So, Spring has sprung and you’ve made it through another winter wash season! Congratulations! Did you make it through with no mechanical issues? If so, great job! You are to be commended. If not, what went wrong and why?

The cycle can be vicious. We promise ourselves coming out of the winter busy season every year that next year, NEXT YEAR, will be the year that we prepare properly so that we don’t have expensive downtime; yet, when fall comes around, we often neglect the preventative measures we promised ourselves earlier we would take.

Ever wonder why our minds work like that? How we can put the pain of the past behind us and rationalize that it wasn’t that bad when, at the time we’re going through it, we swore we would never allow ourselves to be put into a similar position again? I guess the best comparison would be to a woman giving birth to a child. During the pains of labor, she swears she will never, under any circumstances, go through child birth again and later gives birth to more children, each time swearing it will be the last.

So, here we are, the pain of a costly breakdown is still fresh in our minds and we’re swearing it will never happen again. At least that’s what we’re saying the first week of May. We have six months for the pain to wear off again and lots of slower summer days ahead. So, do we let the pain fade into just another unpleasant experience, or do we remember with white, hot anger what we felt as we saw cars leaving the lot by the dozens?

Time heals all wounds, but it doesn’t heal broken car washes. With the summer ahead of you, plan out a schedule that will allow you to take advantage of the slower times and replace any of your equipment that won’t be able to carry you through another season. Now is the time. You have the money, the time, and the anger. Don’t waste any of them.

So, picture yourself a year from now. Are you glad you made the investment and took care of the issues so that your winter season was a success, or are you lamenting the fact that you let another major breakdown ruin your season?

The choice is yours; you can spring into action (terrible pun intended) or sit idly by and allow your competitors to gain an advantage. Make this the year you break out of the cycle! By channeling your pain into action early, you’ll be way ahead of the game when it comes to pre-season prep in the fall.

Washing cars for a living is tough enough when things go well. Increase your odds for success!

Bob Fox has over 30 years of industry experience and is an instructor at CarWash College™. Bob can be reached at [email protected]. For more information about CarWash College™ certification programs, visit CarWash College or call the registrar’s office at 1-866-492-7422.

This content is sponsored by CarWash College. Sponsored content is authorized by the client and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Professional Carwashing & Detailing editorial team.