SECOND QUARTER 2016 | VOLUME 86
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
June 20 - 22 3 President’s Message 4 Michigan Car Wash Saves Water 8 2016 Expo Register Today! 10 Getting Results with Proper Training
Phone: 800-610-4512 Email: walilko.h@gcsionline.com www.midwestcarwash.com 120 N. Washington Square Suite 110A Lansing, MI 48933
Michigan Car Wash Saves Water!
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MIDWEST CARWASH ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS PRESIDENT
PAUL COFFMAN Breton Auto Wash
VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH CHATEL Ride the Tide Carwash
SECRETARY/TREASURER ROB DAVIS Vaughan Industries
DIRECTORS KEN ALLMACHER Allmacher LLC/Vcard SHASHIN KOTHAWALA Crystal Car Wash, Inc. BRAD QUAY Unitec
MCA is a membership organization that promotes the interests of Midwest Carwash Operators through interaction, education and information. The Finish Line is a quarterly newsletter published by the MCA. Opinions expressed by guest writers do not necessarily reflect views of the MCA. Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement or approval of the product or service advertised. All articles submitted with be considered for publication and accepted at the approval of the editor and MCA Board. The MCA reserves the right to edit submissions for accuracy, clarity and length. Please send address changes, membership inquiries, and advertising requests to the address listed above.
Advertising Index Crypto Pay (Genesys Technologies)..........................................12 Diamond Shine...............................................................................5 DRB Systems, Inc..............................................................................6 International Drying Corporation.............................................7 Michigan Cleaning Fund..............................................................3 McIntyre’s Soft Water Systems...................................................7 PDQ..................................................................................15 Warsaw Chemical Company........................................................3
SHERYL TURNER Belanger, Inc.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Midwest Carwash Association 120 N. Washington Square, Suite 110A Lansing, MI 48933 Phone: 800.610.4512 Fax: 517.371.1170 www.midwestcarwash.com
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FROM THE PRESIDENT By Paul Coffman, Breton Auto Wash
Nothing Better than an MCA Event We had our inaugural East Side Beer Tasting event at Bastone’s this April and we had a good turn-out. Conversation was lively and fellowship was high. I’m excited for the event to return next year. The second annual West Side Beer Tasting will also be back later this fall. This event was thoroughly enjoyed by all that were able to make the date last year. Look for details soon. The 2016 MCA Expo is right around the corner during the third week of June. By popular demand, we will be back at Firekeepers in Battle Creek. If you haven’t registered yet, what are you waiting for? Round tables, vendors, fellow carwash owners, food and fun! What more could you ask for?
y’s
Your Industr
Don’t forget, the Annual Bill Boal Memorial Golf Outing in September. No matter your skill level, you are welcome to attend and have fun. Keep up with all of our MCA events on our revamped website www.midwestcarwash.com. Watch for future emails and mailings on all of these events and more. Looking for information not found on the website or mailing? Please contact the MCA ofice at 800.610.4512. Hope to see you at one or more of these great events.
~Paul
2016 Bill Boal Memorial Golf Outing
Tuesday, September 27th
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Second Quarter 2016
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Michigan Car Wash Saves Estimated 28 Millon Gallons of Water vs. Driveway Washing
A
s many regions of the nation, particularly California and the American Southwest, face unprecedented water shortages, car wash manufactures and operators across the industry continue to innovate and invest in water efficient technology. Tommy Car Wash Systems, a Michigan-based car wash equipment manufacturer and site developer, recently announced that Quality Car Wash’s Waverly Ave location, a single high-tech, high-volume car wash tunnel in Holland, MI saved just under an estimated 28 million gallons of water than would have been used if customers had instead washed the vehicles at home. The car wash, located on the corner of Waverly Avenue and Chicago Drive in the Holland business district, used 34.20 gallons of water per vehicle during 2015, based on water usage records and vehicle count figures. This is comparable to the water consumption resulting from an average-length shower, which uses around 40 gallons of water, or a standard top load washer which uses around 35 gallons of water per load. Included in the figure is the water mixed into body soaps and detergents throughout the wash, sealer and wax applications, high pressure rinse, drying aid application, and all bay wash down water at the facility. This low water usage was also accomplished without use of a reclaim or re-circulation system. The company credits this efficient performance to their equipment and wash process methodology, which include: • Targeted high pressure nozzles to provide greater cleaning power with less water • Service optimization via Custom Controls’ Guardian Wash Control System
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• Next generation car wash management and monitoring software • Repeated small-dose applications with minimal waste In comparison, driveway washing with a hose has long been known to be a highly inefficient use of local water resources. The EPA and Mid-America Regional Council estimate that the average driveway wash uses 116 gallons of clean water, a reasonable figure given that an average household garden hose dispenses 12 gallons of water per minute. At that rate even a quick ten-minute driveway wash with an open hose can use 120 gallons or more of water, an amount that multiplies for parking lot car wash fundraisers. Additionally, public agencies caution that detergent runoff from driveway washes often carries motor oils and detergent phosphates into streetside storm drains. These drains then route this pollution into local water supplies with no management or treatment, poisoning local wildlife and triggering ecologically devastating algae blooms in large bodies of water. As a result many local governments (including those in areas with and without water shortages) have already moved to ban driveway washing or are actively encouraging residents to patronize their local car washes instead. In turn these local washes operate under strict water usage guidelines, recycle and recirculate much of the water used, and then route the remaining water back through a sanitary sewer to the local water treatment plant where it is cleaned and recirculated without environmental harm. Locations where driveway washing is already banned or limited include: • Germany, which bans all washing on public roads. Washes on private property are banned as well, unless
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the resident is able to collect and properly dispose of all used water. These limits exist to conserve water and limit pollutant runoff.
and encouraging car wash patronage in its place stands as an actionable solution for modern water conservation on both the local and national levels.
• Australia, where different regions operate under escalating water usage restrictions. These restrictions regulate the frequency of driveway washing or ban it outright during certain periods in an effort to combat ongoing drought conditions.
Sources / Related:
• California, where residents are now barred from washing cars with a hose unless it has a shut-off nozzle. Organizations such as the Bay Area Council have released PSAs encouraging commercial car wash visits over do-it-yourself washing.
• “Go Green, Use a Local Car Wash” Tommy Car Wash Systems
Estimates of water consumption as a result of driveway washing vary considerably. Assuming 100 gallons of water per wash (less than the 116 gallon figure used by the MidAmerica Regional Council) Tommy Car Wash Systems estimates that the Waverly Avenue Quality Car Wash site saved 27,986,030 total gallons of water, calculated with the average water use of 34.20 gallons per car and the total number of cars washed at the site during 2015.
• “Water Conservation and Washing Vehicles” Maryland Department of the Environment
• “Car Washing the Right Way” Fairfax County Virginia • “Carwashing Around the Globe” Professional Car Washing & Detailing
• “How California’s new water conservation rules affect you” Contra Costa Times • “Water Conservation” Southwest Car Wash Association
• “Water Savers” International Car Wash Association • “Wash your car the right way” Mid-America Regional Council / EPA.gov
With residential water use taking up an average of 60-70% of municipal water supplies, aging pipes and infrastructures straining to deliver potable water to expanding populations, and water shortages expected to worsen throughout the century, new solutions for modern water conservation are needed. These figures above represent the impact of a single car wash in a small Michigan community. How many more gallons could be saved nationally if a majority of driveway car washing was replaced with automatic car wash patronage? The watersaving technology incorporated into the Tommy Car Wash Systems’ equipment package and these long-term results give evidence that ending driveway hose washing
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Is Your Current Unlimited Wash Plan Delivering Average Customer Results?
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Second Quarter 2016
McIntyre's Soft Water Service Phone 800-708-PURE
Since 1960
IDC
55 Years experience in servicing & manufacturing water treatment equipment for the car wash industry. We service all brands of water softeners & reverse osmosis systems. 1014 N BRIDGE STREET, LINDEN, MI 48451
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Warsaw Chemical Co., Inc. P.O. Box 858, Warsaw, IN 46581 Phone: 800-548-3396 Fax: 574-267-3884
warsaw-chem.com
Car Choice ®. “If your car could choose.”
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EXPO 2016 SHow Schedule MONDAY, JUNE 20TH 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM Exhibitor Set-Up TUESDAY, JUNE 21ST 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Registration
JOiN US Association Expo!
for the 2016 Midwest Carwash
This year the show moves to West Michigan and the FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek. FireKeepers offers 2,900 slots, 70 table games and more. Our show floor has space for over 60 vendor booths so you’ll get a chance to check out all the latest products and services. Drawings for free FireKeepers game play will also be given away throughout the show. This year our educational session switch to the popular Round Table format. Grab breakfast and rotate around the room to collaborate with colleagues on current topics affecting your business. We encourage you to stay Tuesday night and enjoy dinner with us. Dinner and hotel details are listed.
Round Table Topics
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Round Tables 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM Trade Show Expo Open 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
MCA Annual Dinner
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22ND 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Registration 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Trade Show Expo Open 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Exhibitor Tear Down
MCA AnnUAl DiNNER Join us for dinner, awards and networking on June 21st following the first day of the show. Dinner includes a hosted bar is $55 per person. Bring your staff, co-workers and customers for a fabulous meal and networking. Each registered exhibitor can receive one complimentary ticket, see details on registration form.
• Chip Cards - what you need to know
HOTEL iNFORMATiON
• Key Word Bidding
FireKeepers Casino Hotel 11177 East Michigan Avenue Battle Creek, MI 49014 http://www.firekeeperscasino.com/stay/
• Upsales that Increase your Profits • Workers Comp Claims • and more! Finish Line
For Reservations Call: 877.FKC.8777
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2016 EXPO ATTENDEE REGISTRATION June 20 - 22 FireKeepers Casino Hotel
Company Name _________________________________________________________ q Member
q Non-Member
Other Business Name (if applicable) ____________________________________________________________________ Business Type (check all that apply)
q q q q q
q q q q
Conveyor In-Bay Automatic Oil-Lube Chemical Distributor
Detail Shop Self-Serve Credit Card Processor Insurance Provider
q q q q
Carwash Mfr. Soap Mfr. Equipment Mfr. POS
Other _____________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________________________________________________ City __________________________________________ State _________________________ Zip _________________ Contact Person _____________________________________________________________________________________ Phone ________________________________________
Fax ______________________________________________
Email _____________________________________________________________________________________________ (Please provide an up-to-date email to ensure that you receive all MCA communications)
Names of Attendees (attach list of names to this form if more space is needed) _______________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EVENT Expo Show Floor & Educational Round Tables Tuesday, June 21st & Wednesday, June 22nd
MEMBER
NON-MEMBER
$10
$20
Awards Reception & Dinner
NUMBER ATTENDING
SUB-TOTAL
$55
Tuesday, June 21st (must RSVP by June 13th) 2016 Midwest Carwash Association Membership SHOW SPECIAL
$150
**SAVE OVER 25% ON YOUR 2016 MEMBERSHIP!**
$110 TOTAL _______________
PAYMENT METHOD q Check payable to MCA
Check # _________ q AMEX
q VISA
q MasterCard
q Discover
Credit Card Number: ________________________________________ Expiration: ___________________ Code: _________________ Name: ___________________________________________ Signature: __________________________________________________ MAIL FORM AND PAYMENT TO :
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Midwest Carwash Association 120 N. Washington Square Suite 110A Lansing, MI 48933 Or Fax to 517.371.1170
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QUESTIONS? Please visit www.midwestcarwash.com or contact Hillary Walilko at 1.800.610.4512 or walilko.h@gcsionline.com.
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Getting
results with proper training
Training, if effective, can produce significant financial returns.
M
BY STEVE GAUDREAU | PC&D CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ost training is not very effective. By “effective� I mean that an individual who is trained can perform a task with greater skill and efficiency than before the training. If effective, training can make any carwash a lot of money. If an attendant at an exterior express carwash is trained on how to load vehicles properly, then more cars can be washed at peak hours, and the line can be kept short and moving along, which, in turn, attracts more customers onto the property. If an attendant at a full-service carwash is taught how to process the vehicle quickly, as well as maintain quality standards, throughput during busy times can be increased. Service advisors at flex- and full-service washes can be developed to increase revenue per car by several dollars. A self-serve attendant who can be trained to sell tokens, explain how everything works to customers, and keep the place spotless, will increase customer visits.
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How do you make this all happen? Not through just training but through effective training. There are three major factors that deter- mine whether or not training achieves its intended results: 1. The variables of the training, itself 2. Management follow-up 3. Organizational support TRAINING VARIABLES The three variables that any training is comprised of are: 1. 1. Content 2. 2. Instructor 3. 3. Delivery What content means is simply that every detail of whatever task you want employees to perform needs
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to be in writing. The training needs to be in writing for THE DELIVERY several reasons. First, the starting point before you even The third variable of the training is the actual delivery of begin the training is to set every detail in writing as to the content by the instructor. Even with written content what exactly your process is. Until the task is in writing and an instructor skilled at performing the specific tasks you don’t actually have a set procedure. What you have to be learned, there is a process of delivery that needs is every individual manager and employee’s version of to be followed in order to optimize the implementation what they think the procedure is. You can’t enforce what of any training. The following seven step process of is not clearly defined. delivery that needs to be followed in order to optimize The second reason for having every step of every task the implementation of any training. The following seven written down is that it is difficult to get employees to step program has been tested and utilized successfully understand that company procedures and organizational at hundreds of carwashes over the past 15 years. Use requirements exist and this system and you will are to be followed. dramatically improve Otherwise, the perception your training. is that what they’re being Step 1: PURPOSE asked to do is just what There are three parts to the individual manager this step. First, explain wants them to do and the overall objective of not the best way that the particular procedure. the organization has Second, clarify the decided the task is to standard to be achieved be performed in order utilizing this procedure. to satisfy the customer. Third, and most In order to have an important, explain the impact on the employee significance of the task as to the importance of in relationship to the following the procedures, Jeni Bershinsky, Location Manager with Breeze Thru Car Wash, of Fort Collins, CO, overall result that the it is necessary, during and Kevin McLoughlin, Training Instructor, for SGA, LLC, get ready for vacuum customer wants. The the initial training, for training. reason that connecting employees to see that to the customer is so these procedures are “if the manager does not know how to important is that it actually in writing. provides motivation for perform a particular skill correctly, it is And third, when a employees to perform unlikely that the training will be effective.” process is in writing and their tasks well. Also, being followed correctly, employees often care the opportunity for continuous improvement exists more about avoiding any negative feedback from organizationally, because management can begin to customers than they do following the boss’ instructions. improve upon a process only if it is clearly defined. In addition, an organization wants people to work for THE INSTRUCTOR them who want to give the customers what they want and take pride in delivering a good job for that customer. At most carwashes, the instructor is the manager or assistant manager and, in some cases, a supervisor or The above may sound like a lot of information to be lead employee. Whoever conducts the training must first conveyed, but it can actually be quite short and simple. be knowledgeable about whatever it is they are training Let’s say, for example, you run a full-service carwash and on. And they have to be skilled at whatever task they are are about to teach a new employee how to vacuum a asking a trainee to perform. vehicle correctly. You could cover all three parts of Step 1 by saying something like, “Our purpose in vacuuming a Although this requirement of skill and knowledge may vehicle is to thoroughly clean the floors, seats, and backs seem obvious, my experience is that many managers are in the vehicle within 1.5 minutes for a two-person team. very often not that skilled in some tasks like, for example, This work is so important to the customer that the No. selling extra services, performing production procedures 2 complaint from customers at a full-service carwash is exactly as they are supposed to be done, or handling insufficient vacuuming.” What was just described takes customer complaints. As a result, even with a procedure about 20 to 30 seconds. In that short period of time, you in writing, if the manager does not know how to perform have clarified the task, set the standard, and provided a particular skill correctly, it is unlikely that the training motivation by explaining the importance of the job. will be effective. “Do as I say and not as I do” usually does This is an example of training that is both effective; i.e., not get the job done in the area of training at a carwash, accomplished its purpose and efficient; i.e., it doesn’t take which is a very hands-on business. much time.
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1
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Training - continued from page 11 “Walk through and talk through all the activities needed to perform the procedure correctly.” Step 2: RESOURCES After relating the purpose, review all the tools, equipment and resources that will be used to perform the task. Explain how these resources operate and how they need to be maintained. Building on the above example, a new vacuumer would be shown how the vacuum turns on and off, how the vacuum claw is to be used, how the mat machine works, what tools are used for cleaning up the area, etc. The concept is to provide basic orientation on these resources before beginning to work with them and before training people on how to use these resources. Alma Wilcher, Assistant Manager at Breeze Thru Car Wash, and Kevin McLoughlin, Training Instructor for SGA, LLC, work on increasing car count volume.
Kevin McLoughlin, Training Instructor for SGA, LLC, and Antonio Nolasco, because it is the first area the Location Manager with Breeze Thru Car Wash, works on preventative maintenance.
Step 3: OVERVIEW Walk through and talk through all the activities needed to perform the procedure correctly. Again, using the above example, a trainer in a steady, unhurried manner would open the door of the vehicle, simulate vacuuming the vehicle while talking about what is being done as it is being done. This process is not done in real time or with a real customer’s vehicle. As the activity is walked through and talked through, the most important areas to be paid attention to would be pointed out. For example, in vacuuming a vehicle, the most important areas to get clean are the driver’s floor, seats and back. This is because it is the first area the customer sees and is usually the most important area to be vacuumed from their standpoint. A procedure that takes 1.5 minutes in real time would usually take at least 3 to 5 minutes to provide an overview of this procedure. Step 4: DEMONSTRATION Now, the instructor is finished with the preliminary steps and is ready to speed up the process. In this
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step an instructor gives a complete demonstration of the procedure in real time without speaking. In the demonstration all the steps need to be completed correctly and within the time standard. After the demonstration the people being trained are asked if they have any questions. It is also important to ask a few questions of the people being trained to confirm their understanding of the skills that were just demonstrated. Step 5: USAGE In this step training participants use the procedure just demonstrated in real time without the instructor speaking to them. The instructor should carefully observe all the steps performed and, if necessary, make notes on a small pad to refer back to later. Timing the practice runs should not begin yet. Only after all the steps are being performed correctly is it wise to take out the stopwatch and begin timing trainees on the time standards of performance. Step 6: COACHING After each time the procedure is performed, the instructor should stop and coach the trainees on what was observed, starting off with positive feedback to reinforce the parts of the procedure that were performed correctly. Then, correcting any areas that were not done properly. Trainees can be reminded that there will be mistakes made because they are just learning. It is often better to correct one or two areas at a time. If there are many areas that are incorrect, then the procedure can be broken down into smaller parts and only one area at a time will be corrected. Always correct behavior. Avoid making it personal. For example, if training on the vacuuming procedure, say, “It is more efficient and easier on your shoulder to use long, even
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Training - continued from page 13 strokes with the vacuum claw instead of short choppy strokes.” This would be correcting behavior as opposed to making it personal, as in, “You’re vacuuming all wrong, because your strokes are too choppy.” Step 7: TRAINING ON THE LINE Continue training on any areas not per- formed up to standard. That means that Step 5 (Usage) and Step 6 (Coaching) will be repeated several times before Step 7 occurs. Step 7 is dramatically different from the previous steps, because all of the training has taken place off-line through Step 6. I define off-line as working on a vehicle that is not a customer’s vehicle and is usually in an area of the facility not being used for customers. After each vehicle, trainees need to be coached with praise given for correct performance and corrective feedback for any mistakes made or steps omitted. Step 7 is completed when a person is able to complete the procedure being trained on correctly three times in a row. In other words, if someone is doing only every other vehicle correctly, they are not completely trained yet. One of the biggest mistakes made, and it usually occurs in Step 7, is that managers do not expect people to follow procedures perfectly when they first start. In fact, that is when it’s most important to make sure that employees do follow the procedure exactly as demonstrated. The benefit of pushing for a high level of performance at the beginning of someone’s work with the carwash is that not only does better performance occur, but a lot less corrective feedback is needed later. FOLLOW-UP After the initial training of an employee is completed, the next major factor is the follow-up that occurs afterward. There are three key ideas to remember regarding followup. First, once a trainee starts working on line, the peer influence of other employees takes over. What this means is, if the other employees are not already performing the procedures correctly, whatever training has been provided will erode quickly. The converse is also true: if employees are fol- lowing the procedures correctly, this fact will usually have a very positive impact on the new employee doing the same. Second, once someone is trained to perform a procedure correctly, the next process that must occur to ensure that the training sticks is that the supervisor or manager must continue to coach and hold people accountable to use whatever procedures they were trained to perform. Training will quickly wear off unless there is on-the-job
follow-up to make sure new skills that are learned become habitual on the part of the new employee. Third, any basic initial training is just that—the basics. In any job there is always more to learn about any particular task. In the carwash industry the constant change that occurs in vehicle design like how to start a car means that learning is forever. ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT The third major factor that determines the effectiveness of training is organizational support. The entire organization must support the training, and this support represents itself in several ways. First, it takes quite a bit of effort and skill to get the organization to agree to and put in writing what the consensus is about the procedures, processes and policies that will be followed and enforced through- out the organization. Having performed this task many times for many organizations, I know that this is not an easy task. Necessary, but neither quick nor easy. Second, an organization has to allocate the time in human resource costs in order for new employees to be properly trained. The carwash industry, like most industries, tends to train people on the fly and on-the job. Employees deserve to be well-trained before they are asked to perform a task. The organization benefits not only because that task is performed better right from the beginning, but also a good employee is a lot more motivated and is likely to stay with you longer. Third, in order for all of this training to occur properly and for the organization to receive the benefits of doing so, supervisors and managers need to be trained on how to train. Very few managers in any business are trained as trainers. Training a new employee correctly is one of the high- est leveraged activities that a manager can perform in terms of return on investment on their time. Yet, most companies do not provide this management development opportunity. Why? Because, since most training is ineffective, ownership does not see the value; so are reluctant to spend the money or time to develop their managers in this area. Training does not make you more profitable as a business — effective training does. Train your managers correctly on how to train, and when they begin to train your employees effectively, see your car counts go up and your revenues improve. Steve Gaudreau, President of SGA, LLC, is a management trainer, consultant and writer who has served the carwash industry for over 20 years. He is the author of the best selling industry book Creating Exceptional Managers and the developer of the seminar of the same name. He can be reached at steve.gaudreau@ hotmail. com.
© Copyright 2016 Grand View Media Group. Reprinted with permission from Professional Carwashing & Detailing ® magazine. For free subscription to Professional Carwashing & Detailing ® magazine call 866-721-4807 / www.carwash.com PROFESSIONAL CARWASHING & DETAILING® May 2012
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PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LANSING, MI PERMIT NO. 664
120 N. Washington Square Suite 110A Lansing, MI 48933
Not an MCA Member? Join today at www.MidwestCarWash.com