stated, adding that his full-serve locations
have saved almost 4 percent on labor costs
across the board after he added Belanger’s
new tire shine machine, The Durashiner,
and a poodle brush. “It doesn’t take long
to pay for equipment at that rate,” Schrum
explained. “[Especially] when you’re look-
ing at $400,000-$500,000 annual payrolls.”
McBride agreed, adding that this ser-
vice is popular for conveyor and in-bay
Working on
a budget
Operator Bob Schrum, who is also a
distributor for Econocraft, had some
advice for carwash owners on a budget. He identified these four practical
steps to modernize your wash when
money is tight.
1. Remodel your workforce.
Uniforms are a must, Schrum said,
adding that operators should
“keep your existing crew if they fit —
but make sure they are sharp,
courteous, clean, shaved and
professional.”
2. Determine the quality of your
wash. “An operator has to make
sure that the carwash equipment is
delivering the maximum cleaning for
the amount of space available,”
Schrum explained. Evaluate your
current operation to see what (if
any) improvements are necessary
in the cleaning process.
3. Invest in equipment to replace
manual cleaning. This includes pre-prepping, cleaning wheels and
applying tire dressing, Schrum
said. By removing the need for
labor in these areas, you will save
on labor costs, introduce a
standard cleaning process and
encourage more throughput.
4. Consider signage and marketing.
A few dollars spent improving your
signs or trying a new marketing
campaign can dramatically increase
your car counts or dollars-per-sale.
Schrum stressed that new signs
should be effective, not just
modernized.
operations. “Tire shine remains a huge hot
button item for carwash customers, and
the extra service for which they will consis-
tently pay the most money,” he explained.
“Washes that offer a quality tire shine
service not only stand to increase revenue
per car; they can gain market share at the
expense of competitors who do not offer
the service.”
He suggested operators with older tech-
nology should consider newer systems that
offer better coverage and eliminate chemi-
cal drips on floors and sling on customer
Compact
