Being the best in your market boils down to these five points:

1. Hiring. For employees, too often little or no consideration is given to the true abilities of the person. Many operators consider themselves lucky to obtain a "body" and attempt to convert it into an asset for the wash.

Some larger carwashes, especially full serves, are constantly in the hiring mode to feed the passing parade of individuals who are just looking for a job -- any job. Unfortunately, this high turnover eats away at profit because of the cost of running help wanted advertisements and time lost because of inexperienced workers.

"Expect better and you'll get better" should be the motto for all carwashes. Proper hiring techniques can greatly reduce the frustration and expense that accompanies high turnover.

Administrative hiring is equally important. Whether the position is a receptionist's or a bookkeeper's, it's essential to find the right person for the job.

It only takes one person with a bad attitude to adversely affect the entire office. Look for people without a world of personal problems and those who project a positive outlook. More work will be accomplished and your office will be a place where people look forward to coming to work.

Conduct a professional interview. A one-on-one, two-interview process will present a professional appearance and allow the interviewer to really get to know the applicant. Mass hiring is impersonal and gives the impression of high turnover.

2. Training. Offer a comprehensive training program. Obtaining a high-caliber employee is only the first step. Giving them proper training will greatly enhance their level of success.

Make sure you plan your work and work your plan. To present a professional training program, you must first have a training manual.

Insist that your employees dress as professionals as well. Have them wear shirts embroidered with your company logo. Orkin, one of the largest names in pest control, has been presenting a professional image in the bug business for many years with this method.

3. Marketing. Look at marketing like fishing: use a variety of lures. Different marketing techniques increase the potential of reaching a prospect. Direct mail, telemarketing, newspapers, radio advertising and flyer distribution are a few of the methods used to generate business. The key is to use more than one approach.

To guarantee successful marketing, work multiple programs at once. This is no different than having four hooks in the water at the same time. Your chances of landing the big one increase dramatically.

A marketing department can also be very expensive unless it's properly managed. Constant evaluation of a marketing program is absolutely necessary.

Don't let a bad idea continue too long because of "pride of authorship." Know your costs in conjunction with your selling price and know when it's time to pull the plug on a program that's not producing.

4. Service. Customer service after the sale is where a company's reputation is most often determined. It's inevitable that there will be customers unhappy with your service.

But even in those instances when customers seem unreasonable in their demands for satisfaction, there are opportunities to build your reputation. You know the type: you could refund their money, bankrupt the company and shoot the employee, and they'd still be unhappy.

Treating these situations with extreme fairness -- even to the point of leaning a little their way -- sends a message that your company is "consumer friendly.".

5. Teamwork. The final ingredient in being the best is teamwork. Every person on the team is of equal importance. A V-8 engine missing on one cylinder will still run, but not without putting additional strain on the remaining seven.

Develop a sense of teamwork by scheduling monthly meetings with all of your administrative staff to avoid the "bottlenecks" of doing business. This encourages communication and allows everyone to focus on a common goal. When people feel they're part of a team, they feel responsible not only to the business, but to each other as well.

Being the best doesn't necessarily mean selling the most washes. One operators might service fewer cars than another, but still have more profit. If you were to rate these businesses, which would you consider to be the best?

If there were an award for being the best, it would be shared by all business owners who have learned to raise their standards by expecting more from themselves and their people. Those who represent their service with solid ethics and integrity, and those who head a team that strives daily to please the customer -- those dealers are the best.

Richard Brouse is president of Sweetwater Filtration, Inc., Austin, TX.