Summer SSCWN 2018 by JV

To Raise or Not to Raise...

that is the

Question!

THE WHY’S,WHEN’S & HOW’S OF INCREASING PRICES.

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IVS ARCH BAY VACUUM SYSTEM

Attract customers with this popular and custom look at your car wash. Our Swivel or fixed boom design keeps your hoses off the ground, clean, and are easy for your customers to use, the system can be ordered in a dual or single boom configuration. The easy to use remote controlled programmable LED Light show will draw attraction and interest to your car wash. IVS engineered our ARCH BAY VACUUM SYSTEMS out of Stainless Steel to last with time, be weatherproof and incredibly durable. The boom arm can swivel 180°, or it can be locked into a fixed position. Signage can be customized for your car wash’s branding. Vacuum can be controlled by a free vac push-button or a coin box.

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• SUMMER 2018

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3 DAY SUMMER 2018 •

Selfie Notes BY DEBRA GORGOS, EDITOR

CONTENTS Looking Back: Fall 1999.........................8 Quick Tips................................................ 10 Self Serve Shoutouts.............................. 14 Open for Business................................. 16 Innovations............................................... 19

My least favorite season used to be Spring.

Tricks of the Trade................................ 21

I am in the car right now, driving towards Myrtle Beach with my family. The ocean is to our left and the moon is big and bright in the sky. Both kids are finally asleep. It is a beautiful, quiet evening on Route 13S. It is a perfect time to write. Our vacation will include three other families. I let them know I will have to do some work on my computer for this magazine. “What exactly do you do, again?” I get asked. Followed by, “It’s a magazine about what?” Followed by, “How do you fill a magazine that is all about self serve car washes.” I am used to this line of questioning and am numb to it. I ask the same thing of civil engineers and the guys who make their livings opening toys on YouTube. I recently posed the “fill in the blank” question on AutoCareForum asking, “When I tell people I own a self serve, the first thing they say is __________________.” The answers ranged from quick jabs, to confusion over how self serves operate. If the question were tweaked a little to: “When I tell people I am editor of a self serve car wash magazine, the first thing they say is_________________________. And, that blank would either be filled with the word WHAT? Or HUH? In the beginning of my beloved tenure, I would explain the structure and concept of the magazine, then go into more detail about equipment maintenance articles and interviews with successful car wash owners. I would opine about how complex the operations are and how owners have millions of moving parts to systemize. It would often fall on deaf ears. But, now, I give a more impassioned response. I start by telling them that this magazine is for men and women who get up every day not knowing what to expect when they arrive at work. They get up early. They are up late, getting security alerts, or just nervous about crime sprees and possible vandalization, and robberies. They have to fervently check on

Extra! Extra!............................................. 34

Industry Dirt............................................ 30

History Buff.............................................. 37 Fill in the Blank...................................... 38

work ing o n

the dr ive!

Self-Serve Snapshot............................... 44 Self-Serve History.................................. 53 Around the Wash..................................... 58 Harnessing the Power of the Sun Fun & Games .......................................... 60 Around the Wash..................................... 62 Get Wise About Water Reclaim Random Thoughts: Location, Location, Location = Pricing, Pricing, Pricing.................... 58

cation! a v r o f y d rea

Association Calendar & News......... 68

equipment— a missed connection, a bad nozzle, a malfunctioning vacuum, mishaps which not only mean lost money, but lost customers. They have to be scientists, chemists, business managers, bookkeepers, marketing experts, social media whizzes, janitors, mathematicians, savvy businessmen and women, landscapers, public relations managers. They have to look out for potential hazards, prevent accidents, keep up to date on insurance rates and policies, and deal with angry, confused customers. And, they have to do this day in and day out. Now, maybe this answer isn’t satisfactory to those who are confused about self serve car wash owners and why they get their own publications, but it sure does remind ME of all you do and why I am more than willing to bring my work with me on vacation. In other news, self serves have been making the news lately, although not for the greatest of reasons. From a man washing his dogs to a funeral home owner washing off a casket in a bay, both stories are beyond cringe-worthy. There is a good angle to the dog washing story, though, in that the people were caught thanks to the vigilant car wash owners.

Darwin at the Carwash........................ 84

Cover Story: To Raise or Not to Raise Pricing Prowess & the Power of a penny.................................................. 72

VOL. 45, NO. 2, SUMMER 2018 Publisher Jackson Vahaly Editor Debra Gorgos Design Katy Barret-Alley Editor Emeritus Jarret J. Jakubowski Editor Posthumous Joseph J. Campbell Editor Posthumous Julia E. Campbell Self Serve Carwash News is published 4 times per year and is independently owned by Jackson Vahaly. Web address is www.sscwn.com. All inquiries should be directed to:

• SUMMER 2018

SUMMER 2018 â&#x20AC;¢

Selfie Notes

Also, here are some pictures of a self serve we saw in Long, South Carolina. It was absolutely pristine and beautiful. And, no, it was not empty when we were visiting. I waited to take pictures until the cars were out of the way. And, in a nod to what I was saying earlier, I noticed there was grass seed sprinkled on the empty and barren patches. It is stuff like that that people do not realize, the minutiae, the tasks that people might not understand. You aren’t just checking the books every day. You are doing it all and often, your everyday tasks, are not recognized. Now, as for this issue’s cover story on pricing, I went down a major rabbit hole in terms of research and information. From pricing elasticity to learning about the risks and benefits of when and how to raise prices, it could honestly be a 10-part series. There is so much to cover and so many formulas and success stories. I had to call my brother at one point to figure out the price elasticity formula. My brother got a perfect on his maths SATs. I … did not. He explained it to me over the phone with so much jargon I think actual smoke came out of my ears. Thankfully, an expert in the pricing field came through and gave me lots of good information that I am sharing with you. My interview with Glenn Muske, owner of the small-business consulting firm, GM Consulting, can be found on page 76. In closing, I want to thank all of you for reading and subscribing to Self Serve Car

• SUMMER 2018

Wash News. If you do not have a subscription, be sure to email your name and address to Publisher Jackson Vahaly at jacksonv@sscwn.com. Also, be sure to “like” our Facebook page, and keep on commenting on AutoCareForum. If you have story ideas for me, or questions or comments, you can reach me at debrag@ sscwn.com And, enjoy the rest of summer. Until next time,

Replace or upgrade your ACW. Installs inside an existing ACW cabinet! Accepts Cash, Coins and Credit Cards The most economical 24hr Automatic Entry System! CryptoPay provides secure credit card processing that ‘Simply Stops Fraud’ Features CryptoPay Consolidation reducing Merchant Fees Compatible with CryptoPay In-Bay credit card system*

PayStation Features: l 4 - Selection Large backlit LCD display and voice prompts. l Accepts cash, coins and credit cards securely with CryptoPay! l Connect this Paystation CryptoPay to your existing CryptoPay system or add CryptoPay to your In-bay boxes for one complete credit card solution*. (*CryptoPay Coordinator is required for each car wash location) l Program up to 25 discount codes. Add an “optional” 2nd hopper to vend a bonus token that can be redeemed for a free vacuum or a discount on your next car wash purchase.

CryptoPay Security: Prevents credit card data from being ‘in the clear’ and at risk by encrypting the credit card data at the moment, and point, of the credit card swipe. CryptoPay provides secure credit card processing that ‘Simply Stops Fraud’. CryptoPay Consolidation: Reduces merchant and credit cards fees which are essential for small ticket purchases. Here’s an example of CryptoPay Consolidation: Imagine that a customer visits your carwash. He swipes his credit card at the PayStation and purchases an $8.00 wash. Ten minutes later swipes his card again at the vacuum, and is charged $1.00. CryptoPay combines these two charges into one $9.00 charge that is submitted to the credit card company, which results in only one merchant fee for the purchase. CryptoPay GoGreen Receipt Service: Allows your customers to get their receipts from credit card purchases made at your car wash. Receipts are available online 24/7, two hours after last usage. It provides end-to-end encryption delivering receipts safely online. American Changer Corp.

(800) 741-9840

for more information visit: www.americanchanger.com

SUMMER 2018 •

Winter

97-98 PRESENTING SOME OF THE BEST, AND MOST NOTEWORTHY HEADLINES AND EXCERPTS FROM THE SELF SERVE CAR WASH NEWS ARCHIVES. HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS...

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We provide expertise with every part we sell…

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SUMMER 2018 •

QUICK TIPS

EQUIPMENT TIP Hose, Claw &

Dome Maintenance

The following tips are courtesy of J.E. Adams Industries, Ltd.

To attract attention with domes be sure to:

For optimal suction with the hose and claw be sure to:

33 Add new decals.

33 Check your vacuum hoses and nozzles to be sure there are no cracks or dirt build-up.

33 Remove old decals with a heat gun or paint thinner.

33 Make sure the hose is properly fitted into the can.

33 Mix 1 tsp Dreft/1 gallon of water

33 Ensure that your filter bags have a tight seal.

33 Spray decal & can with solution

33 Make sure plugs in the clean out container area are in place and there is no damage

33 Dome lights should be replaced with 13 watt compact fluorescent bulbs ONLY.

33 Be sure to match hoses & domes.

To affix new decals:

33 Turn power OFF prior to removing dome.

EQUIPMENT TIP Maintaining vacuum filter bags The following tip has been provided by Kleen-Rite (www.kleen-ritecorp.com): When the weather is pleasant in the summer, customers will be more willing to get out of the car and vacuum their vehicle. To maximize the life of your car wash vacuums, keep them working properly, and keep your customers happy, proper maintenance is important. One of the easiest maintenance checks is taking a look at your vacuum filter bags. The overall life of a filter bag depends on how often and how heavily the vacuum is being used. If you see heavy use, you will want to check your filter bags regularly. First, do a visual inspection to check the vacuum filter bags for damage. It is recommended to shake them out at least once per week. Do a quick sweep of the bag with a brush to loosen any stubborn dust and dirt. Next, clean the bags by rinsing them with a low-pressure hose or gentle washing machine cycle, and hang the bags to dry. Never put the bags in the dryer, or they will shrink! When reattaching the bags, make sure they are secure with a tight seal, as this helps prevent motor damage. Once your vacuum filter bags eventually appear worn, change them out for a new set. Keep some extra bags on hand at your car wash so you can change them if things look worse than expected during one of your regular checks.

MARKETING TIP What is Expresit? Glassdoor? While Yelp! and Google get most of the attention, Expresit is another online resource people are using to review local businesses. What is different about Expresit is that it only posts positive reviews and the negative ones are sent right to the business owner so that they can deal with the complaint privately. Using the tagline, “Celebrate publicly, fix privately,” the service will send an email every time a review is received. You do have to “claim” your business, which can be done at Expresit.com. And, on the other side of the coin, if you have or have had any employees, are you checking Glassdoor.com? Former employees are allowed to publicly praise or criticize their former bosses and work environments via Glassdoor. They can also list the salary they received. And, while this forum can be nerve-wracking, you can dispute a review. “If you’re an employer who wishes to dispute a review claim, you can sign up for a free Employer Account and leave an Employer Response to that review. By engaging with current or past employees in this manner, you’ll contribute to the type of transparency Glassdoor encourages,” the Glassdoor.com website states.

BUSINESS TIP Are you cyberly secure? The following tips are courtesy of J.E. Adams Industries, Ltd. According to the Department of Homeland Security: • 44% of small businesses have been the victim of a cyber attack (which equals an average cost of $9,000 per attack). • Nearly 59% of U.S.-based small and medium-sized businesses do not have a contingency plan that outlines procedures for responding to and reporting data breach losses. So, if you don’t have a top-notch cyber protection plan, or even if you think you do, consider the following tips to make sure yours is completely bulletproof. Visit US-CERT.gov: The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team offers bulletins and

• SUMMER 2018

alerts, shares cybersecurity tips, and responds to incident, phishing, and vulnerabilities reports.

6. If you have a website, protect all of its pages.

1. Make sure all of your computers have antivirus software and antispyware that is regularly updated.

And, if you think your data has been compromised, the Department of Homeland Security says to do the following:

2. Use a firewall, encrypt all information, and hide your Wi- Fi network.

• Inform local law enforcement or the state attorney general as appropriate.

3. If you have employees, make sure you have properly educated them about cyber threats and have an Internet Security Policy in place.

• Report stolen finances or identities and other cyber crimes to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

4. Regularly change your passwords and have your employees do this as well.

• Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at www.onguardonline.gov/ file-complaint. • Report computer or network vulnerabilities to US-CERT via the hotline: 1-888-282-0870 or www.us-cert.gov.

5. Invest in data loss protection software, and use encryption technologies to secure any data that is in transit. Use two-factor authentication where possible.

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3/12/18

2:00 PM

Page 1

Security Solutions for the Car Wash Industry

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â&#x20AC;¢ SUMMER 2018

SUMMER 2018 â&#x20AC;¢

Self Serve Shoutouts

In each issue we will give a shout out to a car wash which got a positive Yelp! review. In this issue, we are say “congrats” to the following locations for getting 5-star reviews: Vegas Suds Carwash, Las Vegas, Nevada

Salem Girls Self Serve Car Wash, Tempe, Arizona

Mountain View Car Wash, Anchorage, Alaska

College Park Car Wash Inc, College Park, Maryland

Dollar Car Wash, Riverside, California

Just Wash It, North Salt Lake, Utah

Quick Clean Car Wash, Lees Summit, Missouri

Magic Touch Car Wash, El Paso, Texas

• SUMMER 2018

CAR WASH

NEWHORIZONS

CUSTOM GLASS CAR WASH STRUCTURES

Automatic, Tunnel, Self-Serve Buildings

Extensions, and Canopies!

PERFECT FOR YOUR OUR SELF SERVE BA BAY All Paws Pet Wash is pleased to oﬀer you two ways you can get more usage from your self-serve bays! Providing your customers with extra services and creating more revenue for your business.

Option 1: Flip-Tub

We are seasoned builders of glass car wash buildings, we also build custom options like kneewall upgrades, equipment rooms, additional vacuum bays and extensions. Automatic

Tunnel

69in

Self Serve

81.25in

• Fully Customizable - over 80 colors to choose from • Functional Buildings • Cost Effective • Low Maintenance • Fast Construction • Beautiful Glass An extension from New Horizons will add new life to your old structure. A larger building not only improves your car wash’s performance, it also gives you more flexibility with the types of car wash equipment you can use. Or, use it to turn a self serve bay into an automatic bay!

Tunnel Extension

Double Extension

12in

Our Flip-Tub station was specifically designed to maximize the usable area in self-serve car wash bays. It allows a vehicle to fit in the bay, while the tub is in its flip-up position. When the user is ready to wash their pet, the tub is placed in the flip-down position and the unit is ready for use.

Option 2: APW Option A & A-Stainless Steel

Converting a self-serve bay into an enclosed pet wash station is easier than you think and an excellent way to generate additional revenue while expanding the services your business oﬀers.

70in

Extension

**NEW PRODUCT** New Horizons is pleased to announce our latest product. Pay Station Canopies the perfect addition to all car wash businesses! Made to the same high standards as our car washes and customizable to match a new or existing structure

29in 95”(inc. step)

OTHER MODELS AND OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE Want more info? Visit our website:

www.allpawspetwash.com 800-537-8231 • info@allpawspetwash.com

*NEW PRODUCT* Canopies

Built in-house at our IL factory.

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Want more info? Visit our website:

www.newhorizonscarwash.com 800-537-8231 • info@newhorizonscarwash.com

grooming shop or pet wash business!

CCSI International, Inc.

For half a century, CCSI International, Inc. has manufactured and distributed wet environment structures and retractable roof systems to both residential and commercial customers. Our attractive products are built with corrosion-resistant aluminum frames and shatter-proof safety glass, to withstand the harshest weather conditions. Operating out of our state of the art facility in Garden Prairie, Illinois.

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Need soaps? Treats? Marketing materials? your pet wash right here. Call or email us for coupon codes!

OPEN FOR BUSINESS ALSIP, ILLINOIS ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY

WASHINGTON, MISSOURI TORHOUT, BELGIUM CLANTON, ALABAMA

TORHOUT, BELGIUM Bling King, one of SONNY’s Enterprises’ international customers, is now open, according to a press release. “At Bling King, a car wash becomes a total sensory experience, enhanced with light and smell. This car wash equipment comes from the world’s largest manufacturer of car wash equipment, Sonny’s The CarWash Factory, an American company. Sonny’s has been aiming for experience-oriented car washes for some time,” the press release stated. The car wash is eco-friendly, featuring LED lights, solar panels and reclaimed water. “Thanks to Bling King’s own water treatment plant, 80 percent of the water can be reused. The investment amounts to around 2.5 million euros.”

The Wash House Car & Pet Wash, featuring self serve bays, two in-bay-automatics (one touch free and one with soft touch), and a pet wash, is now open for business. Owned by Jaren and Hannah Servais, the couple first met at a car wash 10 years ago, and are now married. Open 24 hours a day, The Wash House is outfitted with eco-friendly car wash equipment and an IQ Car Wash System from D&S Car Wash Equipment Company, the Missourian reported. Jaren said the pet wash was an opportunity they want

ALSIP, ILLINOIS Clearwave Car Wash opened in May, and offers self-serve bays, vacuums, free towels and air fresheners. Fast Pass month-to-month memberships are available including the works ($29), premium ($24), plus ($19) and basic ($16). “Wash your car everyday if you’d like. Plans can be changed or canceled anytime. Single washes are also available,” reported the Aslip Patch. 16

• SUMMER 2018

CLANTON, ALABAMA

WASHINGTON, MISSOURI

The Peachy Clean car wash now offers an automatic wash along with its original self serve bays, the Clanton Advertiser reported. “We decided to add the tunnel because of the way things are going,” owner Cebo Craig said. “These are the hottest new car washes out there. They are building them everywhere. We want to try and stay ahead of the curve.” Peachy Clean also offers a two-story tunnel. “There are probably 10 or so (similar tunnels) around the Southeast right now,” Craig said in the story. “Maybe less than that. Most of them are down in Miami. Our equipment people just built one in Daphne. It gives you a lot more room on your site. It’s a presence unto itself; you can’t miss it. I’d never seen one until I saw the one they built in Daphne.”

ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY ROCKTANE Gas & Wash is now offered by the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Located outside of the casino, the 16-pump gas station includes a, “5,100-square-foot convenience store and a 3,500-square-foot automated car wash,” the company stated. With a “Hard Rock” ambiance, it will be open 24/7.

Pull money out of thin air • Keep 100% of revenue • Eliminates theft and collection • Real-time on-line reporting • Credit / debit – cashless transactions • Wireless – no wires, no mess • Free air check attracts more customers • 25’ coil or wire braid hose • Wall, pedestal or vault mount • 1.25 HP high-output, continuous use (HOCU) industrial compressor

• 16-guage stainless steel 2.25” x 20.25” x 14.25” cabinet • Digital model – inflate or deflate to desired pressure with easy-toread electronic push buttons • LED readout on digital models • Free toll-free support • Striking professional graphics are a customer magnet • Factory direct prices and support

Fragramatics Big Dog Air with coin and ePort

Fragramatics CVA Big Dog Air and Vac • Fragramatics 1600 hr Turbo Vac Motor • Poly or aluminum dome • Computer controlled timer • UV protected graphics • Filters – Four-bag system uses high performance, synthetic filtration media with 15 sq. ft. filtration area. Two easy-access service doors on rear • SmoothBor 1-1/2” x 15 ft. crushable high-flex vinyl vac hose with cuff and polyethylene hand tool • ¼” x 25’ Wire braid or coil hose with in line gauge •1.25 HP ‘Big Dog’ high output compressor

Fragramatics Big Dog Air Digital with coin only

Fragramatics Economy and Turbo Vacs Our new economy and turbo vacuums are equipped with computer controlled timer, 4 bags, poly dome, and a SmoothBor 1-1/2” x 15 ft. crushable high-flex vinyl vac hose with cuff and polyethylene hand tool These features combined with our next-generation electronics are unmatched in the industry.

CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION

FACTORY DIRECT PRICES AND FACTORY DIRECT SERVICE Building quality, value-added equipment for 39 years 

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Learn more at fragramatics.com SUMMER 2018 •

Quiet & Simple Quiet & Simple

Enjoy the benefits of a quieter and more efficient pump. UPGRADE to Arimitsu Pumps Enjoy the benefits of a quieter and more on your equipment. efficient pump. UPGRADE to Arimitsu Pumps on your equipment.

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Self Serve and Single Gun Prep Upgrade From All Brands PN-61000 Left (as pictured) Self Serve and Single Gun Prep PN-61001 Right PN-61000 Left (as pictured)

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Dual Gun Prep Dual Gun Prep Arimitsu 508 Arimitsu 508 Upgrade From All Brands

Coleman Hanna Coleman Carwash Hanna Systems Carwash Systems

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View “Resources” at arimitsupumps.com for helpful tips! View “Resources” at arimitsupumps.com for helpful tips! Request Arimitsu Pumps when refurbishing old or building new! Request Arimitsu Pumps when refurbishing old or building new! Special pricing when mentioning this ad! Special pricing when mentioning this ad! Call us today: 763-205-8341! Call us today: 763-205-8341!

Why to ask for Arimitsu Pumps: Why to ask for Arimitsu Pumps: Since 1923, Arimitsu Pumps has been providing these customer recognized benefits. Since 1923, Arimitsu Pumps has been providing these customer recognized benefits. Proven high efficiency and reliability, deliver lower costs of ownership. Proven high efficiency and reliability, deliver lower costs of ownership. Learn why more now specify Arimitsu Pumps on their new or existing equipment, and are Learn why more now specify Arimitsu Pumps on their new or existing equipment, and are migrating away from old and costly habits. migrating away from old and costly habits.

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Wash and Dry Tunnel from Istobal The ISTOBAL T’WASH30 tunnel will debut at Automechanika 2018 in September. The new wash and dry tunnel will be demonstrated by the Spanish company at stand A41 (Hall 12.0). With a cutting-edge design, it combines the versatility and technology of the ISTOBAL M’NEX32 rollover ensuring maximum efficiency and a high throughput. The tunnel can wash and dry up to 60 vehicles per hour with the 3-brush module and up to 80 with the 5-brush module depending on machine length (from 12.5 m to 32 m) and cycle speeds.

INNOVATIONS INTRODUCING NEW AND IMPROVED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR SELF SERVE CAR WASHES

Complimentary Factory Tune-up from Sonny’s Sonny’s Enterprises, LLC, of Tamarac, Florida, announced a new, complimentary, on-site “Factory Tune-up” program to ensure its clients are maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of their equipment package. The program launched in Colorado and Wyoming the week of June 4. Sonny’s factory-direct car wash experts will conduct a complete inspection of all equipment, application, and controller settings to identify opportunities to tweak wash performance and reduce operating costs.

New Bike Washes from Bike-Spa The new self-service, all-in-one BS1-M Bike Spa unit will be a value added to your business and will attract a huge new market to you. It is specially designed as one unit, with all necessary components inside. It is for all types of vehicles (Cars, Bikes, Atv, Jet Ski, Buses, etc.) It is a multi-function machine (water, cleaner, dryer, wax and vacuum). Dryer and water in separation zone. And, installation is easy as there is no need to setup a central room. The BS1-A Bike Spa unit is one unit and delivered assembled and ready to go. No infrastructures are needed. Machine can be mobile, you can take the machine on a trailer to race tracks, clients and trade shows (machine also has the water tank inside). It is also eco-friendly.

New & Improved Tire JellyTM from CSI® CSI® (Cleaning Systems, Inc.” introduces a new and improved Tire Jelly™. It is a water-based silicone tire dressing formulated with extreme/long-lasting shine. Its unique formulation is designed to promote strong adhesion to tire surfaces with less sling. Easy application with hand applicators, spray bottles and on-line tire dressing machines using pads, sponges or rotating brushes. A small amount of product will produce an optimal shine on the tire. Highlights include: • Formulated for automatic tire dressing applicators • Improved adhesion to tire surface • Less usage for long last shine • Shine even after 2 weeks • Reduced sling SUMMER 2018 •

The WeatherShield® All Season Total Protection Performance Package

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Car Choice ®. “If your car could choose.” 20

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Warsaw Chemical P.O. Box 858, Warsaw, IN 46581 Phone: 800-548-3396 Fax: 574-267-3884

warsaw-chem.com

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Presenting some of the best discussions from the Self Serve, IBA and General Discussions sections of Auto Care Forum. To view more posts discussing some interesting and common problems, as well as some of the best and brightest solutions, visit AutoCareForum.com (Note: Some posts feature minor edits for readability.)

I’m considering adding a attendant at my 4/2/Dog Wash from say 9-5 daily. I was just wondering how many of you have a F/T attendant versus someone who checks on the place 1,2,3 times a day? What have your experiences been - has it helped the business, not made much difference, etc? MJWALSH: What I try to do with my 2 (formerly 3 or 4 employees) ... is make it so at least one of us is there ... available by a 2 way intercom doorbell when we are working in one of the back rooms or in the upstairs room. When not there at the facility ourselves ... we have 2 phone #’s posted which we make an extra effort to make sure there are no gaps in us being at minimum on standby at all times for quick responses. How far away the owner or employees live from the facility also comes into the picture IMHO. There are times when it can be more of a challenge ... especially since weekends tend to be the busiest. This is for a 32 washing machine, 6 bay SS car wash, & with 2 SS dog wash stalls. If you have a facility in a tough neighborhood for whatever reasons temporary or permanent ... during the time of increased unnecessary & unwanted loitering ... it can be extra rough & tumble. The employees may require “combat duty pay” & play the role of on site law enforcement much more than the owner or the employees would prefer. RANDY: We go to our car wash 3 times a week at 05:30, refill the vending, pull the coin vaults and do any heavy maintenance that needs to be done etc. We have a clean up guy who goes to the car wash the 4 days a week we don’t go, he gets there at around 0600 and is there about an hour or so. All he does is clean up, hose out the bays, sweep the lot and dump the garbage. If something needs attention he’ll call. It works for us. No one around here has an attendant at there car washes. MEP001: I’ve been an attendant and I’ve managed mostly unattended washes in the past. IMO an attendant will help business for a number of reasons. I believe customers are more comfortable when they

know someone is there to help them if they have a problem or just need change. Women feel safer, will stay longer and spend more time. I’ve operated a small business out of an empty auto bay as well as fully took care of the wash and saw its income double in about 18 months. The business barely made enough to pay my salary, but I was basically a free attendant for the wash. The unattended wash I managed had its best day by a wide margin one Saturday when I stayed on site from 7 am to 10 PM that day. All the most successful washes I’ve seen have attendants. Even one I was at yesterday has a useless bozo looking after it, it’s in a bad neighborhood, no amenities, but it stays busy all day every day. SWAMPDONKEY: I have a 3 bay ss in a town of 9500,county pop is 16000. My competition is a run down 4 bay 3 miles away & a wash that has gone from being a 5 bay ss reduced to one outside bay and one inside bay. Last week a 3 bay 5 blocks from me got leveled for an office. I have an office in my wash to operate my other business not related to the wash. I’m amazed @ how many people come to office needing change for large bills,have questions about the wash, tourists traveling thru can’t find an inbay so need help with self serve. I’m busy all the time and when I’m not there one of my employees is there during peak times. Point is I wouldn’t be without one, the place is kept clean and my prices are $ 3.00 for 4 minutes versus the others @ $1.50. I might add that I close down @ nite from 10 p.m. till 6 a.m. ROBERT ROMAN: Surveys show attended washes perform better than unattended ones. The caveat is the attendant has to actually do something to increase value added. If not, then you have to worry about

covering an average cost of about $24,000. Best I’ve seen from monetizing attendant (more like a site manager) is about $60,000 in sales. So, it can be beneficial.Full-time attendant also means full-time relationship. Once you step aside, the attendant’s bond with customers will become greater than yours. After this, you become dependant on the attendant. SEATTLEGUY: I’m starting to have an attendant. Had to raise prices but customers seem happy with it. CAR_WASH_GUY: I’m considering it for a few reasons. I’d like to increase my IBA counts, and having someone there greeting and doing a light prep on cars would be nice. Then of course I’d like to have a constant oversight/eye of the place. Checking chems, checking systems, cleaning (especially the dog room), etc. I’m away from my wash more than I’m there, and I would like a more consistent oversight of the place. I.B.WASHINCARS: I would think twice about the prepping. I think that once you start doing that it would be very hard to put those worms back in the can if you decided you wanted to stop. I have the trash cans with the windshield scrubber/squeegee compartment that the customer can use themselves. I see many that scrub their windshield before entering and a few that use it to scrub bugs off their front bumpers. SOONERMAJIC: Just recently bought 2 washes, 5SS; 5SS/1IBA. My IBA does about 50cpd & has fulltime prepper. The community loves him, & he does a good job! 2 of u guys r correct: He is more closely associated with the biz than I am, & it will be hard to put these worms back in the box. He also gets $9/hr, .50/car + tips. I bet he makes over $45k, & is worth every penny!

Salt by any other name is still… salt Can you mix different kinds of softener salt? Wanted to hit all the area convenience stores and pick up those sun faded bags of salt. I can’t imagine there’s much of a difference, but wanted to ask people with more experience than myself. COOPERGLOBE: NaCl is salt. That’s what you’re looking for. NaCl (salt) is what your water softener uses in it’s regeneration process. NaCl is NaCl. What the bag looks like as long as it contains NaCl (salt) then you’re doing fine. I know an owner that uses white animal lick blocks from his ranch (buys them by the semi load for the ranch) and he’s been doing it for

35 years. NaCl is NaCl. MEP001: It shouldn’t hurt to mix salt types or brands. Just don’t use Solar Salt granules, it’s nasty. SOAPY: I only use salt from the Great Salt Lake. Not only is my water soft, it is HOLY.

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How do you deposit quarters? Hello, so I was told the other day that my bank (Wells Fargo) will no longer have coin counters at any branch locations. My options for depositing coins are to roll my quarters in the paper tubes or purchase plastic coin bags, count the quarters and bring them to the bank where they will charge me $8.00 per bag to deposit them. If my coin count is off by more than $10.00 there will be an additional charge. I use tokens at my site for security reasons so recycling them in my change machine is not a good option. I told my branch manager that I will be switching to a new bank. He said he understood, but recommended I ask questions because all the large banks will be removing coin counters? What are you guys doing with your quarters? Do your banks accept them? Anyone else dealing with this same issue? Thanks.

JIM L.: I’ve been rolling my quarters for 18 years. I takes an extra 10 to 15 min. a day...no big deal.

cents each depending how many I order at a time.

MIKEMPLS: Are you using a machine to roll your quarters?

LOEWEM: Definitely find a new bank. I have a coin/ token sorter/counter. Makes life much easier. When I first started depositing quarters I would roll them. After a couple of months a teller told me that she could give me some plastic bags that I could put 4,000 quarters ($1,000) in and bring it in for deposit. She told me that this was easier for them as this

BOYWONDER: Find a different bank! WASHNVAC: I have a counter. So I deposit to the bank $1000 at a time in the heavy plastic bags. No charge; it is just like a regular cash deposit. It is a local bank. I get the bags from eBay. They cost 40-50

COOPERGLOBE: Get a new bank.

is how the federal reserve bank requires quarters to be submitted (bags of $1,000). Even if I roll the quarters the bank still has to remove them from the rolls, count the quarters I’ve given them, adjust my account if necessary and send them on in bags of $1,000. Now, I just take a 5 gallon bucket of $1,000 in quarters to the bank and dump it in the banks bag. They count it at some point and adjust my ac{continued }

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How do you deposit quarters continued... count if necessary. It sounds like Wells Fargo doesn’t want to deal with quarters/change or they want to make money doing something that they should be doing as a bank. Seems to me that counting change for deposit shouldn’t be any different than counting cash or checks for deposit. This ****es me off. COPPERGLOBE: I posted earlier “find a new bank”, as others have done. In my area I’ve got four banks that want my business. They send me letters, gifts during Christmas, come by the washes wanting to know if there’s anything they can do to get my business. Why? We’re a cash business with large cash deposits. This cash the banks love because they don’t have to order, and pay a fee to the Fed so that they can have cash in the drawers to give to customers when they come in to cash their checks. They also love my merchant deposits because they’re simple and don’t involve employees. They also love that I hardly have any checks in my deposits that bounce which cause paper trails hassles, fees and interactions with other banks. So don’t forget that you’re the customer and that you’re a very good customer that doesn’t cause them, the bank, problems and that you make their life easier and more profitable

because you give them cash, and the paper money, that they need. That cash that I deposit also goes out to their other customers that have stores and those stores need cash to operate each and every day. If you’ve got a bank that doesn’t want your quarters, get a new bank. There are plenty out there. Try the Ma and Pa banks, for sure not Wells Fargo. Ma and Pa want your business. MEP001: A lot of local banks here will accept quarters bagged and counted at no extra charge. Wells Fargo does have a lot to offer, but you pay for it. They have fees for everything - I was making a deposit yesterday and the guy in front of me was [supposedly] charged $7.50 to cash a check written by one of their customers because the guy it was written to didn’t have an account there. OVERACHIEVER: Chase started doing the same thing with me so I switched to a local branch… My new bank has a machine where I just pour my coins in myself and hand them a ticket with the total on it and they put it in my account. It almost never rejects a coin... previously I would sometimes have to deal with the teller telling me some of my coins were too dirty and they wouldn’t allow me to de-

• SUMMER 2018

posit them.They also have this cool bill counter where you can give them a stack of bills that haven’t been faced or sorted (but I still usually sort them while counting) and it processes them all in a couple minutes vs waiting 30+ minutes for the teller to take care of it. MJWALSH: IMHO it seems like there is a real danger of at least some banks having an agenda of wanting to put as many impediments to coins & eventually currency (all cash) as possible. Think about it ... no matter how bad inflation gets ... they will always get the “going rate” for merchant fees from electronic transfers. Cozy for them but NOT GOOD for us operators at all. If enough momentum or resistance (political will) can develop ... I honestly believe that this mindset that is happening within some of the banking community can be stopped. LOEWEM: Did a little checking on this. Definitely agree with getting a new bank. I also agree with mjwalsh regarding banks requiring a premium for depositing coins and coordinated resistance would be good. I’d also suggest that this sets a bad precedent. When will the smaller banks decide that they {continued }

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A case of the drips I just purchased a site with 2 IBA and 4 SS. I’m working on getting the SS back in tip top shape, I have most of it figured out but 3 out of 4 of the guns have a steady stream of water running out of the tip even when the bay isn’t in use. It has a weep system, but all that is valved off. I’m thinking it the solenoids that open to allow city water to run in from the supply manifold could not be closing all the way? TDLCONCEPTSLLC: Correct I would start with weep solenoid. It also could be spot free rinse valve solenoids are bad in each bay are also leaking through. Unpipe the discharge side of the weep solenoid and see if it’s leaking through as is. Do this to the spot free solenoids also if you have Spot free.

RANDY: Being in Florida I wouldn’t think you need Weep water very often. I’d put a ball valve just upstream of the weep solenoid valve so you can shut off the weep water completely when it’s not needed. If it were a Weep solenoid water would be running out from all the guns and the foam brush. My

wild a$$ guess without being there to see how it’s set up would be the cold water rinse solenoids are bad. Disconnect the hose just downstream of the cold water rinse solenoid and see if any water is leaking past the solenoid valve.

How do you deposit quarters continued... need to charge a specific amount for depositing coins? When will banks decide that they need to charge more to accept $1 bills? Our business is the opposite of most in regards to cash. Most businesses are depositing larger bills or exchanging larger bills for smaller bills. It is a decent amount of work for the tellers to count my $1 bills every week. Not much different than counting the quarters. I spoke with someone at the consumer division of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today. They said that what wells fargo is doing isn’t illegal, but that a complaint can be submitted and an investigation will take place. http://www.consumerfinance.gov/ is responsible for overseeing “national banks”. I’m going to submit a complaint just to see what happens. CHAZ: Here’s a thought....send all your quarters my way! My bank provides the plastic bags, and credits my accountant immediately for the deposit $1,000 per bag. Only once was there a correction made after the fact, for $50.00, entirely my fault, I dump $50.00 at a time in the bag, and I sealed the bag too soon. JEFF_L: Like the others have said, get a new bank. Go local, a lot of benefits to knowing the bank president and staff. Especially when needing a loan and such. Usually you can negotiate away other fees they normally charge for commercial accounts too. CMAWASH: Our bank was bought out and a new set of fees were put in place: • Currency/coin deposited $1.85 per $1000 • Checks paid 0.20 per item • Currency order $1.85 per $1000 This used to be a great bank, but since it was bought we switched, bulk coins are a must for us. TEHACHAPICARWASH: We accept tokens and quarters, only tokens are changed to the customer. Every 3 days we empty the safes, take the mix home and hand sort, count the quarters into a cloth bag pro-

vided by the bank using a coin counter and make $1000 deposits. The tokens go back to the wash and are recycled.

coin sorter is worth the money you spend on it. We buy a box of 1,000 quarter rolls on Amazon. Lasts a long time. Makes things a lot easier.

STUART: Wow, most of you guys are really having to jump thru hoops. I collect my coin and bills. Sort and count my coins (qtrs., tkns, $coin) and sort & count my currency. Make a deposit slip and take to bank as one deposit--coin and bills. Does not matter if I have $200 or $625.75 in qtrs. They take them. This $1000 in qtrs sounds like a real pain. I don’t have to keep coin around waiting to add to $1k. When I need more $coin, I just call and they have it ready no matter how much I need. $20 or $900. They take care of me. I do need to have a certain monthly balance average in my account to cover monthly fee and check fees which is no biggie.

MJWALSH: If you can channel as much of yours & others’ “clearly worthwhile” business to the Red River Credit Union & similar (if possible) they are one of the ways to go. Without consequences & our ability to help provide a needed “more than just words” message there will be more of those types of charges. I know on the Coin Laundry Forum which with the coin op customer base being a large segment of the USA population ... one strategy for most of us there ... is to find ways to steer away from rewarding that behavior from those “clearly in the wrong” banks as much as humanly possible. Too bad more of us car wash operators who do not believe that “100% cashless is the best” are not more united against what comes down to what our Congress (clear constitutional authority) is not doing. I remember when I mentioned I was in the thinking stage before testifying against “service taxes” at the ND state legislature back in 2001 & 2003s my uncle (dad’s youngest brother) who was both a county & a city commissioner encouraged me saying “unless they hear concerns from enough people” ... Lord only knows what they will do.

SWAMPDONKEY: I’ve always used a local owned bank… so much easier to deal with come loan time. My bank supplies the shotgun wrappers free of charge and when I order $1.00 coins i’m not charged for that either. JPRB: Get a coin scale if you have all quarters, and don’t need to sort coins. They are as accurate as a counter, and much quicker. I’ve never paid money to deposit my money. I’d find another bank. SOONERMAJIC: Just got the bad news from my new bank, Idabel Natl bank, Idabel Okla. They will charge me .10/roll of qrtes & charge me to deposit my cash, if I haven’t already counted it. Even though they have bill counters @ every teller! My bank in Clarksville, TX, is awesome. Red River Credit Union does EVERYTHING & charges ZERO!! CHEETAHEXPRESS: Our business account is with Wells Fargo. We bought a coin sorter, then run the quarters through it into rollers, stack them into a box and take them into Wells Fargo along with the cash. We end up with about $130 to $150/wk. in quarters from 2 vacuums and our Access Machine. The

SOAPY: I take $500 bags of quarters to the bank a couple of times per month. I always put a few extra quarters in the bag. The FED only gets after a bank if the bags come up short. NO charge at Key Bank ever for my quarters. ROZ: Suntrust will accept loose quarters. I tried to help them by rolling the coins with a machine, but they would undo my rolls and place them in bags to be sent out for counting. No cost to me, but their count is always lower by $1-$2 (my cost of doing business). Takes several business days for coin deposit to be reflected in the account.

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INDUSTRY HAPPENINGS IN & AROUND SELF SERVE CARWASHING

DIRT

Who is doing Grace for Vets? Now is the time to sign up for Grace for Vets, the program which gives away free washes to veterans on Veterans Day. This year, Veterans Day will take place on a Sunday (on November 11). So far, 1301companies covering 3416 locations have signed up, covering four countries. In 2017, 264,759 washes were gifted to veterans on Veterans Day thanks to 3,374 participating locations. Back in 2010, Mike Mountz, founder of Grace for Vets and chairman of the board of the organization, told Self Serve Car Wash News, “This day is not about the carwash operators who are providing the free washes, “it’s about honoring and recognizing those that have and are serving and protecting our country.”

Hydra-Flex named top three finalist Hydra-Flex, Inc., of St. Paul-Minneapolis, Minnesota, which manufactures fluid handling equipment, has been named a top three finalist in two categories in the 2018 Made in Minnesota Manufacturing Awards, a press release reported. The two categories are Community Impact and Best B2B Product. The Community Impact award is for the volunteer programs, donations and services Hydra-Flex has given away. “They are a finalist in the Best B2B Product category because of the success of their Aqua-Rocket Industrial Turbo Nozzle; a high-pressure nozzle from Hydra-Flex that is changing the game in the industrial cleaning industry due to its durability, cleaning power, and ability to save precious resources,” according to the press release. Jaime Harris, President/CEO and co-founder of Hydra-Flex said they are honored to be finalists as it really shows the kind of people they have at Hydra-Flex. “We are deeply committed to leaving the world better than we found it through both our innovative, sustainable products and philanthropic efforts.” Hydra-Flex and other finalists will be celebrated at an awards event in Minneapolis on September 20.

• SUMMER 2018

DRB Systems named top workplace, names new CEO DRB Systems of Green, Ohio, was named one of Northeast Ohio’s Top 150 Workplaces for a second year in a row, a press release reported. Cleveland’s Plain Dealer newspaper teamed with Energage (formerly called Workplace Dynamics), an employee research and consulting firm, to determine the area’s best workplaces based solely on employee surveys. According to DRB employees, they used the following words to describe their workplace: Success, fun, customers, and growth. “Employees firmly agreed that DRB Systems is going in the right direction, that the company operates by strong values and ethics, and that they would highly recommend working at DRB Systems to others,” the press release stated. In other DRB news, Dan Pittman has been named the new President and CEO effective August 1, 2018. According to a press release, current CEO William Morgenstern, who led DRB since 2015, has retired, but remains an active member of the board of directors and a strategic advisor to the company. “Dan is a passionate leader who brings a

valuable combination of customer focus and operations and supply chain management to DRB, making him the perfect fit for this role. I am thrilled to welcome him as our next CEO,” said Morgenstern. “As I approach 60, I believe it’s time for me to take things down a notch and focus on my non-profit interests, personal life, and health. However, I am excited to continue to work with Dan and the rest of the incredible leadership team at DRB in an advisory capacity.” Pittman is an accomplished technology executive with decades of experience in supply chain, customer and service support, and operations. He has served as DRB’s Chief Operations Officer since 2015 and has been responsible for all the Company’s operations and for driving continuous process improvement. Prior to DRB, Pittman was a senior executive in Supply Chain, Service Support and Operations at Diebold, the press release stated.

One Stop Carwash partners with PDQ PDQ Manufacturing, Inc., of De Pere, Wisconsin, has appointed One Stop Carwash Equipment Pvt. Ltd. as a new distributor of PDQ vehicle wash equipment for the states of Victoria and Tasmania in Australia. Headquartered near Melbourne, One Stop is owned by Glen Gamble, who has more than 10 years of experience in the vehicle wash industry and an electrical engineering background, a press release reported. “We are delighted to partner with One Stop Carwash Equipment to sell, install and support PDQ equipment in Victoria and Tasmania”, Rob Lewis, International Sales Manager for PDQ, stated in the press release. “PDQ has

been selling in Australia for over 25 years. Glen and his company bring a wealth of industry knowledge and experience, along with a commitment to outstanding customer service.” One Stop is based in Mornington. PDQ’s other regional distributors, TEAM (Queensland), Carwash World (South Australia, New South Wales and NT), Carwash Spares and Repairs (Western Australia), and Pacific Carwash Systems (New Zealand) continue to provide service to those regions.

UNITI expo 2018 announces record numbers UNITI expo 2018, a European trade fair for the fuel retailing and car wash industries, completed its third edition with record numbers, a press release reported. The most attended UNITI expo to date was held in May. The next one is schedule for May 2020. “With 467 exhibitors from 37 countries and 17,000 attendees from 120 countries, UNITI expo 2018 solidified its place as the biggest European trade fair for the sector. Almost half of the visitors came from Germany, with 40% from other European countries including Russia and 11% from the remaining continents,” the press release stated. Along with revolutionary products from all the major carwash manufacturers and suppliers

of chemicals and accessories, small and medium-sized players displayed a range of interesting ideas related to car wash and car care, according to the press release. Exhibitors pointed to the high status and internationality of visitors as one of the key qualities of the trade fair. “Our company presents itself in over 90 shows and yet UNITI expo is unique for us, especially because of its high internationality and the combination of the car wash and shop sectors which is really important for us,” stated Manfred Hoffmann, Managing Director at Sonax.

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INDUSTRY DIRT

Study: Booming Automotive Sector to boost car wash market

OSHA proposed better protection rule

A report analyzing the “global automatic car wash market size, industry status and forecast, competition landscape and growth opportunity” was released and distributed by SBWire. According to the report, “The booming automotive sector is expected to propel the growth of the automatic car wash market during the forecast period. The convenience of automated car wash, comparative low cost, and the rising preference of people to get their car washed in lesser time are a few factors that are anticipated to boost the automatic car wash market during the forecast period. The automatic car wash is more beneficial than a manual car wash in terms of protecting the external finish of the vehicle since it involves a definite procedure and offers consistent results. The increasing use of vehicles for off-road applications which involves riding the vehicle in extreme environmental condi-

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in an effort to protect personally identifiable information or data that could be re-identified with a particular individual. It will also remove provisions of the “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses” rule, according to a DOL press release stated. OSHA believes this proposal will reduce the burden of complying with the current rule. “The proposed rule eliminates the requirement to electronically submit information from OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses), and OSHA Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report) for establishments with 250 or more employees that are currently required to maintain injury and illness records. These establishments would be required to electronically submit information only from OSHA Form 300A (Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses).” OSHA is not currently accepting the Form 300 or 301 data and will not enforce the deadlines for these two forms without further notice while this rulemaking is underway, the press release stated. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

tions demands a thorough car wash. This is expected to provide promising applications for the automatic car wash market during the forecast period.” The forecast period is from 2017-2025. Based on component, the automatic car wash market can be divided into drives, motors, foamer systems, dryers, and pumps, the report states. “The foamer system segment is anticipated to expand at a considerable pace during the forecast period owing to the increasing research and development activities being carried out across the world to develop foamer systems, which provide a better and more efficient cleaning action than the foamer systems that are currently being used.” North America is expected to dominate the automatic market out of a group of global regions including Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.

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EXTRA!

READ ALL ABOUT

Presenting the news stories featuring self serves car washes

California enacts permanent water restrictions California Governor Jerry Brown signed bills which set permanent water restrictions, the Sacramento Bee reported. “Assembly Bill 1668 by Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, and Senate Bill 606 from state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Los Angeles, give water districts more flexibility than the strict cuts mandated under Brown’s emergency drought order and will eventually allow state regulators to assess thousands of dollars in fines against jurisdictions that do not meet the goals,” the story said. Brown released the following statement regarding the bills: In preparation for the next drought and our changing environment, we must use our precious resources wisely. We have efficiency goals for energy and cars – and now we have them for water.” Indoor water use is now limited to 55 gallons per person per day in 2022. As for outdoor water

use, the Department of Water Resources and State Water Resources Control Board will conduct studies and recommend standards by October 2021. “State regulators will consult with local districts, recognizing differences in climate, water availability and demand across the state, to establish outdoor targets. Water districts that have already taken steps, such as recycling, to broaden their water supply could get more leeway even in dry conditions,” according to the story. In 2017, statistics found that California residents used an average of 90 gallons of indoor and outdoor water per day. That number is better than the amount used per person in 2013, which was 109 gallons. Hertzberg said in the story, “This is something

that has never been done before. We know we are facing challenges. We need to be a government that is prepared and provide the structures so this doesn’t happen again.” In January 2014, Brown declared a state of emergency prompted the state to impose a mandatory 25 percent cutback on water usage. However, that ruling was called off in 2016.

Texas drought ongoing, says report The Texas Commission of Environmental Quality released a letter on July 13, 2018, outlining its drought conditions as well as its measures for water protection and restrictions. “Despite recent rains, drought conditions have returned to some parts of Texas, and forecasters are predicting that dry conditions may persist. With the high use months of

summer ahead, we must take the necessary steps to prevent the loss of drinking water for basic health and safety services. Public water systems in the western portions of Texas may start to see a strain on their water supplies. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is encouraging public water systems to take reasonable measures to 1) increase conservation efforts and 2) identify

and secure alternative water supplies to meet potable water needs.” Some of those water supply measures include: • Measuring and tracking existing water supplies • Encouraging water conservation • Implementing public education and outreach strategies • Evaluating infrastructure and developing plans to meet needs (e.g. extending intake structures to deeper waters, drill new wells, etc.)

Dinosaur enthusiast now successful car wash owner John Borek of Austin, Texas, has always loved dinosaurs and now, as a self serve car wash owner, he is able to incorporate his passion into his workplace. According to the Community Impact Newspaper, the Jurassic Car Wash owner said, “I thought people would like a few dinosaurs here.” Along with dinosaurs, Borek has always had a passion for collections. “I have flying saucers at my house; I own a Batmobile, custom golf carts, old soda machines and old cars, so I didn’t want to 34

• SUMMER 2018

just have a typical car wash,” he said. “I thought people would like a few dinosaurs here,” he said in the story. Borek purchased his first two dinosaurs as Halloween decorations for his house after his UFO display got stale. He then moved them to his car wash after neighbors complained he kept the decorations up too long after the holiday. When Borek bought the car wash in 2015 he changed the name to Jurassic. “For something to

be successful you have to be passionate about it,” he said in the story. “Dinosaurs are fun. I don’t know too much about [the different species], but kids come here and know every one of them.”

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HISTORY

EXTRA! EXTRA! Self serve celebrates 50 years Gosda’s Car Wash of Grand Island, Nebraska, is celebrating 50 years in business. “We are on our third generation of the Gosda family owning the car washes, it feels great keeping the family business up and running after so many years,” Rick Gosda told The Independent. Rick and his wife, Heather, own two locations; one of which has five self serve bays and the other has six. Rick’s parents, Victor and Leola Gosda, opened their first car wash 1968, and then opened their second location in 1972. Rick said over the years they have been trying to consistently offer the best car washing experience through continuous improvements and upgrades. “That’s anywhere from using RFID (radio-frequency identification technology) with our monthly automatic memberships, touch screens on our kiosks, up-to-date coin boxes, or our new website and social media pages,” Gosda said in the story. “We try and stay up to date on newer ways to get your car clean.” Rick also said that he and his wife love being small business owners.

Let’s hear it for the first-timers

“From growing up and working at the car washes to now being an owner, the one thing stays the same that is our great loyal customers,” Gosda said in the story. “They have kept us in business for 50 years and have voted us best car wash in Grand Island for many years.”

Self serve owner running for mayor Jeff Harstad of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, is running for mayor, according to a Sun Focus story. Harstad, who is running against four other candidates, said his main priorities if elected would be, “Cleaning up Central Avenue, encouraging business stability and growth, and working with council members to start useful programs.”

As for why he wants to be mayor, Harstad said his godfather and great uncle were also mayor of Columbia Heights. He also said he enjoys politics and civil discussions. The article did not offer the name of the self serve carwashes.

Artist gets creative in self serve bays Clean Moto Carwash of Atlanta is now also an art museum, thanks to the Westside Mural Project and funding from the restaurant Lean Draft House and artist “Letter 75” (whose real name is Michael Jones). According to ArtsATL, The Westside Mural Project was a three-day event held in June. Various artists were asked to paint the interiors of the self serve bays, or more specifically two 20’ x 9’ walls. Fourteen artists participated.

BUFF

The idea for the project originally emerged through a conversation between the owners of Lean Draft House, which is next door to the car wash, and Jones, who was visiting the restaurant, ArtsATL reported. “My vision was to create spaces that interact with the audience,” Jones said. “I hope somebody becomes so engulfed with the work that when they leave, their car is still dirty.”

In 1976, Keltner Research of Littleton, Colorado, introduced their 3A Electronic Timer. This was the first timer to utilize an RC circuit — a “rotary potentiometer” (aka “knob”) that when set to a certain “clock” position (i.e. 12, 3, 6, etc.) would give a time value. However, setting the time was not always easy or accurate. You had to verify your settings as best you could with your wrist watch. Often time cycles would vary from bay to bay, vac to vac. There was a genuine noteworthy new feature in this unit — namely, it was accumulative. That is, it allowed coins to be accepted after the start-up cycle in order to purchase additional time if needed. Keltner would then establish itself as a primary developer and supplier of carwash timers.

SUMMER 2018 •

FILL

IN THE

IF I HAD A NICKEL EVERY TIME A CUSTOMER __________________,

BLANK WHEN I TELL SOMEONE I OWN A SELF SERVE, THE FIRST THING THEY SAY IS _______________________. ...the extreme in either direction. Either they think you’re filthy rich because “it’s a cash business”, or they think you’re stone broke and want to know what else you do on top of it, cuz...”a carwash?” - BBE

I WOULD BE RICH. …asked, ‘Do you work here?’ (as I sweep the lot, with logoed hat & shirt)...

…says, ‘I put $2 in the bay and it did not start.’ (Me: You mean the one that states $6 to start?)...

...asked, ‘Do you work here?’ (as I repair a piece of equipment, with logoed hat & shirt)...

…says, ‘I put $1 in the vac and it did not come on.’ (Me: You mean the one that states $2 to start?)...

...asked, ‘Do you work here?’ (as I change a trash bag, with logoed hat & shirt)...

…says, ‘I inserted my credit card but nothing is happening.’ (Me: Did you make a wash selection? Them: I did not know I had to)...

...asked, ‘Does this bay work? (with bright orange cone in front of it)...

…says, ‘I pulled in the bay but nothing happened.’ (Me: You mean the one with the flashing “enter” sign; keep pulling forward)...

...asked, ‘Does this bay work? (with no cone or obstruction in bay)... ...asked, ‘Do you have change for a $20 bill?’... ...asked, ‘Do you have change for a $10 bill?;...

…You mean, like the “quarter” car washes? I usually reply with something like, “Well the quarters are long gone, but yeah that’s the type.” - I.B.WASHINCARS

…Many years ago when I first got into car wash I told a friend of mine what I was doing. His wife overheard us talking and told me how she and the public felt about car washes in general and it wasn’t very encouraging. Awhile back I was on a flight and the women sitting next to me asked me what kind of work do you. I told her I owned a car wash business, she laughed and said like those “squirter” car washes. I said yes it is, her reply was “Oh I never use those places” she laid her head back in the seat never said another word. The public’s perception of car washes is pretty low.

...asked, ‘Do you have change for a $5 bill?’... ...asked, ‘Do you have a change machine?’... ...asked, ‘Do you have quarters?’...

…says, ‘Your blow dryers do not work.’ (Me: Did you select a wash that included the dryers?)... …says, ‘There is no high pressure.’ (Me: Because you are on low pressure pre-soak)... …says, ‘There is no soap in the foam brush. (Me: You have to select “foam brush” on the meter panel)... …says, ‘I put a $5 bill in the changer and only got 4 quarters.’ (Me: Those are $1 tokens, and you received five)... - WASHNVAC

...asked, ‘Does the vacuum take tokens?’ (clearly labeled with “accepts quarters or tokens”)...

...left the vac hose on the ground...

...vacuumed up a penny…

...dumped there household garbage at the car wash. I would be rich. I sometimes feel like I’m a transfer site for the dump...

...didn’t follow the rules…

- OURTOWN

- RANDY

- MEP001

- DIAMONDWASH

...was asked to turn their music down…

...emptied out the contents of their cigar (I assume to roll a “blunt”) onto my parking lot… - D3DUBS

...conned me out of a quarter… - JGINTHER

- APW

- RANDY

OWNING A SELF SERVE CAR WASH IS LIKE ________________. ...having a Red headed step-child in other words it’s a pain in the a$$ sometimes.

...like owning a farm ... a hell of a lot of work but if done and managed right can be rewarding!

...reacting the movie “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” at times lol.

- RANDY

- RFREEMAN

- DIAMONDWASH

...hitting the lottery every day. - SOONERMAJIC

...enjoying your ice cream cone then realizing it’s been dripping chocolate on your shirt the whole time. - MEP001

If you would like to contribute your own answer, visit AutoCareForum.com and do a keyword search of “fill in the blank.” 38

• SUMMER 2018

Microcoin QL ®

The MICROCOIN ® QL is a high speed, multi-coin, field programmable electronic coin acceptor that can be used in many applications in your car wash including your: WASH BAYS AUTOCASHIERS VACUUMS FRAGRANCE MACHINES CHANGE MACHINES Its features are many. Here are just a few: Quick Learn™ On Board Programming Single and multi-coin programming Programmable for Multiple Currencies Programmable for up to 12 different coins Universal size - one size fits all High speed, multi-coin acceptance up to 10 cps New, revolutionary coin discrimination techniques Highly critical and unique coin path design which virtually eliminates the possibility of coin jams. Maximum fraud coin rejection For more information on the MICROCOIN® QL contact Hi-Performance Wash Systems or one of the distributors listed below. Advanced Car Wash Systems – GA JE Adams – IA National Pride Equipment – OH Auto Wash Concepts – CA Jim Coleman Company – TX Ryko – IA Dultmeier – NE Kleen-Rite – PA U-Wash Equipment – IL Etowah Valley – NC Laurel Metal Products, Inc. – IL Water Conservation Services – CA Fragramatics – AR Mark VII – CO Windtrax - KS

3901 East 41st Avenue 800.922.1313 (Toll Free) Denver, CO 80237 303.322.2232 (Local) www.hpws.com SUMMER 2018 •

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SS SNAP

From coast to coast, we are profiling different self serve car washes and will showcase photos, business information, methods of advertising and what sets them apart from the competition.

SHOT

NAME OF CAR WASH: Liberty 24-7 Car Wash

NAME OF OWNER(S): Jordan Rosner

LOCATION:

6350 S. Carroll Park Dr., Sykesville, Maryland

TYPE OF CAR WASH: 1 Touch-Free Automatic (WW Razor) & Self Service Bays

NUMBER OF SELF SERVE BAYS: 5 YEAR IT OPENED:

1991 (totally renovated in

2018 under new ownership with new IBA and SS equipment, new piping, new heated floors, new signs & lighting, new chemicals, added CC readers, tokens).

HOURS/DAYS OPEN: 24-7 42

â&#x20AC;¢ SUMMER 2018

AFTER

RENOVATION

2018

Northeast Regional Carwash Convention October 1-3, 2018

√ No Excuse! Keynoter Jay Rifenbary √ The “Virtual Carwash Tour” is back! √ 300+ exhibits, attendance up 20% in 2017 √ Welcome Reception at The Water Club √ Vendor “Inside Looks” seminars on the floor √ State of the Industry with Sonny’s Paul Fazio

At Atlantic City Convention Center and Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. Host Association: Car Wash Operators of New Jersey.

Call 1-800-868-8590 or visit us online at nrccshow.com

NRCC2027_SSCW_071018.indd 1

SUMMER 20189:39 • 43 7/11/18 AM

â&#x20AC;¢ SUMMER 2018

SUMMER 2018 â&#x20AC;¢

Carwash Boom Assembly MODEL 203 Zierco’s Original Swivel and Boom Assembly, with New Rebuildable Cartridge

MODEL 203 FEATURES • Feather light rotating action • Twin compression springs are tension-adjustable for a variety of hose and gun weights • Swivel rotates 360˚ - 12 ft. diameter

• Temperatures to 280˚ max., pressure to 2000 psi • Longer hose life as spring prevents kinks • Ruggedly built, satisfaction guaranteed

• Proven performance with over 50 years service in the field (Since 1962)

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107C CARTRIDGE

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107C Cartridge Features:

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• Field Repairable

• 100% 304 Stainless Steel Internal Materials Eliminate Failure Due to Corrosion

VISA and Master Card accepted

QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1937 DISTRIBUTOR INQUIRIES INVITED 46

• SUMMER 2018

Carwash Boom Assemblies

MODEL 204 and 206 FEATURES • Twin compression springs are tension-adjustable for a variety of hose and gun weights • Swivel rotates 360˚ - 12 ft. diameter • Temperatures to 280˚ max., pressure to 2000 psi • Longer hose life as spring prevents kinks • Ruggedly built, satisfaction guaranteed • Optional stainless steel components

Zierco’s Easy Service Swivel and Boom Systems with Full 360

• Proven performance with over 50 years service in the field (Since 1962)

Degree roTATIoN

Booms are Available with 3 Different Mountings STYLE B Flat Plate

ENHANCE YOUR SELF SERVING CONVENIENCE

Mounts directly to the ceiling or beam.

MODEL 204

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Mounts directly to the ceiling.

OFFSET Overhead Carwash Boom STYLE D Wall Bracket

Mounts to wall and is adjustable so boom swings to wall when not in use.

MODEL 206

Allows for TWO Center Boom Installation

Ideal for foaming brushes.

FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION CALL

CONVERSION KIT 204B

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(414)-764-6630 www.ziercowaterboy.com

7355 S. 1st Street Oak Creek, WI 53154 Fax: (414) 764-9763 sales@zierden.com

To Convert Model 203 to a 204 Assembly

Remove boom body from hinge plate

Rotate hinge plate counter clockwise to remove seal elbow

Replace O-Rings

DISTRIBUTOR INQUIRIES INVITED VISA and Master Card accepted

QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1937 SUMMER 2018 •

METHODS OF ADVERTISING:

Online, local retail shops (small & large), on street (signage), and barrel advertising.

TOKENS ACCEPTED?

Yes. Credit Cards now accepted too

HOW MANY VACUUMS?

5 New Combo VACS (3 motor, fragrance, shampoo, spot cleaner, crevice nozzles) plus two tire shine stations.

HOW MANY VENDING MACHINES?

One 52 product MEGA Vendor machine

AFTER

WHAT DO YOU VEND?

RENOVATION

Car products, snacks, and drinks.

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• SUMMER 2018

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BEFORE

RENOVATION

ANY COMPETITION NEARBY? Yes. 1.5 miles away there is a tunnel with SS bays, a few gas stations, and 10 miles away are two SS locations.

DO YOU OFFER ANYTHING SPECIAL IN THE BAYS DURING CERTAIN SEASONS (I.E. SALT REMOVER, ETC.)? We will be offering an undercarriage wand in 1-2 bays.

WHAT IS YOUR CAR WASH’S STORY IN 75 WORDS OR LESS? I purchased the wash (built in 1990) in the summer of 2017. It had an old IBA that just pushed water. Since then I have gutted the place (while operating) just keeping the building, installed new IBA and SS equipment, rebranded the place on the property and online (keeping the existing name) and brought the place back to life.

SUMMER 2018 •

DAY 1

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Kleen-Rite’s Bi-Annual Car Wash Experience is coming up...

13 8AM-3:30PM Columbia•PA Tuesday, November 13

LOCAL CAR WASH TOURS, DISCUSSIONS, SPEAKERS & MORE!

SAVE THE DATE DAY 2 Kleen-Rite’s Bi-Annual Expo 14 MAIN EXPO DAY is coming up... 14 Wednesday, November 14

9AM-3PM

129 S. 9th St. Columbia•PA

JOIN US FOR SEMINARS, TOURS, FOOD, FUN, PRIZES & MORE! Kleen-Rite is located in Historic Columbia, right in beautiful Amish Country in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Enjoy all the area has to offer during your stay.

• SUMMER 2018

CHECK OUT THESE OLD NEWSPAPER ARTICLES REGARDING SELF SERVE CAR WASHES.

RIPPED HEADLINES FROM THE

SUMMER 2018 â&#x20AC;¢

RIPPED HEADLINES

om/image/338861600

• SUMMER 2018

FROM THE

The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, Iowa)

· Sun, Feb 14, 1965 ·

Downloaded on Jul 1

CHECK OUT THESE OLD NEWSPAPER ARTICLES REGARDING SELF SERVE CAR WASHES.

SUMMER 2018 â&#x20AC;¢

STEP UP YOUR Step 2

Designed Here. Here . Testimonial Built Here. Backed Here.™ Call Today to Calculate Your Potential ROI What’s your Site’s Potential? Call us today and Sonny’s will run a demographic report, traffic survey, and create a sitespecific proforma with 5-year revenue projection for your proposed site conversion.

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Around the Wash

Harnessing the power of the sun …And its effects on your insurance program

By Dan Tharp DTharp@theinsurancenter.com Solar energy systems, more specifically Photovoltaic Systems (PV Systems), are rapidly becoming an affordable resource. Many wash owners and investors have been caught off-guard by the sudden increase in affordability. In less than a decade, costs have been cut by more than 50%. The cost of an average rooftop system in 2005 was between $40,000 and $50,000, and in 2017 the average cost was under $20,000 — and falling! These falling costs along with government rebates and tax credits have made solar installation an affordable reality. As you are calculating how much your car wash operations could save by utilizing the sun’s power there are some important considerations to also contemplate. For the purpose of this article I will focus on the loss control and insurance considerations. A wise man once said “along with great power comes great responsibility”, ok — so it was Spiderman, but it’s still true. Solar power delivers great benefits, but it also carries some risks — the full extent of which has yet to be discovered in this growing field. Whether your wash is considering installing a solar panel array, leasing space to a contractor installing an array for another customer, or already has an array, it’s important to consider the risks that these systems represent and learn what can be done to mitigate, minimize or transfer that risk to an insurance carrier.

• SUMMER 2018

RISK AWARENESS

Installing a PV System onto the large empty space on the roof of your wash seems logical enough. You’re turning empty unused space into an energy generating asset, one that will pay off for years to come. But hold onto those reigns for just a second or two … there are serious, though not unmanageable, risks that may come into play. Insurance carriers have identified the top five risk exposures for roof-mounted PV Systems as follows: 1. THE ELECTRICAL “BLIND SPOT” One of the greatest concerns in these installations is the “blind spot”, in which a ground fault to the grounded current-carrying conductor occurs undetected. Resulting in a second ground fault in the panel array which the GFDI cannot de-energize. These situations have resulted in serious electrical shock and fire. 2. ROOF LOADING Every roof is designed and built to accommodate a pre-determined “dead load”, such as an air conditioning unit. Adding an array of heavy solar panels was not accounted for in most existing wash operation buildings resulting in structural degradation and eventual collapse. 3. SEVERE WEATHER The weight of snow on a roof can add to the danger presented by the weight of the PV System. Additionally, hail and ice can cause significant damage to solar panels by damaging their protective coatings, thereby exposing live electrical components resulting in

failure and fire hazards. 4. WIND The addition of solar panels on a roof increases the roof’s surface area, which in turn exponentially increases that building’s exposure to wind damage. In windy conditions, the space below the panels can cause pressurization that can also damage the roof. 5. FIRE HAZARDS PV Systems cannot only be the cause of fires, they can also make it extremely difficult for firefighters to put out fires. In a roof fire, heat can get trapped between the panels and the roof surface spreading the fire rapidly as it is protected by the panels. Not only will the roof suffer extensive damage, but its fire classification rating may also be compromised.

WORK WITH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY

As is the case with almost every aspect of your wash operations some consideration ahead of your plans can prevent some serious headaches later. Working with your agent/broker throughout the installation process should ensure that your carrier becomes comfortable with the project. The following steps will help to ease the concerns that the insurance carrier’s underwriting department may have. 6. WORK WITH YOUR EXISTING AGENT to identify the specific concerns of your current insurance carrier. Some carriers will not offer renewal and possibly cancel coverage upon learning of roof mounted PV Systems.

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SUMMER 2018 •

Around the Wash 7. CONSIDER INSTALLING in a location other than your roof — parking lot or nearby land parcel.

HOW INTERESTING! The first known research of solar energy dates all the way back to 1839 by French physicist Alexandre Edmund Becquerel. According to solarenergy.com, “When he was 19, Becquerel created the world’s first photovoltaic cell while experimenting in his father’s laboratory. In his experiment, he placed silver chloride in an acidic solution and illuminated it while it was connected to platinum electrodes. As a result, it generated voltage and current. At first, the photovoltaic effect was also known as the ‘Becquerel effect.’”

8. WORK WITH THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT for advice and to familiarize them with your operation and your specific PV System. 9. CREATE AND MAINTAIN CLEAR EXITS and pathways on the roof for maintenance and firefighting personnel. Panels must be installed in a manner that allows access to all parts of your roof. 10. HIRE A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER to evaluate the integrity of your roof to ensure it can tolerate the weight of your PV System. Consider the age of your roof — most roofs are designed to last 20 years. If your roof is 15 years old, don’t install a system that will have to be removed in the next 5 years. 11. ONLY CONTRACT WITH AN ELECTRICIAN that is highly skilled in PV System wiring/installation. 12. IF YOU’RE IN AN AREA SUBJECT TO HAIL and extreme weather, see that your system has been tested and approved for such conditions. It is critical that your insurance broker/agent be familiar with the requirements of your carrier to ensure proper coverage of your PV System. Generally, if your system is to be located on the roof of your building it will, for insurance purposes, be considered part of that building. This means that you will need to increase the limit of your building coverage to include the full

values of your system. Failure to do so may result in a large “co-insurance” penalty in the event of a claim. Most carriers will agree to insure systems that are installed properly (on roofs inspected and approved), maintained regularly and properly rated for your use. Make sure to ask your agent/broker if there will be a separate deductible for claims related to your PV System.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Before beginning your project ask your agent for a copy of the application used for Solar Powered Systems — the questions on that application will help guide you as to what the carrier’s expectations are. The following are some sample questions from actual carrier questionnaires. Is the system separated from the utility power grid?

Who installed the system? • Was all wiring inspected by a licensed contractor? • How often are panels cleaned? • Is there a separate circuit breaker for the solar powered system? Thank you for your efforts to “Go Green” and remember some advanced planning will help make your current insurance provider an ally in this process instead of an opponent. Dan Tharp, CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor), RWCS (Registered Worker’s Compensation Specialist) is property/casualty insurance licensed in all states (except Alaska & Hawaii) and is the Vice President of Sales for The Insurancenter and the director of the Car Wash Division. Dan has been assisting business owners to protect their operations, customers and employees for over 30 years. For questions regarding this article or any other insurance matter he can be reached at DTharp@theinsurancenter.com or by calling 800-444-8675.

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• SUMMER 2018

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FUN&GAMES

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Think these pictures of a self serve car wash are the same? Think again! There are six differences. Can you spot them all? Answers: 1. Trash bag is a different size. 2. The Visa Card colors are different. 3. A lock on the door is missing. 4. The change machine has moved. 5. The word “accept” is now “except”. 6. The color of the vending machine is different.

2. SELF SERVE SCRAMBLER Unscramble the letters below to form well-known self serve car wash words. The circled letters will then form a word, which is the answer to the following trivia question: In 1959, auto racetrack owner George Grabenhorst began promoting and selling a revolutionary carwashing concept he had developed for gas/service stations. Using a presoak (by Stone Soap) and then a rinse via a very simple “L” bar spray arch, Grabenhorst sold his technique, cleaning chemistry and equipment package to many oil company stores around the country. In what state did Grabenhorst work on this car washing technique (it is also the home state of Stone Soap)?

Velswi = _ _ _ _ _ _ Nacherg = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ genvind = _ _ _ _ _ _ _

TRIVIA ANSWER: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Answers: NOZZLE TIMER SPRAY SWIVEL CHANGER VENDING Trivia answer: MICHIGAN

Zenlzo = _ _ _ _ _ _ Metir = _ _ _ _ _ Prays = _ _ _ _ _

SUMMER 2018 •

Get Wise About Water Reclaim Some things that you should have known but weren’t told about reclaim By Dean Taylor dean@progressivepump.com In the recent spring issue of Self Serve Car Wash News, I wrote about the things you as a car wash owner need to consider before installing any kind of reclaim system. In this issue, I am going to discuss a basic truth that many car wash owners need to know, but are often not told. I, like other authors of water reclaim articles, have also read many times about new approaches, new technology, and “innovations” for reclaim systems, “basic facts” about biological or ozone systems, etc. Such articles are mostly informative to a degree, and accurate in what they say, but leave pertinent basic facts unsaid. Herein I try to state some of the often unsaid basic facts that should be understood by anyone considering a reclaim system, no matter the type. Let’s consider it “reclaim 101.” A good understanding of the very basics of reclaim systems will put you in a far better position for discussions with your sales rep en-route to specifying one.

IT’S DIRT, AND IT HAS TO GO SOMEWHERE!

First, the water from washing cars is really, really dirty, possibly containing dirt, sand, salt, organic material (e.g. bird droppings, etc.) and car applications (oil, wax, surfactants, detergents, soaps, etc.), and any manner of other dissolved or suspended solids. These materials must be altered and/or removed to an acceptable degree from the wash effluent before the water is reclaimed sufficiently for reuse as wash water. However, reclaim for rinse water is a whole different matter. The aforementioned contaminants must be substantially removed from the water to be reclaimed and must go somewhere. Somehow, this is an often ignored truth. They don’t just magically (or biologically or chemically) just disappear.

SO, WHERE DOES IT GO?

The material to be removed can all go to one

place, your settling tanks. This is if you are using

biological systems or chemical (ozone) systems with auto back wash filters. Or, it can be split between two places if you are using a chemical system with filter bags (any number, but usually from one to three) and the settling tanks. The basic consideration is that it collects somewhere, and must eventually be removed or it will fill up your settling tanks, clog your filter bags (if used), etc. One manufacturer who uses a unique patented auto back wash filter offers a “sludge interceptor” for the effluent from the auto-backwash filters, which keeps the sludge from returning to the settling tanks. And remember, there is no magic, effortless method or system when it comes to reclaiming water. All reclaim systems will require some sort of maintenance and/or filter changing. Dean Taylor is the Applications Engineer at Progressive Pump and Treatment, a provider of commercial and industrial water treatment equipment and services, in Sarasota, Florida.

HOW ARE THE WATER SUPPLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY? At the time of this publication, drought conditions were impacted the usual areas (see map below). And, it seems as if extremely dry conditions were causing water restrictions throughout Texas.

As for the usually drought-plagued state of California, according to drought.gov “Abnormal dryness or drought are currently affecting approximately 34,564,000 people in California, which is about 93% of the state’s population.”

This image, dated July 10, 2018, is provided courtesy of Climate.gov.

• SUMMER 2018

However, according to Climate.gov, predictions show that rainfall will occur above average in certain regions over the next three months.

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Cwguy.com’s

‘Random Thoughts’

Location, Location, Location

= PRICING, PRICING, PRICING By Eric Wilson Customers can be very sensitive when it comes to your service business....especially when your business can be done at someone’s house with a sponge, water and a bucket. It is important to have competitive prices and not price yourself out of the market, but not price your service too low that you might have too much business or the wrong type of business. At the same time, you must keep demographics in mind. Discussing pricing with someone across the country and expecting the same results probably will not work. Why? Because there are lots of variables at play. I have read time and time again on forums and heard consultants give advice about locations when they know nothing about the business owner’s location. The location is important when it comes to price, it is actually the most important aspect.

THESE QUESTIONS CAN HELP YOU FIGURE OUT YOUR INDIVIDUAL PRICING STRATEGY: • • • • •

What region of the country are you in? Number of competitors? What are the demographics? What does the location look like? Is the location even a good location?

These questions are simplified, and this is an obviously-limited list, but you get the idea. Start with the determining the part of the country in which you are located. Regions of the country are radically different. Southern states have different equipment than Northern states. Some states allow owners to build businesses right next to each other or one street over, while some states have super high property taxes to prevent any growth. Both are bad for business. But, owners should realize that if you build a car wash they will not just start going to your car wash because it is your car wash! Next, look at your competition. How close are they? List all of the nearby car washes even if they are in different fields (hand washing, full service, etc.) The number of competitors will probably be one of the most important aspects of the pricing decisions. Figure out your demographics? Demographics tell a lot about your area. They will tell you if your customers will use your car wash services or not. Whatever the demographics are they are super important to unlock the importance of the demand for your services. There can also be different pricing for different demographics or you can restrict certain subsets (budget shoppers for example) if the demographics support it. Now, ask yourself what your location looks like? Does your location look nice? Is it clean all the time? This also determines if you can charge a premium price. Do you always have chemical? Keep-

ing your car wash maintained is very important. When I help consult car wash owners they usually have this aspect under control, but I visit car washes all the time and I see car washes that are not maintained. Customers will go anywhere, even a dump, but you also need to price your place accordingly. Location, location, location…. You have heard this one before. I have seen this mistake time and time again. We have the Best location ever, highest traffic count in the city, busiest intersection, slow speed limit and it is an absolute no brainer. Well, not exactly. The operator purchased a lot off the main road, but it was behind a Waffle House. But this operator thought he could just add a really tall and big clock tower. But, if you want to make any money in the car wash industry, customers need to see and drive by your car wash. And that lot behind the Waffle House? Well, it is an office building now. It is hard to determine prices for your car wash. But researching your area will help you decide. Compare your wash with others in your area, but sometimes giving the customer the feeling of getting a good deal helps more than you think. Look at Chick-fil-A and Build-A-Bear: Both companies gave away products for a very low price and got the best advertising money could buy. Act like you are giving your customer something for nothing and start low with the exact seconds per dollar. I even tried starting at a quarter. Have a nice place with a high dollar clientele? Have a high price start up…. But, you must keep in mind all the other variables, however you decide to price.

Eric Wilson is a self-serve car wash owner who also blogs online on the popular and very funny website, cwguy.com. 64

• SUMMER 2018

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Association News 2018 Carwash Association CALENDAR Australian announced keynote speaker OF EVENTS SEP 16-18 SEP 11

SECWA EXPO AND CONVENTION Birmingham, AL www.secwa.org

21ST ANNUAL GOLF OUTING

Connecticut Carwash Association wewashctcars.com

The Car Wash Show Australia 2018, which is being held from October 30-November 1 at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, will feature Tom O’Toole as its keynote speaker. “Better known as The Beechworth Baker, Tom is the larger than life founder of the fa-

MORE DETAILS RELEASED REGARDING THE 2018 NRCC The 2018 Northeast Regional Carwash Con-

SEP 17-19

2018 AMERICAN CAR WASH EXPO Birmingham, Alabama www.secwa.org

vention (NRCC) is being held October 1-3 at the Atlantic City Convention Center, the schedule has been released for the three-day convention. Organizers are also offering an “Early Bird Pricing” special if you register by September 3. • Monday, October 1 - 2-5 p.m. Registration - 3:30-6 p.m. Virtual Carwash Tour

SEP 25 OCT 1-3 OCT 30NOV 1 NOV 7 NOV 14

NEW ENGLAND CARWASH ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL GOLF OUTING Brookmeadow Country Club, Canton, MA www.newenglandcarwash.org/

NORTHEAST REGIONAL CARWASH CONVENTION Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJ www.nrccshow.com

CAR WASH SHOW AUSTRALIA Melbourne, Australia www.acwa.net.au

SACRAMENTO SELF-SERVE SUMMIT AND ROADSHOW

Embassy Suites Sacramento, California www.wcwa.org

2018 KLEEN-RITE CAR WASH EXPO Columbia, Pennsylvania www.kleen-ritecorp.com/

CONVENTION FEB SCWA EXPO 24-26 & Arlington Convention Center, Texas 2019 Arlington, swcarwash.org 68

• SUMMER 2018

mous Beechworth Bakery Chain who today serve more than a million customers. Tom is an inspiring small business owner who tells it like it is. He has an incredible success story and he also just happens to be one of Australia’s best motivational speakers,” stated the Australian Car Wash Association.

Join Tom Hoffman, Jr. while we expand our horizons for a “virtual” tour of some of the most innovative and forward-thinking locations we could find. Virtual tour sites include: • Glen Sheeley, Wash Co., Middletown, NY • Dave DuGoff, College Park Car Wash, College Park, MD • Brent Wignal, Wiggy Wash, Salt Lake City, UT • Clark Porter, The Great American Car Wash, Severna Park, MD This seminar will also revisit last year’s sites to see what changes have been made in the past 12 months. These sites include: • Hoffman Car Wash, Saratoga Springs, NY • Sparkle Car Wash, Easton, PA

• Valet Auto Wash, Lawrenceville, NJ • Foam & Wash, Wappingers Falls, NY The New York State Car Wash Associations is this seminar’s host. • Tuesday, October 2 • 7:30-8:45 a.m. Traditional Early Bird • Panel & Buffet Breakfast This show favorite is a candid, unscripted panel discussion with seasoned operators who will answer any and all questions relating to carwashing in an informal panel discussion. We will have “back chatting” on our app this year so you can send our moderator, Bob Katseff, questions during the event. Questions are also welcome prior to the event at info@nrccshow.com. The New England Carwash Association is this seminar’s host. • 9-9:45 a.m. Dissecting the Club Plan There are a lot of ways to skin a cat and an equal number of ways to create a profitable wash club program. A panel of operators, led by Dave Dugoff, will speak candidly about what works and what doesn’t based on their wash models, pricing theory and marketing plans for

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Association News continued... this monthly revenue stream. The Mid-Atlantic Carwash Association is this seminar’s host. • 10-10:45 a.m.: How to Protect Your Wash From Cyber Attacks Do you feel your customer data could be more secure, but you don’t know what to do? Do you have questions about how you can take steps to be PCI Compliant? Hoffman Car Wash’s Director of IT, AJ Davison, will walk you through how to keep your customers data safe and secure. The Connecticut Carwash Association is this seminar’s host.

• 11-11:45 a.m. Keynote Speaker Jay Rifenbary No Excuses! Incorporating Core Values, Accountability & Balance Into Your Life/Career. This West Point grad brings a unique background of interpersonal skills and business experience to his keynote. The Car Wash Operators of New Jersey is this seminar’s host. • 12-1 p.m. Awards Luncheon • 1-6:30 p.m. Exhibits Open • 7-9 p.m. Welcome Reception • Wednesday, October 3

• 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Registration • 8-9:15 a.m. State of the Industry with Sonny’s Paul Fazio This seasoned carwasher will share his insights on where we are and where we are headed as an industry. He will touch on the impact of consolidation and trends that will affect your bottom line. This program is a “must see!” The Car Wash Operators of New Jersey is this seminar’s host. • 9:30-2:30 p.m.: Exhibits Open

Connecticut Carwash Association to hit the links Registration is now open for the CCA’s 21st Annual Golf Classic. Being held at the Fairview Farm Golf Course in Harwinton, Connecticut, this event will take place on Tuesday, September 11. The tee off will be at 11 a.m., and lunch will be held on the course. At 4 p.m. there will be a reception, followed by a dinner at 5 p.m.

There will also be chances to win prizes, including a $1000 Putting Contest, as well as prizes for the longest drive, closest to the pin, and beat the pro drives. A Grand Prize of a one-year auto lease by Hoffman Auto Group will be given to a golfer who gets a hole in one.

NECA hosts another successful show and tour

WCA to host second Self Serve Summi

The New England Carwash Association hosted its Annual Table Top Show & Car Wash Tours this past May. “While our exhibitors set up back at the beautiful Hogan Center at The College of the Holy Cross, the sun was shining as two busloads of “tourists” who visited 4 terrific facilities in Springfield. Lunch was a generous buffet thanks to DRB,” stated the NECA website. The four Springfield, Massachusetts, sites visited included the Balise Columbus Avenue Car Wash, the Balise Riverdale Car Wash, the Golden Nozzle, and the Personal Touch Car Wash.

The Western Carwash Association will be hosting another Self Serve Summit and Roadshow and this time it will take place in Sacramento, California. Last year’s Summit was held in Chandler, Arizona. The 2018 Summit will take place on November 7 at the Embassy Suites Sacramento – Riverfront Promenade, followed by an Annual Membership Meeting, dinner and awards presentation and keynote address. On November 8 there will be a roadshow which will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Online registration is available until November 5.

Canadian Carwash Association elects new president

THE

24/7

OPERATOR ROUNDTABLE

• SUMMER 2018

The newly elected National Board of Directors confirmed the election of Jason Kaye, of Bayview Car Wash Ltd, as the new President of the Canadian Carwash Association for a one-year term, the CCA website stated. “Ten years ago, Jason Kaye joined his father, Derek Kaye, in the operation of both Bayview Car Wash and Don Mills Car Wash located in Toronto. Jason’s expertise is in the full-service carwash model which he has been exposed to his entire life. He is now a third-generation carwash operator as his grandfather started in the business in 1960. Jason joined the CCA Board in 2014,” according to the CCA website. Domenic DiMonte of Crosstown Car Washes will

serve a second term as Vice President and Treasurer and Sean McBride of Cleaning Solutions Inc. is the new Vice President, Manufacturers/Distributors/Suppliers. Rudy van Woerkom of Big City Auto N Truck Wash was elected Vice President, Carwash Owners/ Managers. New directors include: Christopher Armena of Mark VII; Brad Baldwin of Zep Vehicle Care Inc.; Mike Dietrich, of the Parkland Fuel Corporation; Terry Fahey of Fahey Electric/Capital Wash Systems; Brad Goetz of Mondo Products Co. Ltd., Kirsten Potvin of CarWash Connect, Mark Vella of 7-Eleven and Alex Grieve of Valet Car Wash.

SUMMER 2018 â&#x20AC;¢

To Raise or Not to Raise...

that is the Question!

Pricing prowess & the power of a penny By Debra Gorgos debrag@sscwn.com The idea of a having a pricing strategy might seem overwhelming. How do you know which prices are right? How do you know when to raise them? How much to raise them? Will your customers jump ship if you do? If you’re toying with the idea of raising your prices, make sure you do your homework beforehand. Also, if you have never raised your prices, and are looking to make more money, perhaps it is time. But, how do you know it is time? So many questions, but this article will help. First, let’s consider the fact that perfect prices are not based on luck. And, they are not something you can just set in place and then hope for the best. Or, as Charles Toftoy, associate professor of management science at George Washington University told Inc.com, “It’s probably the toughest thing there is to do. It’s part 72

• SUMMER 2018

art and part science.” The scientific part is a bit easier to grasp. Calculate the value of what you’re offering, add in what your competitors charge, then calculate expenses, etc. The art part on the other hand takes a bit more happenstance and confidence. You will have to navigate through possibly angry customers if you raise prices, and you could also attract less-than-worthy clientele if your prices are too low. So, how does this dance of art and science, dollars and cents, work if so many factors play a role? Let’s start by simplifying the steps for pricing a product, or in this case a service. According to the Small Business Association, pricing involves: • Developing a marketing strategy • Creating the “marketing mix,” a technique used to develop plans for marketing a product • Studying and estimating the demand for a product

“The single most important decision in evaluating a business is pricing power... If you’ve got the power to raise prices without losing business to a competitor, you’ve got a very good business. And if you have to have a prayer session before raising the price by 10 percent, then you’ve got a terrible business.”

– Warren Buffett

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High volume car washes that can deliver clean, shiny cars need to be a “WORK HORSE”, and that is what the TURBO WASH is often called. In fact, there are more units of the TURBO WASH basic design that are 10, 20 even 30 years old that are still out there washing cars. What other manufacturer can make that statement?

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Pricing prowess & the power of a penny

TOP PRICING MISTAKES ACCORDING TO THE SBA, THESE MISTAKES WILL END UP COSTING YOU PROFITS: • Not having a strategy or not sticking to your strategy • Underestimating costs • Assuming that the only way to compete is via low price • Setting your pricing strategy and forgetting to check if it works well or needs a modification • Ignoring legal issues.

• SUMMER 2018

• Calculating the fixed and variable costs related to a product • Generating a price based on the market needs by predicting competitor strategies and understanding legal constraints • Setting the price of the product using the information collected through the previous steps. Seems pretty well laid-out, right? Well, there’s a lot more to it. So, let’s hear from one car wash operator who is about to raise their prices. Wash manager Eric Hansenn, who is based in central Massachusetts, said they haven’t raised their self serve prices in 8 years, but changed their minds after he spoke with other operators at the 2018 Car Wash Show in Las Vegas. “I am about to go from $3.50 for 4:40 to $4 for 5 minutes. I think, at least in my market, that $4 is about the threshold with a $3 express in close proximity. I am already at $2 for 6 minutes on vacuums while my self serve competitor is still at $1.25 for 4 minutes and the express wash has free Vacs.” Hansenn also knows there is a demand for his wash in that it is the closest one to the New Hampshire border, and customers will cross the border just to get to his wash. They also did major upgrades two years ago, therefore a price increase is justified. He did his research at the Car Wash Show. Considered and studied the competition. Believes his equipment is in great shape. And,

“Pricing is actually a pretty simple and straight forward thing. Customers will not pay literally a penny more than the true value of the product.” – Ron Johnson, the former chief executive officer of J. C. Penney he hasn’t raised his prices in years. Considering the aforementioned SBA credentials, he put in the time and research and his wash is due for a price increase. Sometimes, the right and fair price is set simply by the quality of the wash. To tweak the well-know Field of Dreams axion, “If you build it well, they will come.” If your equipment is faulty, if online reviews are bleak, if signage is old, grass is overgrown, and customer counts are low, it is not the time to raise prices. Instead, installing new equipment, making improvements and going full throttle with a PR makeover are in order. Once those steps are done, then you can consider a price increase. Steve Heck, owner of Diamond Car Wash in

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Pricing prowess & the power of a penny

HOT TIP SIZE UP YOUR COMPETITION The SBA offers a great tool that allows you to check out your competition. “SizeUp will help you manage and grow your business by benchmarking it against competitors, mapping your customers, competitors and suppliers, and locating the best places to advertise.” Visit https://www.sba.gov/tools/ sizeup and use the words: Car/ Automobile Washing & Polishing in the category search.

Grimes, Iowa, increased their prices after many improvements were made and found the increases justified and accepted. He said they increased prices in the self serve bays by 17% which brought the start-up price from $3 to $3.50. “We had just completed a remodel of our car wash with a new WashWorld Razor and new Extrutech Paneling in our self serves along with launching our new Pay by Phone program from WashCard for our entire facility,” said Heck. “A price increase was necessary in able to have money in the bank to keep presenting customers with new equipment, new chemicals, new programs. We are always trying to bring something new or updated to our customers it’s not always easy, but 17 years later we must be doing something right to retain our loyal customers with us.”

“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” - Walt Disney, founder of Disney

HERE ARE WHAT OTHERS ARE CHARGING FOR VACS & BAY START TIMES. PRICES WERE SUBMITTED ON

AUTOCAREFORUM.COM

Bays $3.50 for 4:40 mins Vacs $2 for 6 mins 1 CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS

6 4

Bays $1.50 for 4 mins Vacs $1 for 3 mins 2 HOUSTON, TEXAS

8 10

Bays $2 for 3 mins (Soon to be open location will be $2.50 for 4 mins) Vacs $1 for 3:30 mins (location 1) Vacs $2 for 6 mins (location 2) 3 GEORGIA

7 2

Bays $3 for 4 mins Vacs Free OUTSIDE OF 4 PHILADELPHIA Bays $2.50 for 3.5 mins Vacs $1.50 for 3 mins 5 45 MILES SOUTH OF SEATTLE Bays $1 for 1 min ($5 start for cash and cc) Vacs $3 for 3 mins 6 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Bays $1.25 for 4 mins Vacs $.75 for 4 mins RURAL TEXAS 7 & OKLAHOMA

Bays $3 for 4 mins Vacs $1 for 4 mins 9 NEXT TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK & GRAND TETON PARK IDAHO

Bays $3.50 for 5 mins Vacs $2 for 5 mins 8 GRIMES, IOWA

Bays $2 for 4 mins Vacs $1 for 3.5 mins CENTRAL 10 KENTUCK

“Set high goals, encourage competition, and then keep score.” - Sam Walton, founder of Walmart According to autocareforum poster, Brybrew, they plan to increase prices this fall, following some improvements. “I try to show a justification for the price increase. I’m getting ready to increase my self serve prices this fall once I install credit card swipers. I’ll also update with new graphics and do a really good cleaning with new guns and hoses etc. At least when [customers] see it, most will understand it’s a natural increase and I’m not doing it just for the sake of an increase. You could look at bay dryers, or a new paint job etc. just to give some visual value to the updated pricing.” Autocareforum poster OurTown said they raised their self serve prices about 50% (price per minute) back in March, but after they installed new LED6s, Cryptopay, custom bay door decals, “and get this,” he said, “foaming brushes.” They were about the last car wash in the area that didn’t have them. “The wash was built that way in 2003, but we just bought it last year. I’m sure nobody here will be surprised but the foaming brushes have already

“There are actually businesses, that you will find a few times in a lifetime, where any manager could raise the return enormously just by raising prices—and yet they haven’t done it. So they have huge untapped pricing power that they’re not using. - Charles Munger, vice president of Berkshire Hathaway

paid for themselves after doing some calculations from the hour meters.” Almost all of the self serve owners who contributed to this article said they either got zero or very few complaints from customers when prices were raised. And, when complaints did come in, SUMMER 2018 •

Pricing prowess & the power of a penny

DO NOT DO BARGAIN BASEMENT ADVERTISING! It seems as if this question gets a big “no,” at least psychologically speaking, experts state. Apparently, if you’re stating, “We have the lowest prices in town,” the customer will automatically realize there are other car washes to consider AND will also think they are catering towards customers who are wealthily sound, and therefore looking for a higher-quality business. And, while this marketing strategy can work for places like WalMart, it is a different scenario in that it is an equal product to product comparison. Whereas with car washing, the performance of equipment, chemicals, safety and cleanliness play a role. According to Marketing Strategist Gregory Ciotti, boasting about lower prices can also lower your car counts. In his article, Pricing Psychology: 10 Timeless Strategies to Increase Sales, Ciotti writes, “When done poorly, chest-thumping about low prices can grant you a one-way ticket to low sales. According to research from Stanford, the act of comparative pricing can cause unintended effects if there is no context for why prices should be compared. Asking customers to make explicit comparisons about the price of your product and a competitor’s can cause people to lose trust in your messaging. The lead researcher noted, “The mere fact that we had asked them to make a comparison caused them to fear that they were being tricked in some way.”

they responded with a detailed and value-based response. This is the time to put on your best, “Good PR” face and acknowledge that you might have a few unhappy customers, but here is why you are charging a bit more. Check you online reviews, (Yelp, Facebook, Google Business Reviews and even Twitter) for any kids of complaints. Then respond to the reviews as the owner or manager and justify your price increase. According to autocareforum.com poster Chaz, you still have to charge a fair price and give a great experience, but, at the same time, you’ll also make more money. “In my area, I’m one of, if not the only $2 for 6 min vac guy. Most are $1 for 4 min. It’s been two years and [I get] just the occasional comment... then I explain you get more time (even sticker says this) so you won’t be racing the clock and you will have plenty of time to vac. Every now and then a customer will be ready to vac and then leave...and that’s ok. My thought at the time is that even if I lost 1/2 my vac biz I’d still be ahead on wear and tear and cleanup up. My vac income has increased! Chaz said he also makes sure his vacs are well maintained- check the filter bags, make sure they are not loose or worn out so that customers know they are not wasting their money at your business. He also said he does not warn customers about a price increase, but he does change out his price signage with new professional decals with the new pricing etc.

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Autocareforum.com user Randy said they raised their prices at the beginning of last year and did not receive a single complaint, (although he admits he doesn’t hang around the wash that much during the day and instead visits between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m) and said they will be raising them again on January 1, 2019. “We raise our prices when our operating costs go up to the point that it cuts into our profit. The only warning we give our customers that we are going to raise our prices is when we put on the new decals showing the new price. We have never regretted raising our prices. I think that most car washes, especially the ones in the Mid-west and down South are of the mindset that if they keep their prices low they’ll get more business. That’s about the worse way thinking, we call that “Stink’n think’n” you should charge enough to make a decent profit so you can reinvest in your business. I don’t know of too many people who will drive across town to save .50 on a 6 pack of beer or on a Latte, so why run a cheap car wash. The last couple of price increases we’ve gotten no customer complaints about the price increase.” Heck shared that he increased his prices last January 1, going to $3.50 for 5 minutes. “And no, I didn’t warn customers beforehand. All seems to be going well so far, I know we don’t have the amount of ‘PITA’ customers anymore. Keeping an eye on the competition is always a

One of the reasons that millionaires are economically successful is that they think differently.” - Thomas J Stanley author of “The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy” good strategy. Visit the wash, even use the equipment and see how well it works, and then see if you can justifiably charge more. According to autocareforum.com poster, MainStreetCarwash, he knows all about the three competitors in his areas. If you know as much about your competition as him, then you’re doing your homework and might be ready for a price change. “There are three other car washes in town and all do ok, but only one seems as busy as mine and he is $1.50 I believe for 4 minutes, but not sure. There is another big 8-bay down the street that is my closest competition and he is $2 for 6 minutes and $1 for vac, but not sure of the time. He seems

kind of busy but not killing it plus his equipment is always jacked up. The other is kind of a non-factor because it is the farthest away, but I think he is $1.75 or $2. He is the only SS with IBAs and it seems the IBAs are most of his business. I haven’t had a price increase in the bay in 20 years and raised the vacs to $1 from .75 cents about two years ago. My car wash does really well now so I am hesitant to change the formula… I am kind of thinking about $1.75 for 4:05 and $1.25 for 4 min (vacs). I try really hard to keep everything running well and I give my customers plenty of product and show. I frequently hear how my chemicals are better than the others.” Chaz says he knows his competitors’ prices as well. “In my area most s/s are $2 for 4 minutes, with one guy at $1 for 1 min (he gets a lot of mess cause of his low start). I am $3 for 4 minutes. I’m among the highest in my area for s/s, touchless, and vacs. Even with a doubling of start price.” Once Glenn Muske is a pricing expert and owner of GM Consulting, a firm that supports small-business owners and entrepreneurs through education, training and one-on-one assistance, states that setting the right price all comes down to strategy, not hoping to luck out with a set-it-forget-it-hope-for-the-best scheme. “There are lots of ways pricing can be approached,” said Muske. “You can charge what the competition does, but does that meet your costs?

SUMMER 2018 •

Pricing prowess & the power of a penny

KEEP IT SIMPLE Another tip to pricing effectively is to keep the numbers simple. No commas, no decimal points and no extra zeroes. In referring to Ciotti’s article, Pricing Psychology: 10 Timeless Strategies to Increase Sales, he states consumers like to see clean numbers that when read out loud are short and simple. In a paper published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, researchers found that out of the three money amounts below, those surveyed think the third option is a lesser amount, even though they are all equal:

Or did you want to distinguish yourself as low price (only a short term strategy — someone will always go lower) or premium price (can you say why)? You can base your price on costs. You can use a dartboard (it’s maybe better than the alternative of not thinking about it at all and just pulling a number from the sky). Your price may depend on how many competitors you have. Also, is your business something that is expensive to start or you need some special resources? That will make it harder for future competition.” And then, according to Muske, there are things that will cut into your margin such as sales or special deals. And how often and for how long will your equipment be done for repairs (yes, it will happen)? And what type of marketing will you have to do? “Where I live, Muske shared, there are several car wash choices. It will take me seeing your name at least 3-5 times before I remember you exist and 7-10 times before I may give you a try.” And don’t forget about the dreaded Tax Day. ”I routinely got questions around April 15th, tax time, when people didn’t have the money to pay their income tax from the business,” said Muske,. “The Reason? - they didn’t include it in their pricing strategy.” Now, said Muske, when it comes to increasing your prices, car washes have a hard time because they have to distinguish themselves from the competition. “They are in many ways a commodity (they all are the same thing). So why should I pay more? To increase prices, you need to be able to say why. What more will you offer? All of this is why it is important, when you start, to not start with low prices. It is much easier to lower a price than raise it. Yet one of the things going for you is that car wash prices are not high ticket items. So an increase is not a big hit to my pocketbook. And probably the biggest thing working for you is that people are creatures of habit. I keep going where I have always gone before. So if prices go up in small, incremental amounts I probably will just continue to come to your business.” As for the timing of an increase, Muske suggests 82

• SUMMER 2018

• $1,499.00 • $1,499 • $1499 “This effect occurs because of the way one would say the numbers out loud: ‘One thousand four hundred and ninetynine,’ versus ‘fourteen ninety-nine.’ This effect even occurs when the number is evaluated internally, or not spoken aloud. As silly as it may seem, the implication is similar to editing prose — avoid all unnecessary additions, and prefer the simplest style possible.” doing price increases on a regular basis and doing smaller increases more often. “Don’t raise the price by a dollar (I will notice that). Raise it by 50 cents today and maybe 75 cents in 9 months. Also is there a best time of the year to raise it? The car wash business in our town slows down in the winter so maybe I would raise my prices then? My memory will fade somewhat when I come back in the spring as to what the prices were the previous year.” With all of the balls in the air that self serve owners and operators must juggle, it seems as if the key to setting the right price, and also properly raising prices comes down to some simple steps. Know the competition. Know your customers. Know your value and know that one common thread amongst most successful businessmen and women, from Walton to Buffet, is resilience. If you decide to raise your prices, you know your business better than anyone. According to Ian Eisenberg, who has a wash in Seattle, the price of doing business in the city has spiraled out of control, therefore a price increase was necessary. It also cut back on the headaches. “The property assessment alone went up 57% this year and minimum wage is $15 an hour. Raising the car wash prices has been very beneficial in cutting down my least desirable customers who create the most trash and refuse to do things like coiling the vacuum hose when done, or putting the self serve foam brush back on its holder. [And there are the] bad customers, he shared, who make a mess and try to scam him for refunds and freebies. “I’ve never regretted a price change. I’ve also always gone with a price increase as opposed to a time decrease. It’s been two years since I raised my vacs from $1 to $2 and the time from 4 to 6 minutes,” said Charles Pescovitz who owns a self serve in Cincinnati. “I do what’s right for my biz. Always keeping equipment in working order and always taking care of calls and issues.” That’s when the value comes in, and the price will follow.

BOINNNNGGG! WHAT IS PRICING ELASTICITY? Price elasticity is a microeconomic formulaic theory in which you can determine if you can afford to raise your prices — based up demand. It is believed that this formula was invented by famed economist Alfred Marshall, who wrote Principles of Economics in 1890). According to a Harvard Business Review article, “Setting the right price for your product or service is hard. In fact, determining price is one of the toughest things a marketer has to do, in large part because it has such a big impact on the company’s bottom line. One of the critical elements of pricing is understanding what economists call price elasticity.” The price elasticity formula is as follows: PRICE ELASTICITY OF DEMAND

% CHANGE IN QUATITY

= OF DEMANDED

% CHANGE IN PRICE

OMNICALCULATOR.COM OFFERS UP A CALCULATOR TO HELP YOU FIGURE OUT YOUR PED. To break it down even further, the formula has to do with how responsive sales are to price changes. In other words: Elasticity = responsiveness. So, if you were to raise your prices from $3 to $4 it would be a 33% increase. You then have to determine if you will get fewer customers with the price change. When you divide the 33% into that number you get the price elasticity of demand. The concept is just a ratio of the (predicted) percent change in sales to a percent change in price. The number would let you maximize your profits, but you could lose some business. However, if you make a little more money, even with few customers, you also have more efficiency by fewer washes. In terms of the car wash business, it’s a bit more tricky in that you have to factor in your area’s economic standing. Even if you raised your prices, you might lose customers for other reasons such as: Did a major company just close? Are you in a lowerincome area where every penny counts? Has your weather affected car counts? And, what your water supply situation (has driveway washing been banned or limited?).

SUMMER 2018 â&#x20AC;¢

DARWIN CARWASH at the

The investment in security cameras pays off for carwash operators

(and the readers of SSCWN) with these mostly frustrating, sometimes funny -- and always cautionary -- stories of Darwins Caught on Camera. Images of these criminals and/or their vehicles were given to police and the press. Many have been caught thanks to the prowess of security cameras.

I try to keep most of these snippets light and funny (proper judgment allows for the inclusion of stories only involving dumb criminals, not ones who cause physical harm, etc.), but this story has to be acknowledged because it also puts a self serve owner in a good light. Now, I have a dog. We got him as an un-house-trained puppy. Or is it house-untrained puppy? Anyway, those first months were disgusting. I was constantly putting him in an el-cheapo kiddie pool and hosing him off. I would then take him out of the kiddie pool and rinse him again. Hose, rinse, cycle, repeat. Now, if you have a queasy or sensitive stomach, and/or if Old Yeller made you bawl for days, I suggest you do not Google the following story, as it is horrendous. A couple in Warren, Michigan, apparently didn’t know about my cruelty-free kiddie pool cleaning method and instead thought they could pressure wash their dogs at the Wash Stop Auto Wash. Thankfully, the couple were caught on film, due to the car wash owners. Now, they are facing animal cruelty charges. Dumb criminals indeed! In an NBC2 News report, co-owner Nicole Ross said, “We were horrified. We saw how the dogs were standing. I mean, it was terrible. You can tell they were afraid and probably hurt. The water can be up to 110 degrees, and the force is 1200 PSI.” Nicole, if you are reading this, please know that I am applauding you from behind my computer. Thanks for having security cameras installed and thank you for turning in these horrible people.

One would think that if you’re going to rob a car wash during the day, you should make it snappy. But, one trio of thieves apparently thought they could pull off a daytime heist and take one and half hours to do so. Surveillance 84

• SUMMER 2018

footage showed a man and two women taking their sweet-old time trying to rob Rich’s Car Wash in Mobile, Alabama. According to a Fox 10 report, “They were just helping themselves to anything they could. When I saw the video I thought — the audacity... That was pretty brave on their part... Considering it was still daylight and there were cameras everywhere — that they didn’t seem to notice,” said Jason Few, Rich’s Car Wash Service Manager. The trio swiped tools and equipment from a shed, but two of them were caught soon thereafter when surveillance of the robbery was shared by police. Arrested were 32-year-old Brandon English, and 40-year-old Althea Collier. Police are still looking for 28-year-old Kasia White. “Now facing some serious charges, it’s proof investing in security systems pays off,” the story said.

What’s the saying? One man’s dirt is another man’s treasure? Well, maybe that saying is what motivated a man to steal dirt

out of a car wash’s vacuum canister. According to a post on AutoCareForum, poster D3Dubs wrote: Last night around 9:30 p.m. we had someone break into the clean-out bins of our vacuum canisters and steal the dirt! I’m assuming they were looking for the loose change and jewelry that gets sucked into the bin. The suspect drove up, cut the zip ties holding the doors shut and dumped the contents into a trash bag. Did this to 3 of our 4 vacuums. Our cameras are low res so I wasn’t able to get a license plate or good face shot but the truck did have some identifying features. It had an extension that goes into the trailer hitch, a cab protector and truck bed tool box. The truck also has possibly after market lights on the roof. 4 big yellow lights on the front of the cab roof and yellow lights in the rear of the roof. The light on the rear of the roof turns on when the door opens and off when it closes. Not sure if this is a feature on this model truck or not but another clue. D3Dubs shared the following snapshot from his security footage.

Now this one is funny. A man who looks like a mix between Marky Mark circa 1993 and Nintendo’s Paperboy, gave it a good try, but ultimately failed miserably after trying to break into a coin box at a car wash in Grand Junction, Colorado. Footage of the attempted break-in was shared by 107.9 FM. No other information was given in the story, but footage clearly shows the male riding his bicycle into the bay, wearing a backwards baseball cap, a backpack and no shirt. The man looks over his shoulder many times and rides away on his bicycle after 3.47 minutes. It seems as if he had something in his back-

pack to help him break into the coin box? However, nothing seemed to work. Also, as a side note, in my opinion, wearing a backpack without a shirt sounds extremely uncomfortable.

Kudos to the owners of the Winnisquam Car Wash in Belmont, New Hampshire, for writing a heartfelt message that shamed a man who caused $20,000 worth of damage on May 23. According to footage caught on camera, a man attempted to break into the carwash’s kiosk with a crowbar around 2 a.m. The damage

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was so severe, according to The Laconia Daily Sun, that the kiosk will have to be replaced. Here is what the car wash owners posted to the police department’s Facebook page. “... we’re a family-owned business that’s been proudly serving the area for over 10 years and are truly disappointed by (the) burglary attempt. Not just at the thousands of dollars in damage to our facility, but the violation that someone could do this to our small business.”

We all know cigarettes are addicting, but one man in Fresno, California, seems to be addicted to stealing them. Since last May, Jack’s Car Wash has been robbed of its cigarette supply three times. Police had surveillance footage of the man who not only hit up the car wash multiple times, but other area convenience store. In total, the same man has stolen $8,000 worth of cigarettes, according to KFSN. That man, had a complice who would wait outside in a get-away car. The couple, now identified as Keith Christenson, 30, and Sierra Baize, 40, have not been arrested. According to The Fresno Bee, police said, based on video, “Christensen would force open businesses and steal cartons of cigarettes and lottery tickets. Baize would then drive Christensen and herself away in her car. Police say the pair was homeless and would drive around looking for stores to target and sometimes they would stop, possibly ‘tweaking on methamphetamine.’” It’s a highly lucrative crime, the story said. “(Cigarettes) are worth a lot of money,” Fresno Police Lt. Joe Gomez told KSFN. “He’s loading them up. He’s packing the backpack, taking as many as he can, taking them in his arms.”

He apparently thought covering up the lens of a security camera would keep him from getting caught, but he was wrong! Police now have John Malone, 29, in custody, after he was caught on camera stealing from two different car washes in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. According to the St. Louis Dispatch, Malone has been charged with, “two counts of stealing $750 or more and one count of burglary, all class D felonies, according to charging documents.” The first theft took place in May. Footage shows a man, who is believed to be Malone, covering, “the lens of the camera before breaking into coin drawers and taking more than $750 in quarters from a coin drawer.” Nice try, Malone! You were still caught on camera. The second theft was in June, and this time, the man, who appears to be Malone, burglarized the St. Louis Car Wash. “In that incident, a security camera was stolen from the car wash, as well as coins in excess of $3,000 from a change machine. Security footage allegedly shows Malone entering the business during the time frame of the 86

• SUMMER 2018

burglary.”

Who steals purses anymore? Does anyone even carry cash in their purse? If someone stole mine, they would get a whole lot of old receipts, a bottle of sunscreen, a bunch of store membership cards, and not much else. But, apparently, a pair of robbers think purse snatching is still worth their freedom as they have been identified and are being sought by police, thanks to car wash cameras. According to yourcentralvalley. com, 40-year-old Ernesto Amarillas and 28-yearold Krystal Matus were caught on camera stealing a purse from the Ride and Shine Express Car Wash in Fresno, California. “Surveillance video shows the victim — Maria in neon green. She says the man next to her asked her how to use a vacuum at the Ride and Shine. As they walked away, another camera angle shows a woman leaving her SUV, only to sneak into Maria’s car and snatch her purse,” the story said.

This crime didn’t take place at a car wash, but the suspect might get caught because of the car wash’s surveillance cameras! In Las Cruces, New Mexico, a driver apparently lost control of his truck, causing major damage to a building. Across from that building is a car wash, which caught the incident on tape. According to Las Cruces Sun News, the truck, “hits a large puddle and enters a tailspin. It then leaves the street and zips backward across the parking lot, striking the building. ...The truck plowed into three windows and a supporting pillar for the building between American Classifieds and Lava Rock Hooka Lounge and Gift Shop.” Thankfully, the car wash across the street offered up security camera footage which shows the truck driving away from the scene.

A man looking like a mix between Chris Pratt and Dave Letterman (in his retired years) was caught on camera stealing quarters from a car wash in Lanett, Alabama on July 21. The Valley Times News reported that the burglary took place at 4:31 a.m. at the Sanco Car Wash. “There was video footage of a white male with a beard driving a light colored Chevy sedan,” Maj. Johnny Wood of Lanett Police Department said in the story. The thief broke into the center box and stole all the quarters. The amount of money taken is unknown, but Chambers County Multi-Jurisdictional SWAT Operator Sgt. Phillip Hancock described the incident in great detail in a press release, the story said. “The suspect is described as a white male with

Gross! Footage of a man caught acting inappropriately inside a car wash bay in Columbus, Ohio, has been released to the public. I won’t go into detail about what he did inside the bay, but he did it on three different occasions at the Shell Gas Station car wash. If you want to find out what he did, you can look up the story which was posted on June 21 at https:// myfox28columbus.com.

medium build,” the release said. “He has a low cut beard around his jaw line. He is wearing a dark colored ball cap with white stripes down the seams. The vehicle is a 2004 to 2007 Chevrolet Malibu light in color. There is a large Alabama Crimson Tide sticker on the rear window.”

You got to give credit to a car wash owner who was robbed and then says, “If someone is in that big of a need, just give us a call. We can probably help them out.” Causing tens of thousands of dollars in damages to a coin machine, a video on KOCO News 5 shows a man tying a rope to the coin machine at the Wash Town car wash in Piedmont, Oklahoma. He makes three attempts to rip it off the ground. The man’s face, as well as his car were caught on camera. Although he did put a bandana over half of face halfway through the heist, his face can still be seen clearly beforehand. The car wash, which had only been open for a few months, had to shut down for a week to repair the damages. The owner said along with the hundreds of dollars worth of coins taken, plus having to replace the machine, they also lost a week’s worth of revenue. Yet, the owner still pleaded with the vandal that he would have helped him out if he needed money. We here at SSCWN applaud you, Wash Town owner!

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