Wash Equipment ConsSo are you building a car wash to serve you, or to serve your public. If you are doing the latter, you will have a faithful following, and it is far easier to build a car wash business. To get a clearer picture, let's look at the problem through the customer's eyes.
As a vehicle owner, it is important to consider convenience, the easier it is for you to wash your car, the more often you will be inclined to do it. So they locate a good car wash within a few miles of where they live. They select a car wash with easy access, a car wash with enough capacity so the wait is not too long, a car wash with extended hours so they can wash the car on their busy time schedule.
Conclusion: Wand bay car washes with one or two roll-over automatics generally offer 24/7 open times so the public can go before work, after work, late evening or even weekends. With our commercial grade equipment, the doors stay open even at -30° F. Remember that their time is your most precious commodity. With this type of car wash, They can choose any time, whatever is most convenient.
Folks know to avoid using tunnel washes, that is washes that pull your car through a long tunnel while you are either in, or in some cases, out of the car. These washes emphasize higher throughput to the owner, this is not what folks are looking for as a consumer. They want a clean car, not a fast wash with dirt left or damage to the vehicle. WHY?
Tunnel wash equipment leaves a lot to be desired, there is not enough time while a car is being pulled through a tunnel for the equipment to get adequately in front and the rear of a car in order to clean it sufficiently. They usually revert to friction to scrape the dirt off quickly, wherever they can reach quickly and they use human labor on the other end to remove dirt missed during the wash. They also revert to much harsher chemicals to maximize the effect using their inferior equipment which will hurt your car’s finish after repetitive washes.
Finally savvy owners look for a car wash that the owner has taken some pride in keeping it clean. You wouldn’t eat at a dirty restaurant, why wash at a dirty car wash. Check that the lighting is good so that you can see what you are doing at late hours and where you would feel safe going to at any time of the day. The best car washes are run by individual owners who take pride and are primarily in the business of cleaning cars. Most gas station washes usually set the bar pretty low. It is not their primary business and they look at the car wash as a necessary evil that they have to offer. They are generally interest only in quick throughput because they only have one machine to handle all their customers. They usually buy the cheapest equipment, use the cheapest chemicals, shorten the wash times, minimize heating the water they use, and sometimes don’t even soften the water used for washing. An individual investor will be more inclined to do what is necessary to offer a clean car and provide a satisfied customer.
- Why I Have to Wash
- Car Wash How To
- City / Area Selection
- Wash Site Planning
- Equipment Selection
- Equipment Selection Pros and Cons
- Automatics Which One!
- Automatics - Friction or NO
- Self Service Criteria
- Published Wash Articles
- Car Wash Glossary
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"Combining Technologies for the Car Wash Industry"
