5 Business Tips for New Car Wash Owners

Whether you’ve owned a car washing business for a while or you’re just starting out on a new business venture, there are many tips and tricks a car wash owner should keep in mind when implementing their business practices. From proper washing, to building customer loyalty, to cleaning the car wash pits, we’ve got all the tips to keep you ahead of your car wash competition.

Here are our five business tips for new car wash owners:

Aim for spotless washes

There is a lot of competition when it comes to car washing — you’re even in direct competition with the car owners themselves — so when it comes to washing a car, you’ll want to aim for a completely spotless wash. Retaining your customers is a key part of successful car washes, and all it takes is a few negative Google My Business reviews for your company to lag behind the competition.

Have a loyalty program

Again, retention of your customers is the key for car wash success. Having a loyalty program is a great way to build relationships and get your happy customers to come back again and again. Many car washes offer monthly plans for their customers — sometimes it’s a simple as a flat fee for a month of unlimited washes. Whatever your business can afford to give back to your customers is great for building loyalty.

Other ideas include complimentary services for new customers, such as a free wax or tire cleaning. While these services might not be offered in your standard car wash service, spoiling a first time customer will encourage them to join your loyalty program. The customers that come back again and again are the ones who keep your business thriving.

Train your staff properly

While washing a car might seem simple, there are a lot of do’s and don’ts that a car washer must follow in order to protect the customer’s car. Your staff should be well aware of car washing best practices in order to ensure that your customers receive the best care possible. From using proper equipment to waxing correctly — there’s a lot a poorly trained car washer could mess up. Train your staff to treat your customer’s cars like their own.

Clean the car wash equipment often

The amount of equipment a car wash owner has to maintain feels almost infinite. However, maintaining the equipment is a vital step in owning a car wash business. If customers notice a lack of quality in either their car washing services or even the self-service equipment, they’re going to look elsewhere for their car washing needs. Cleaning the equipment regularly will help keep it in the best shape so that you can ensure your customers are receiving top-notch car washing services.

Keep the pits clean

This is where we come in! Cleaning the pit of any car wash can be a daunting, exhausting, and down right dirty job. But it must get done regularly or your car wash could experience waste build-up and very foul odors.

As the largest pit cleaning company in the United States, Pit Crew understands the value of a car wash owner’s time. We offer pit cleaning services for self-service bays, auto-rollover, and tunnel car washes as well as preventative packages to ensure that your car wash pits don’t develop waste build-up overtime. If your car wash pit gets stopped up, it can slow down your business and productivity, so be sure that you’re maintaining the cleanliness of your car wash pits regularly.

We thoroughly enjoy working with many car wash owners across the U.S. and we hope that these tips help your new (or established) businesses thrive. And if we can help in any way, especially with the cleaning of your car wash pits, give us call. We’d love to help!