Winter – Venus vs. Mars – What’s new and old in the industry?

Venus Says

She has surrounded herself with a great team of contributors that know our region and the issues we face on a daily basis. Talk about change; this was a big change.

But what else has changed in this industry? I can remember when we thought the dirt in our self-service pits was only dirt that we didn’t need to have it tested before we removed it from our washes. I can remember when ICS put in our first computer system and my father was not convinced that a computer would work in a carwash. It worked so well that we purchased a second system when we updated our second carwash tunnel.

When my father opened his first carwash in 1968 it had an in-bay automatic pressure wash and three self-service bays. My father claims that his first pressure wash worked at first, but then the government guidelines made our industry make changes in the wash solutions. Once these changes were put in place you couldn’t get a clean car so he had to install a brush automatic system. Using brushes in automatic tunnels worked great until the negative advertising began when operators went “Brushless” and put soft cloth in their washes. When the pressure wash was reintroduced the second time we were amazed by the updated science that went behind having safe washing solutions that really cleaned a car.

When my father put in the foam brushes in his self-service bays and he thought he hit the jackpot with a great moneymaker (more time meant more profits). Sometimes, I think people outside of our industry think all we worry about is a little soap and water, and owning a “cash” business is as easy as counting the money. Now our customers are using credit cards at our washes. We have computers that greet our customers. That was a big change.

Consumers don’t seem to understand the environmental issues we have to worry about in this industry, the research that has taken place before we put in cleaning solutions in our tunnels and the cost of high-tech equipment so we don’t damage their cars. I could probably go on for pages about how things have changed but the most important thing that has not changes, and I hope will never change, is the friendships that we have in our Northeast Region. We have a show each year and the best of the best take their time to teach us to be more successful in our field. They are always willing to share what they can and give us a helping hand when needed. I am very lucky and thankful to be part of such as great industry.

Mars Says

Another big change we have seen over the years is in the way we market and advertise our business. Once again, advancements in technology have been a driving force. Social media, online websites and smart phones have taken over. Years ago, it was just simply print mail or coupons on the back of super market receipts. Although print mail still works it is getting less and less popular with the younger generations. Customers go right to their smart phones now when they are looking for a business nearby, a coupon or some type of great deal. Or, what about these Groupon deals that a small percentage of the public exclusively shop through? These types of sites I feel have hurt our industry when they are abused. A site like Groupon should only be used as an introductory offer to get new customers in and hope they come back at full price.  I see far too many operators using Groupon and similar sites on a regular basis and it just cheapens the service.

Another popular site is Yelp where consumers go to read and write reviews about local businesses. The problem with these sites is that people can go on them and write whatever the heck they want whether it is true or not. The business owner has the opportunity to reply but the bottom line is that the review stays there and that is what stands out on the site.

There are also services that solicit businesses to buy fake reviews for these sites. I’ve actually gotten calls from companies that had asked me if I’d be interested in purchasing several five star reviews. How can you trust a site like this that has so many inaccuracies in it?

Technology is changing our world at a rapid pace and if you don’t keep up you’re going to be left in the dust.

All things don’t change for the better, unfortunately. In certain parts of the country labor unions have began making their mark into the carwash industry. Many operators in California and New York City are dealing with these unwanted visitors. Many have not been successful in shaking the union off and it has given them strength to try and branch out. Hopefully, this will not result in widespread unionization but everyone should be prepared.

In contrast, there are things that never change. For instance, one of our biggest and most unpredictable challenges, the weather, is still around. No matter what type of wash you run or how efficient you are when it rains nobody is washing cars. We will always fight the weather in this business, but that’s just how it is.

Finding good employees and dealing with them remains one of the industry’s biggest challenges. Unless you are one of the smart ones that have converted to express these headaches are still front and center.

All in all our industry has changed for the better and will continue to evolve. Keep up with the times, don’t worry about the weather and you will continue to prosper.