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2 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 3
CONTENTS<br />
Around the Wash:<br />
Spray What? .........................6<br />
Around the Wash:<br />
Weiss Guys Express ...........9<br />
Tricks<br />
of the Trade .................... 12<br />
Tips ................................... 16<br />
Industry Dirt ................. 18<br />
Looking Back to<br />
…. Fall 1994<br />
Presenting some of the best,<br />
and most noteworthy covers<br />
from the Self Serve Car<br />
Wash News archives.<br />
Association News<br />
& Calendar .................... 22<br />
Polls .................................. 26<br />
Extra Extra ..................... 32<br />
Fun & Games ............... 40<br />
The Right to Wash<br />
Part 3 .................................. 42<br />
Cover Story<br />
Out with the Old ............. 44<br />
Darwin at the<br />
Carwash........................... 52<br />
VOL. 51, NO. 3, SUMMER 2023<br />
Publisher Jackson Vahaly<br />
Editor Debra Gorgos<br />
Design Katy Barret-Alley<br />
Editor Emeritus Jarret J. Jakubowski<br />
Editor Posthumous Joseph J. Campbell<br />
Editor Posthumous Julia E. Campbell<br />
Self Serve Carwash News is published 4 times<br />
per year and is independently owned by Jackson<br />
Vahaly. Web address is www.sscwn.com.<br />
All inquiries should be directed to:<br />
Self Serve Car Wash News<br />
110 Childs Ln., Franklin, TN 37067<br />
jacksonv@sscwn.com<br />
Copyright 2023. 2 Dollar Media/SSCWN. All Rights Reserved<br />
4 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 5
Around The Wash: Property Tip<br />
Spray what?<br />
Get That Graffiti Off My Car Wash<br />
The following article was graciously provided by the Cambridge, Massachusetts, Department of Public Works.<br />
Some say it’s art. Some say it’s freedom of expression.<br />
But, let’s face it: It’s vandalism. The socalled<br />
art of tagging a wall can be liberating for<br />
the vandal, but it’s another headache for a business<br />
owner. Customers don’t want to frequent a business,<br />
where cleanliness is the objective, that has a<br />
messy property, so, what is there to do. Start by<br />
having a tool kit on hand.<br />
The following are some suggestions for a graffiti<br />
fighter’s tool kit:<br />
1. Aerosol solvent<br />
2. Clean cotton painters’ rags<br />
3. Trash bags<br />
4. Inexpensive paint brushes, rollers and paint<br />
containers<br />
5. Paint matching various surfaces around<br />
your neighborhood<br />
6. Paint scraper<br />
7. Respiratort mask<br />
8. Safety glasses<br />
9. Kitchen cleaner and water in spray bottle<br />
SOLVENTS & CLEANERS<br />
There are a number of graffiti removal products<br />
on the market. It can help to become familiar<br />
with each one. Learn about safe use and safe handling.<br />
Some of the better known solvents available<br />
at major hardware stores can be hazardous to your<br />
health. Using a respirator is probably safer than using<br />
a dust mask. Breathing this stuff is obnoxious<br />
and NOT healthy.<br />
You also need to be aware of wind conditions.<br />
Make sure there is no wind at all. You need eye<br />
and breathing protection when you use it. Rags<br />
used with solvent should be discarded properly.<br />
DO NOT KEEP FLAMMABLE RAGS in containers<br />
in your vehicle or garage.<br />
Know the product you are using and HOW TO<br />
HANDLE AN ACCIDENTAL INJURY when using<br />
the product.<br />
Other products used for graffiti, including<br />
markers, chalk and paint markers, are not permanent<br />
and can be cleaned with soap, water and elbow<br />
grease.<br />
SAFETY GLASSES<br />
Safety glasses keep paints, solvents, and dust<br />
from entering the eyes. Always use caution. Never<br />
compromise eye safety.<br />
CLEANING SMOOTH<br />
SURFACES<br />
Test an inconspicuous area of the surface with<br />
your cleaning material. Most modern signs clean<br />
quickly. Start by cleaning with soap and water first<br />
then proceed to solvents.<br />
CLEANING FROM<br />
ROUGH SURFACES<br />
Many times paint on a rough surface causes<br />
permanent damage. The character of the surface<br />
will change because, in some cases, it is virtually<br />
impossible to remove all of the paint from a porous<br />
surface. A perfect example is a cinder block<br />
wall. You may be forced to paint the wall---the entire<br />
wall. Simply framing the damaged area leaves<br />
6 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 7
you (and the vandal) with an ugly blotch.<br />
We have found that pressure washers, using<br />
sand, can actually etch a cinder block wall, further<br />
hastening the wall’s demise. A wire brush is somewhat<br />
limited in effectiveness as well. Our city, instead,<br />
uses a power washer with a biodegradable<br />
emulsifier approved by our sewer department. In<br />
most cases, we have been able to completely remove<br />
the vandalism. However, in some cases, because<br />
of the porous surfaces involved, a slight hazy<br />
remnant of the graffiti still remains.<br />
ELBOW GREASE<br />
AND THE WIRE BRUSH<br />
An inexpensive wire brush is excellent for<br />
removing paint from many surfaces. The surface<br />
will look like someone has wire brushed it but<br />
the vandal’s message will be history. Any surface<br />
where you use a wire brush should be a surface<br />
that will over time, weather back to the original<br />
color or texture. Every graffiti fighter needs a wire<br />
brush in his or her tool kit.<br />
Use the wire brush on:<br />
1. Telephone poles<br />
2. Street curbs<br />
3. Some rough metals<br />
4. Smooth stone surfaces<br />
5. Decorative rocks<br />
6. Wood fences<br />
7. Concrete<br />
attract, gain, & keep more members<br />
Grow your membership faster than you ever imagined while gaining<br />
peace of mind. We have helped nearly 1,000 car wash operators<br />
manage pricing, operations, and promotions. With exclusive<br />
marketing partnerships with T-Mobile, Sirius, and more, we drive<br />
millions of customers to businesses like yours.<br />
unique combo of technology, expterise, & marketing<br />
TIPS ON REMOVAL<br />
1. When you engage in graffiti removal, you<br />
become very aware of how much more difficult<br />
it is to remove it than it is to apply it.<br />
This is especially true in the case of rough,<br />
unpainted brick surfaces. Painted surfaces<br />
are probably best repainted, though it would<br />
be wise to have a supply of graffiti removal<br />
solvent ready for rapid response. This is also<br />
true because recent graffiti seems to be easier<br />
to remove than old graffiti.<br />
2. For surfaces like mailboxes, utility boxes,<br />
steel roll-up doors, lampposts, etc., liquid<br />
graffiti removal solvent (Savogram) is the<br />
way to go. This graffiti should be removed as<br />
soon as it appears. This requires only some<br />
light duty steel wool, a small spray bottle of<br />
solvent, and a cleaner like TSP to wash the<br />
area down after removing the graffiti. Very<br />
little solvent should be used if the graffiti is<br />
recent. Just spray on some solvent, lightly<br />
rub with steel wool (or even heavy duty paper<br />
towels) and then wipe clean. You’ll want<br />
to use rubber gloves and lightly wash the affected<br />
area after removing the graffiti. Spray<br />
solvent such as Jasco, is not recommended<br />
for mailboxes or other painted surfaces<br />
since it will cause so much paint to bubble<br />
up that the “cleaned” area may look worse<br />
than it did with the graffiti.<br />
Are you tired of industry consolidation<br />
that makes you feel like just a number?<br />
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3. For a brick surface, especially red brick, we<br />
recommend a professional cleanup, using a<br />
biodegradable emulsifier. This method minimizes<br />
the toll on the surface. It is generally<br />
too difficult to tackle a very rough surface<br />
with wire brushes and solvents, and the finished<br />
job will still bear a fair amount of the<br />
evidence of the graffiti.<br />
4. For routinely painted surfaces like fences<br />
and some walls, it would be wise to have<br />
plenty of matching paint available for immediate<br />
cover-up within a day or two of the appearance<br />
of graffiti. In a business district, we<br />
recommend that some standard colors be<br />
employed in locations that are graffiti-prone<br />
and that an understanding be developed<br />
among property owners and business managers<br />
to allow for painting over graffiti quickly<br />
without having to secure permission from all<br />
affected parties. Rapid response is the key<br />
and this is only possible if the job is made as<br />
easy and automatic as possible.<br />
Graffiti removal is not always a simple “spray it<br />
on, wipe it off” affair, especially when it involves<br />
brick or other rough surfaces or when paint has<br />
been there for a long time. You should expect to<br />
encounter examples where the best you can do is<br />
reduce the graffiti to an unrecognizable fade, even<br />
if it is not possible to completely remove it. Try<br />
both solvents if one doesn’t seem to do the trick.<br />
Don’t give up too soon. Sometimes, several applications<br />
of solvent or allowing it to sit for a longer<br />
time will take care of things.<br />
NOW SERVING<br />
Around The Wash: Getting to know<br />
Weiss Guys Express Wash<br />
Location:<br />
Six Valley Locations in Arizona<br />
Year opened:<br />
The Weiss family started in<br />
business in 1961 in AZ<br />
Type of car wash:<br />
Our First location was a Full-<br />
Service Car Wash in Phoenix,<br />
Arizona. At one time we had<br />
19 locations throughout the<br />
Valley both Full Service and Self<br />
Service. In 1998 we sold the<br />
full-service side of the business.<br />
Today, we offer self-serve<br />
bays, dog washes, express<br />
exterior tunnels, and a rollover<br />
at our locations.<br />
What separates<br />
Weiss Guys from the<br />
competition?<br />
We believe that our success<br />
and longevity in this business<br />
comes from two rules of<br />
business and life that have been<br />
around for a long time:<br />
First and foremost is<br />
RESPECT. Treat people as<br />
you would want to be treated,<br />
especially your customers and<br />
your employees. We could not<br />
be in business without either<br />
one of them.<br />
Secondly, is service, service,<br />
service. Customers have a<br />
choice. In this day of big<br />
business, it is important to<br />
give the customers personal<br />
attention and make them want<br />
to come back.<br />
Also, at our express exterior<br />
tunnels, we greet our customers,<br />
prep their vehicle, and dry it at<br />
the end of the tunnel along with<br />
blowing out the mirrors with<br />
compressed air.<br />
We always try to stay current<br />
with the industry at our<br />
facilities.<br />
Easy-to-use dashboard<br />
with actionable realtime<br />
analytics<br />
Analyze customer<br />
behavior using your site<br />
video (no additional<br />
equipment required)<br />
Personalized and<br />
targeted messages<br />
to boost conversions<br />
100% invested<br />
partnership - we’re with<br />
you every step of the way<br />
we’re creating happy moments<br />
at every touchpoint.<br />
Email sales @everwash.com or<br />
call (855)492-7477 to jump-start<br />
your membership program.<br />
Give us a call!<br />
We guarantee priority service<br />
at every step of your experience.<br />
www.mccleansolutionsllc.com<br />
<br />
<br />
What methods of<br />
advertising<br />
does Weiss Guys use?<br />
Our advertising has always been<br />
word-of-mouth. We are trying to<br />
keep up with social media, but it is<br />
hard for us old timers!<br />
8 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 9
CHECK<br />
OUT OUR<br />
www.ColemanHanna.com<br />
in bay AUTOMATICS<br />
Water Wizard 2.0<br />
Touch-Free In Bay Automatic with impressive<br />
cleaning power.<br />
eFusion<br />
Soft Touch In Bay Automatic System.<br />
What forms of payment<br />
does Weiss Guys accept:<br />
Our forms of payment include credit cards,<br />
cash and tokens.<br />
Do you offer monthly<br />
memberships:<br />
We do offer monthly memberships through our<br />
Express Exterior Tunnels.<br />
What does the future<br />
look like for Weiss Guys?<br />
We have been in the Valley for 62 years and are<br />
a family owned and operated business. During<br />
the last two to three years we made the decision<br />
to slim down our operations from 12 sites to 6<br />
to make life a bit easier on all of us. It will always<br />
be in our blood and it is hard to completely step<br />
away. Last year we lost our beloved brother,<br />
cousin, father and mentor Jerry.<br />
Can you tell the readers<br />
a little bit more about<br />
Jerry and his legacy?<br />
Yes, his is the write-up for his obituary:<br />
A long-time Phoenix resident and businessman,<br />
Jerry Weiss, passed away surrounded by his loving<br />
family in November 2022.<br />
Jerry was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1937. He<br />
attended Shaker Heights High School and was a<br />
graduate of Miami of Ohio University. He and<br />
his wife Elaine arrived in Phoenix in 1960 as a<br />
young married couple with an infant in tow. Jerry<br />
along with his cousin Roland opened a muffler<br />
shop. A year later they opened their first car wash<br />
in Phoenix. Soon his brother Howard and cousin<br />
Jay joined forces and thus Weiss Guys Car Wash<br />
was born. At one point they had 19 locations<br />
throughout the valley.<br />
The business was successful in no small part<br />
due to Jerry’s ability to “schmooze” and make<br />
customers feel like friends. He was always outside<br />
making sure his customers and employees were<br />
happy. He worked with local organizations hiring<br />
individuals with special needs.<br />
He loved meeting new people offering them a<br />
Werther’s Original candy as part of his greeting.<br />
He was soon given the nickname of “The<br />
Candyman.”<br />
His greatest pleasure, however, was by far his<br />
family. He took great pride in his wife, children,<br />
grandchildren and great grandchildren.<br />
The FusionX is a customer choice<br />
combination wash system. It combines the unmatched cleaning<br />
ability of the Water Wizard 2.0 touch free system with the<br />
eFusion three soft touch brush system featuring<br />
Sparkle Soft wash materials.<br />
This robust unit provides<br />
tough cleaning power<br />
while still being gentle<br />
SCAN<br />
Here<br />
10 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 11
Presenting some<br />
of the best self serve<br />
discussions from<br />
CarwashForum.com.<br />
Please Note: Some posts feature minor edits for readability. Also note that opinions and statements made here are by each forum user and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Self Serve Car Wash News.<br />
Inch by inch, foam by foam<br />
I am adding an additional LP system for bug remover on a 4-bay SS, pump room in the middle of the building. I want to<br />
use foam generators, and was planning to include them in the pump room before it runs out to each bay instead of in<br />
the trough. I guesstimate it might be a 30-foot-run from the foam generator to the top of the ceiling into the bay at the<br />
furthest point. It would be a separate gun. Is that distance too far? Trough is getting full and I’m hoping to avoid having<br />
a bulky foam generator up there if I can avoid it. VGUARD296<br />
EARANCE<br />
We have the foam generators for our FB in the<br />
equipment room at 1 location, furthest point is<br />
2 bays away from the ER, it takes forever for the<br />
brush to start dispensing foam properly - like 30+<br />
seconds in the 2nd bay. We are going to re-plumb<br />
to have the foam generators over the bay with air<br />
and chemical in separate lines… It works fine once<br />
it gets to the brush, just takes too long to get to the<br />
brush. We have 5/8" polybraid running from the ER<br />
to the FB boom, which is also not helping us. KENO<br />
There are two really good reasons to have the<br />
generator in the bay. One is that two tubing lines<br />
are cheaper than a hose. The other is that it takes<br />
the foam longer to get to the bay through a hose.<br />
A short run of 30' might not make much difference,<br />
but it's still going to be less expensive to run<br />
tubing. A third reason is that the hose doesn't last<br />
nearly as long with exposure to the elements and<br />
the flexing, so in the long run you'll have less cost<br />
to replace a 3' piece of hose when it fails [compared<br />
to a 30']. There's absolutely no upside to<br />
running the whole thing with hose. MEP001<br />
The foam generators don't have to be very big. I<br />
originally had huge PVC FB generators in the ER<br />
What a… jerk!<br />
Had a customer on Sunday who almost ripped and bent our tire brush arm off the wall. He had<br />
knocked our tire cleaner brush off the wall while washing his Dually. He didn’t seem to care<br />
about picking it back up and put it back on the wall hooks. It got caught between his tires as he<br />
drove off to vacuum his truck out. He bent the arm and almost ripped the bracket off of the wall.<br />
We didn’t have a back up arm for it, but we were able to take it to a local fabrication shop and<br />
have them fix the arm and straighten out the wall bracket. Had it back up the next day. - SOUND_BOI<br />
You might want to put a breakaway fitting<br />
at the boom. If that happens again, it’ll<br />
break a $4 brass fitting that’s meant to be<br />
easily replaced without an extractor. - MEP001<br />
Plan for the future... The metal on your<br />
brush boom is now weakened and will<br />
easily fold if this happens again. MEP001’s<br />
advice is spot-on. You can’t always rely on<br />
3rd-party help. - KIMBERLY BERG<br />
3/8 brass nipples are even less expensive<br />
and 3/4" hose going out to the bays. Furthest bay is<br />
3 over from the ER. It was a terrible design. I redid<br />
it using push connect tubing and put foam generators<br />
above each bay. Used 3/4" brass pipe like in<br />
the picture and used SS scrubber pad material or<br />
nylon scrubber material like you wash dishes with.<br />
The multiple function manifold on the left also<br />
has a foam generator in it.<br />
It has SS coiled wire in a short 3" long 1/4" brass<br />
pipe. Both work great! Disregard the CV's on the<br />
generator on the left, it goes on a foam gun and the<br />
CV's are not needed. The one on the right is for<br />
than breakaway fittings. - MR. CLEAN<br />
I actually use a 3/8” male to 3/8” female fitting<br />
because they’re a little stronger than an<br />
actual breakaway fitting, but weak enough<br />
to keep the boom from getting torn up.<br />
I get them for about 70¢ apiece and put<br />
them on the high pressure booms. - MEP001<br />
I had an intellectually-challenged individual<br />
back his 18 wheeler into my bay and<br />
bend the boom. - MATTWASH<br />
the foam brush. If you can put the foam generators<br />
above each bay, this is the best way you can plumb<br />
it or any LP option. People do notice! 2BIZ<br />
I just run 1/4 line for chemical and air right above<br />
the foam brush boom using just a brass tee with<br />
a 3/8 line coming out. I have great looking foam<br />
coming out of the brushes. BOB-O<br />
I put my foam generators and check valves as close<br />
to the end as I can get them! DON B.<br />
We were thinking of having the tee for air and liquid<br />
in the pump room, and running a single 3/8 out to<br />
each bay. Would the consensus be that it's better to<br />
tee close to the boom instead? I had a dream of doing<br />
maintenance year around from the warmth of the<br />
heater, but results may prove otherwise. VGUARD296<br />
I didn't think about the possibility of freezing<br />
weather. Having a single line from the room would<br />
let you purge the line with air, then nothing outside<br />
the room would be at any risk of damage from<br />
freezing. The downside is that it probably won't<br />
work until it warms up because it's nearly impossible<br />
to get every bit of liquid out. MEP001<br />
FAST, RELIABLE, SIMPLE<br />
The XRS Door Features:<br />
• Intermediate full vision panels standard, .:\·<br />
option for bottom<br />
• Complete weather seal included<br />
• Speeds adjustable up to 34" per sec.<br />
• Corrosion resistant components<br />
• Low maintenance design<br />
• Individually replaceable components<br />
• Rated for up to 80 cycles per hour<br />
-f<br />
"•["",f<br />
• -.<br />
12 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 13
Yeeow! You’re doing fine,<br />
Oklahoma car wash!<br />
Howdy y’all! It has been a while since I’ve been on here, but I appreciate all the help you guys offered<br />
in my carwash update about 1 and a half years ago. I ended up [going] with a Razor Edge and Hamilton<br />
Commander paystation and it was definitely worth the change. It doesn’t clean cars better, but has fewer<br />
issues to deal with. My self service gross revenue is up 4x from when I took over and automatic gross<br />
revenue is up 2x and both will probably continue to improve. Thanks for the help! JOSWHAHA<br />
Wait…<br />
does OSHA read your Google reviews?!<br />
How do new owners of a previous wash manage their old Google reviews? Have you gone back and responded to the<br />
old reviews? Do you leave personal responses for both positive and negative? Only likes? I am in control of the account<br />
currently and it is an established business with 4.2 stars. GP85<br />
That’s great. Can you share what your prices are<br />
for each wash? Welcome to the car wash industry.<br />
JMMUSTANG<br />
I’m in Southwest Oklahoma. I have 4 packages on<br />
my Razor. Basic- $8 - Deluxe- $11 - Premium wash<br />
Rain Repellant- $13 - Ultimate wash Ceramic- $15.<br />
The $15 wash is 50% of sales and the others are<br />
pretty equal for the other 50%. My self service is<br />
$1/start for quarters for 2 minutes and 20 seconds.<br />
$3 minimum for credit cards. 30-35% of my SS<br />
sales are from cards. JOSWHAHA<br />
Congrats, would you mind sharing what your IBA<br />
prices were before the addition of the Razor and<br />
Hamilton and after you installed the new equipment?<br />
STRAVA<br />
Sure thing: My prices were: $5, $6, $7, and $8. The<br />
$8 Wash was 90% of sales. I intentionally priced the<br />
lowest on the new 1 at $8 so the customers could<br />
get a wash for the same $8 if they chose to. JOSWHAHA<br />
Do you offer any "buy-ups" on your IBA packages?<br />
Is $1 start on the self-serves really feasible anymore?<br />
Seems awfully low. WAXMAN<br />
I do have 2- buy ups. Ceramic and the RainX. Open<br />
to other ideas too. The $1 start is because the other<br />
car washes in my area are at $1 start and I decided<br />
to keep it to stay competitive. JOSWHAHA<br />
I would do even more buy-up options. I'm sure other<br />
operators have better suggestions for this than<br />
me, but you could add extra presoak passes, extra<br />
rinse passes etc. If your machinery and cashier are<br />
capable, maybe four buy-up options or even five<br />
would work? Get creative with it and give the customers<br />
more options to spend money with you.<br />
Some people will just get the max because that's<br />
the kind of consumer they are. Why leave any money<br />
on the table? I think your pricing is pretty low<br />
so this will give you an opportunity to make more<br />
money. People like lots of choices like the people<br />
that go to Dunkin' Donuts and get 25 or 30 pumps<br />
of sweet syrup in their drink. May sound gross to<br />
you and me, but there are definitely people that do<br />
that. WAXMAN<br />
Dollar start is fine - it prevents people from racing<br />
the timer and have to shell out multiple dollars if<br />
less time is needed. Time is the bigger issue if you<br />
feel the dollar start is too low. Reduce the time/dollar,<br />
but also consider eliminating quarters in favor<br />
of gold dollar coins. With quarters and a dollar start,<br />
customers are paying to drop coins rather than<br />
wash. DCs are 4X faster, take up less space and are<br />
the easier coin to handle. MR. CLEAN<br />
I respond to most reviews, both good and bad. It<br />
shows a level of accountability. It shows you care<br />
about your business and the customer. A lot of the<br />
negative reviews are annoying bs, BUT.... it gives<br />
you the opportunity to provide useful info and explain<br />
how your wash works. I think it’s a good way<br />
to encourage new business. WAXMAN<br />
We responded to all previous reviews basically<br />
saying the wash is being run by a new owner as of<br />
X date, please give us a try (if negative review) as<br />
we run the place where we strive to make things<br />
“right” by our customers. We respond to all new<br />
reviews in a timely manner and our response has<br />
at times gotten the reviewer to change the stars<br />
in a positive way without asking. You will never<br />
get the previous reviews to go away so better to<br />
take them on and address them as they will always<br />
come up with a Google search. Don’t waste time<br />
or money on ANY service that says they can fix<br />
your reviews for you, they are all scams. ROZ<br />
I haven’t bothered with responding to any of my<br />
reviews, good or bad. Sitting at 4.4 on Google, but<br />
with only 96 reviews. The one stars are customers<br />
that had a problem and didn’t bother to call the<br />
number posted on either of the doors. Also, got a<br />
couple of one stars (likely because of Cryptopay<br />
pre-authorization charges). Also, some dings because<br />
of price. I’ve considered responding to them,<br />
but I think I might shoot myself in the foot with<br />
my smartass replies. GREG PACK<br />
The way someone explained it to me was that<br />
you’re not replying to the negative reviews in order<br />
to convert that particular customer back into a<br />
happy customer. You’re doing it to inform and educate<br />
your potential customers who may be reading<br />
the reviews, both good and bad. I got dinged on<br />
a review stating that it was too difficult to keep an<br />
eye on the timer and wash the car without running<br />
out of time. I was able to explain that my wash<br />
has an audible beeping to let the customer know<br />
when they are down to one minute of time left on<br />
the timer. The jerk that left the review probably<br />
wouldn’t care to educate himself, but a potential<br />
customer might be positively affected by my comments.<br />
WAXMAN<br />
I always respond good or bad for future customers.<br />
A funny thing happened last week. I received<br />
a call from OSHA and they needed to conduct<br />
a surprise onsite audit that day to complete the<br />
inspections. The first words out of their mouths<br />
were, “We checked your Google reviews and we<br />
see you are a proactive owner who cares about the<br />
business.” You never know who is looking and for<br />
what reasons. DAVID ROLF<br />
Get in the right foam zone<br />
What do y’all have your foam brush set to? Mine is coming out very watery and runny.<br />
The car wash’s down the road is very foamy. Any tips on what I can do? BIGVIC1993<br />
Try increasing air first. If you can get the consistency<br />
there, then you may be diluting your foam<br />
brush chemical too much. Increase your tip size<br />
a couple notches in that case. Last thing to look<br />
into is that your water softener is working properly–<br />
this is a good thing to test once a quarter<br />
anyways with any kind of cheap kit you can buy.<br />
UTAHYOUTUBEGUY<br />
What kind of foam brush soap are you using?<br />
What size tip are you using? I’d go up one tip size<br />
and increase the air just a little bit. RANDY<br />
Testing your Water Softener quarterly???? We<br />
check ours daily as part of a daily checklist. Only<br />
takes 2 minutes. A couple of days of running hard<br />
water through your RO machine, and your checkbook<br />
will tell you why quarterly isn’t enough.<br />
Hard water plugs membranes. RUDY<br />
Although quarterly may be the minimum I<br />
would think daily is excessive on the other hand. I<br />
don’t anticipate my water softener to completely<br />
fail overnight. A water softener may become less<br />
effective over time and the hardness of the water<br />
should be monitored, but I use other indicators as<br />
well to make sure my softener continues to function<br />
properly such as:<br />
• Putting a flashlight up to the resin tank and marking the<br />
level of the resin in the tank.<br />
• Monitoring salt levels to be sure it’s consistently being<br />
depleted.<br />
• Taking note of when regeneration cycles are taking<br />
place and comparing that to salt levels as well.<br />
These are a few of the things I look at, but it<br />
seems you are much more attentive to your water<br />
quality so what else should I be doing to keep up<br />
with mine? UTAHYOUTUBEGUY<br />
Look for gunk in your bubble tank and or in<br />
line filter. CHAZ<br />
I recommend “daily” when someone is really<br />
concerned that their water stays soft. It helps to<br />
catch it right away. When someone is having issues<br />
with hard water at times, the first thing I tell them<br />
is to start testing it daily and mark down which<br />
tank it’s on at the time, this helps track down the<br />
problem. MEP001<br />
A couple of other maintenance items:<br />
• Assure your salt level stays above the water level<br />
in your brine tank (this is one of the most common<br />
problems we see on softener maintenance calls).<br />
• Disconnect and hose out the gunk in the bottom of<br />
your brine tank once a year.<br />
BUCKEYE HYDRO<br />
So, what worked?<br />
BIGVIC1993 found success with the following:<br />
Try increasing air first. If you can get the<br />
consistency there, then you may be diluting your<br />
foam brush chemical too much. Increase your tip<br />
size a couple notches in that case. Last thing to<br />
look into is that your water softener is working<br />
properly, this is a good thing to test once a<br />
quarter anyways with any cheap kit you can buy.<br />
14 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 15
TIPs<br />
ACCOUNTING TERMS<br />
Do you get an<br />
A+ in financing?<br />
Along with every other subject a self serve car wash<br />
owner needs to know, from chemistry to math to<br />
electrical engineering, there is a need for financial<br />
smarts as well. Even if you have a professional<br />
accountant, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce advises<br />
small business owners to know these Top 17 financial<br />
terms. Do you know them? See how many you can<br />
get right by matching the definition to the term.<br />
Accounts receivable<br />
Accounts payable<br />
Accruals<br />
Burn rate<br />
Cash flow<br />
Credit<br />
Fiscal year<br />
Forecasting<br />
Liabilities<br />
Stone Soap ®<br />
now available on<br />
Assets<br />
Depreciation<br />
Profit and loss statement<br />
Balance sheet<br />
Dividends<br />
Revenue<br />
Break-even point<br />
Expenses<br />
1. _____________ are the costs a business owes<br />
for acquiring something and the can be broken<br />
down into: Fixed | Variable | Accrued | Operational<br />
2. _____________are resources or property with<br />
economic value owned by the business. They<br />
are both tangible and intangible and can include<br />
investments, cash, inventory and real estate.<br />
3. Your business’s _____________ is the total sales<br />
and cash flow of goods and services from its<br />
primary productions.<br />
4. A _____________ is a measured period of time<br />
used for accounting purposes. Each company<br />
chooses its preferred timeline of what works best<br />
for them, and it doesn’t have to start in January.<br />
5. _____________ are a type of accounting where<br />
you record your income as soon as it’s earned<br />
and expenses as soon as they’re billed. Therefore,<br />
your real time accounts aren’t always matching<br />
your recorded profit. They also give you a longterm<br />
view of your business’s future income and<br />
expenses.<br />
6. _____________ refer to the amount owed to<br />
stockholders or shareholders from a company’s<br />
profits. They are a distribution of a company’s<br />
earnings, requiring the business to have a hold on<br />
its real-time losses and gains.<br />
7. _____________ is the combined bills your<br />
business owes, not including your payroll costs.<br />
Because they aren’t immediately paid, they’re<br />
considered liabilities and are usually expenses<br />
on company credit cards or bills. _____________<br />
allows you to consider your current liabilities<br />
versus assets when buying something new for<br />
your company.<br />
8. _____________ is the amount of money that’s<br />
coming into going out of your business—both your<br />
gains and losses. Your business’s _____________ is<br />
present in operating activities, investment activities<br />
and financing activities.<br />
9. A _____________ is when you’re bringing in just<br />
enough money to cover what you owe in your<br />
business. This means your business isn’t earning<br />
or losing any profit.<br />
10. _____________ happens when an asset loses<br />
its value over time. In accounting, _____________<br />
is used as a method to allocate the cost of the<br />
asset’s life expectancy.<br />
11. _____________ is also known as an income<br />
statement or an earnings statement. It helps you<br />
identify your profits and losses to evaluate your<br />
company’s current financial standing, usually<br />
quarterly.<br />
12. Businesses use _____________ to predict future<br />
business trends by looking at past financial data. It<br />
can be used to predict things such as sales, gross<br />
profit or how long it will take to pay off debts.<br />
13. _____________ is the amount of time your<br />
business will be able to continue operating with<br />
the cash you have without turning a profit. It tells<br />
you how long you can be self-sustaining without a<br />
steady income.<br />
14. A _____________ is used as a quick insight<br />
into your business’s current financial position.<br />
It includes what the company owes and owns,<br />
as well as any capital. It allows you to compare<br />
sections of your business to understand how<br />
much your business is worth at any given time.<br />
15. _____________ is the money that flows out of<br />
your business’s accounts. Using _____________<br />
either increases liability or revenue accounts, or<br />
decreases an asset or an expense account.<br />
16. _____________ is incoming money owed to<br />
your business for services or products received.<br />
This is considered an asset because it’s money<br />
that your business is bringing in. You typically<br />
track accounts receivable with invoices.<br />
17. _____________ are legal or financial debts your<br />
business owes, such as mortgages, credit card<br />
debt, taxes and accounts payable.<br />
9. Break-even point<br />
10. Depreciation<br />
11. Profit and loss<br />
statement<br />
12. Forecasting<br />
13. Burn rate<br />
14. Balance sheet<br />
15. Credit<br />
16. Accounts receivable<br />
17. Liabilities<br />
ANSWERS:<br />
1. Expenses<br />
2. Assets<br />
3. Revenue<br />
4. Fiscal year<br />
5. Accruals<br />
6. Dividends<br />
7. Accounts payable<br />
8. Cash flow<br />
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16 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 17
HAPPENINGS IN & AROUND THE<br />
SELF SERVE CARWASHING INDUSTRY<br />
All of the news including new hires, acquisitions, merges and anything else concerning the self serve car wash industry.<br />
OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions names new<br />
In-Bay Product Manager<br />
WashTec signs agreement with IMO Car Wash<br />
In a July 11 announcement, WashTech, stated it<br />
was pleased to announce that it entered into a supply<br />
agreement with IMO Car Wash. WashTech, which is<br />
headquartered in Augsburg, German, will supply all<br />
IMO sites in Europe and Australia with high-performance<br />
car wash chemicals and sustainable solutions<br />
according to the announcement. “Based on our proven<br />
and innovative Green Car Care wash chemical<br />
brand, we offer environmentally friendly wash chemical<br />
products that are easily degradable and protect<br />
people and the environment. These products are<br />
Green Bay, Wisconsin-based OPW Vehicle Wash<br />
Solutions (VWS), announced on June 15 that it has<br />
named Mark Porter as its new Product Manager – In-<br />
Bay Automatics, according to a press release. Porter<br />
is responsible for the complete portfolio management<br />
of In-Bay Automatics for OPW VWS, including<br />
product line vision, strategy, product roadmapping<br />
and positioning.<br />
Mark brings a deep understanding of product<br />
management to OPW VWS, the press release stated.<br />
“That experience in managing product life cycles will<br />
help drive our product success and continue to help<br />
OPW VWS focus on meeting our customer needs,”<br />
said Dave Dougherty, General Manager, OPW VWS<br />
In-Bay Automatics. “We are excited to have Mark on<br />
our team and we look forward to him helping OPW<br />
VWS continue to be an industry leader.”<br />
Porter joins OPW VWS from Regal Rexnord,<br />
where he served as the Global Product Manager for<br />
the company’s Generator Division. Before that, Porter<br />
spent nine years in senior product manager and<br />
marketing roles for H.B. Fuller, Bestolife Corporation<br />
and Deltrol Controls.<br />
According to the press release, Porter also has<br />
sales strategy experience, the majority of which<br />
stems from spending 15 years with Henkel Loctite<br />
Corporation as Strategic Account Sales Manager. He<br />
also held management roles with Dymax Corporation<br />
and Imperial Supplies.<br />
Porter has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business<br />
Administration with an emphasis on marketing<br />
from the University of Montana. He is based in<br />
Green Bay, and reports to Dougherty.<br />
“The PDQ and Belanger brands have been market<br />
leaders in the car wash industry for many years<br />
and I am excited for the opportunity to help grow<br />
these brands even further, while finding new and innovative<br />
ways to continue OPW VWS’ market leadership,”<br />
Porter stated in the press release.<br />
PSD Codax Names Matt Smith as New<br />
Manager of Business Development<br />
PSD Codax, part of ICS<br />
and OPW Vehicle Wash<br />
Solutions, global leaders in<br />
vehicle wash and payment<br />
solutions technology, is<br />
pleased to announce the appointment<br />
of Matt Smith as<br />
its new Manager of Business Development, according<br />
to a June 6 press release.<br />
In this role, Smith will be directly responsible for<br />
PSD Codax sales and marketing efforts in the United<br />
Kingdom, Ireland and Scandinavian markets, as<br />
well as overseeing PSD Codax’s growth in the European<br />
market.<br />
Smith joined PSD Codax, which is based in Bristol,<br />
England, in 2020, first as a customer-support technician<br />
before moving into the Lead Customer Support<br />
Technician role. Prior to joining PSD Codax, Smith<br />
was a customer support manager for Curry’s PC World,<br />
where he was the liaison between customers and staff,<br />
handling external inquiries and repairs.<br />
“Matt’s exceptional track record with setting up<br />
our customers for success, as well as his logistics and<br />
technical support background in vehicle wash, make<br />
him a great fit for this role,” said Rob Deal, Vice President<br />
of Corporate Sales for ICS, in the press release.<br />
Smith stated in the press release, “Having worked<br />
with our car wash customers over the last three<br />
years, I feel well placed to understand the needs of<br />
our clients and assist them in understanding where<br />
our products can benefit them and grow their businesses<br />
with the features we have to offer.”<br />
manufactured in efficient, environmentally friendly<br />
production processes that meet IMO Car Wash’s high<br />
quality standards,” the announcement read.<br />
Dr. Ralf Koeppe, CEO of WashTec AG, was<br />
quoted in the announcement as stating, “We are extremely<br />
proud to be IMO Car Wash’s new chemical<br />
supplier. We look forward to setting new standards<br />
in quality, sustainability and customer satisfaction<br />
together with IMO Car Wash.”<br />
IMO Car Wash is owned by Driven Brands headquartered<br />
in Charlotte, North Carolina.<br />
Three key members<br />
appointed the the DRB ®<br />
leadership team<br />
DRB®, an Akron, Ohio-based provider<br />
of point-of-sale and optimization technology<br />
to the car care industry, recently appointed<br />
three key members to its leadership team,<br />
according to a June 15 press release.<br />
DRB has welcomed Jennifer (Jen) Sinatra<br />
as Chief Operating Officer; Patrick Mulcahy<br />
as Vice President of Engineering; and Maha<br />
Muzumdar as Vice President of Strategy.<br />
As DRB’s COO, Jen Sinatra will be responsible<br />
for implementing customer-centric<br />
strategies and ensuring long-term customer<br />
success. Jen joins DRB from SAP<br />
where she was the Global Vice President of<br />
Customer Support and Innovation. She is<br />
accomplished in supporting cloud transformations<br />
and software-as-a-service solutions<br />
and will lead DRB’s customer support, supply<br />
chain and production teams.<br />
Patrick Mulcahy, most recently VP of<br />
Cloud Platform Engineering at Hyland, has<br />
more than 20 years of experience leading<br />
cloud transformations and building global<br />
engineering teams. Patrick will drive DRB’s<br />
technology strategy, delivering the product<br />
roadmap and innovation. Patrick will play<br />
the important role of maintaining and enhancing<br />
DRB’s position as the leader in the<br />
car wash technology space.<br />
Maha Muzumdar will be responsible<br />
for identifying and pursuing strategic opportunities<br />
in alignment with DRB’s goals<br />
and objectives. Maha brings deep experience<br />
in cloud transformation and strategic<br />
innovation. He joins DRB from Oracle<br />
where he spent over 19 years in various<br />
strategy and marketing leadership roles<br />
across enterprise and industry applications,<br />
most recently as Vice President, Industry<br />
Strategy Group.<br />
“We are thrilled to welcome Jen, Patrick<br />
and Maha to our leadership team,” DRB<br />
President Ian Williams stated in the press<br />
release. “Their impressive experience, proven<br />
track records of success and transformational<br />
innovation make them invaluable additions<br />
to our organization. I look forward<br />
to the next revolution within our industry<br />
fueled by this team’s distinctive blend of<br />
technological proficiency, creative prowess<br />
and passion for innovation.“<br />
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18 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 19
INDUSTRY DIRT<br />
Acquire Video and omniX Labs join forces<br />
On April 27, omniX Labs, EverWash’s advanced<br />
vehicle analytics and AI platform, announced a new<br />
partnership with Acquire Video, the Oklahoma<br />
City-based developers of the TunnelMax-HD car<br />
wash video surveillance solution.<br />
Through this partnership, Acquire Video camera<br />
systems for car washes will be omniX-ready<br />
out of the box, according to a press release. This<br />
solution ensures an easy setup experience for wash<br />
operators who want to take advantage of omniX’s<br />
patented real-time Sales Navigator alerting system<br />
and WOWO Wheels on Wheels Off, which maps<br />
the customer journey from the moment they enter<br />
your lot to the time they leave. This includes loader<br />
efficiency and fraud detection insights.<br />
“The Acquire Video Team is passionate about<br />
providing the best video & security solution to wash<br />
operators,” said Mike Stern, omniX Labs Sales Director,<br />
in the press release. “Our new partnership<br />
with Acquire aligns with omniX’s passion for providing<br />
the best AI solution to the industry at unbeatable<br />
value. I believe any operator who is looking<br />
to increase their revenue, make their process more<br />
efficient, and create a better customer experience<br />
should be excited about this partnership.”<br />
By combining Acquire Video’s industry-leading<br />
camera equipment with omniX’s patented AI<br />
solution, car wash operators can use their security<br />
camera video feeds to collect real-time & actionable<br />
sales and operational insights.<br />
Sales managers can take advantage of these insights<br />
using omniX’s patented Sales Navigator,<br />
which learns the behavior of customers and provides<br />
real-time alerting to help staff deliver a more<br />
personalized sales pitch. Providing a personal touch<br />
throughout the customer journey with customer-centric<br />
pitches leads to an improved experience<br />
that increases membership sales and retention.<br />
omniX-powered video feeds also monitor the efficiency<br />
of your car wash operation, collecting data<br />
that can provide insights for operational optimization,<br />
and make tedious tasks such as claims processing<br />
easy to deal with. This information is displayed<br />
as actionable information, consumable on mobile<br />
devices, smart digital displays, and wearables.<br />
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EverWash acquires JetSpring’s Car Wash Division to launch customer support service<br />
EverWash, announced on May 2, the acquisition<br />
of JetSpring’s car wash customer service division,<br />
a press release reported. JetSpring is a full-service<br />
contact center that offers a broad range of digital<br />
communication and customer support solutions for<br />
the car wash and higher education sectors. The deal<br />
is expected to close by early Q3, 2023.<br />
EverWash’s acquisition of JetSpring’s car wash<br />
support service means that their team of live call<br />
center agents and their brand-specific chatbots are<br />
being repackaged and offered to the car wash industry<br />
as EverWash Assist: A new 24/7 service that<br />
supports the needs of all car wash operators at affordable<br />
prices.<br />
“We’ve always valued the impact of strong customer<br />
support at EverWash, with our Call Center<br />
always being a core service we’ve offered,” said Scott<br />
Caplan, CEO and Founder of EverWash, in the<br />
press release. “With our acquisition of JetSpring’s<br />
car wash support resources, we are able to expand<br />
our industry-leading member support service to<br />
more washes, regardless of whether you are a current<br />
EverWash Membership wash partner or not.”<br />
EverWash Assist will feature teams of live voice<br />
The future smells sweet for the air freshener vending market<br />
The air freshener dispenser market is forecasted<br />
to grow by USD $4,914.9 million during 2022-<br />
2027, accelerating at a CAGR (compound annual<br />
growth rate) of 5.85% during the forecast period,<br />
according to a ReportLinker report released last<br />
May. The report on the air freshener dispenser market<br />
was represented by 25 vendors, and stated that<br />
the market is driven by increasing demand from<br />
commercial end-users, increased spending by consumers<br />
on homecare products, and innovative air<br />
freshener dispensers.<br />
“This study identifies the adoption of smart air<br />
freshener dispensers as one of the prime reasons<br />
driving the air freshener dispenser market growth<br />
during the next few years. Also, increased penetration<br />
through online distribution channels and high<br />
growth in the hospitality sector will lead to sizable<br />
agents who answer support calls for car washes.<br />
Agents will engage callers and provide resolution-backed<br />
customer support, and kick-start failed<br />
payment recovery, turning support calls into a valuable<br />
customer experience that translates into increased<br />
loyalty and retention.<br />
This level of high-quality support has been<br />
shown to drop membership cancellation rates by<br />
up to 46% within the first 90 days of enrollment<br />
and by as much as 62% within the first 18 months<br />
with JetSpring’s current customer base of car washes,<br />
the press release stated. Live agents will also provide<br />
white-glove customer service to any car wash<br />
operator who has a question or need with their current<br />
EverWash services.<br />
JetSprings’s chatbots will also be available via<br />
EverWash Assist for operators who want to take a<br />
more modern approach to customer engagement.<br />
AI-powered chatbots can expand retention and<br />
support initiatives while managing resources, giving<br />
consumers easy access to all the information they’ll<br />
need along their journey. Each JetSpring chatbot is<br />
custom-designed with a wash’s needs and goals in<br />
mind.<br />
demand in the market,” the report stated.<br />
Back in November 2022, ReportLinker released<br />
a report specifically related to car air fresheners.<br />
The global Car Air Freshener market is one of the<br />
high-prospect markets with a swift growth outlook<br />
over the forecast period to 2030. Year-on-year market<br />
size forecasts and growth rate forecast is provided<br />
from 2021 to 2030.<br />
Amidst strong growth prospects for the Car Air<br />
Freshener market, leading companies are launching<br />
products across different types. The report analyzed<br />
the leading market types of Car Air Freshener and<br />
forecasts each type between 2021 and 2030, the<br />
story stated.<br />
Furthermore, the report issued the following<br />
findings: The presence of capital-intensive Car Air<br />
Freshener companies in the region coupled with<br />
The EverWash Assist team will be there every<br />
step of the way to ensure that call center agents and<br />
chatbots deliver results and work efficiently and effectively<br />
in the context of any car wash organization,<br />
the press release stated.<br />
“We’re excited to join forces with a brand as respected<br />
as EverWash,” said Eric Kades, CEO and<br />
Founder of JetSpring, in the press release. “Through<br />
EverWash Assist, we look forward to leveraging<br />
our car wash support resources, call centers, and<br />
cutting-edge chatbot technology to set a new standard<br />
for customer support in the car wash industry.<br />
We’re also excited to make it available to all car<br />
wash operators immediately.”<br />
strong investments in new product launches presents<br />
strong potential for the North American Car<br />
Air Freshener industry. An optimistic economic<br />
outlook coupled with focused marketing efforts of<br />
companies will support the market outlook. The<br />
report provides the North American Car Air Freshener<br />
market outlook by Product Type (Liquids and<br />
Gels, Sprays and Aerosols, Paper, Others), Distribution<br />
Channel (Supermarkets and Hypermarkets,<br />
Convenience Stores, Independent Retailers, Online<br />
Retailers, Others). Key countries analyzed in the region<br />
include the US, Canada, and Mexico.<br />
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20 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 21
FGM 227-air-vac-machines-NE-carwasher-final-outline<br />
final outline<br />
-<br />
CALENDAR<br />
OF EVENTS<br />
*All events are subject<br />
to changes due to<br />
current circumstances.<br />
2023<br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
21 & 22, 2023<br />
Carwash Show Europe<br />
EXPO Greater Amsterdam<br />
The Netherlands<br />
OCTOBER 2-4,<br />
2023<br />
Northeast Regional<br />
Carwash Association<br />
Atlantic City Convention Center<br />
Atlantic City, New Jersey<br />
2024<br />
FEBRUARY 28 -<br />
MARCH 1, 2024<br />
Southwest Car Wash<br />
Association<br />
Fort Worth Convention Center<br />
Fort Worth, Texas<br />
MAY 13-15,<br />
2024<br />
Car Wash Show<br />
Nashville, Tennessee<br />
Association News<br />
New York State Car Wash Association (NYSCWA)<br />
The New York State Car Wash Association<br />
(NYSCWA) held its Spring Membership Meeting<br />
on June 1 in Kingston, New York, with a visit to<br />
the Hudson River Valley to tour some exceptional<br />
washes, strengthen communication skills and enjoy<br />
authentic barbecue and Cajun-style cuisine at Ole<br />
Savannah Southern Table & Bar in the city’s historic<br />
Rondout Landing, according to a press release.<br />
With a full bus, compliments of Micrologic<br />
Associates, two outstanding washes were toured on<br />
a picture-perfect, albeit steamy 90-degree day. At<br />
the first stop the group enjoyed a tour of Scrub-A-<br />
Dub Express, a new site operated by Doug Kleeschulte.<br />
The wash, literally off the New York State<br />
Thruway at Exit 19, was for sale for some time as it<br />
came with numerous challenges, an odd-shaped lot<br />
and COVID-19 construction, but Kleeschulte was<br />
able to overcome the odds to create a stunning and<br />
busy site. The wash features a 112-foot tunnel and<br />
100-foot conveyor, 12 Vacutech vacuums, MacNeil,<br />
Motor City, AVW, Petit, InnovateIT and G&G<br />
Industrial Lighting equipment, as well as Ver-Tech<br />
Labs chemicals.<br />
The second site, a storied Hoffman Car Wash,<br />
owned by the Hoffman family, is one of their 26<br />
sites (with an additional seven to open by the<br />
close of 2024), and was built in 1988 as a 150-foot<br />
exterior with seven self-serve bays. Since then it<br />
has undergone a number of renovations including<br />
the removal of the self-serve bays and the installation<br />
of an interior cleaning belt and six-bay Jiffy<br />
Lube. The interior cleaning area has recently been<br />
International award-winning leadership expert<br />
and celebrated speaker, Mark Denton, will<br />
serve as this year’s Northeast Regional Carwash<br />
Convention’s (NRCC) Keynote Speaker. Denton,<br />
who has competed in countless races and sailed<br />
more than 80,000 miles across the world’s most<br />
hostile oceans, is an expert on navigating turbulent<br />
waters in life and business, according to an<br />
NRCC press release. His Keynote will draw on<br />
his 20+ years of consulting while helping some of<br />
the world’s greatest organizations reshape their<br />
cultures and improve their resilience, especially<br />
in times of disruption and change. “Mark is an incredible<br />
speaker and presenter, and his story will<br />
resonate with our audience,” stated Bob Rossini,<br />
NRCC 2023 Chairman, in the press release. “His<br />
sheer courage and will to overcome incredible<br />
odds, while working in a team environment, is<br />
nothing short of inspiring. This will be another<br />
“must see” Keynote at the NRCC.”<br />
Denton will speak about his teams’ three values<br />
while racing: safety, happiness and speed and<br />
how they relate to everyday life and business. His<br />
message that, “Ordinary people can do extraordinary<br />
things” will resonate throughout his Keynote.<br />
Along with Denton, the best-selling author of<br />
“Breaking Conformity” and former Chick-fil-A<br />
multi-store owner/operator Arthur Greeno will<br />
converted to an interior self-serve vac area and the<br />
lube business was leased to Shell Oil in 2021. The<br />
site’s chemical supplier, Simoniz USA, was the<br />
tour’s Dinner Sponsor.<br />
Next up the group headed to Ole Savannah<br />
Southern Table & Bar at Rondout Landing overlooking<br />
Rondout Creek in the city’s historic riverfront<br />
district.<br />
After hors d’oeuvres sponsored by G&G<br />
Industrial Lighting and the Northeast Carwasher<br />
magazine, the group had a brief business meeting<br />
where Vice President Steve Weekes asked Director<br />
Chris Kubarek to read the Secretary’s and Treasurer’s<br />
Reports. Featured Speaker Skip Weisman then<br />
took center stage. Weisman, who spent 20 years in<br />
baseball, 16 of which he served as CEO of five professional<br />
baseball teams before becoming a small<br />
business coach, consultant and professional speaker<br />
and author, shared his vision on how to overcome<br />
deadly communication sins. His interactive presentation<br />
provided great insight for attendees who<br />
were able to strengthen their skills after Weisman’s<br />
45-minute presentation. “Skip certainly kept everyone’s<br />
attention and provided a strong message,” said<br />
Weekes. “He brought great value to the meeting.”<br />
All attendees left with a book compliments of Skip.<br />
The Association’s next event is slated for September<br />
23 at the JMA Wireless Dome, originally<br />
the Carrier Dome, in Syracuse when Army takes<br />
on the Orange. Limited seats are available for this<br />
event. For additional information on the NYSCWA<br />
visit nyscwa.com<br />
Northeast Regional Carwash Convention (NRCC)<br />
share the company’s secret sauce on just how<br />
they accomplish “Remarkable Customer Service”<br />
day in and day out (and it’s not just about<br />
training). His talk will take place on Wednesday,<br />
October 4, at the Northeast Regional Carwash<br />
Convention’s morning seminar and breakfast.<br />
“If you want to provide customer service that<br />
people remark about, come hear what Arthur has<br />
to share and walk away with a new outlook you<br />
can bring back to your wash,” said NRCC 2023<br />
Chairman Bob Rossini in a press release. “Arthur<br />
Greeno is an outstanding addition to our educational<br />
lineup.”<br />
The NRCC will take place October 2-4, 2023,<br />
at the Atlantic City Convention Center.<br />
22 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 23
Association News<br />
Carwash Association of Pennsylvania (CAP)<br />
The following is a letter from Association President Dave Edwards:<br />
Greeting CAP Members, PA Operators and Car Washers near and far.<br />
Entrenched in these summer months, and heading towards fall, the Pennsylvania market is<br />
maintaining steady streams of car washing and positive revenues reported by our PA members and<br />
operators.<br />
The month of May saw another unbelievable pollen drop, which fostered amazing sales. Pollen is<br />
better than snow after a soft winter, and we are happy about this!<br />
Pennsylvania, up until June has been in mild drought conditions. I share this with each of you,<br />
as a local TV News reporter contacted me as part of a story related to the drought. She thought that<br />
car washes are high consumers of water. Unfortunately, I had to let her enthusiasm down. Sharing<br />
that car wash businesses are the most conscientious group when it comes to water usage and<br />
consumption, as all the modern built car wash businesses reclaim and recycle as much, in not all the<br />
water. Yet, it may be a good plug of “who knew” to share with your viewing audience. So, fellow car<br />
washers, keep up the good recycling!<br />
The CAP has many exciting events coming up that are open to members and non-members alike.<br />
Please save the date and plan to join us at one – or all – of these educational and networking events:<br />
August 24, CAP Baseball Outing at the Harrisburg Senators<br />
September 13, CAP Annual Dinner at the AACA Museum in Hershey<br />
September 14, CAP Golf Outing at the Cumberland Golf Club in Carlisle<br />
More details about events and membership can be found at www.pacarwash.org. And of course,<br />
we encourage everyone to attend NRCC October 2-4, 2023!<br />
Yours in service,<br />
Dave Edwards<br />
President of CAP<br />
Owner/Operator of IBA/SS sites in NEPA<br />
Western Carwash<br />
Association (WCA)<br />
Registration for Destination Grape Escape! A<br />
Southern California Seminar & Carwash/Winery<br />
Tour is opening soon. This two-day event, taking<br />
place October 11 and 12, will be based out of the<br />
gorgeous Loews Coronado Bay Resort near San<br />
Diego. It will consist of a carwash tour through<br />
the surrounding San Diego area and Temecula<br />
Valley that will also include some winery stops<br />
along the way.<br />
The second day will be filled with educational<br />
opportunities and will feature speakers on various<br />
topics aimed at attracting both owners and managers.<br />
Pre-registration will be open exclusively<br />
for operators from July 14 through August 13,<br />
2023. General registration will open on August<br />
14, 2023.<br />
The WCA also announced that it has already<br />
started planning activities for the 2024 Car Wash<br />
Show taking place in Nashville. The Association is<br />
also hard at work planning the Destination Paradise!<br />
Leadership Retreat & Forum event, a unique<br />
leadership education/retreat event taking place<br />
in Maui, Hawaii, in October of 2024. Pre-registration<br />
will be available in the near future for this<br />
anticipated sold-out event.<br />
The Best for Your Success !<br />
The Best for Your Success !<br />
International Carwash<br />
Association (ICA)<br />
The numbers are in for the 2023 Car<br />
Wash Show, held back in May in Las<br />
Vegas, and a whopping 9,000 people attended.<br />
A total of 920 exhibitors were on<br />
display and the three-day event covered<br />
190,000 square feet in the new West Hall<br />
at the Las Vegas Convention Center.<br />
Did anyone use the Loop during their<br />
stay?<br />
Elon Musk’s innovative underground<br />
transportation system, the Vegas Loop at<br />
Las Vegas Convention Center, an underground<br />
transportation system from the<br />
mind of Elon Musk, is the first of its kind.<br />
Connecting the existing North/Central/<br />
South Halls of the Convention Center<br />
to the West Hall, the Loop travels across<br />
and under the LVCC in under 2 minutes.<br />
According to a Vegas Means Business<br />
article, “The system and fleet of<br />
all-electric Tesla vehicles are designed to<br />
shuttle more than 4,400 riders per hour<br />
across the site through the two-mile-long<br />
tunnels. The Vegas Loop at the Las Vegas<br />
Convention Center has officially opened<br />
the Resorts World passenger station,<br />
providing direct access to and from the<br />
Las Vegas Convention Center. Riders can<br />
now access the Resorts World station<br />
from any of the four Convention Center<br />
stations.”<br />
24 • SUMMER 2023<br />
D&S Car Wash Supply<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 25
Crazy or lazy days of Summer?<br />
So far, my summer has been ______________<br />
_____________ in regards to my self serve.<br />
…far too slow due to frequent rains… - WAXMAN<br />
Same [as Waxman] - NEW WASHDOG<br />
…has gone from an all time record May during<br />
the drought to the worst July ever if the thunderstorms<br />
keep rolling in… - SHINEPRO<br />
…It’s been so good here that we have taken 2<br />
vacations and are talking about taking a third one.<br />
- RANDY<br />
WE ASK.<br />
YOU ANSWER.<br />
…steady income wise, wet spring with storms<br />
weeks apart. Then the bug hatch is great, lots<br />
of hoppers all over the front of tourists’ cars…<br />
Going-to–the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park<br />
opened so we have more tourists again. - MUDMONEY<br />
…busy! Not business, but work trying to overhaul<br />
my wash before temps pull back and bug season<br />
comes. And Hot! I’ve put enough sweat in to<br />
wash a car with - KFPANDA<br />
The following poll was posted<br />
to carwashforum.com.If you<br />
would like to add your vote,<br />
or a comment, visit:<br />
carwashforum.com<br />
or follow the QR code:<br />
…We were doing well in May and June. But this<br />
month has been crappy. - JMMUSTANG<br />
…storming for over a month straight. Never seen<br />
anything like it. Several storms per week. - SLASH007<br />
…very busy since mid May. January through mid<br />
May was very cold, stormy and slow. - SOAPY<br />
…hot and busy here in California! - KIMBERLY BERG<br />
Same as Kimberly. Hot and busy here! - KENTADEL<br />
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26 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 27
Who you gonna call?<br />
Do you answer your phone -<br />
the one connected to your self serve(s) - every time it rings?<br />
I’m estimating 9 out of 10 calls are not customers<br />
calling about issues. Most of those are sales calls<br />
and many are repeat callers. They waste so much<br />
of my time and very rarely are we interested in<br />
what they are selling. If a customer has an issue<br />
they can leave a voicemail but we call back immediately.<br />
- OURTOWN<br />
I will answer if it is during normal business hours 8<br />
to 5. Voicemail for other times. - SOAPY<br />
The only phone number I put up is for accepting<br />
text messages should the change machine be broken.<br />
I’m happy to talk in person, by email/text…<br />
too many years spent in a call center.... I avoid all<br />
phone calls. - KFPANDA<br />
What about the option of.....I don’t have<br />
a phone number posted at all.......bc I<br />
don’t and don’t see me adding one any<br />
time soon. - RFREEMAN<br />
I answer as much as possible and<br />
call them back. 13 years ago I sold<br />
my 5 bay on the other side of<br />
town, and the new owner never<br />
changed the phone number. I<br />
get his problem calls from customers<br />
and invite them to my<br />
wash for a free wash. Works<br />
every time. His wash is my best<br />
advertisement. - MUDMONEY<br />
After hours I usually let it go to<br />
voicemail. Unfortunately, I sometimes<br />
let irate customers get to me<br />
so I usually just text back. Here’s an<br />
example: Just yesterday evening I got<br />
a call from an irate customer that my<br />
car wash, “is all f’d up and somebody needs<br />
to get down there to check it out.” When I<br />
texted to inquire what the problem was he sent<br />
me this picture. I refunded his credit card and explained<br />
the brushes likely sensed resistance on his<br />
wiper and backed off. You can tell how nasty his<br />
vehicle was. I got no response back. Now patiently<br />
waiting for the one star Google review he’s going<br />
to leave. - GREG PACK<br />
Very few call, most text and I just text back. -<br />
HEYVERN<br />
I almost never answered mine. Now that I’m retired,<br />
it almost never rings... - I.B. WASHINCARS<br />
No phone number posted, email only and I always<br />
reply promptly. - JIM64<br />
Customer service is far too important to me to make<br />
someone wait on the return call. I can usually nip<br />
Almost 100% of the time:<br />
62.5%<br />
I let it go to voicemail almost<br />
100% of the time:<br />
20.8%<br />
If I am in the right frame<br />
of mind, I will:<br />
8.3%<br />
If I am in the wrong frame<br />
of mind, I will not:<br />
8.3%<br />
the problem in less than a minute. Usually less than<br />
1 call a week. I would rather nobody leave my site<br />
aggravated! I am amazed at how many people thank<br />
me for answering the phone! - SHINEPRO<br />
I never answer, 99% of the time it’s spam. When I<br />
worked for a distributor, we sold bay menu signs<br />
and meter box door decals with the company’s<br />
800 number on them. For about a year we kept<br />
getting calls from a car wash’s customers complaining<br />
about the wash, like one a week. It was in<br />
a coastal retirement/vacation area, so most of the<br />
callers were older and either confused or unreasonable.<br />
- MEP001<br />
I try to answer, but lately at least 90% are fake<br />
calls about my Google listing or sales calls. Google<br />
Voice gives me a preview, so I just hang up if it’s<br />
not a real customer. I have the phone routed to<br />
3 places, so there is a high chance of answering a<br />
customer phone call. - SLASH007<br />
100% of the time when the Caller ID does not<br />
flash Potential Spam. I would say that in the last<br />
three years we’ve had that feature on our phone,<br />
only two of the thousands of calls we have gotten<br />
were that. Relatively speaking, self-serve calls are<br />
rare. Our in-bay automatics and membership programs<br />
get far more calls. The typical self-service<br />
call is the credit card customer who is seeing the<br />
pending hold. - WASH4LIFE<br />
If I don’t recognize the number with caller<br />
ID, I send them this text message. It filters<br />
out 90% of incoming calls… My<br />
cell # is out there associated with<br />
the wash, and I get a lot of spam<br />
calls…. - SJB<br />
One thing I have always done is<br />
have a landline that I forward<br />
to my number or my son’s<br />
when I am not working. That<br />
way one number will reach<br />
whoever is working. I hate<br />
equipment being down for any<br />
period of time. - SOAPY<br />
I post my cell phone number but<br />
hardly get any calls on it ever. I<br />
do get messages at the detail shop<br />
sometimes. The last one was a customer<br />
complaining that his credit card<br />
never works in my bays. My detail shop<br />
manager had already explained to him the<br />
reasons that some of the cards don’t work, so I<br />
didn’t see any need to call back. - WAXMAN<br />
I have a landline posted at my wash. I do not answer<br />
the phone. They have to leave a message.<br />
When the phone answers I have a message that<br />
says it 2 times: “DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL<br />
SECURITY…CODE NUMBER”. If it’s a (BS) call<br />
they always hang up. Hardly ever a customer calls<br />
and leaves a message. - JMMUSTANG<br />
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28 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 29
Carwash<br />
Zierco’s Original Swivel and<br />
Boom Assembly, with<br />
New Rebuildable<br />
Cartridge<br />
Boom Assembly<br />
MODEL 203<br />
• Feather light rotating action<br />
• Twin compression springs are<br />
tension-adjustable for a variety<br />
of hose and gun weights<br />
• Swivel rotates 360˚ - 12 ft.<br />
diameter<br />
MODEL 203 FEATURES<br />
• Proven performance with over 50 years<br />
service in the field (Since 1962)<br />
• Temperatures to 280˚ max.,<br />
pressure to 2000 psi<br />
• Longer hose life as spring<br />
prevents kinks<br />
• Ruggedly built, satisfaction<br />
guaranteed<br />
Carwash<br />
Boom<br />
Assemblies<br />
Zierco’s Easy Service Swivel and<br />
Boom Systems with<br />
MODEL 204 and 206 FEATURES<br />
• Twin compression springs are tension-adjustable<br />
for a variety of hose and gun weights<br />
• Swivel rotates 360˚ - 12 ft. diameter<br />
• Temperatures to 280˚ max., pressure to 2000 psi<br />
• Longer hose life as spring prevents kinks<br />
• Ruggedly built, satisfaction guaranteed<br />
• Optional stainless steel components<br />
• Proven performance with over 50 years service in<br />
the field (Since 1962)<br />
Boom Systems with Full 360 Degree roTATIoN<br />
Booms are Available with 3 Different Mountings<br />
MODEL 204<br />
ENHANCE YOUR SELF SERVING<br />
CONVENIENCE<br />
STYLE B<br />
Flat Plate<br />
Mounts directly<br />
to the ceiling or<br />
beam.<br />
Easy to Use -"Feather Light" rotating action<br />
STYLE C<br />
Swivel Base<br />
Mounts directly to<br />
the ceiling.<br />
MODEL 206<br />
OFFSET Overhead Carwash Boom<br />
Allows for TWO Center Boom Installation<br />
STYLE D<br />
Wall Bracket<br />
Mounts to wall and<br />
is adjustable so<br />
boom swings<br />
to wall when<br />
not in use.<br />
Ideal for foaming brushes.<br />
FOR COMPLETE<br />
INFORMATION<br />
CALL<br />
414-764-6630<br />
FAX: (414) 764-9763<br />
www.ziercowaterboy.com<br />
7355 S. 1st. Street<br />
Oak Creek, WI 53154<br />
sales@zierden.com<br />
VISA and Master Card accepted<br />
DISTRIBUTOR INQUIRIES INVITED<br />
107C Cartridge Features:<br />
• Field Repairable<br />
• 100% 304 Stainless Steel Internal<br />
Materials Eliminate Failure Due to<br />
Corrosion<br />
• Double O-Ring Design Uses Any<br />
Type of Grease<br />
OPTIONAL<br />
107C CARTRIDGE<br />
QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1937<br />
TM<br />
FOR COMPLETE<br />
INFORMATION<br />
CALL<br />
(414)-764-6630<br />
www.ziercowaterboy.com<br />
7355 S. 1st Street<br />
Oak Creek, WI 53154<br />
Fax: (414) 764-9763<br />
sales@zierden.com<br />
CONVERSION KIT<br />
204B<br />
To Convert Model 203<br />
to a 204 Assembly<br />
Remove boom body<br />
from hinge plate<br />
QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1937<br />
EASY 3 STEP PROCEDURE<br />
TO CHANGE SEALS.<br />
NO TOOLS REQUIRED.<br />
Rotate hinge plate<br />
counter clockwise to<br />
remove seal elbow<br />
TM<br />
Replace O-Rings<br />
DISTRIBUTOR<br />
INQUIRIES<br />
INVITED<br />
VISA and Master Card<br />
accepted<br />
30 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 31
EXTRA!EXTRA!<br />
A ‘wash war’ is taking place Down Under<br />
The owners of Emerald Car Wash were once<br />
competing with the owners of the nearby Capricorn<br />
Car Wash, but now, they’re joining forces to take on<br />
the city council in Emerald, Queensland, Australia.<br />
According to a July 2, CQ Today article, the<br />
former rivals are taking one the Central Highlands<br />
Regional Council over its plans to open a car wash<br />
at Emerald Airport.<br />
Car wash owners Derek Mayne and Amanda<br />
Noone and Capricorn Car Spa owner Rick McLaren<br />
can’t fathom why the council would want to<br />
indulge in anti-competitive practices by taking on<br />
existing local businesses, the article stated.<br />
“The part that gets my goat is why is council<br />
going into car washes?,” Mayne stated to the press.<br />
“Why are they going to start to compete against<br />
small businesses in town? If I had known this before<br />
I bought the car wash 18 months ago, bottom<br />
line I wouldn’t have bought it.”<br />
The application for the airport wash states it<br />
will have five wash bays, with four designated for<br />
use by the airport’s resident hire car companies,<br />
and one dedicated to public use, as well as five vacuum<br />
stations open to the public.<br />
Emerald Car Wash has two automatic bays and<br />
two self-serve bays, and Capricorn Car Spa has<br />
one automatic and three self-serve bays.<br />
McLaren said he would team up with Mayne<br />
to submit an objection to the application.<br />
“I think this is highly unusual for a council to<br />
use ratepayers’ money to build this facility,” Mc-<br />
Laren said in the story. “I don’t believe that is the<br />
role of council to use ratepayers’ money and compete<br />
head-on with private business.<br />
McLaren also told the press he has spent a considerable<br />
amount of money on upgrades to refurbish<br />
his car wash. “Obviously I’m very concerned as<br />
a business owner because if this does go ahead, it is<br />
going to have a significant impact and probably one<br />
of us is not going to survive,” he said in the story.<br />
McLaren, who owns five car washes throughout<br />
Queensland, said there are already enough car<br />
washes in the area. “On this basis Emerald is already<br />
oversupplied,” he said.<br />
Brick by<br />
brick… new car<br />
wash going up<br />
in Michigan<br />
Construction is underway on<br />
a five-bay self serve going up<br />
in Lapeer, Michigan, according<br />
to an April 29, County<br />
Press report. It will be operated<br />
by Arnold’s Auto Wash.<br />
Completion is expected to<br />
be finished this summer.<br />
Photo by Jeff Hogan<br />
You gotta love<br />
Texas!<br />
In Snyder, Texas, a man<br />
named Simon caught a horse<br />
getting a nice cleaning at a<br />
self serve. “Only in Texas,” Simon<br />
says in the video, which<br />
was shared by FM X 94.5 on<br />
July 10.<br />
Simon, who uploaded the<br />
video to his Facebook page,<br />
added the comment, “...The<br />
other stall had one that was<br />
laid out letting him scrub his<br />
belly !!! Great stuff.”<br />
Read all about the self<br />
serve news happening<br />
all over the world.<br />
Build the car wash, but<br />
please save the trees<br />
The popular and ever-growing Hoffman Car<br />
Wash chain, with locations throughout Upstate<br />
New York, will soon have a home in Bennington,<br />
Vermont, according to a June 21 Bennington<br />
Banner story.<br />
Hoffman Car Wash received tentative approval<br />
from the Development Review Board to<br />
construct the car wash on the site of Bennington<br />
Lanes and the adjacent dairy bar.<br />
The car wash will feature a full-serve tunnel,<br />
three self-serve car wash bays and 12 self-serve<br />
auto vacuum stations. The only condition, presented<br />
by the Planning Director Dan Monks,<br />
is to preserve two mature trees which are featured<br />
outside the old dairy bar.<br />
Lucinda Thomson, the current owner of the<br />
bowling lanes and the dairy bar — located on<br />
adjacent parcels — attended the DRB meeting<br />
and made a request that the trees be spared, the<br />
story said. The trees have sentimental value to<br />
her and her family, and she was even emotional<br />
stating this in front of town officials.<br />
Thankfully, Owen Speulstra, an engineer<br />
representing Hoffman Development Corp.,<br />
said keeping the trees in place should not be a<br />
problem.<br />
Hoffman plans to raze both buildings, and<br />
the entire site will cover 3.18 acres.<br />
The Thomson family tried to find a buyer<br />
for the bowling alley and dairy bar, but were<br />
not able to procure a deal.<br />
The sale of the property should be completed<br />
in September. The purchase price was not<br />
made public.<br />
If all goes according to plan, the Bennington<br />
Hoffman’s Car Wash will be the first established<br />
in Vermont.<br />
Self serve wash part of<br />
$850K sale in Duluth<br />
Three self serve car washes in Duluth, Minnesota,<br />
are now owned by real estate investor and commercial<br />
real estate agent Keith McKenzie, a June 14<br />
News-Tribune story reported.<br />
The $850,000 sale also included two single-family,<br />
market-rate rental homes, the story said.<br />
“I thought it was a value-add opportunity,” McKenzie<br />
told the newspaper, adding he saw self serves<br />
as ‘good cash-flowing businesses.’<br />
Two of the car washes have three self serve bays,<br />
and the other has six bays.<br />
Mckenzie said the car washes will receive updates<br />
to the buildings, parking lots, signage, security<br />
cameras and equipment at each site.<br />
self serve<br />
& support equipment<br />
Used for 2-6<br />
self serve Bays<br />
• High and low pressure gauge<br />
• Pre-wired and pre-plumbed<br />
• Low voltage electric panels<br />
• Single V-belt & pulley<br />
• Stainless steel belt guards<br />
• Easy access to chemicals<br />
• System lettering and<br />
graphic decaling<br />
• ETL/UL/CE APPROVED<br />
SUPER SAVER<br />
Available for 7-12 bays<br />
Features<br />
• Low pressure tire cleaner, medium<br />
pressure pre-soak, high pressure soap,<br />
foaming brush, rinse, foaming<br />
conditioner, clear coat protectant,<br />
high pressure wax<br />
• All stainless steel construction<br />
• Totally self-contained<br />
• Removable pump assembly<br />
• Model CAT 5CP2120<br />
Pump, 4.0 GPM/1000 PSI<br />
• Brass regulators<br />
• Automatic chemical mixing tank<br />
• Fused terminal blocks<br />
• 3 HP 3 PH motor<br />
The Power Pack<br />
self-service car<br />
wash system<br />
is designed for the space<br />
conscious. The modular<br />
stainless steel framework<br />
is about 25% shorter but<br />
still includes most of the<br />
same features as the<br />
Super Saver 2500.<br />
Optional<br />
Features<br />
• Bug remover<br />
• Triple foam<br />
brush<br />
• Triple shine<br />
• Spot-free<br />
rinse (low or<br />
medium<br />
pressure)<br />
• Marine<br />
engine flush<br />
SINGLE VACUUM<br />
• Stainless Steel arches that are<br />
designed for the single SS vacuums<br />
• Fixed SS Boom to provide the hose<br />
near the drivers door of the vehicle<br />
• Vacuum boom can be ordered<br />
to allow the hose to swing<br />
over the vehicle<br />
• Post is 3” x 6” x 8’ tall for the<br />
fixed vac arch<br />
UNDER $11,000.00<br />
*STARTING AT UNDER $11,000.00<br />
CARWASH IN A BOX<br />
• Marinas<br />
• RV Parks<br />
• Beaches<br />
• C-Stores<br />
• Apartments<br />
• Car Rental<br />
• Auto Dealerships<br />
• Car washes<br />
• Laundromats<br />
and More!<br />
International models available.<br />
94000 Series Vacuum<br />
The 94000 Series Vacuums are constructed of high<br />
quality, stainless steel and provide high performance.<br />
SCAN<br />
Here<br />
32 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 33
EXTRA!<br />
EXTRA!<br />
WE WANT<br />
YOUR<br />
STORIES!<br />
Do you have a funny<br />
story from the bay?<br />
Group effort brings self serve/laundromat<br />
to South Carolina<br />
CV-A<br />
Features<br />
■ Fragramatics 1600 hr Turbo Motor<br />
■ Poly or aluminum dome<br />
■ Computer controlled timer<br />
■ UV protected graphics<br />
■ Filters – Four-bag system uses high performance,<br />
synthetic filtration media with 15 sq. ft. filtration<br />
area. Two easy-access service doors on rear<br />
■ 2” dia. vac hose – high-flex, vinyl, crushable, 15 ft.<br />
long. Includes cuff and polyethylene hand tool<br />
■ ¼” x 25’ Wire braid or coil hose with inline gauge<br />
Maybe an inspiring<br />
tale from the wash?<br />
Try something<br />
new that worked well?<br />
“You won’t believe what this<br />
Darwin did at my wash…”<br />
“The best decision I ever made<br />
for my business was…”<br />
“On rainy days, I like to…”<br />
Photo by: Grant Langston<br />
Tryon Car Wash and Laundromat, a self<br />
serve/laundromat business, will soon open in<br />
Tryon, South Carolina, and it’s all thanks to<br />
a group effort, according to the Tryon Daily<br />
Bulletin.<br />
“We have been driving by the rundown car<br />
wash and laundromat in Tryon for years and<br />
really want to bring the space back to life,” said<br />
Landon Schlabach, the CEO of BNB Breeze, a<br />
Vacation Rental Management Company and one<br />
of the local businessmen taking on the project.<br />
“We think it could be a great asset to the community,”<br />
Schlabach told the newspaper.<br />
Other local business owners, including Foothills<br />
Compost Removal owner Reece Schlabach,<br />
Holbert Grading and Excavation owner John<br />
Holbert, and Jon Byler, a real estate investor and<br />
pilot for Private Flights, joined forces with Schlabach<br />
to restore and reopen the business. The<br />
car wash will have four self-serve bays with all<br />
new equipment, and fresh coat of paint, and will<br />
feature an Autec Soft Touch Automatic Bay that<br />
can fit trucks up to seven feet tall. After the car<br />
wash opens, work will begin on the Laundromat,<br />
which will also get brand new equipment.<br />
“We are incredibly excited to be bringing this<br />
property back to life and cannot wait to serve<br />
the community with squeaky clean cars and<br />
clothes in the future,” Landon said in the story.<br />
‘A-ha’ moment in parking lot leads to car wash ownership<br />
Specifications<br />
■ 1.25 HP ‘Big Dog’ high output compressor<br />
■ Brushed Stainless Steel Tank and Main Cabinet<br />
■ Coin acceptor – mechanical<br />
■ Electrical - 120 V ac, 25 amps<br />
■ Mounting - One internal and two external lugs<br />
with security collars. Uses 3/8” bolts for secure<br />
installation.<br />
■ Tank Dimensions - 18.5”dia. x 42”h<br />
■ Unit Weight - Net 145 lbs. Ship weight 185 lbs.<br />
■ Ships in carton/pallet: 67”h x 32”w x 31”d<br />
Options<br />
■ Multi-coin acceptor<br />
■ Lighted dome<br />
■ Debris catcher<br />
■ Dome colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,<br />
white<br />
■ Hose colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,<br />
white, gray, black<br />
Reach out to Editor Debra Gorgos<br />
debgorgos@gmail.com to share<br />
your story with our readers.<br />
Hospital administrator Renee Costa of West<br />
Lebanon, New Hampshire, was walking out to her<br />
car after her shift and saw a sea of dirty cars, and<br />
realized a good car wash was needed in the area.<br />
“When I came out, I was like, ‘You got to be<br />
kidding me. These cars are filthy,’” Costa said in a<br />
July 16 Valley News article.<br />
Costa, who moved to Duluth 13 years ago said<br />
in the story, “When I got here, I went to wash my<br />
car and, for crying out loud, found there is no good<br />
car wash.”<br />
A self-proclaimed ‘car lover’, Costa said she<br />
always dreamt of owning a car wash.<br />
Now, it looks like her dream is coming true. If<br />
all goes according to plan, Costa will soon open<br />
Lady Rich Express Wash at the sight of the former<br />
Four Seasons Auto Wash.<br />
Costa, who is a young 59, purchased the was<br />
last May for $1.1 million, according to Lebanon<br />
city records. She plans to spend at least $1 million<br />
on improvements, including adding a new automated<br />
car wash and building new self serve bays,<br />
10 vacuum islands and adding a pet wash.<br />
“There won’t be anything else like it in the<br />
Upper Valley,” she said in the story.<br />
Costa said she’s been following the car washing<br />
industry for years, learning as she goes, but always<br />
unable to do anything about it because I was always<br />
going to school,” she said in the story.<br />
As for the name, Costa said “Lady Rich” is the<br />
nickname given to her by her nieces and nephews<br />
thanks to the Corvette Stingray she drives.<br />
Costa said owning a car wash has been nothing<br />
short of a religious calling.<br />
“The problem with people who build car<br />
washes is that they just want to do it to generate<br />
income. I’m not doing that,” she said in the story.<br />
“I’m building it because this is my passion. … I’m<br />
going to give you the prestige services you don’t<br />
get at other car washes, so when you leave here,<br />
your car will be clean, you’ll be happy, and you’ll<br />
be coming back.”<br />
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34 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 35
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SUMMER 2023 • 37
EXTRA!<br />
38 • SUMMER 2023<br />
EXTRA!<br />
Car washes are popping up<br />
all over Roanoke<br />
Car wash proposals are coming in hot in Roanoke<br />
County, Christianburg, Daleville and Vinton,<br />
Virginia, and municipal planning departments are<br />
inundated with new-build requests, according to a<br />
June 11 Roanoke Times story.<br />
Back in May, the Roanoke County Board of<br />
Supervisors heard two proposals during one meeting,<br />
for a second wash center in a shopping center.<br />
However, the shopping center already has a car<br />
wash. And back in May, the board approved the<br />
construction of An Ultimate Shine, which will be<br />
open in August.<br />
Phil North of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors<br />
said he worries about approving too many<br />
new wash centers, the story said. “In my opinion, the<br />
market’s going to get saturated,” he said in the story.<br />
“I’m not a fan of car washes,” Supervisor Paul<br />
Mahoney said at the May 23 meeting which discussed<br />
the proposal for a Take 5 car wash in Clearbrook,<br />
Virginia. It was ultimately approved.<br />
“I think the Cave Spring District already has<br />
four and this will make five I think. Obviously, we<br />
will have the cleanest cars in Roanoke County,”<br />
Mahoney said.<br />
Supervisors then rejected a proposal for a Tidal<br />
Wave Auto Spa in a vacant lot at Challenger Avenue<br />
and Valley Gateway Boulevard where a grocery<br />
store proposal earlier fell through.<br />
The story stated that consumers spent $14.4<br />
billion at car washes during 2020, the first year<br />
of the pandemic, about $3 billion more than the<br />
year before, according to the Federal Reserve<br />
Bank of St. Louis. But the torrid expansion pace is<br />
prompting debate and warnings about inundation,<br />
according to the story.<br />
Road Runner, a small chain based in Forest, Virginia,<br />
has two new car washes in the works.<br />
“I think the Cave Spring District already has<br />
four and this will make five… I think. Obviously,<br />
we will have the cleanest cars in Roanoke County,”<br />
Mahoney said in the story.<br />
Supervisors did reject the proposal for a Tidal<br />
Wave Auto Spa. Supervisor Jason Peters said in the<br />
story that he thinks the lot is better suited for a<br />
retail shop or restaurant. Plus, there is already a car<br />
wash adjacent across the street.<br />
Martie Murphy, an official with the Tidal Wave<br />
company, said they might sue. “The city council<br />
[board of supervisors] decided to not let a new<br />
business come to town,” he said in the story. “In<br />
all honesty, we may be taking legal action. …Why<br />
would Home Depot build across from Lowes?<br />
What’s the difference in a car wash building across<br />
from other car washes?”<br />
That’s one big brush!<br />
The Shelby Car Wash in Shelby, Ohio, has<br />
gotten an upgrade, according to a July<br />
21 Richland Source story. Some of the<br />
improvements include new lighting, a new<br />
free air station, new credit card readers<br />
and one big ol’ bug brush.<br />
Owners Nate and Katie Crnjak, bought<br />
the car wash back in May. A grand opening<br />
celebration was held on July 9 in which<br />
free washes were given away. “We were<br />
so amazed at the support people showed<br />
for our event,” Katie said in the story. “We<br />
started the first wash at 12:45 p.m. and did a<br />
total of 87 automatic washes and 15 selfserve<br />
washes,” she added.<br />
Any cash donations given during the<br />
grand opening were given to the Shelby<br />
High School athletic department and<br />
Nate, who went to school for mechanical<br />
engineering, started out as the owner of North<br />
Coast Roofing of Ohio. He is hoping the money<br />
from the Shelby Car Wash will help with his<br />
retirement. “For 20 years, I never really stuck<br />
any money into my retirement,” he said. “Every<br />
nickel I made went into the roofing company.”<br />
“I have a lot of catching up to do if I want to<br />
retire at a decent age,” Nate said in the story.<br />
The Crnjaks also own another self-serve and<br />
semi-truck wash.<br />
“You’ve got to stay on top of maintenance. If<br />
you let one thing break and you put a bandaid<br />
on it, the next time you go to fix it everything<br />
compounds,” Nate said of owning a car wash.<br />
According to the story, because the wash is<br />
open for business 24 hours a day, Crnjak wanted<br />
to install new lighting to help customers feel<br />
more comfortable and safe.<br />
“My wife can control the lights with her<br />
phone,” he said. “For Valentine’s Day, it’s red, for<br />
the month of July it’s red, white and blue.”<br />
One heck of a journey for Quick Suds owners<br />
Twenty-seven years ago Mike and Alison<br />
Mayer bought a dilapidated car wash in Chicago.<br />
With young kids in tow, they cleaned it up and it<br />
became a shining part of the street. Now grandparents,<br />
the duo look back on the car washing<br />
journey and smile. The couple told their story to<br />
The Beverly Tribune and smiled when discussing<br />
the past 27 years.<br />
The Mayers have paid special attention to<br />
the landscaping surrounding the 5-self-serve<br />
bay/3-in-bay-automatic car wash.<br />
Over the years, the city of Chicago has presented<br />
Quick Suds with five awards for its variety of<br />
annuals and perennials, arborvitae and landscaping<br />
work, the story said.<br />
Open 24/7, the Mayers always have a staff<br />
member or members on hand to help customers<br />
and maintain the property. They also give free<br />
vacuum usage for each wash.<br />
On top of that, another thing the family takes<br />
very seriously is the wash’s water quality. Chicago<br />
water has a hardness factor of 7, and Quick Suds<br />
has an on-site water purification which brings the<br />
hardness amount down to 0.<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 39
FUN&<br />
GAMES<br />
WHAT’S DIFFERENT?<br />
Think these two pictures taken at a self serve car wash are the same?<br />
Think again! There are six differences. Can you spot them all?<br />
6. Open sign is on<br />
5. Chimney is missing<br />
4. Gutter is missing<br />
3. TRex is coming for a wash<br />
2. Black post is missing<br />
1. Drain pipe is different color<br />
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40 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 41
PART 3:<br />
Going to Court<br />
The Right<br />
to Wash PART 3<br />
The story of self serve car wash<br />
owner Dale Davenport<br />
and his battle with the city of Dallas<br />
By Debra Gorgos, editor<br />
In part 1 of this story, which appeared in the 2023 Winter issue of Self Serve<br />
Car Wash, we learned about the owner of a closed self serve car wash in Dallas,<br />
Texas. Dale Davenport was fighting to re-open his car wash after it had been<br />
shut down by local authorities. Part 1 talked about how Davenport got into the<br />
car washing industry and worked tirelessly to make his business a respectable<br />
operation. The car wash was located in a prime sought after area known as a<br />
Federal Opportunity Zone, meaning it allowed people to invest in “distressed<br />
areas” to help boost the economy and create jobs. Davenport took this designation<br />
very seriously. He was proud to help boost up the area and contribute to the<br />
neighborhood. Part 2, which appeared in the Spring issue of Self Serve Car Wash<br />
News, told the story of how Davenport tried to work with police to compat any<br />
crime or suspicious activity happening on or around his car wash. He called 9-1-<br />
1 mulitple times, but, despite his efforts, no one seemed to want to help him<br />
or accept his help. Then, things took a turn when Davenport witnessed a police<br />
officer macing a man in his parking lot. Davenport testified against the officer in<br />
2002. Shortly thereafter, a bullet was shot through a window at his home and his<br />
car wash was surrounded by 17 DPD vehicles and 26 officers blocking the car<br />
wash’s driveway, preventing customers from entering. This brings us to Part 3.<br />
business owners, attended public hearings during a<br />
regular legislative session. According to a July 21,<br />
2005, Dallas Morning News story, “House leaders<br />
slammed Dallas officials during public hearings and<br />
from the House floor during the regular legislative<br />
session when Dallas carwash owner Dale Davenport<br />
and other businesses owners told lawmakers<br />
they were being singled out and harassed by police<br />
and city officials. …As a result, lawmakers changed<br />
the public-nuisance law with overwhelming support<br />
from the House and Senate.”<br />
Austin GOP State Representative Terry Keel,<br />
chairman of the jurisprudence committee conducting<br />
the hearings along with Committee chairman<br />
Kevin Bailey, D-Houston, carried the legislation.<br />
"For some reason, the usual checks and balances<br />
... [have not] worked in Dallas," Keel said in<br />
the story. He characterized the alleged incidents<br />
as "appalling." "It is an old-fashioned shakedown.<br />
Corruption run amok."<br />
It was determined that Dallas politicians, as<br />
well as the police, were misusing the "nuisance<br />
abatement" law, extorting businesses, and punishing<br />
whistleblowers who told the truth which<br />
threatened dirty policitions and unlawful cops.<br />
According to a July 21, 2005, Dallas Morning<br />
News report, Mayor Laura Miller and officials with<br />
the city attorney's office denied wrongdoing and<br />
defended their use of public-nuisance laws, saying<br />
the practice helps them crack down on business<br />
owners and homeowners who allow crime to happen<br />
on their properties.<br />
Keel's office confirmed that the House Committee<br />
and the General Investigating and Ethics<br />
Committee have asked the State Bar of Texas to<br />
investigate actions taken by assistant Dallas City<br />
Attorney Jennifer Richie.<br />
According to Jim Schutze, who faithfully<br />
covered Davenport’s saga for years in the Dallas<br />
Observer, wrote, “Keel and other legislators were<br />
alarmed by testimony that Richie may have tried<br />
to jam up a Dallas cop's career because he dared<br />
to say a certain business wasn't crooked, when<br />
Richie was in court trying to make it out to be a<br />
den of iniquity.”<br />
A report from the Texas Legislature on corruption<br />
and malfeasance at Dallas City Hall was<br />
released after the year-long investigation with the<br />
main author being Keel.<br />
Keel admitted to Schutze that the report had<br />
less to do with the nuisance abatement program<br />
itself than with an underlying culture of corruption<br />
at Dallas City Hall. He said his committee,<br />
working with the House General Investigating and<br />
Ethics Committee, found what he called, "ward<br />
politics run amok,” wrote Schutze. "There seemed<br />
to be cronyism, and if you didn't play the game,<br />
you got retaliated against."<br />
"They kind of let the city answer questions but<br />
not the direct questions we had posed in the report,"<br />
Keel told Schutze. "First of all, [Dallas city<br />
attorney] Tom Perkins responded with what they<br />
have always said, that in all the thousands of cases<br />
only 60 resulted in lawsuits against businesses.”<br />
What must have been music to Davenport’s<br />
ears, Keel admitted to Schutze, "What is left unsaid<br />
is the point that they were selectively targeting<br />
businesses while ignoring surrounding<br />
crime.”Keel's office also confirmed that the entire<br />
matter of how Dallas' City Hall treats businesses<br />
and conducts its own business has been referred<br />
to the U.S. Justice Department for a civil rights<br />
investigation.<br />
The story doesn’t end there. In fact, it’s still in<br />
the early stages of Davenport’s battle to keep his<br />
car wash open. In the next edition, we will jump<br />
ahead to what became of those committee findings,<br />
and where Davenport, along with Jim’s Car<br />
Wash, stands today.<br />
This is the third in a four-part series that has<br />
been appearing in Self Serve Car Wash News. The<br />
conclusion will be printed in the Fall issue.<br />
PART 3:<br />
Going to Court<br />
After a bullet went through Davenport’s window,<br />
and after police swarmed his car wash causing<br />
a scene and thwarting customers, he decided<br />
to try and get help from the Dallas Police Department’s<br />
Internal Affairs Department. And, as<br />
you might have guessed, the IAD refused to help.<br />
They wouldn’t even take his report. At this point,<br />
Davenport was becoming a sort of lone soldier like<br />
Marvin Kale in High Noon, but instead of fighting<br />
the bad guys, he was fighting the law. The authorities<br />
wouldn’t help. He would see criminal activity,<br />
call for help, and nothing would happen. Then,<br />
rumors swirled that his car wash was a hotbed for<br />
crime and a nuisance to the city.<br />
Davenport admitted to Jim Schutze, a reporter<br />
for the Dallas Observer who covered Davenport’s<br />
saga for years, that he had reservations about calling<br />
9-1-1 so often, because he sympathized with<br />
the officers. “Most of the police, in their defense,<br />
when they would get there, they would be four<br />
pages back, four computer sheets behind on their<br />
calls, and they would say, ‘You called us out here<br />
for this when we’ve got stabbings and shootings?’”<br />
Davenport stated.<br />
“And I would kind of feel guilty. But it was my<br />
responsibility to do it to protect myself, my customers<br />
and my business.”<br />
This is where Dallas’s Public Nuisiance Law<br />
comes into play. The year was 2003. And, due to<br />
the high volumn of 9-1-1 calls, the city filed for a<br />
restraining order against Davenport. “I thought I<br />
was being a model citizen,” he told TV Host John<br />
Stossel. “And here they were telling me I was a<br />
public nuisance.” A judge ruled that the Davenports<br />
had to spend money improving the security<br />
of the car wash. A guard service was necessary,<br />
they said. Davenport hired two armed guards, and<br />
it didn’t end there. The city said he had to put up<br />
6’ fencing, so he put up 8’ fencing. They said he<br />
had to place more signage. He already had a lot of<br />
signs, but he added even more. They said to put up<br />
lights. He already had great lighting, but he added<br />
more. But, the city had a problem with the two<br />
armed guards – they wanted him to hire a guard<br />
service to patrol the car wash 24 hours a day, seven<br />
days a week. They also wanted him to hire a guard<br />
company owned by one of the city councilmembers.<br />
This would cost Davenport about $50,000<br />
per month. “This is extortion,” he told Stossel.<br />
He didn’t hire the company, but it should be noted<br />
that that particular city councilman was later<br />
jailed for theft and fraud.<br />
Turns out it wasn’t just Jim’s Car Wash that was<br />
being targeted. Davenport, along with other local<br />
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Self serve car wash customers… it’s hard to generalize<br />
such a diverse, sometimes difficult, sometimes<br />
confused and sometimes entitled group of<br />
people. Some read the signage. Some don’t… or<br />
they read it and just ignore it. Others complain<br />
about a pending charge on a credit card bill. Others<br />
just let it go. It’s impossible to sum up the customer<br />
base or to even describe the average customer,<br />
because there is nothing average about them. They<br />
are a select group of people who chose to drive<br />
into a self serve bay and wash their vehicle on their<br />
own clock with their own elbow grease. They could<br />
go for a more expensive automatic wash, or do it<br />
themselves in their driveway, but they visited a self<br />
serve instead. Some customers say it’s because they<br />
don’t trust the tunnels and automatics, or they cannot<br />
afford them. And others say they have always<br />
liked, “doing it themselves.” Those adages go way<br />
back to over 50 years ago when the self serve car<br />
wash gained notoriety. And, even though the customers<br />
still used the wands, and sprayed down their<br />
cars, the spending habits, expectations, and attitudes<br />
of a majority of self serve car wash customers<br />
have changed over the years.<br />
According to Kent Adelson, a self serve car<br />
wash owner based in Nebraska, he still has some<br />
of the same customers since he started out in 1989<br />
and he said he has noticed the following changes<br />
over the years.<br />
“More customers are using credit cards and cell<br />
phones for payments so that is a positive for both<br />
my bank and me [as it means] handling less quarters<br />
and bills. A negative would be the processing<br />
fees,” he said.<br />
Adelson also found that the average time and<br />
money a customer spends in his bays has increased<br />
over the years by quite a bit. “I have many customers<br />
that will insert $10 in cash or on a credit<br />
card to start and many of those will add time to<br />
that. I have very few customers [these days] rushing<br />
around their vehicle to wash on the initial start<br />
Changing<br />
price.” The reason? Adelson said it has to do with<br />
the recent pandemic. “It seems that after Covid<br />
customers are not as concerned about start prices<br />
or ‘time’ as they were before.”<br />
Are customers messier in general? From garbage<br />
to mudders, Adelson has noticed a change in how<br />
customers respect his properties. Customers, or loiterers,<br />
are less respectful nowadays when it comes<br />
to littering, he said. “I made the difficult decision to<br />
remove all trash cans from the washes. Nearly all of<br />
the fast food restaurants around me have removed<br />
their trash cans so the car washes had become a<br />
dumping spot for the public. I do keep a dumpster<br />
and encourage my customers to use it. While it does<br />
[still] get abused I feel it is still necessary.<br />
And, he’s also noticed an uptick in customers<br />
leaving mud behind in the bays now more than<br />
when he first started out. “A negative I see is in the<br />
past there were very few times that my self service<br />
bays would be left a muddy mess from customers.<br />
My bays have pits that are 16’ long by 6’ wide so<br />
most vehicles are over the grates enough so that it is<br />
very easy to keep the floors clean. Many customers<br />
would, and some still do, wash their mud into the<br />
pits… but, that courteous act is slowly disappearing.”<br />
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SUMMER 2023 • 45
HOW CUSTOMERS CHANGED<br />
And, even with the shift in how customers treat<br />
his car washes, Adelson said he wouldn’t trade it for<br />
the world. “But I still enjoy the wash business,” he<br />
Low class or no class?<br />
We’ve been in the self-serve car<br />
wash business for over 40 years and<br />
we’ve noticed a decline in the ‘class’<br />
of the self serve car wash customers.<br />
They have little or no respect for<br />
the car wash equipment; they seem<br />
to think that it’s OK to bring all of<br />
their garbage to the car wash; they<br />
seem to think it’s a transfer site for<br />
the dump; they seem to think it’s<br />
OK to steal a foam brush handle<br />
and gun assembly. “The car wash<br />
owner is rich and he can afford to<br />
buy more!” Or, “It’s OK to come<br />
to the car wash, park in a bay and<br />
spend hours trying up a bay doing<br />
drugs or selling drugs.” I could go<br />
on and on. Those who come to a<br />
self serve are a completely different<br />
type of person who goes to a tunnel.<br />
- Randy<br />
said. “Having the business in my area of Nebraska is<br />
a huge part of the reason and my customers for the<br />
most part are still great people with good values.”<br />
Everybody must get … a clue<br />
Here is what others have had to say about how<br />
their clientele has changed over the years…<br />
I’ve been in the car wash business for about 18 years now. It does seem like the trash dumping<br />
is getting worse and people making messes in the bays is getting worse, but that could also be due<br />
to an increase in business and the popularity of my wash; I don’t really know.<br />
Because we operate a detail shop on the same property and we are regularly at the car wash,<br />
maybe my customers are a little bit better behaved than the normal car wash customers? In some<br />
ways I am strict with the customers and in some ways, I am probably too lenient. I try to strike a<br />
balance so I’m not overbearing but also not being taken advantage of.<br />
I do know that whenever I enforce rules about bucket washing, trash dumping etc., I am met with the<br />
same line of, “I always come here and spend money.” There is an attitude of entitlement or something.<br />
People don’t really look at other people anymore. They’re too busy wrapped up in their own little<br />
world on Facebook and texting etc. The customers seem to have a hard time doing even the simplest<br />
things for themselves. They slide their credit card once and it doesn’t work so they run and get<br />
someone to help them. I had a woman yesterday saying that her tokens didn’t work in the vacuum,<br />
but she was inserting them into the coin return slot. I wonder how these people pay their mortgage,<br />
keep the dog fed, make sure the kids brush their teeth etc? I think a lot of it has to do with the fact<br />
that marijuana is legal in my state now. There are a lot of older people using it and maybe they are<br />
remembering back in the 60s and 70s when you could smoke a whole joint, catch a good buzz, and<br />
still function? Today a lot of the cannabis is a lot stronger and I think some older folks can’t handle<br />
it and they turn into zombies after they toke. If they wanna smoke reefer it’s fine with me but maybe<br />
they should just stay at home, microwave up a big bag of popcorn and zone out in front of the TV<br />
instead of trying to be out in the world doing normal things, like going to a car wash. - Waxman<br />
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Customers and the<br />
cash they carry<br />
As of 2023, about four out of every 10 Americans<br />
(41%) do not make purchases using cash in a<br />
typical week, which is up from 29% in 2018 and<br />
24% in 2015, according to a new Pew Research<br />
Center survey.<br />
And even though less Americans are paying<br />
with cash, still 58% say they try to carry some<br />
amount of cash with them “just in case,” the PRC<br />
survey reported. Breaking that down even further,<br />
only 45% of Americans between the ages of 18 to<br />
49 always try to carry cash, but 71% of adults ages<br />
50 and over try to always have cash on hand. How<br />
much cash? The Federal Reserve reported that<br />
the average consumer carried $67 in cash in their<br />
pocket, purse or wallet in 2021 and had an average<br />
of $347 of cash stored somewhere else.<br />
Generation Z versus …<br />
everyone else<br />
We’re currently dealing with four main generations<br />
of consumers. Although living people can<br />
come from the Greatest Generation, born between<br />
1901-1924, (and if you have any customers<br />
from this generation, give them their washes<br />
for free, for cryin’ out loud) we will just focus on<br />
the larger demographics, including Baby Boomers,<br />
HOW CUSTOMERS CHANGED<br />
Or my mom<br />
Stop! will review you!<br />
It’s no secret that online reviews are the beauty<br />
and the beast for any business owner. Five<br />
stars are some of the best forms of advertising.<br />
But, it’s so easy for a customer to say what they<br />
want behind the anonymous keyboard and negative<br />
reviews can abound, deserved or not. Type<br />
away! Say what you want, even if you’re exaggerating!<br />
Doesn’t matter to a lot of people, or so it<br />
seems. Those online reviews can be a gut-punch.<br />
Who hasn’t had a customer go on and on about a<br />
“pending” charge on their credit card statement?<br />
Has the advent of online reviews changed the<br />
way customers interact, view and appreciate a<br />
business? The answer seems to be … yes.<br />
“Like it or not, customers feel greatly empowered<br />
by the ability to leave reviews for the businesses<br />
Generation Xers, Generation Yers, and the newly<br />
minted Generation Zers. There are some different<br />
styles to the way each generation looks for and appreciates<br />
a business. From technology to customer<br />
appreciation, studies show there are certain ways<br />
to attract people born during different eras.<br />
they interact with on Google or Yelp,” according to<br />
a February 2022 Forbes story.<br />
Online reviews are powerful. If a customer<br />
feels wronged, they can put a business on blast<br />
and not have to show their real name, or speak<br />
with someone directly. Well over 230 million reviews<br />
have been posted to the online review<br />
platform Yelp! since 2020. As of 2022, according<br />
to a BrightLocal survey, 74 percent of those surveyed<br />
said they left an online review for a local<br />
business within the past year. This is the mindset<br />
of today’s customer. Fifty years ago, it was a<br />
person-to-person smear campaign, or a call to<br />
the manager. Today, a customer has the power at<br />
their fingertips to make or break a business… or<br />
at least give it a try.<br />
Baby Boomers<br />
Born 1946–1964<br />
As its name implies, 76.4<br />
million Baby Boomers were<br />
born during this era. According<br />
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HOW CUSTOMERS CHANGED<br />
to in-depth research from MNI Targeted Media,<br />
Boomers are still viewed as one of the largest and<br />
most affluent generations … which holds about<br />
$2.6 trillion in buying power. They are a leader in<br />
keeping brick and mortar stores in business ..and<br />
many Boomers are still in the workforce, even<br />
those who have surpassed retirement age.”<br />
“Many of those who have returned to the workforce<br />
use their income to cover bills and also enjoy<br />
the resurgence of expendable income to make<br />
their lives comfortable,” the report stated. “When<br />
it comes to shopping, Baby Boomers expect to be<br />
treated like the valuable customer they are. This<br />
mindset drives them to physical store locations as<br />
they prefer a human experience when shopping<br />
for goods, and will abandon shopping at a store,<br />
even one of their favorites, if they have a bad experience<br />
with customer service.”<br />
Even with a self serve car wash, do you offer<br />
free washes on a birthday or some sort of loyalty<br />
program? According to the study, Baby Boomers<br />
looooove rewards or some sort of membership<br />
program. They look at it as being “valued.”<br />
And, let’s not forget that even though Boomers<br />
were a bit older when the Internet came about,<br />
they are just as tech savvy. In fact, according to<br />
MNI, 96% of Boomers use search engines, making<br />
them a prime target for SEO (search engine optimization)<br />
efforts. So, if you have a <strong>web</strong>site, use it<br />
to sell your car wash to this generation.<br />
Generation X<br />
Born 1965–1980<br />
This generation is a mix between<br />
lovingly remembering<br />
their 1980s-based childhoods,<br />
to being in college when the Internet first landed<br />
in their computer labs. They became adults while<br />
going from the flip phone, to the RAZR, to the<br />
BlackBerry to the iPhone. A mixture of both worlds<br />
could pay off here when it comes to marketing to<br />
the Generation X crowd. Gen X loves nostalgia,<br />
stated the MNI Targeted Media report. “Incorporate<br />
old songs or childhood memories into your content<br />
marketing efforts for this generation.” They also appreciate<br />
traditional advertisements (via radio, billboard,<br />
television, print, sport team sponsorships).<br />
At the same time, however, Generation X loves<br />
social media, according to BigCommerce.com, In<br />
fact 95% of them use Facebook and 72% of Gen<br />
Xers use the Internet to research businesses, according<br />
to a study.<br />
Generation X-ers were just starting out in the<br />
world, or had young kids at home when 9/11 took<br />
place. They were forced to endure hard-hitting<br />
news from television, to radio, to the Internet, and<br />
this group of people are drawn to community- and<br />
environmentally friendly companies. According to<br />
a Generations.com study, “Xers have earned themselves<br />
the ‘participation award’ for rolling up their<br />
sleeves and getting involved. If organizations want<br />
to continue to engage this generation, they should<br />
take a transparent and honest approach to their<br />
philanthropic practices.”<br />
Lastly, make sure you aren’t ignoring this demographic,<br />
as 54% of those surveyed said they<br />
are frustrated that brands constantly ignore them.<br />
Remember: These are your current parents, young<br />
grandparents, and those looking into retirement,<br />
so try and put customers in your advertisements<br />
who look and talk like them.<br />
Millennial<br />
Generation or<br />
Generation Y<br />
Born 1981–1996<br />
Many of these young folk<br />
were just starting out in the real world when the<br />
2008 economy collapsed, and the Great Recession<br />
began. Therefore, they are aware of the all-mighty<br />
dollar.<br />
According to research by Investopedia, Millennials<br />
are underemployed and heavily indebted,<br />
but although guarded with their money, the<br />
group will spend it when they think the purchase<br />
is worth the money, especially on services, heavily<br />
researched quality goods, and purchases that their<br />
peers have made.<br />
Goldman Sachs also did some research on this<br />
demographic: Millennials’ affinity for technology<br />
is reshaping the retail space. With product information,<br />
reviews and price comparisons at their fingertips,<br />
Millennials are turning to brands that can<br />
offer maximum convenience at the lowest cost.<br />
And, in an era wrought with catastrophes, from<br />
learning of 9/11 at a young age, to Hurricane Katrina,<br />
to the major recession, this generation has<br />
proven to actually be incredibly community-oriented<br />
and environmentally conscious, reported<br />
Parents.com<br />
According to the Association of National Advertisers,<br />
it seems as if social media is where it’s<br />
at for Millennials. A United States Postal Service<br />
survey found that 62% of Millennials said they<br />
visited a store in the past month because of a promotion<br />
they received through direct mail. And an<br />
Adobe survey found that 60 percent of millennials<br />
contact customer service using social media and<br />
42 percent admitted to giving positive reviews for<br />
a product on social media, more than any other<br />
generation group.<br />
Generation Z<br />
or iGen<br />
Born 1997–2010<br />
This generation is a bit<br />
tricky. Do they appreciate hard<br />
work when so much is a push-button away? This<br />
generation has grown up with the Internet, iPads,<br />
smartphones, and even in-car apps and navigation<br />
tools at the ready. They also are used to using the<br />
Internet to find locations, read online reviews, and<br />
even pay for services via their devices.<br />
According to the MNI Targeted Media study,<br />
this generation doesn’t like to wait around. Instant<br />
gratification, quick responses, fast service and no<br />
waiting lines are what make this generation tick. “A<br />
traditional store environment won’t hold the attention<br />
of Gen Z shoppers…” Gen Z is also used to being<br />
entertained, so they seek out stores that have digital<br />
enhancements and ways to incorporate their instore<br />
experience into their online lives. “Locations<br />
that create a digitally friendly space in their physical<br />
location are more likely to gain Gen Z shoppers,”<br />
the study reported.<br />
This generation of customers gravitate to brands<br />
that align with their values and interact with user<br />
generated content (UGC), the MNI study states.<br />
“They appreciate brands that comment on or share<br />
pictures and reviews created by real shoppers such<br />
as themselves, and as a result will share their own<br />
review on items they purchase to encourage others<br />
in their generation to buy as well.”<br />
And, finally, the study states it is crucial for<br />
brands across industries—from auto and tech to<br />
fashion and beauty—to connect with these consumers<br />
now, and build relationships that will stay<br />
with young adults.<br />
Remember that this Generation of consumers,<br />
who, at their oldest are 26, are so technologically<br />
savvy they probably don’t even know what a rotary<br />
phone looks like. Who knows what the future<br />
holds for this generation and how they will act as<br />
customers. Trends such as YouTube influencers,<br />
voice-activation technology and digital wallets are<br />
huge right now and could very well influence the<br />
way a car wash interacts with its customers in the<br />
future. Time will tell…<br />
Globally, what do customers<br />
of today really want?<br />
Salesforce, a company dedicated to building<br />
customerbases, surveyed 15,600 consumers and<br />
business buyers globally, and posted their findings<br />
back in June. Here is what they discovered:<br />
1. 74% of customers expect to use multiple<br />
platforms to start and complete a payment<br />
transaction.<br />
2. 52% of customers want offers to always be<br />
personalized<br />
3. 66% of customers expect companies to<br />
understand their unique needs and expectations<br />
4. 88% of customers expect companies to<br />
accelerate digital initiatives due to COVID-19<br />
5. 69% of customers believe companies should<br />
offer new ways to get existing products and<br />
services<br />
6. 54% believe they should offer entirely new<br />
products and services<br />
7. Only 48% of customers say they generally trust<br />
companies<br />
8. 61% of consumers feel like they’ve lost control<br />
over how their personal information is used<br />
9. 68% of customers want a brand to<br />
demonstrate empathy<br />
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50 • SUMMER 2023<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 51
DARWIN at<br />
the<br />
CARWASH<br />
The investment in security cameras pays off for carwash operators<br />
(and the readers of SSCWN) with these mostly frustrating, sometimes funny -- and always cautionary<br />
-- stories of Darwins Caught on Camera. Images of these criminals and/or their vehicles were given<br />
to police and the press. Many have been caught thanks to the prowess of security cameras.<br />
There are a few funny things happening<br />
in this story out of Adelaide,<br />
Australia.<br />
First there’s the fact that the thief took a stolen<br />
car to a car wash to clean it. The second being that<br />
he took his jolly ol’ time there at the car wash– 40<br />
minutes to be exact. the act. But, truly, the best<br />
part of this story, reported on by those funny Aussies<br />
at 7 News, is this woman, who was interviewed<br />
for the story, even though she has nothing to do<br />
with the car wash, the thief, the police, the neighborhood<br />
or anything at all for that matter:<br />
She is simply a random woman, who was<br />
52 • SUMMER 2023<br />
interviewed, and proceeded to laugh at the fact<br />
that the criminal was caught washing a stolen<br />
car at the car wash.<br />
The story, by the way, is from May 29, when an<br />
alleged car thief was caught washing a stolen Suburu<br />
at a car wash for at least 40 minutes. Car wash<br />
security cameras caught the man on tape washing<br />
down the car. But, he was actually caught because<br />
the vehicle was being tracked by the owner.<br />
The Subaru was fitted with a tracking device,<br />
and police said that despite the owner being<br />
away from home, he was notified that his car<br />
was on the move, the story said. And the (alleged)<br />
victim was able to provide live updates to<br />
patrols as he tracked his car …<br />
Video shows the suspect seeming to be somewhat<br />
surprised when police surrounded him at<br />
the car wash. Officers proceeded to search the<br />
stolen vehicle and found a traffickable amount<br />
of methamphetamine as well as $2000 inside.<br />
Not much else to report on the story. Maybe<br />
that’s why the reporter interviewed this random<br />
woman, who thinks the whole story is “fantastic.”<br />
Oh, those wacky, Australians!<br />
Hey, Oakland Athletics, I have a baseball batter for you!<br />
In Saraland, Alabama, a man was captured<br />
on camera giving the old college try<br />
after causing damage with a baseball bat at<br />
the Moose Car Wash, according to a June 27<br />
WALA story.<br />
The assailant was first caught on camera<br />
trying to break into an ice machine. And<br />
because committing a robbery can apparently<br />
make you thirsty, he then gives up and<br />
sits down to take a drink. That is when he<br />
looks up and apparently notices the camera.<br />
So, according to the footage, he then grabs a<br />
baseball bat and starts swinging.<br />
He broke a total of two cameras.<br />
I forgot to mention the man was shirtless<br />
during the incident. Perhaps he was channeling<br />
Noah Syndergaard?<br />
Nothing says “great getaway vehicle”<br />
better than a logging truck! I mean, if<br />
you’re going to try and be inconspicuous, it is<br />
probably best to not drive a flatbed meant for<br />
hauling huge tree trunks. In Kirksville, Montana,<br />
a truck was caught on camera causing damage<br />
at the Splash and Dash Car Wash on June 19.<br />
According to a KTVO report. The truck was<br />
caught on surveillance camera around 9:45 a.m.<br />
driving into the entrance, causing damage above<br />
the bay opening.<br />
KTVO wrote a story about the incident and<br />
posted about it on its <strong>web</strong>site and Facebook<br />
page. The insurance agent for the driver of the<br />
logging truck recognized the vehicle and called<br />
his client, the story said. He instructed the driver<br />
to turn himself in.<br />
The car wash owner stated he did not want<br />
to press charges as long as the damage is covered<br />
under the driver’s insurance.<br />
What’s interesting is that a similar incident<br />
happened a week earlier in which a box truck<br />
drove into, and damaged another bay at the<br />
same car wash. That driver was also later caught.<br />
Let’s play another round of:<br />
Who does this criminal remind me of?!<br />
In this edition, we have a guy who caused<br />
multiple damages to the Squeaky’s Car Wash in<br />
Topeka, Kansas, back in May and April, according<br />
to WIBW. Surveillance footage shows the man<br />
who allegedly caused damage on April 27 and May<br />
4. Police said the man allegedly smashed the pay<br />
screen at the automatic car wash and came back to<br />
damage the new screen about a week later. He also<br />
attempted to set fire to a trash can inside the wash.<br />
Now, here is a<br />
picture of the culprit:<br />
And, here is my<br />
list of lookalikes…<br />
Brandon Call, actor from the show Step by<br />
Step. Or, how about crooner Michael Buble,<br />
from when he first started out at the age of 21?<br />
No, wait. I’ve got it! Chantilly Lace singer The<br />
Big Bopper!<br />
Hard to tell with this next one. Was it on purpose? Was it an accident?<br />
It’s so hard to tell as there are so many nutty<br />
people out there… In Lehigh Acres, Florida, a<br />
driver may have purposely caused damages to a<br />
self serve car wash back on July 31, WINK reported.<br />
The driver was caught on camera backing<br />
up and hitting the side of the car wash, causing<br />
parts of the wall to fall down.<br />
Before the damage was done, car wash footage<br />
shows the man parking his truck, towing a trailer,<br />
inside a car wash bay at about 5:30 p.m. He then<br />
wentinto the c-store mart, where the owner said<br />
he tried buying something requiring identification.<br />
However, he didn’t have the proper ID, so the<br />
sale was denied. He then walked out, “a little bit<br />
angrier,” according to the owner.<br />
He then walks back into his truck, pulls out<br />
of the car wash and seems to get stuck. “Then<br />
the driver repeatedly maneuvered back and forth<br />
before ramming into the side of the wall in the<br />
process. Eventually, he manages to drive out of<br />
the bay and the video shows him driving off in his<br />
truck without stopping to check the damage. The<br />
gas station owner said he is now left to pick up the<br />
pieces,” the story said, literally and figuratively.<br />
The video also reveals that he almost hit another<br />
car while driving off the property.<br />
Oh, dear… the poor wittle son of the mayor didn’t like what was<br />
happening in the sandbox, so he got mad!<br />
In a story I can only describe as a “spoiled brat<br />
gets revenge!” it brings me to remember these<br />
three well known spoiled brats:<br />
Dudley Dursley of Harry Potter.<br />
Joffrey Baratheon of Game of Thrones<br />
And<br />
Francis Buxton of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.<br />
Let’s see if you see some similarities. In Elton,<br />
Louisiana, an altercation took place at a car wash<br />
between Roderick Williams and Marcus Lemoine<br />
Jr., who is the son of the city’s mayor. According<br />
to a June 22 KPLC story, on June 10, Williams<br />
said he was approached and assaulted by Lemoine<br />
Jr., while he was washing his car.<br />
It might have had to do with the fact that back<br />
in May, 7News interviewed Williams regarding<br />
potential voter fraud in the town. His claims were<br />
investigated and it turns out he was right and<br />
discrepancies were found. A call for the mayor to<br />
resign was initiated.<br />
Williams told police that the attack by Lemoine<br />
was “retaliation.”<br />
The owner of the car wash confirmed that<br />
surveillance cameras captured the incident.<br />
And it turns out the Mayor was also at the car<br />
wash. Therefore, the case was turned over to the<br />
District Attorney’s office.<br />
To put it mildly, this man racked up<br />
quite the rap sheet!<br />
A stabbing? Check. Prostitution? Check.<br />
Theft? Check. A man in Bryan, Texas, has admitted<br />
to promoting prostitution, cutting another<br />
person with a knife, and breaking into a Bryan car<br />
wash, an April 26 WTAW story said.<br />
As part of a plea agreement, Henry Franklin<br />
was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years for committing<br />
the crimes back in 2021.The car wash<br />
burglary took place in September 2021. Police<br />
obtained car wash security footage that showed<br />
Franklin, as well as his vehicle, at the car wash<br />
around the same time equipment went missing.<br />
Franklin sold the stolen car wash equipment and<br />
the buyer positively identified him as the seller.<br />
Then, in November of 2021, Franklin apparently<br />
stabbed his roommate during a verbal argument.<br />
He was arrested for the stabbing. While in<br />
jail, he allegedly wrote letters to a young woman<br />
he had been dating and encouraged her to be a<br />
prostitute. Lovely!<br />
According to the story, and as a shock to no one<br />
at all, this will be Franklin’s second trip to prison.<br />
Mommy or jail?! What’s scarier?<br />
When you’re 17, jail might seem like a cakewalk<br />
compared to an angry mom. This story is<br />
out of Gillette, Wyoming, and involves a stolen<br />
wash sign, according to a July 3 County 17 story.<br />
A 17-year-old boy has been cited for hit-andrun<br />
and careless driving following an incident at<br />
Tommy’s Car Wash on June 29.<br />
According to the car wash’s surveillance footage,<br />
the teenager was driving a blue 2008 Chevy<br />
truck at about 10:50 p.m. at a high rate of speed<br />
when he turned into the parking lot of Tommy’s<br />
Car Wash. He hit the sign with his truck and<br />
then drove off. “The total damage to the sign was<br />
$950, and the 17-year-old’s mother was notified,”<br />
the story said. Dun dun dunnnnnn.<br />
It turns out the 17 year old was having a pretty<br />
rough couple of days, as also on June 29, in an<br />
attempt to make a Tik Tok video, he lost control<br />
of his truck and crashed it at a park. According to<br />
the story, the boy was distracted due to a potential<br />
confrontation with several individuals after<br />
one of his passengers threw a milkshake at another<br />
vehicle while attempting to record a TikTok<br />
video. Police were called to the scene, but the 17<br />
year old fled… and ended up at Tommy’s.<br />
A little while later, a 16-year-old was seen on<br />
camera at the wash in a separate vehicle. “The<br />
16-year-old, who earlier had been a passenger in<br />
the 17-year-old’s vehicle, had been observed, via<br />
video, exiting the second vehicle and taking the<br />
sign,” the story said.<br />
SUMMER 2023 • 53
So there was this one time I was<br />
backing out of my driveway and I<br />
went to turn onto the road and my tire went<br />
completely flat and I couldn’t drive another foot.<br />
I had to call roadside assistance and my life was<br />
on hold for hours as I sat there. Turns out it was<br />
due to a single nail jammed into the tire. So, why<br />
am I sharing this? Because I drove over a single<br />
nail and was left with an inoperable van. And the<br />
vehicle in this next story went through a lot more<br />
turmoil and it just kept on truckin’. What gives?<br />
The incident took place in Lakeland, Alberta,<br />
Canada, on June 13, at the Lac La Biche Car<br />
Wash. The driver of a blue Dodge pickup truck<br />
used the vehicle as a sort of battering ram during<br />
the afternoon to evade police inside, according to<br />
a Lakeland Today story.<br />
The truck — reportedly driven by a woman<br />
with a male passenger — collided with another<br />
vehicle and injured a man inside the car wash<br />
as the driver attempted to get away as police<br />
responded to a complaint of an alleged fraud, the<br />
story said.<br />
Police attempted to block exits to the building<br />
with emergency vehicles, yet the driver was<br />
able to escape from the car wash, making its way<br />
through a school zone and into a residential area<br />
and then turning onto Highway 36, where a short<br />
police pursuit took place. The pursuit was called<br />
off a short time later as the pickup truck was reportedly<br />
being driven in an erratic and dangerous<br />
manner, according to the story.<br />
The car wash’s security cameras were able to<br />
help identify the driver and the passenger.<br />
So, let me get this straight: The truck broke<br />
out of a car wash, drove through a school zone<br />
and onto the highway and engaged in a race with<br />
police and I drove over one nail and had to sit<br />
around for four hours waiting for AAA? In the<br />
famous words of Cousin Eddie: I don’t know?<br />
And, here are some<br />
dumb criminals<br />
from Facebook:<br />
Zoom in on that ID badge!<br />
A mannequin?<br />
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This next criminal seemed somewhat<br />
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fell right into the dummy pool.<br />
In Memphis, Missouri, we have Dillion Leon<br />
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following an investigation into multiple break-ins,<br />
according to a 7 abc story. Dotson is accused of<br />
stealing about $400 in cash as well as a fire-proof<br />
safe from a Farm and Home store. Police stated<br />
he disarmed that business’ security system and<br />
stole it, but was also caught on security cameras.<br />
The part where he disarmed the system is where<br />
he sounds smart. Read on to find out why he<br />
also sounds plain ol’ stupid. Police also found out<br />
Dotson had unsuccessfully tried to break into B’s<br />
Car Wash on April 28, 2023.<br />
A police officer told KTVO he used surveillance<br />
footage from three neighboring businesses<br />
to solve the crime in 12 hours.<br />
The officer drove around Memphis and located<br />
the black SUV that Dotson was driving. When<br />
he got close to the vehicle, “he said he could see<br />
a crowbar, a hammer and a fire-proof safe, all<br />
in plain sight inside the vehicle,” the story said.<br />
Bingo! There it is..<br />
Police approached the residence and Dotson<br />
was inside. Dotson confessed to the crimes and<br />
admitted using the crowbar to pry open the business’<br />
doors to get inside.<br />
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