Car Wash

The Past, Present, and Future of Cashless Marketing Options in the Car Wash Industry

I bought my first car wash in 1989 in Saint Paul Minnesota and then City of Saint Paul decided they were going to tear up the entire length of the main road that my wash was on. I had a brand new wash and traffic through the wash was at an all time low once construction started. I was certain it was going to ruin me if I did not figure out something to drum up more business."

Nearly every car wash operator has read an article or has seen a presentation on the benefits of accepting credit cards and loyalty cards. In fact there are dozens of equipment manufacturers that now offer built-in credit card acceptance and loyalty card programs. Car wash operators in 2007 can't swing a stick at a car wash trade show without hitting the latest cashless acceptance solution for the car wash. But how did cashless acceptance within the car wash industry all start?

The Origin of Cashless Card Systems in the Wash Industry

Eighteen years ago accepting credit cards in the bay was unheard of and loyalty programs were nothing like they are today. The concept of a loyalty program consisted of discounted tokens, token notes, and coupon books. Seventeen years ago the concept of card-based cashless acceptance in the wash bay was only realized and evangelized by one man in the wash industry while the rest of the car wash industry was content selling tokens and coupons. You may remember seeing a guy at the ICA trade show in the early 1990's with a fish tank in his booth that had goldfish and a card reader in the bottom to demonstrate the readers ability to work in "wet conditions". That man with the fish tank was Dan Yarusso and he started a company back in 1990 called WashCard Systems. Based out of his garage in Hugo Minnesota, Dan started his business as a one man show. In an interview with Yarusso I had the opportunity to learn that WashCard was not originally invented to be sold to other car wash operators. In fact it was created out of a necessity to market his own struggling car wash.

Dan recalls, " I bought my first car wash in 1989 in Saint Paul Minnesota and then City of Saint Paul decided they were going to tear up the entire length of the main road that my wash was on. I had a brand new wash and traffic through the wash was at an all time low once construction started. I was certain it was going to ruin me if I did not figure out something to drum up more business."

What was to be a profitable little side business was quickly becoming a huge stress factor for Dan and his family. Dan spent nights and weekends at the wash keeping things in repair and doing whatever he could to keep his customers happy while the road construction in front of his wash dragged on. When away from the wash during the weekdays Dan worked for a company that designed access control technology for security systems. It was with this knowledge of access control technology that gave Dan an idea how to fix a pet peeve of his. Dan hated carrying pockets full of tokens around just so he could wash down his self service bays. After weeks of tinkering he had wired in waterproof access card readers into each of his bays. The readers were wired into programmed control panels in his equipment room that were then wired into the bay timers. By sliding a valid card through the reader it would send a signal to the wash bay and started up the wash bay and it would not turn off again until he would slide the card a second time.

Used Car

Don't buy a car in the rain, the bodywork always looks better when it's wet, plus, the chances are you will forget to check something by rushing to get out of the rain.

Stand at the front, or the back of the car, and look along the body line. You will be able to see if it has had any body damage as the light reflecting off the side of the car will show the dents or replaced panels.

Check around the window rubbers for over spray, a sure fire way to see if a car as been touched up.

Check the gaps between the panels to make sure they are even on both sides of the car. Bonnet to wing etc. This is a good indication as to whether the car has been in an accident and had panels replaced.

Take a fridge magnet with you and check the bodywork for filler. The magnet will stick to the metal, but will fall off if it meets body filler.

Have a look at the interior of the car, does the wear inside the car look in keeping with the mileage. If the car looks like its done 100,000 and the clock says 25,000, then you know its been round the clock, or even worse clocked. Check the steering wheel, and accelerator pedal rubber for excessive wear, the clutch and brake pedal rubbers can be replaced, but the accelerator pedal is a lot harder to change, and will give a truer indication of mileage.

Check underneath the car for any oil or water leaks, also check the floor where the car has been standing for the same.

Check the tires for uneven wear, if the tires are worn more on one side than the other its an indication that the car may have been in an accident and the chassis is twisted. It could also be the tracking or wheel balancing. Either way it's not a good sign.

Drive the car, (with the radio off) and check for any knocks or strange noises. Check the steering for vibration, or pulling to one side, its an indication again that the car may have been in an accident and the chassis is twisted. Make sure you drive the car in all gears to check the gearbox.

Try a 3 point turn in the car, that will check the reverse gear, and if you put the steering on full lock you will be able to check the wheel bearings and steering rack (your looking for clunking sounds or creaking).

When the engine is now hot check the oil, if it is milky there is water getting in somewhere, which could indicate a head gasket. (very Costly). The oil should be filled to between the 2 marks on the dipstick. If the oil is brand new beware, not many people will change the oil on a car the day before they sell it unless they are trying to hide something. Also check the water reservoir for signs of oil, not a good sign.

Last of all, check the paperwork. Make sure the registration document is in the sellers name. They may be a trader trying to pose as a private seller. Check the MOT to make sure its current. Check the service history to make sure it matches the vehicle being sold. Also you may want to check the engine and chassis number to see if it matches what is on the registration document. You will find that information on a small metal plate located under the bonnet. If the plate is missing be suspicious.

My Summer Car

Summer is the time when we all love to pack up and go on long drives for picnics. We may go with our friends, family or even all by ourselves but we just cannot fight the urge to travel by car when the mercury rises. It helps to follow some special summer car care tips if you want to travel over long distances in the car. Some tips are listed below:

Tires - You get to hear a lot about the importance of maintaining the tires properly. Bad quality tires can pull down the performance of the car. With the asphalt burning in the heat, the tires bear the brunt of the high temperatures. Hence, you have to make sure your tires are in good condition. Apart of the quality of the tires, you have to make sure you do not over inflate or under inflate it.

Cooling System - Your car can quickly turn into an oven if the cooling system is not working fine. You have to make sure that the engine as well as the occupants of the car is protected from the heat. This involves checking loose connections, proper circulation of coolant and lubricating oil in the engine and the air conditioner. This will ensure your air conditioner does not break down in the middle of the trip.

Fluid Levels - Make sure all level of all fluids in the car have been checked and have been found to be proper. This includes checking engine oil, radiator and transmission fluid and brake fluid.