What Can Be Done? - 8 Steps to Consider When Planning Upgrades at Your Wash

By Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine

When is the next upgrade to your car wash planned? What are you planning to update and why? It’s not a secret that remaining competitive in any field or industry demands constant improvement. For most of us, our motivation to improve falls into one of two categories; we either fix things to solve problems, or identify opportunities and execute improvements. Personally, I like to think of myself as an opportunity-execute, rather than a problem-solve kind of guy. Ironically, my inspiration for this article comes from a newspaper clipping my wife handed me this morning. An interesting piece, it outlined the importance of completing home improvements to avoid problems, rather than waiting for things to break. Fortunately, I have a more organized approach for car washing than I do at home. Every few months I write out answers to each of the following questions in a log. I put down a ballpark figure for what the opportunity will cost, and jot down a month and year I would like to have it done by. Here are the questions I ask myself.

What can be done to reduce maintenance and repairs?

It’s a dilemma. Following a comprehensive preventive maintenance (PM) program is vital to maximizing your site’s profitability. At the same time, every minute spent increases your labor cost. When looking for opportunities to reduce maintenance, first look to training. Consistent PM training will improve both accuracy and efficiency. Your equipment will work better and PM will take less time. Next, evaluate any older equipment in your wash that is limping along with extensive maintenance. Calculate the monthly maintenance cost considering both additional replacement parts and the associated labor cost for both you and your staff. Estimate how much it would be to update the component, and forecast when it would make more sense, financially, to replace it. The date may not occur for another year or more. The point is you’ve begun to schedule improvements to your business.

What can be done to reduce labor?

Adding labor to supplement failed or ineffective equipment is an easy trap to fall into. Often it starts slowly for special considerations. Before you realize it, you’re using labor on every car that duplicates what could be done with equipment. Make sure to calculate the true cost of labor. Include more than salary. Estimate wasted chemicals, shrinkage, slower processing times, and inconsistent wash quality. Identify activities in both prep and finishing areas that could be replaced. Keep a constant dialogue with your equipment supplier and attend trade shows to keep up to date with the latest innovations available. Like I said before, remaining competitive in any field or industry demands constant improvement. Imagine a tax attorney that didn’t constantly invest in learning the latest information. They would soon find themselves unemployed. Car washing is no different, like any profession, it demands daily learning.

What can be done to reduce operating costs?

In addition to scheduling upgrades to lower labor, maintenance, and repair costs, list projects that would reduce your overall operating costs. Do a complete evaluation of your detergent types, application equipment, and location in the wash. Invite your detergent supplier to demonstrate new products and best practices.  Identify opportunities to reduce electrical and water consumption without negatively impacting the wash process. This may involve equipment upgrades, modifications, or enhancements. Other possibilities include changes to your PM routine that refine optimal timing for cloth and nozzle replacement. It may be something as simple as installing motion detectors on the bathroom lights. The goal is to keep a running list of things to do to reduce your operating cost with an approximated cost and timeframe to implement.

What can be done to improve safety?

Creating better training may be the first thing many will think of to improve safety, but don’t stop there. Examine opportunities for clearer signage and procedures that reduce unnecessary movement of vehicles on your property. Look for opportunities to alter traffic flow and stacking procedures to reduce the potential for cars and people to cross paths. Estimate the costs of installing bollards, railings, and other aids to control movement of vehicles and provide safety barriers for customers and employees. Evaluate the procedures and training policies in place for handling chemicals on your property. List every opportunity to enhance the personal protection of everyone that may enter your property and refine your plan of response in an emergency. Remember, an ounce of prevention can save a pound of pain. Prioritize all safety improvements you identify for immediate implementation.

What can be done to improve the wash process?

Evaluate what can be done to deliver a better, more consistent product, in a faster, more predictable amount of time. This is the heart of your business. Avoid any temptation to trust that a “re-wash” guarantee will ensure customer satisfaction. The most valuable customers expect a clean, dry, shiny car the first time and have no desire to spend the time to take you up on a re-wash. They will most likely never tell you that they’re dissatisfied. Keep up to date with the latest best practices for equipment placement, material selection, and detergent type and application. Maintain contact with other operators via online forums, magazines, and industry trade shows. Equipment updates can be expensive. Often gains in performance can be found with tuning, placement, material selection, and proper maintenance. When replacing old or worn equipment is the most cost-effective solution, make sure to brush up on tax incentives with your accountant. Managing your depreciation is fundamental to reducing your tax obligation, and there may be special IRS provisions that allow for further acceleration of depreciation. These regulations constantly change and are often designed to provide relief for areas affected by disasters. I mention it here because if you are constantly identifying and scheduling planned updates to your wash, you can coordinate them to your greatest financial advantage. This sure beats the alternative, an emergency replacement so that you can remain open.

What can be done to improve throughput?

If only it was as easy as cranking up the conveyor. Unfortunately, increasing throughput may involve signage, site layout, training, and improvements to equipment performance to handle more cars. This exercise is an excellent opportunity to evaluate your current volume, growth trends, and any planned marketing activities against your established maximum acceptable time of service.  Constantly measuring your ability to satisfy your customers’ expectations allows you to plan and schedule upgrades accordingly.

What can be done to improve branding and marketing?

Start small. Is your site clean - does the hot water in the restrooms work?  Don’t laugh. Often we spend so much time at our properties that these eyesores and inconveniences go unnoticed. Once all the basics of a clean, appealing site are covered, turn your attention to defining what makes your site better than any car wash that is or might open in your market. Branding and marketing simply deals with how you communicate the competitive advantage of using your wash to the audience of potential customers. Activities you identify and schedule may include signage, landscaping, building modifications, staff training, and advertising, to name a few. Be very specific when listing the activities and anticipated costs; then schedule each activity. Branding and marketing activities are some of the most valuable aspects of your ongoing plan, but often, the easiest to postpone. Being specific helps make sure things get done.

What can be done to improve profitability?

More and more washes are going beyond express detailing, quick lube centers, and modifying wash packages. I’ve visited car washes where customers stop in specifically for their selection of greeting cards, coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, and nearly anything you might find at a specialty convenience store. Another growing trend is offering monthly wash subscriptions, which guarantee monthly revenue regardless of the weather. The opportunities are endless, but like everything, require a plan to implement.

Summary

Using these exact questions to keep a running list of upgrades you plan to do isn’t important. What is important is that you consistently look for and document upgrades you’ve identified as important to grow your business. In the hectic pace of operating a car wash day to day – it’s too easy to forget the great idea you had six months ago when a problem causes you to scramble for a solution. Too bad maintaining my home wasn’t this easy.

Leverage Your Labor - Building a Competitive Advantage

By: Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine

It is not uncommon for today’s full-serve wash to hire and fire nearly 400 employees per year. For some readers this number may seem unbelievable. Others would consider it conservative. The reality is that numerous parts of the country are experiencing rapid shifts in the labor supply that warrant a comprehensive training program able to accommodate rapid turnover and the seamless inclusion of temporary labor. Even if you’re in an area of relative stability now, that is no guarantee that it will remain so. I’ve heard from some operators genuinely concerned that the stress involved with staffing their car wash is adversely affecting their health, while others have things running so smoothly that managing their employees is one of the most enjoyable parts of operating a full-serve. If you’re not having fun staffing your wash then you may want to consider improving the process. Positive customer interaction with your staff can be the most effective way to differentiate your business and build loyalty.

People Desire Success and Recognition

For anyone who has either had or knows of someone who has had the misfortune of a dangerous situation involving a disgruntled employee, you can’t afford to let it negatively affect your approach to hiring.  Most people you interview crave success, both professionally and financially.  Car washing is filled with successful owners and managers who built a career that started as an on-line laborer. Many of the rest of us are the children of those people. The fact is that our industry offers a job for anyone willing to work with a path to become successful. Not every industry can say that. Exploit this truth when interviewing potential candidates. Reinforce this fact with every aspect of your training program.  Sudden shifts in the labor pool can make it difficult to compete with large retailers for the best people. When a newly opened business starts drawing workers from your location, ideally the most ambitious will see it as an opportunity to move up within your organization.

Everyone Starts at the Bottom

An effective training program must create flexibility. On any given day a full-serve wash may scale employees from processing 10 to over 100 cars per hour. To accomplish this, tasks must be viewed and trained as distinct items and their assignment shifted to different individuals throughout the day. Each task should include a 15 to 30 minute documented training that encompasses a review, demonstration, critique, and in some cases a written test in addition to three successful completions before the trainer walks away. Train all new hires at the wash in every task potentially assigned to their position and any position below them.

Incorporate special uniforms or accessories to differentiate the individual’s position. Don’t underestimate the importance of the hierarchy at your wash. I can recall countless new hires that would hide their attendant t-shirt in a bag and only put it on at work. Upon successful training and promotion to a Customer Service Advisor position, they would wear the Polo shirt it included on the bus to work each day. The more ways you provide for exemplary staff to communicate their status and take pride in their success, the closer you’ll get to making staffing a full-serve fun.

There are literally thousands of ways to combine tasks into positions at a full-serve. Below I laid out one grouping that can readily scale by clearly separating functions during periods of high volume and quickly combine tasks onto remaining staff as things slow down. There is no single “best way” for every location. The important thing is to maintain flexibility of shifting tasks while preserving a hierarchy of positions where employees see the potential for growth.

1. Passenger side vacuum:

It is imperative to have an entry level position that can be learned in 15 minutes that is removed from any potential customer contact. Such a process can be taught to temporary labor allowing managers to quickly add staff during periods of increased volume. Passenger side vacuuming at the wash entrance is an ideal choice. When developing the training, don’t consider anything as obvious. Review each step of your procedure so that anyone on the site who vacuums the passenger side will do so in the exact same order, style, and manner. It may seem silly to include shirt tucking, hair combing, and shaving in a written training, but it is necessary to eliminate any potential for interpretation. Make sure to emphasize the importance of their role as the first person to enter the customer’s vehicle.

2. Driver side vacuum:

Quickly train all employees who demonstrate a positive attitude and good work ethic how to vacuum the driver’s side of the car. This training involves more than the mechanics of the task and must emphasize customer interaction and service. Ensure they have completely memorized your welcome greeting and how to properly open a customer’s door.

3. Passenger window / exterior touch up:

Less experienced staff should start with the less visible passenger side where they will rarely communicate directly with customers. Depending on the number of tasks you assign to this position, this training may take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.

4. Inside front and back windows:

Often there will be different sets of responsibilities to accommodate more attendants with a higher throughput for busy periods. Careful documentation and separate training modules for each scenario permit your manager to quickly communicate and adjust for sudden spikes in volume or handle occasional labor shortages. During slower periods back windows can often be assigned to the passenger touch up person and front windshields to either the drive off attendant or driver side touch up position.

5. Driver side windows / exterior touch up:

This highly visible position is often one of the best opportunities to distinguish your wash from the competition. This person must understand your wash’s quality standards and be trained for every scenario you anticipate may occur. Written testing is advisable with multiple choice responses for different situations. For example, if it is your policy to re-send a car through the tunnel for residual bugs, than this employee should be trained to make the correct decision quickly and confidently. The alternative is that by the time they locate a manager, chances are that the passenger windows will have already been cleaned and body wiped, resulting in wasted labor and chemical. Even worse is the potential for a customer to witness the confusion and possibly leave in a dirty car.

6. Prep Person:

Excessive prep may erode profits by wasting chemical, water, electricity, in addition to slowing production. Insufficient prep either increases exterior touch up time or reduces wash quality. Rarely will you want to bring a new hire or temporary staff directly into this position. Promote from within from your best passenger side exterior touch-up staff that are uncomfortable working directly with customers. Often they will over-prep to avoid the risk that the car comes to their peers dirty. This is much easier to train and manage than under-prep.

7. Laundry Person:

During different volumes this task, or portions of it, may be assigned to different individuals ranging from the passenger window / exterior touch up person(s), the drive off attendant(s), or during peak volume a dedicated person. Don’t leave it to be whoever isn’t busy to wash towels – assign this function specifically and train in advance for each scenario.

8. Drive on – Drive off:

I’ve grouped these two positions for brevity but they both require separate and distinct training. Often tasked with identifying and accommodating for problem vehicles, the drive-on attendant contributes to the overall safety of the wash. Develop written testing that involves each vehicle with special driving and / or wash considerations and test frequently to ensure accurate knowledge. Drive-off staff needs additional training and testing to fully understand loading your finishing grid for maximum efficiency and safety. These two key positions, when properly trained, can readily accommodate additional tasks ranging from interior spraying to laundry depending on volume.

9. Customer Satisfaction Rep:

Also known as a greeter, training and compensation incentives for this position can make or break a successful wash. An entire book can be written on this position especially if you also offer express detailing services. Avoid the mistake of relying only on intricately designed commission programs to manage this position. Develop a series of training modules that address discovery and qualification, cross-selling and up-selling, as well as presentation skills in alignment with your washes customer satisfaction standards.

10. Assistant Manager:

The Assistant Manager, normally tasked with overall quality control, is usually the last set of eyes to see a customer off the property. Involving your Assistant Manager in the development of your training curriculum and documentation is crucial to build their knowledge and trust of the systems to shift staff through the property. Although trained in every position at the wash and able to fill-in where needed, jumping in to keep things moving prohibits them from giving full attention to equipment function and customer satisfaction on busy days.

11. Cashier:

As one of the most sensitive positions at the wash, it is important to design training modules with written tests for each major function. Like every position, cashiers too must be trained on every task below them. One useful tool for screening new hires is to send them home with a piece of paper that lists directions to your wash, hours of operation, who’s who, and each wash package with the price. Tell them they will be tested on it before they start work. When they come in for the first shift sit them down to fill in the same piece of paper less all pertinent information. If they can’t do it send them home.

Summary

I intentionally left off the manager and tire dressing positions. Tire dressing because in this day in age it is increasingly done with one of many brands of online equipment readily available. The manager, because this individual, responsible for keeping everything running with extreme quality and efficiency, both in labor and other inputs, for many readers is the same person preparing the training program.

A competent, motivated, crew will improve consistency, efficiency, safety, and customer satisfaction.  The problem is maintaining employee morale in an environment with such rapid turnover. Even more difficult is to not let the reality of potentially hiring and firing at least one employee every day make you so callous that you loose the ability to identify, motivate, train, and lead good people. Staffing a full-serve car wash is not a trivial task. It demands a systematized training program designed to quickly scale up and down with changing weather and labor pool availability. Taking the time to document a formal training program that corresponds with a clearly defined path to promotion will help combat turnover.

Full-Serve to Flex-Serve Conversion - Lessons Learned

By Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine

Interview with Jim Mulholland,
Owner of Busy Bee Car Wash

Few businesses remain content with the status quo – especially when confronted with a business climate that seems to be changing all around. Wash performance, customer service, facility improvements, and advertising are a few of the common areas addressed. A more recent trend has been the growing number of full-serve operators evaluating a complete renovation and conversion to either the express exterior or flex-serve wash formats.

Having reopened only 4 weeks ago following a 3-month conversion of his Busy Bee full-serve wash in Miami, Florida, owner Jim Mulholland was kind enough to share some of his experience with the rest of us. Below are some excerpts from his ideas to successfully convert a full-serve location.

ANALETTO: What made you consider converting a successful full-serve location to a flex serve?

JIM MULHOLLAND, PRESIDENT, BUSY BEE CAR WASH: We were having a number of issues, but what really elevated the sense of urgency was our insurance company’s requirements for drivers. We had a good record for years until a few minor fender benders shot our premiums through the roof. I was staring at a worsening cycle. Paying more for qualified cashiers and drivers, already 25% of our labor cost, was forcing me to raise prices, which in turn chipped away at my full-serve volume. Worse yet, I was struggling to find people over 21 with a clean driving record and willing to work.  Today, everywhere I look, I see “hiring now” signs. How am I supposed to compete for decent talent against large multinational employers offering comprehensive training programs, predictable schedules, air-conditioned work environment, and more prestige than the local car wash? For me, the biggest reason to convert to a flex-serve wash is that it lets me shift some of the labor and even some of the management onto the customer.

ANALETTO: Can you explain what you mean by the customer becoming part of the management team?

MULHOLLAND: As a typical flex serve, customers pay at an automated attendant, ride through the tunnel, and either use the free vacuums and mat machines or drive over to the aftercare center and pay us for detailing services. Cars coming to the aftercare have already received tire dressing, extra services, and even an automatic chamois wipe online. Since the customer and the equipment have done all the work to get the car to this spot, tips don’t have to be shared; they’re earned directly by the attendant performing the detailing services. The word “tip” actually means “to improve performance” and has always been a big part of car washing. Employees are more motivated because they’re being directly compensated for doing a good job, even if it was what they should have been doing anyway. Flex serve is different because you’re not trying to do a basic interior cleaning for every car that comes in. Instead, you’re giving a phenomenal service to customers willing to pay a fair price for it. It truly lets the customer be a part of the management team through tipping.

ANALETTO: What were your greatest concerns about the conversion?

MULHOLLAND: My biggest concern is what I’m kind of living right now. I shut off a full-service car wash that was profitable. The down time, originally planned to be 4 weeks, ended up taking 12 weeks, and we’re still not entirely done. When you’re trying to put a new dress on an old girl, sometimes they just don’t fit that well without some tailoring. Some customers have been resistant to the change. As of today we re-opened about one month ago and our full-serve volume has dropped off, but I anticipate it coming back. I’m also expecting an offset with an increase in exterior volume. I’ve been able to stay open longer while scaling back my labor costs so I don’t need to do as much full serve. We had a very successful detailing business, and now we’re back to doing couponing and billboard advertising, just trying to get back in people’s faces that we’re open again. Being closed so long, people find different drive patterns and you have to actively go out and pursue them again. After spending a huge amount of money, you start to anticipate you’re going to knock it out of the park the first day you reopen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. It’s been four weeks now and things are starting to build but it takes time and effort.

ANALETTO: What did you do to test market the exterior service before conversion?

MULHOLLAND: Before doing the flex conversion I had added an express lane on the outside where customers could go through the wash, stay in the car, but did not have free vacuums or mat cleaners. When I closed for renovation we were doing 125,000 cars per year, 55,000 of which were full serve. At one time the site was doing 100,000 full-serve washes before competitors and other factors ate away at that volume. Adding the exterior lane got my volume back up and although the dollar per car wasn’t the same it spread out my labor cost.

ANALETTO: Where did you start?

MULHOLLAND: We started with an architect and a clean slate. No part of the property was untouched. We did equipment, asphalt, awnings, electrical, plumbing—you name it. I would recommend to anyone considering this to make sure you have all the professionals in place and permits in hand before you start.

ANALETTO: Did everything go as you planned?

MULHOLLAND: Not even close. First, it took a lot longer than I expected. Second, whatever you think your costs will be - add 30% to the total. I repeatedly found myself thinking I’ll never have the chance to do this again. Hundreds of things that were sufficient for years look dated and out of place once everything else started to look so nice. Little upgrades such as using stainless steel bolts instead of the standard zinc oxide for a $1,000 more will suddenly make absolute sense. Budgeting for this up front lets you make more efficient use of the time you’re closed for renovation, as long as you don’t let yourself get carried away. Before closing, I’d also suggest pre-paying for whatever materials you can. This not only locks in your cost, but lets you pay out of operating cash which is less painful if it takes time for volume to build.

ANALETTO: How did it affect your existing employees?

MULHOLLAND: We were able to move a couple around to other locations to protect our best employees. Ultimately, 4 of the 12 stayed on who were willing and able to work on other things during the renovation. Eliminating the cashiers and drivers, we didn’t have many issues getting new people to start.

ANALETTO: How did you communicate the changes to your customers?

MULHOLLAND: We put up signs that we were closed for renovation, but I was honestly reluctant to give out too much information. I didn’t want to give competitors any lead time to exploit me being closed by jumping on advertising and employees. We planned the renovation for our worst months and have begun advertising more heavily now that we are open again.

ANALETTO:  What are your future plans?

MULHOLLAND: I have two other locations; an express exterior and another full serve. I’m planning as we speak to convert the other full serve to a flex once the volume at this site stabilizes. With the full-serve model, you’re constantly beating up your managers for having too much or too little labor; it’s like trying to balance on top of a pin head. With flex serve, you’re on a solid footing, able to offer the customer a wide range of services that meet their expectations, and you are in a position to execute and get paid for the value you provide. With all the uncertainty in today’s economy, a car wash has to run with extreme efficiency. To me, flex serve is more efficient. It lets me reduce my labor and keep them in one area where it’s easier to manage. Updating my equipment has also helped me reduce chemical and utility consumption, as well as reduce repair and maintenance costs. It’s been a lot of work and a struggle to build volume back up, but long term I know I’m going to be better off. I’m no longer willing to devote every waking minute of my life to the wash. The flex-serve format is easier for me to replicate.  It lets me provide long term career opportunities for my staff and greater balance for myself and my managers.

ANALETTO:  Any final recommendation to operators considering a retrofit?

MULHOLLAND: Yeah, make sure you give yourself 2 to 3 weeks to really look over the plans before you start. Also, have a solid team in place. I’ve had the good fortune to have others in the industry help get me through this. Lastly, don’t cut corners on signage. The bill might seem huge at first, but it is the cheapest form of advertising over a 20-year period that you’ll ever do. Amortize the amount over 5 years and compare it to all the money spend on Valpak, yellow pages, or some kid standing out front with a sign hanging from their neck. A Disney World-style appearance is what I’m going after. If I can make my property yell out, “Professionalism,” to the motoring public, the $5-dollar car wash and free vacuums are just icing on a cake that seems too good to be true.

Raising The Bar - Growing in a Shrinking Economy

By: Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine

For nearly 60 years, new investors and car wash veterans alike have looked to Benny’s Car Wash & Oil Change in Baton Rouge for innovative ideas to grow their business. I know I’m not alone in my feeling of gratitude towards the Alford family; both for their constant push to improve the business of washing cars, and their willingness to share what works and doesn’t with the rest of us.

Long famous for finding tremendous success doing what others would consider unconventional, or even ill-advised, Benny’s newest car wash opened on and eight-acre lot in a struggling part of town that has seen little development. Drive around the neighborhood and you can count the boarded-up store windows of previous investments that failed to overcome the areas demographic challenges. Traditionally this would make and ill-advised location for a car wash. This is where the Alford’s chose to build a 180-foot express-exterior tunnel car wash with 36 free vacuums alongside a gas station with eight MPDs, a 5,200 square foot convenience store with 50 parking spaces, a five-bay oil change center, and an express detailing center with a people mover. Visit the site on a good wash day and you’re likely to see well over a thousand clean, dry, shiny cars leave the property with a full tank of gas and a driver holding a fountain drink. If you’re a true believer in conventional wisdom and site selection you may find yourself scratching your head.

There seems to be a lot of head scratching these days, especially by the people involved in managing our financial markets. I doubt I’m alone in my feeling that the economy, at least for the next several months, may not allow nearly as much room for error as it might normally. That is why I was glad this month that Justin Alford, one of the principal owners of Benny’s, agreed to share some of his insights on express car washing, petroleum marketing, fountain drinks, and a few other topics that make up the modern landscape of car washing. Below are some excerpts from our conversation.

ANALETTO – PRESIDENT, SONNY’S THE CAR WASH FACTORY: Do you feel the combination of gas and a car wash on the same property can develop synergies that contribute to the success of both?

ALFORD – BENNY’S CAR WASH & OIL CHANGE: People like one-stop shopping, they like the convenience. At the same time, every location is a little different and you have to match the right mix of services to what your customers want. If you look at the big box retailers they have different store formats such as neighborhood stores or super centers, which offer different products and services around a core brand. We’re no different. We’ve owned car washes since 1951 and don’t have any locations without a car wash; it’s our core. All five locations also offer oil change services, but only three have convenience store and gas. When we add additional profit centers to a property, each one has to be successful as a stand-alone business. That means the site has to have space to properly give each business its own brand and be visible to customers passing by. I don’t like to try and put so much on one lot that nothing works. I would also never build a gas station behind a car wash thinking it will help sell more washes. Equally, a gas station that adds a car wash as an after-thought to help sell more gas may pick up some additional revenue, but I doubt they will ever see the results they were hoping for. I really believe each profit center must be successful as a stand-alone no matter what it is. At each Benny’s location, the manager for the car wash and the gas station is a different person. People who work at the car wash do not work at the convenience store and vice versa.  I think gas and car washing has always been a good combination, it’s certainly not new. When you run them as separate entities they can really leverage each other and contribute to better success for both.

ANALETTO: What percent of your car wash customers pay at the pump?

ALFORD: That’s a great question.  Every month we look at this number and try to gauge how many car wash customers buy gas and make purchases at our convenience store. It’s tough to say because for the last three years the gas business has been total chaos. The only people that have really profited have been the credit card and oil companies. Individual station owners have really taken a beating and our volumes have been down. It’s been a good thing that we have the car washes. Our volumes tend to change a lot as the price fluctuates, making it hard to give you accurate trends. I can say however, that I haven’t necessarily seen a correlation between pumping more gas and washing more cars. We’re constantly trying new ways to promote the car wash at the pump and right now sell about 25% of our car washes at the gas station, both pay at the pump and inside, which is a good number. We’re also pumping unbranded, or actually our own brand, of gas at two stations now. This has helped, but it’s still been a tough three years.

ANALETTO: All of your car washes are conveyorized; do you believe this is a better format than the in-bay automatic at a gas station?

ALFORD: There’s a misconception out there that the in-bay is going to die and the only way to go is a tunnel that I believe is wrong. There is a place for in-bays and a place for tunnels. If you have a gas station and the focus is not on car washing, then the in-bay automatic can be a good convenience to customers. They can not wash a lot of vehicles but they’re open 24 hours and you don’t have to have a person monitoring it every second of the day. When an in-bay is done right, it can be very successful.

A conveyorized car wash takes a lot more effort. You have to staff it, you have to have more space, and you have to treat it as a separate business. If you’re prepared to make the investment to manage, market, and maintain a conveyorized tunnel, you can generate a lot of revenue washing cars. If you’re not prepared to put in that effort, you’ll be in worse shape than if you went with an in-bay; you’ll have all the negative aspects without the high wash volumes that make it worthwhile. It has to look like a car wash and be visible with distinct signage. It takes a lot of planning to make sure the site flows properly. I’ve seen tunnels installed behind a gas station as an afterthought only to be later ripped out and replaced with an in-bay automatic. I’ll say it again, a conveyorized tunnel, even an express exterior, must be treated as a truly separate business to be successful.

ANALETTO: Are all of your car washes express-exterior tunnels?

ALFORD: No, two sites are traditional full-serve washes, one of which also has gas. The three express sites offer customers free vacuums to use and two of them have gas and convenience stores. The express-exterior and full-serve wash models really cater to different customers. I agree that if you build a full-serve tunnel, you have to have shopping near by. You have to have a high traffic count and you want to have high average income levels. With express-exterior, things change. We built our newest location in a struggling part of town with more than its fair share of boarded up businesses. The area is a mix of blue collar and lower income residents, and everyone we asked told us not to build here. But express-exterior delivers a lot of value for a customer who doesn’t mind driving their own car through the tunnel and vacuuming it themselves. People in this community are very proud of their vehicles. At our price-point, it makes sense for them to wash their cars here and they love us, they really do. I think there are a lot of areas in the country where a full-service car wash wouldn’t work but an express exterior would work really well.

ANALETTO: Is there anything you would do differently at your next location based on what you learned building this last one?

ALFORD: Right now there is nothing I would change. I’d build it just like we did. We went with a 180 foot conveyor packed with equipment, and our goal is turn out a very clean car at a very fast line speed. We have designed the tunnel to put out a really good product so that it’s a better value for the customer. If you have the room, longer conveyors don’t cost that much more in the grand scheme of things. You’re paying more for concrete and construction, but adding extra equipment is well worth the money if you have the space.

Getting Customers to Return - Visual Merchandising Tips and Techniques

By: Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine

How many customers left your wash today with a plan for the next time they would return and what wash package they would get? Does the old standby of giving the 10^th wash free truly differentiate your business and provide a compelling incentive for customers to come back? In today’s hypercompetitive, marketing driven economy, no service business can afford to be a commodity. You can’t let your customers visit you to just to get a “car wash”. They must be guided in understanding the exclusive benefit to the wash process at your location. Within 30 seconds of looking at your menu board they should think to themselves that they really want the highest wash package to protect their cars surface; and if they don’t do it today your signage and promotional materials should help them plan on making the investment the next time they come.

 

The Bare Minimum

Most of you can skim right over this section but it has to be included. First, you must deliver a quality product. No amount of marketing can influence your customer’s decision making process if their car is not consistently clean and dry in the promised time on the busiest day. Next, make sure the facility is clean. The tunnel must be spotless, well lit, and visible.  Odors must be clean and fresh. Landscaping and all exterior surfaces should be bright and well maintained. Pay attention to details. Remember, what may appear like a small chip in the toilet seat of the woman’s bathroom can actually discolor a regular customers impression of your commitment to maintaining your facility. If you can’t show pride in being clean; your customers will lose confidence the quality of the product your deliver.

 

Treat Your Base Customer like Your Best Customer

Like many, I’ve tried literally thousands of different wash packages, presentations, and pricing levels. Three to Four simple levels is best with the highest package either at the top or left of the list. Often I see operators hide the lowest wash package on the menu board. While traveling I’ll stop in washes I don’t know and ask for the cheapest exterior only wash. You can tell a lot about an operation by the reaction. At some locations you will get a feeling that the attendant is angry and practically insults your choice. Equally, some express-exterior washes, with a computerized attendant, try to dissuade the base package by printing something like “does not include wheels”. Neither practice imparts value or makes customers feel good about their purchase.

 

Customers only return when they feel like they got a tremendous value. No customer comes to a professional car wash that doesn’t care at some level about the appearance of their car. In addition, the vast majority wants to or feels obligated to protect their vehicle’s finish. If they selected the cheapest base wash, your signage and service should tell them they made an excellent choice to remove pollutants that can harm paint finishes and should be performed regularly.

 

Let customer’s use your wash on their terms. Educate them on the benefits of the package they purchased. The goal is to guide customers into a total wash regime that involves regularly removing pollutants and periodically protecting their cars finish. Habitual satisfied customers seldom change their routine of visiting your wash without a reason. Remember, the customer exploring a base wash at your location might be a regular but dissatisfied customer of your competitor.

 

Middle Wash Package Benefits

Too many variations and combinations exist to give justice to this section in a short article. Considerations at full-serve, flex-serve, and express exterior styles affect packages greatly. The guiding principle is to communicate in a few seconds the benefits for the customer in selecting the next higher package. Present clear benefits in big type.

 

Help Customers Plan the Next Wash

If express detailing is offered at a location, the base express wax will take the place of the top wash package. When only online services are offered then the top wash package is where you deliver the maximum promise of surface protection. Whatever your top service is, it is vital to recommend an interval for performing it. Something like “includes (the brand name of the total body protectant you apply) recommended every 30 days for maximum protection”. The published protection guarantee of your detergent supplier and your application equipment will dictate what you can legitimately promote. The important consideration is to establish that everyone needs to periodically protect their cars paint and that you have an easy solution. The few customers who always opt for the top package will continue to do so while others will try to on a periodic basis. I’ll discuss branding below to help make sure they remember to come back to your wash for the preventative maintenance service.

 

Visually Reinforce Benefits

Signage, computer, equipment, and detergent innovations are constantly improving the ability to visually reinforce the application of extra services. While still powerful, more options exist than just the lighted flashing sign indicating “now being applied”. Colorful led lighting products that are more conducive to wet environments are increasing signage creativity and flexibility. New colored and scented conditioners work to excite customer’s senses and reinforce their purchase. Electronic reader boards that welcome customers and indicate the purchase of various extra services are constantly dropping in price and becoming a more common feature at in-bay automatic locations. I expect to see greater use of this technology at conveyorized washes in the near future. It is imperative that a customer receives a visual confirmation of receiving the extra services they paid for. Equally important is that customers who do not elect extra services are aware that they are not being performed.

 

Another trend gaining traction is color coding the actual equipment in the wash to correspond with your wash packages. Mike Black, former ICA president and current owner of several Valet Auto Wash locations in Canada, was kind enough to share some pictures of his newest express-exterior wash in Kitchener Canada. If you look at his menu board he has three wash packages each with a distinct color. Inside the tunnel, his equipment is powder coated aluminum to match the wash package that is used for each level. A customer who selects the top package, green, will see all of the green equipment items running. Customers that select lower packages will pass under the green items in the wash retracted, clearly reinforcing the benefit of the extra services.

 

Visually Reinforce Your Brand

Be memorable. Be consistent. If you don’t already have a professionally designed logo and color scheme you should. Most important is to carry elements of the design and colors through to every thing a customer will see. Although rather simple in concept, the discipline to stick to it can be hard during the demands of day to day operations. Everything means everything – signs, receipts, advertisements, fixtures, greeter cards, and more. If the toilet overflows and you have to print a quick sign that says out of service – take the few extra seconds to ad your logo. Graphic designers and advertising agencies can provide better insights on visually branding your promotional materials – your job is to maintain its priority and keep designers focused on its importance to you and your business.

 

Prompt Customers Next Visit

Often all it takes is to say “Thank you for your business, please come again” either by a person or a sign. This small detail is so old and effective, but constantly overlooked. The next step is to make sure the customer takes something with them. The first obvious item is the receipt. Newer accounting systems afford tremendous flexibility with custom promotions to targeted customers that of course should include your logo and any benefit statement. Many options exist and every customer should have something in their hand or car when they leave with either an incentive or reason to return to your wash. Another excellent practice is to have printed copies of your wash menu. These can be located at the cashier or automatic teller for customers to take and review at home. Also, don’t forget to prompt customers to visit your website. Many washes now offer prepaid cards, monthly wash “subscriptions” and other promotions online. A sign or register receipt that instructs customers to go online for daily specials is another excellent method to get customers to return to your wash. Even if you don’t have time to put anything else together, you can always put a sign at the end of the tunnel that says “Save your receipt – the 10^th wash is free”; just make sure it has your logo on it.

 

Summary

Don’t let your customers believe that getting a car wash is a commodity. No matter what format your wash, express, flex, or full serve, you need to design an environment where customers want to come to protect the surface of their vehicle. For anyone who is skeptical that this is possible – think about what Starbucks has done to the old habit of “grabbing a cup of coffee”.

Efficiency and Variable Expense - Getting in Control of Your Cost Per Car

By: Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine

 

The harder you work, the luckier you get. This statement is almost as fundamental to business success as the equation that revenue minus expense equals profit. Now embrace the truth that it’s better to look before you leap, and you can almost always trust that these three basic concepts combined, can guide any business owner through even the most uncertain times. Below, I’ll outline some areas to evaluate to improve the efficiency of your operation. All require some work or investment. All can contribute to the overall profitability of your location. But, before you start making changes to your wash, make sure you have a well documented system in place to benchmark where you are today, and to measure the effect of what improvements you plan to implement. Let’s take a look.



Cost Per Car and Cars to Break-Even:

Most bills at a car wash are due monthly. When times are good, you look at the electric, water, labor, salt, and soap statements, write out the check, and look to wash more cars. When times are tight, you look at each statement, determine you’re spending too much, and quickly look for ways to cut back. Problems arise when you react to large dollar expenses without complete information on how that total relates to your dollars per car on a monthly basis. At a car wash, it’s not enough to look at how much you spent, you have to take the extra step to look at how much you used. For example, getting a large detergent bill for the month can be caused by anything from volume spikes, equipment malfunction, or just an earlier than normal delivery schedule. If you react to a large detergent bill by trying to reduce soap application without knowing what you actually spent per car for the month, you risk disrupting the quality of your product and eroding customer satisfaction.



If you’re not already doing it, you may want to consider keeping a log that accurately calculates your true variable expense per car on a monthly basis. Some locations with newer controllers may already have software that includes this reporting function. Otherwise, it can be as easy as comparing invoices with meter readings, measuring detergent consumption, and calculating labor expense as a cost per car for the period. Keeping a monthly log not only points out genuine spikes in cost that need to be addressed; it can function as a management tool as well. Involving staff in understanding variable costs can help them appreciate the value of their daily work. Suddenly, their role in monitoring equipment function, performing preventive maintenance tasks, or even turning off lights when not needed, can be seen in a simple bottom line number. Some operators will even take this a step further and share financial information with certain staff. Imagine working with a team of associates who knew how many cars needed to be washed, and at what average ticket, just to break even. Picture managers who clearly knew how many additional cars needed to be washed per month to pay for another employee to make scheduling easier. Structuring a program that shares relevant financial information in such a way that it’s easy to understand and motivational is a lot of work, but the payoff can be tremendous.



Evaluating Variable Expenses:

There are numerous variable expenses that can be tracked on a monthly basis, but the big 4 are electric, water, labor, and soap. Locations in cold climates may want to break out heating oil or natural gas as a separate line item, while sites with poor water quality may warrant tracking salt consumption for water softening. Calculating the monthly cost per car for each of these expenses is relatively easy. Just evaluate the billing period against the invoice amount and total cars washed for the same period. Documentation is crucial. Whether you keep a notebook, enter values into a spreadsheet, or get reports from your tunnel controller, make sure you have a system to easily compare year-to-year and month-to-month periods that can highlight spikes. Once you have a clear way to monitor the impact of your activities on controlling variable expenses, you’re ready to begin improving your business.



Controlling Electric Expenses:

Look beyond the obvious. Absolutely implement programs to turn off any electrical appliance when not in use and explore the use of VFD’s in vacuum and air dryer applications, but don’t stop there. Calculate the savings of replacing older motors on some equipment with newer, more efficient products on the market. Evaluate the estimated utility consumption on older compressors, pumps, and heaters, with that of newer, more economical designs. Discounts and tax incentives are often available for alternative fuel use or for equipment replacement. Utility providers can often guide you in finding what programs are available.



Also make sure you’re utilizing all the options to tune your tunnel controller for more accurate activation of equipment in the wash process. In recent years, tunnel controller manufacturers have really leveraged advancements in computer technology to gain tighter control of equipment. Make it a habit to stay on top of advancing controller technologies. As new products hit the market to improve both equipment and operational efficiency, you want to have a plan to upgrade your wash when savings may offset the money you have to invest to get them.



Controlling Water Expenses:

For the most part, water reclamation has become a standard practice in our industry, but there remains room for many locations to increase the percent of water reused. 100% water reclamation is a reality. The ability to return less waste water to the sewer system opens an entirely new issue. Most washes pay a sewer expense that is 50% of the total water bill based on the assumption that the water used is then returned to the sewer for processing. Ironically, while writing this article, I was contacted by a company regarding the application of a new sewer meter they’ve introduced. The product measures water returned to the sewer for more accurate billing. Also on the water side of the operation, look to incorporating check valves, and sizing nozzles accurately for maximum efficiency.



Controlling Detergent Expenses:

As with electrical, accurate tuning of your controller for efficient equipment activation can deliver handsome savings on detergent. Whereas most equipment today arrives with check valves and properly sized nozzles, excessive detergent consumption can often occur gradually as nozzles wear and small leaks occur. Review your preventive maintenance routines and documentation to make sure you’re on top of this aspect of your wash. Attention to comprehensive daily preventive maintenance can literally save many locations tens of thousands of dollars each year.



Controlling Heating Expenses:

Keep careful control of your thermostat. Car washes in the winter often experience what I like to call the greenhouse effect. During the day, when the heating system is already running non-stop, freezing employees seem to feel warmer when they turn the thermostat to full blast, even though it has no effect. It’s frustrating to open the wash the next morning to a burst of hot air and a tunnel that feels like a green house. Other than that, like with electrical appliances, you want to keep on top of new, more efficient technologies and fuels, along with incentives that make upgrading to more efficient equipment the right choice.



Summary:

New technologies and ideas to improve efficiency seem to be entering the market at an accelerating pace. Making sense of all the opportunities, and which ones will have the greatest impact on your bottom line, demands having an accurate measure of each variable expense as a cost per car on, at least, a monthly basis. Once you know where you are, it’s easier to make the right decision on where to go. Remember, the harder you work, the luckier you get.

Sample Express Exterior Car Wash Operating Cost Journal
Month:		Jan	Feb	Mar
Cars Processed:		9,000	8,500	10,000
Variable Expenses Per Car:
	Heat	0.20	0.07	0.05
	Electric	0.42	0.43	0.39
	Water	0.37	0.37	0.35
	Labor	0.62	0.62	0.62
	Salt	0.04	0.04	0.04
	Soap	0.49	0.50	0.47
Variable Expenses Per Car:		2.14	2.03	1.92

Evaluating Your Existing Tunnel - 10 Steps to Maximizing System Performance

By: Anthony Analetto
Originally Published in AutoLaundry Magazine

Everyday, innovations in wash materials, equipment, detergents, and technologies improve. Is it possible to reduce your labor? How can you reduce the potential for breakdowns forcing you to close or deliver an inferior product? What is available to produce a cleaner, shinier, dryer car – faster and more safely?

 

These are questions you should ask your equipment and detergent suppliers regularly. If you speed up your conveyor to meet demand and wash quality suffers – you need to rethink what you are doing. You may wash a customer once but not again. In order to accrue volume you must be perfect on the busiest day. This is when more customers will try your wash for the first time.

 

Regardless of what type of wash style you are operating, Full-Serve, Flex-Serve, or Express-Exterior, a successful car wash should have an equipment package capable of producing its highest quality product at a throughput equal to its busiest Saturday hour. In Express and Flex this must be done with absolutely no prep or hand drying. Although Full-Serve operators have attendants, the ability to eliminate labor presents a tremendous cost savings opportunity.

 

It is useful to make a comprehensive evaluation of all aspects of your wash, starting with the conveyor. Many factors such as climate, bug removal, and type of road grime will effect what possibilities present the greatest return on your investment. Below is a short guide that highlights some very top level considerations.

 

Step 1: Conveyors

If a conveyor breaks down your wash is closed. No risk or shortcuts should be taken with your conveyor maintenance. Before looking for ways to optimize performance, ensure it is in good working order. Evaluate the integrity of the frame. Inspect the chain, rollers, drive sprockets, and take up assemblies. Chain should be tensioned properly. Once everything is in good working order, verify roller spacing. If not already done, spacing rollers at 3ft 6in is a safe and reliable way to maximize your conveyor capacity.

 

Another enhancement available is to add an automatic roller up system. This allows the roller to fire as soon a car passes the roller up door. In an Express Exterior or Flex-Serve wash, the guide-on attendant can stay focused on helping customers load their vehicles. This upgrade also improves Full-Serve attendant efficiency for greater throughput.

 

Next check the condition of your floor. Concrete wears over time. Grooves and pitting can contribute to cars jumping off the conveyor. If the floor is in need of repair, several options exist to correct it. Tracking bars are available to correct issues caused by a worn out floor. Stainless steel slip plates are another excellent alternative for uninterrupted operation.

 

Now inspect any conveyor cutouts. These are normally found at the tire brush and tire dressing applicator. Make sure there are no pinch points on the exit end of the brush or pad. This condition may damage the vehicle or force it to jump off the conveyor. Common problems to look for are bent or broken stops and worn guide surfaces. Replace as needed.

 

Last evaluate the type of rollers used. Vehicles have changed and so have rollers. The popularity of SUVs and other large vehicles has inspired the design of mid profile rollers. This style reduces the chance of a larger vehicle jumping and is another method to increasing the safety and reliability of your conveyor.

 

Step 2: Detergent Application

Even the best equipment cannot clean a car without proper detergent application. It is hopeless to think about improving wash performance at any conveyor speed without a complete and even coating of detergent on all vehicle surfaces. Many washes only apply detergent at the first mitter. If this is the case you will want to consider repositioning your equipment to accommodate a dedicated applicator arch. Best cleaning results are achieved by using two types of detergent. In a hybrid wash it is recommended to use an alkaline presoak followed by a low PH foamed detergent. If an arch exists but wash performance is not optimal, begin with the nozzles. The accuracy of a nozzle deteriorates with every car that is washed. Worn spray tips are difficult to visually diagnose but often the culprit for inconsistent application. Every car wash should have an established replacement interval for nozzles based on the nozzle material, detergent used, and the number of cars processed. Once you are confident of the integrity of your nozzles check how they are pointing. Many application arches have a single row of nozzles on one manifold perpendicular to the vehicle surface. This configuration presents difficulty getting full coverage of front and rear surfaces. One possibility to address this situation is angling some nozzles towards the front and rear of vehicles for increased coverage. Additional options exist to add a tee and convert one nozzle port into two nozzles aimed at the front and back of the vehicle. Be aware that increasing the number of nozzles may require reducing nozzle size depending on pump capacity. No matter what you do to get complete detergent application, it is fundamental to producing a clean, dry, shiny car.

 

Step 3: Online tire and wheel cleaning

As with vehicle washing, even the best equipment can not get wheels and tires clean without proper detergent application. Many new foaming applicators are readily available. Foamed detergent, when properly applied, increases dwell time for better cleaning. If you have the space it is recommended to have two CTA applicators for each side spaced 40 inches apart. This will insure complete coverage. Tire brushes are extremely effective for tire cleaning and can often be located under a mitter if space is limited. Wheel cleaning is ideally performed by a combination of cloth friction and high pressure washers. Chain speed will dictate the number of cleaning actions required for perfect wheels.

 

Step 4: Top surface cleaning

There should be at least two top surface cleaning actions in different directions for effective performance. Greater cleaning power is required as conveyor speed is increased. Multiple equipment items also build redundancy. This vital aspect of a properly designed wash can mean the difference of washing at a slower conveyor speed or being closed in the event of equipment failure. If you have at least two items in different directions, properly sized for your maximum conveyor speed make sure all equipment is in good working order. Check the integrity of the frame, bearings, motors, and plumbing. Check the condition of all cloth and foam materials. Make sure they are well lubricated. Rebuild or replace items as necessary. If you are using standard cloth and not getting the results needed – look to some of the newer materials on the market. Closed cell foam materials can increase the wash performance of an existing top brush. Plush or textured wash materials can dramatically improve the capability of mitters. Each material has different cleaning characteristics. Many washes mix different materials for better overall cleaning.

 

Step 5: Front-side-and rear cleaning

Wrap-around washers are a safe and proven way to clean front and back surfaces. It is extremely difficult to get a clean car with no labor without at least one wrap-around. When using one, you will also want to supplement rocker panel cleaning with low side washers. These can be mounted under mitters, on tire brushes, or free standing. Washes that do not have at least one wrap should evaluate the ability to shift or replace equipment to accommodate it. From that foundation you can build upon your side cleaning capability to handle higher conveyor speeds and vehicles of varying heights. A high side washer of 50 inches is commonly added to provide complete cleaning on taller SUVs and trucks. Higher volume locations with faster conveyor speeds often supplement or substitute the side washer with equipment concentrating on the front of the vehicle. Added focus to the front for bugs and road grime while still washing the side of the vehicle can reduce the need for prep labor.

 

Step 6: High pressure cleaning components

Many operators are increasingly turning to a hybrid combination of both friction and high-pressure wash technologies. Leveraging the advantages of each, they are able to produce cleaner cars, faster, more safely, at the lowest possible cost per vehicle. Friction cleaning is more efficient on flat surfaces. High pressure washers complement that cleaning action to flush dirt out of areas where friction wash materials can not reach. Better cleaning results are achieved when both wash technologies are present in a tunnel wash. When evaluating your wash performance, problems with cleaning wheels, wheel wells, under front wiper blades, and front bumpers can often be addressed through incorporating correctly placed high pressure wash components.

 

Step 7: Waxing

Triple foam wax is a popular service and an excellent opportunity to increase your revenue. If you already offer triple foam, where is it located in the tunnel? Simply relocating it as a conditioner towards the beginning of the wash can increase customer satisfaction as well as improves rinsing. Additionally, keeping a colorful triple foam conditioner on the vehicle longer advertises the service to other customers who may be watching at a full-serve or riding behind at an express-exterior location.

 

Step 8: Rinsing

Rinsing should occur in three stages and is the precursor to successful drying. First evaluate your pre-rinse. In low volume locations, pre-rinse can start in the last mitter if plumbed with fresh water. As volume increases you will need a separate function to pre-rinse. This can take the form of a rain arch. High volume washes with fast conveyor speeds will want to consider using a pressurized pre-rinse arch. Immediately following pre-rinse you should apply a drying agent and sealer wax. If your current system uses v-nozzles for this process you may want to evaluate alternatives. Although they rinse well, the mist created can be counterproductive to drying. Rain arch systems use gravity water fall to eliminate misting and enhance rinsing of grooves. Additionally, they promote water shedding that can greatly improve drying performance. A setting arch is the final stage in rinsing. Again, a rain arch for this application will promote beading and water break. Proper water break floods water off of the car making it easier to dry. Spot free water is often used in the final setting arch.

 

Step 9: Drying

Several options exist to increase the performance of your drying system. First, inspect the positioning and condition of your blowers. All motors, bearings, and housings should be in good repair. Make sure the blades are balanced properly. Verify that all screens are clear of debris. If your blowers are positioned and working correctly but not delivering sufficient power to dry vehicles at the highest speed your conveyor is operating, you may need to increase horsepower. First look at your electrical service and determine the maximum amperage available. A properly sized drying system will have sufficient horsepower to remove all water. If your utilities are maxed, prohibiting you from increasing total horsepower, consider increasing surface coverage. Mixing smaller producers to increase coverage at the same horsepower can maximize drying performance from your existing electrical service.

 

Step 10: Controller

Many of the options available to improve your car wash performance require a controller capable of operating them. If your car wash controller can not perform automatic roller up or tire tracking, you may want to consider upgrading it. Newer controllers have also improved upon the ability to control detergent consumption. Additional features you should look for are a simulated pulse or simulated entrance management system. This ability will allow your car wash to continue operating even in the event your photo sensors are damaged or malfunction.

 

Summary

There are many factors to consider when upgrading your wash package. For proper evaluation you must take an extremely dirty car and run it through the wash at the conveyor speed you set during your busiest hour without any prep. If you have a specific problem you are trying to solve, get help. In addition to your equipment and detergent suppliers, excellent information is available from other operators who have faced similar issues. There are several excellent online forums where you can easily converse with other car washers across the country. The equipment, wash materials, and detergents are available to wash cars without any prep at very fast conveyor speeds. Making the decision to evaluate your wash is the first step to producing cleaner cars, faster, and more safely. Good luck and good washing.