Learn to Identify and Examine the Top Reasons for Car Wash Failure

by Chuck Howard, CEO / Howco Inc.

In my five-plus decades of helping car wash operators succeed in our industry, I’ve fielded thousands of questions about car washing. By nature, I’m a positive person and initially optimistic about every car wash operation. Nevertheless, one realistic and very important question that requires attention and examination is, “What are the top reasons a car wash fails?” 

Going It Alone 

A common reason for failure involves the new operator who adheres strictly to the “do-it-yourself” method, not seeking or taking advice from industry professionals who should be consulted and engaged at project launch for guidance every step of the way. Learning as you go with a shoot-from-the-hip mentality can quickly become detrimental to any business, digging early holes from which it is nearly impossible to climb out.  

Absentee Ownership 

Another reason for car wash failure is absentee ownership. If the owner chooses not to be on-site regularly, they will certainly need good management and a well-established operating system for managers and employees to follow. This is possible, but takes lots of time and effort to put it into place and monitor. 

Poor Quality Components 

Quality equipment and chemicals, and the maintenance thereof, are critical components. It’s crucial that the equipment and chemical package work well together in the car washing process and produce consistently optimal results. Attempting to operate without this vital orchestration can quickly lead to failure via unsatisfactory results for customers. A poor reputation earned early is difficult to overcome. 

Inferior Location 

One might think poor location to be the main reason for car wash failure, and this certainly can be a factor if the site is difficult to access, not road-front, and/or a challenge to find.  For those reasons, potential store locations should be carefully examined and weighed for their pros and cons. 

Conventional wisdom dictates that being on the “going home” side of the street is better for car washes, while conversely, the “going to work” side of the street is preferable for fast food breakfast restaurants and coffee shops. 

But location downsides are not absolutes and can often be overcome with an efficient and effective operation and good management.  

Lax Operation 

Failing to pay attention to every detail of your car wash operation invites monumental risk. Sometimes wash management can be too casual about significant things such as customer experience, quality of the wash, equipment maintenance, and knowledge of proper car wash chemistry. The desire to plug-and-play without meticulous oversight is unfortunately a bad business bellwether. A car wash won't run itself, and the individuals managing the operation must be conscientious, invested, and knowledgeable about all phases of the business to create success. 

Constant recruiting, training, and development of employees are also essentials. It’s so important to find quality people who are going to meet or exceed the standards that you set; this component can make or break a car wash. We often refer to good, well-trained employees as the “secret sauce” for operating a successful wash. 

We encourage finding, hiring, and training bright, energetic people who are interested in and proud of doing good work and giving customers a fulfilling experience. This holds true regardless of the type of car wash being operated.  

Note that training and developing excellent employees is a constant fine-tuning effort, just like the equipment and chemistry in the car wash.  

Keeping a finger on the pulse of the operation and being observant of all its elements are paramount to the core product of producing clean, dry, and shiny vehicles that please customers and bring them back repeatedly. Operators should constantly dissect and assess their operation.  

Lack of Marketing 

Once you have your “house in order” with respect to the operation of the car wash, it’s time to ramp up efforts to invite customers to experience your finely tuned facility. Just opening a wash one day and hoping customers will notice and choose to try it out is unrealistic. 

We recommend taking advantage of all current and ever-evolving technology to help project the image and message of your wash. A good website and social media presence with clear, accurate, enticing, and continually updated information and messaging is a must. 

We are also fans of comprehensive phone apps with regular messaging, unlimited or club plans, and loyalty programs. Any strategy that helps endear customers to your operation and keeps them coming back, while also solidifying them as valuable ambassadors, is a good idea.   

For more in-depth insight from the Howco team about services, resources, and strategies we provide to guide entrepreneurs through the Plan, Develop, Operate® journey of building a successful car wash business, be sure to explore the How-To With Howco podcast.