We are pleased to recognize an SCWA member, Sophie Radde
(co-owner) and Clean Getaway Car Wash & Detail Center, who
was recently featured in the August edition of Professional Car
Wash & Detailing magazine. Clean Getaway Car Wash was
honored by SCWA as the 2012 Full Serve/Conveyor of the Year.
Ahead Of The Pack
This Texas flex-serve stands out in a crowded market
due to customer service, technology and sodas.
In the carwash industry, accolades do not exactly grow
on trees. In fact, carwashing seems to be something of a humble
business. Rarely can hardworking owners and operators
slow down long enough to take a phone call much less take
time to vote on or accept an industry award. Honestly, it
seems that many would rather spend valuable off-time learning
new ways to improve their current operations.
Yes, there are thousands and thousands of sites across
the globe where professionals strive daily to clean cars
at the height of their abilities. So, when a carwash business
does win an award, particularly a young business,
it definitely piques interest around here. Early in 2012,
Clean Getaway Car Wash & Detail Center in Mansfield,
TX, was awarded “The Conveyor Car Wash of the Year”
for 2012 during the Southwest Car Wash Association’s
Convention and EXPO. PC&D contacted Owners John
Huffman and Sophie Radde and Manager Kevin Bledsoe
to learn more about their flex-serve operation.
And the winner is…
The Clean Getaway team revealed that the wash was
nominated for the award by Jerry Vickers of Blendco
Systems. Vickers visited the wash to work on the business’s
chemicals, and he was impressed with the equipment,
layout, customer service and even the free sodas
that the wash offered customers.
Vickers noticed the wash employees always had smiles
on their faces, said “thank you” and “have a nice day” and
opened doors for customers when they got in and out of
their cars. Even though the award was titled “Conveyor,”
Clean Getaway’s manager and owners believe the wash
received the award for a number of business components,
not just a superior tunnel.
Coddle the customers
As a flex-serve carwash, Clean Getaway offers a broad
variety of menu options, so there is a competitive cleaning
option for just about every type of customer. Whether a customer
is looking for a quick exterior wash with free vacuums
or a complete interior/exterior detail with paint restoration
services, the wash has a package that fits the bill. The owners
feel this variety appeals to a larger audience than traditional
full-service washes or newer express washes.
What packages have proven the most popular with
Clean Getaway’s customers? “Our most popular services
are the interior/exterior packages priced in the $19 to
$23 range. They offer the traditional ‘full-service’ cleaning
such as windows, vacuum, wipe dash and console,
wheels cleaned and tire dressing done by hand,” Manager
Kevin Bledsoe said. “The service is a good general cleaning
package at a competitive price point and it’s done in
about 15 minutes so it is perfect for the customer with a
hectic schedule.”
When it comes to clearly communicating all the different
menu selections, the most valuable tool is actually the
wash’s employees. While there are menu signs in several
places around the facility, they can be a bit overwhelming
for a customer that is not familiar with the wash. Thus,
Clean Getaway decided that the best way to educate the
customer is the ticket writer or greeter. This employee
speaks to every customer and, as quickly as possible,
offers a cleaning solution that ensures customer satisfaction
at a competitive price.
Clean Getaway employees also realize that the expectations
of customers can vary greatly. Some customers may
have a good understanding of what services come with a
$20 wash while others might expect a showroom package.
To ensure that each customer feels like they received good value for their purchase, the wash tries to go a little beyond
the normal levels of service, whether it is the basic $5 wash
or the most expensive package on the menu.
Employee expectations
In this environment of consistent customer service,
Clean Getaway is expecting a lot from its employees. The
owners and management said one of the most important
expectations is that new employees be cross trained in all
areas of the business as quickly as possible. This ensures
that the wash has the flexibility to move employees
around as staffing needs change throughout the day.
The benefit to the business is that, although some
employees might be faster and more efficient at cleaning
than others, they can all do good work and work very
hard. If, for any reason, an employee cannot report to
work, management can call on any of the staff instead of
being limited to a select few with the right experience.“Without good employees, we are not able to provide the
level of service we strive to deliver,” Bledsoe explained.
Employee turnover and constant training are two
problems that many carwashes struggle with today. At
Clean Getaway, the owners strive to pay competitive
wages, and management tries to make the employees feel
like they are part of a team, not just a way for the wash to
make money.
“All our employees are hourly except for the two
managers,” Radde stated. “So, if during a pay period it
has rained three days or more, we will pay the employees
accordingly for a couple of the days missed due to the
rain.” Not every carwash employer offers this, but Clean
Getaway chooses to because the employees want to work
but cannot due to the weather.
Radde explained, “As owners, we decided to make sure
our employees knew how much we appreciated their willingness
to work. We also pay anniversary bonuses, $100 for
each year of employment, as an additional effort to retain
employees. It is important for us to have a stable work force
so we can better maintain our quality standards.”
What about the wash ?
Clean Getaway was built with some unique technology
inside the actual tunnel. First, the wash uses
foam brush equipment. According to the owners, this
type of cleaning material was selected because dirt
and other contaminates are not as likely to adhere to
the foam equipment as they would be to cloth. And, if
the washing equipment stays clean, the cars will come
out cleaner.
Other boons inside the carwash have been the automated
wheel cleaner and the tire shiner, the owners
said. In the tunnel, these machines do an exceptional
job of cleaning the wheels then dressing the tires. These
services have proven especially popular with customers
because they work quickly and offer good results.
Although all of the equipment in the tunnel is
automated, managers and employees were originally
hand mixing all of the soap Clean Getaway used in the
pre-rinse or “prep” area. Now, the business has added
an automated mixing station to that section. According
to management, this new station cut the wash’s soap
usage substantially in its first month of use.
Outside, the carwash is a result of compromise between
the ownership team and the city of Mansfield. In fact, the
developer had to come up with an overall building design
and layout that met both the requirements of the city as
well as the requirements of the owners. The hope was
to develop the site so that Clean Getaway looked like a
carwash to customers, flowed like a carwash, yet still conformed
to the city’s architectural requirements. Though it
took a lot of compromising on both sides, the ownership
team could not be happier with the final product.
Success with competition
In the development stages, Clean Getaway’s owners
were looking for a strong neighborhood with good demographics
and zoning. In 2009, CNN’s Money magazine
rated Mansfield as one of the “Best Places to Live” in the
U.S. and ranked the city 24 out of the top 100 places. The
growing city is a place where people with “new money”
are moving, and it is located near the major city of
Arlington. Arlington is the home to the Dallas Cowboys,
the Texas Rangers and a General Motors plant. Huffman,
Radde and the rest of the ownership team saw there were
no flex washes in Mansfield when they chose the location— there were only express or full-service washes.
Still, acknowledging that there are plenty of competitors
in their market, the management team described how
Clean Getaway differentiates itself from the other washes in
the area. First, employees and managers strive to be consistent
in their service and provide the customer a good value
for the money spent. Unlike their express wash competitors,
Clean Getaway offers a complimentary towel dry on
all washes. The towel dry provides a huge value for the customer
and makes a big difference on the finished product.
Clean Getaway also built a “beautiful facility,” and the
staff works hard to keep it clean at all times. The owners
know that the wash’s cleanliness is a reflection of the quality
of work performed on customer vehicles. Finally, a free
soda machine in the carwash lobby has proven to be a big
hit with customers, too.
Following the plan
At the time of development, late 2008 to 2009, due to
the shape of the economy, banks were very critical with
lending requirements, Radde noted. In fact, it took the
team over a year to secure financing from a bank. Luckily,
Huffman and Radde had a thorough business plan in place.
“Our ability to present a strong business plan carried
over into our ability as partners to have a profitable first
year,” Radde said. “We stuck to — first and foremost —
making sure the customer’s car came out really clean. It
was important for us to invest in the state-of-the-art tunnel
equipment, with the best chemicals.”
The plan was not built on making the most profit per
car; instead the owners wanted customers to know that a
car would come out clean even after a basic wash. This
plan paid off with happy customers … customers who
recommended Clean Getaway as the carwash to go to in
the area. Radde said this early word of mouth gave the
business a great reputation as soon as it opened.
Phillip Lawless, Managing Editor, Professional Carwashing &
Detailing
