Appreciating carwash employees

Employee management is an ongoing, critical issue among most business owners, including those of carwashes. Personally, and unfortunately, I did not work at a carwash when I was younger. Earlier in life, I worked at a few retail businesses in customer-facing positions. Some days were better than others when interacting with the public, but service with a smile was never in doubt.

After speaking with countless carwashers and detailers over the years, I’ve learned that this is what we ask of the frontline employees and managers in these industries as well. However, other tasks for carwash workers and detailers are unique to these jobs.

In addition to service with a smile, a carwash employee might be asked to perform the physical labor of vacuuming or hand drying; these employees might also be asked to utilize their selling skills to promote and sell membership programs, for instance. Whether they’re an integral part of the clean, dry and shiny process or a customer service representative of the carwash, the success of the site usually depends on their skills; dedication; and positive, can-do attitude.

Successful carwash workers, including the individuals we’ve highlighted over the years in this magazine as well as on Carwash.com, all have the diverse skill sets needed to be an important part of their companies, but they also bring other intangibles to the table. They have the ability to make other team members better, and they’re a key reason customers award loyalty.

Frontline carwash and detail workers and managers are special — chances are, you already know that.

This is something that I’ve learned during my time in these industries, and it’s also something that has been front and center during the past two years especially. Over the course of my writing career, I’ve written hundreds — maybe thousands — of articles. But, the most important articles are the ones that are sometimes not written, because the topic is so immense that it’s tough to put into words or the space allotted for print. So, I’m asking for your help.

Over the past year, I have spoken with many operators on various topics. During several of these conversations, the profound effect workers have had on their businesses was palpable.

Here is where you come in. I have a simple question to ask: “How do your frontline employees and managers inspire you?”

If you would like to share, please email me your thoughts at [email protected]. We will publish these “staff appreciation” statements and letters as we receive them.

From the team at Professional Carwashing & Detailing to yours, we want to say thank you for all you do for the professional carwashing and detailing industries. Keep up the great work.