That’s right, September 22nd started the Fall Season. What does that mean to our car wash business? Mostly it means we need to get ready for the Busy Time. The time when the garden hoses go away and the start of winter begins showing up on cars. Snow and ice, salt and mud. Great stuff. Stuff which needs to get cleaned off. But, in order for us to handle all our winter business, we need to ensure our wash is operating at peak efficiency and offering the services our customers are after.

Look at your bays. What does the customer see? Are they clean and bright; are the booms in good shape and not rusty messes looking as if they may fall on a vehicle at any moment? Do your hoses, guns, wands, brushes need to be replaced?

What about mat holders? Does the customer have a place to clean them without throwing them on the floor?

Check your signs and stickers on the walls and meter boxes. Be sure they are not missing and are easily legible. Perhaps the walls need a good cleaning before things start to get busier. While vacuums are the kind of things which don't tend to get busier when the snow falls, servicing them after the weather gets bad is not ideal. Check and replace any motors, bags, hoses, and tools now.

What about the equipment room? It may be time for an oil change on pumps and compressors.

Check your chemical distribution systems to make sure they are working properly. Now is a good time to fire up the heating system for your floors. Finding and correcting any problems now can avoid losing business in December. Run through your spare parts inventory. Make sure you have what you need because we all know things break down on a busy Friday afternoon. Go through all the systems and features you have to make sure everything is doing what it is supposed to do.

This, while not guaranteeing a trouble-free winter, will certainly get you off to a good start. As always, you can rely on Pelco to assist with whatever is required to keep your business up and running.