By Bryan Hanson, Xstream Pressure Washing
Washing cars is not for everyone. You need to be focused. Sure, anyone can wash a car but there are only a select few that can wash 400 in a day. Becoming successful in car lot took some time, but the systems we now have in place came from these fiye key elements:
1. Show up: I know it sounds simple, but that what makes us stand out from the other companies. Do what you say your going to do. If you tell them Mondays, be there on Monday. If you tell them every two weeks, don’t show up every three. Being reliable and dependable is what they expect. We show up to every lot, every week. We call the lot before we show up just to let them know we are on our way. It also works the other way. If you’re not going to be able to make it, you need to call them and let them know. It says a lot about your company.
2. Routing: You can’t make it in this business by driving 30 miles to one lot then 20 miles to the next. Your drive time needs to be minimal. The closer your lots, the more cars you can wash in a day, putting more money in the bank.
3. Vehicle Placement: You need to be able to wash as many cars as possible without moving. You cannot afford to stop, turn off the machine, move the rig, start the machine and continue to wash. When you do this, you just lost five to seven minutes. By the end of the day, you lost a lot you could have washed, costing you money.
4. DI Tank or RO water: DI stands for deionized water and RO stands for reverse osmosis. These systems convert regular tap water to spot-free water. Either one of these systems is a must to do car lots. Washing with regular tap water will hurt you in the long run, either by slowing you down or by damaging the car windows and paint.
5. Dryer: Saved the best for last. The person/persons you have drying the cars is what keeps the lot managers happy. They expect no spots or streaks on the car. It’s about the appearance when it’s dry. You need to take the time to find the right people to dry the cars. They need to be very picky. If they tell you need to rewash the car then do it. Without them there is no way you will make it in the car lot side of the pressure washing industry. In my opinion they need to be the highest paid employees. The dryers are the ones who keep the accounts on the books. This one key alone is what builds the loyalty between you and the lot.
