing the job correctly. The formula is simple and powerful. You did this right, and you need to fix this, and also you did that correctly. The first thing to remember is to sandwich one negative between two positives to motivate your staff to achieve. Second, use the word “and” instead of “but” between your comments. A small change in wording that builds confidence instead of putting your employee on the defensive.
Postgame
Show - Get Them Involved:
Everyone wants to feel important, but not always for you, their coach. I remember I had a great driver once, attentive, careful, courteous, and interacted positively with customers. The only problem was that he was always trying to wear his pants around his ankles. Every time I would reprimand him, he’d pull them up. Then, over the day, they’d start to slide back down. Finally I went up to him and said “don’t look behind you, but 3 of our regular customers are starring at you. I know they like you and you’re one of the best drivers I’ve ever had. They’re looking at you because your pants are practically around your ankles. If you pulled up your pants so that your appearance matched the quality of your work, they’d respect you more and probably tip more to.” I coached him to view the customer, not me, as his boss. And as soon as I walked away, he looked back, saw the customers, pulled up his pants, and never let them drop again.
Everyone wants to feel important, but not always for you, their coach. I remember I had a great driver once, attentive, careful, courteous, and interacted positively with customers. The only problem was that he was always trying to wear his pants around his ankles. Every time I would reprimand him, he’d pull them up. Then, over the day, they’d start to slide back down. Finally I went up to him and said “don’t look behind you, but 3 of our regular customers are starring at you. I know they like you and you’re one of the best drivers I’ve ever had. They’re looking at you because your pants are practically around your ankles. If you pulled up your pants so that your appearance matched the quality of your work, they’d respect you more and probably tip more to.” I coached him to view the customer, not me, as his boss. And as soon as I walked away, he looked back, saw the customers, pulled up his pants, and never let them drop again.
Getting your employees involved means giving
them ownership of wowing your customers. At the end of your game day you must
bring your team together to ask the following questions. What did we do right?
What happened that we didn’t expect? What can we do better next week? Your goal
as their coach is to get your staff involved in creating some new
advertisement, wash special, uniform change, wash improvement, customer
greeting, or anything that will help them to do better the following week.
Many things can go wrong at a car wash.
Imagine the weather turns and it starts to rain. Your team may miss their goal,
but this is often the best opportunity to coach. For one operator I know, his
staff came up with the idea of offering discounted detailing on rainy days.
They then independently setup social networking sites and text messaging to
promote the services with phenomenal success. Everyone can be a winning coach.
With a little effort and planning, successful coaching can be the secret
ingredient to enjoying more of those magical high volume days that make this
business so much fun.
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