Why You Should Fit a Car Wash Into Your Schedule

Let’s face it: washing your car is a chore. And that’s true even if you don’t do it yourself; even if you use a professional car wash like Metro. You still have to pull out of traffic. You still have to get out of your car, worry about collecting valuables, sort through envelopes and receipts that may or may not be garbage, and then lose 20 minutes of your life you’ll never gain back. I get it. Not as fun as a swingin’ costume party. Not as relaxing as watching the big game on your couch.

But I’d like to make a case for penciling us into your life anyway. And I think you might find it easier (and more affordable and more relaxing) than you think.

First off, then, let’s answer this question: Why should you regularly wash your car?

Here’s Metro’s answer to that question:

1. Investment protection. Here in Tucson, our vehicles are exposed to heat, acid rain, bugs, bird droppings, baked on break dust, and more than 30 other contaminants – some invisible to the naked eye. Without regular washing, these elements can cause serious, even irreparable, damage to your car’s paint, clear coat, and wheels. For most of us, our vehicles are one of our biggest investments. And washing your car means helping to keep your resale value up. You know those dull, spotted, rough-looking cars you see on the road that look like they’ve been hit by lightning? All non-washers. Every last one of them.

2. Personal Well-Being. It may sound strange, but it’s true. Just like a clean home or an organized office, a clean, uncluttered, freshly washed car will make you feel amazingly better (and you’ll probably think your car even runs better). Most of us can’t afford maid service (and it’s awfully hard to keep your office neat and organized), but swinging into a car wash on a regular basis is one cheap and easy way to sprinkle a little mojo back into your life. Since you spend so much time in the car, why not improve the quality of your life by at least having this area clean, maintained and smelling fresh. You’ll be surprised by how much better you’ll feel.

3. We’re cool guys. Regularly washing your car at Metro Car Wash means regularly hanging out with us, the Metro Team, even if it’s only for a few minutes. And let’s face it, we’re about as good for your soul as it gets.

Now that I’ve hopefully convinced you to consider washing your car regularly, I’d next like to suggest that you actually schedule us into your week (or your month).

Washing your car is like any task you don’t have to do – it’s easy to procrastinate. We all fill up with gas because if we don’t, we’ll be stranded on the side of the road. But tasks like oil changes, car washes, and trips to the dentist are areas we tend to let slide. And the best way to avoid this is to simply put Metro into your regular schedule. Pick a day of the week, for example (perhaps your least hectic), and make it a habit of visiting us on your lunch break or on your way home from work. If it becomes part of what you do, it no longer feels like a chore. Rather, it will become that one little thing you do for yourself that makes you feel good, adds a crisp organization to your life, and also makes you feel very sensible and grown up for being so responsible for taking care of your investment (we’ve studied this extensively and know it to be true).

And finally, I’d like to point how little this will actually cost you.

Let’s say you decided to visit us weekly (we would really like this). And let’s say you don’t need to get the inside of your car cleaned every week, so you decided to rotate between and Express Wash (just the outside) and a Full Service Wash (inside and outside) every other time. Additionally, let’s say you decide to join our VIP Club (a frequent washer program) that gives you $2 of credit every time you purchase a full service car wash, meaning that a full service wash will only cost you $6.99.

Quick math shows the following: Express Wash $3.99. Discounted Full Service Wash $6.99. Average weekly cost of keeping your car clean at Metro Car Wash: $5.49.

Yup. So let’s think about this. For less than $6.00 per week, you can:

• Maintain your investment and make your father proud,
• Have a shiny car in the parking lot at your place of work (which speaks volumes about how “together” you actually are,
• Keep a space in your life (where you spend a lot of time) clean and organized, which accomplishes just as much as visiting a therapist, and
• Look good as you drive down Tucson streets, the sun flashing off your shiny paint job and sparkling teeth.

I hope I’ve convinced you how important (and easy) it is to fit us into your schedule. So as you start contemplating your New Year’s Resolutions, perhaps you’ll keep Metro Car Wash in mind.

Until next time, stay clean my friends!

-DJ DripDry

Why We Think Our Honor Roll Is Important

For the most part, the media is filled with lousy news stories. I’m not saying that many of these reports aren’t important, but let’s face it: 90% of what’s coming at us is covering rather depressing topics (wars, invasive body scans, skidding economies, arrested starlets in Vegas … the list goes on). So you’d think when a good story came along – something maybe a little uplifting – the news might want to grab it. Publish something nice for a change.

You’d think.

But in the case of Metro Car Wash’s Honor Roll Program, you’d be wrong.

If you don’t know about our Honor Roll Program, here’s a quick rundown.

First, our car wash works with over 20 Charities and Not-For-Profit organizations in Tucson. It’s called our Community Partnership Program and we’re fairly proud of it. I won’t go into details here (you can get to them by following this link: Metro CPP), but suffice to say it’s a great fundraising opportunity and allows us to discover a lot of exceptional causes, efforts and organizations in the Tucson community.

Last year, we decided it would be a good thing to recognize some of the individuals that volunteered within these organizations – a way to thank them for their services, a way to give them a nod for their efforts (that so often times go unnoticed).

To do this, we created The Metro Car Wash Honor Roll. We asked our participating community partners to give us nominations for individuals who donated time and effort to good causes in Tucson, and then our Company voted on who would make the Honor Roll List. In 2010, twenty-seven individuals made our Honor Roll. Granted, it’s not like winning a Nobel Peace Prize, but its nice just the same. Each honoree received an Honor Roll Card that entitled them to unlimited free car washes at Metro Car Wash for the entire year and their names were posted on our website for recognition.

Oh, and an article was written by a journalist who thought the story was … uplifting.

And you know what? It was a good story.

There were some pretty amazing people we discovered, doing some really great things in Tucson. The story covered individuals like Paula McNellis, who has volunteered at T.R.O.T. (a therapeutic horseback riding program for children and adults with special needs) every Wednesday for 20 years. It told about Missy Weidman, who has worked with over 300 child abuse victims in just the last two years by volunteering at The Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center. It told about Roger Borduin, who provides free plumbing services to low-income families and Jeff Carver, who donated a kidney to a neighbor he hardly knew. The list went on. All Tucson neighbors of ours. All doing things that deserve recognition.

And not one news agency in Tucson picked up the story.

The journalist repeatedly submitted the article to different publications for months. Apparently, there wasn’t ever enough space. Understandable, I guess, since Tiger Woods was catting around, and Taylor Swift was arguing with Kanye West, and Avatar was winning another award, and …

So now it’s almost 2011. And we’re taking nominations for next year’s Honor Roll. I have a feeling that we’re going to hear some more great stories. I think we’re going to be meeting some new inspiring people. And this year, I’ll be blogging about them.

None of these individuals are seeking this recognition, of course. I think that was what was so amazing about the people we met last year – the length of time so many of these individuals went without any recognition. It’s the kind of thing that makes you feel good about humanity again; it’s the type of thing that can inspire you.

Which is why we’d like to tell their stories.

So stay tuned, folks. You can look for the 2011 Honor Roll List in January, as well as a few stories about the honorees. And if you know of someone you’d like to nominate, you’re welcome to do so. Simply go to www.metrocarwash.com and look under “Metro News” to learn how. We’ll be taking nominations through the end of the year.

It may not be as exciting as the front page of MSN, I agree, but it’s also nice to hear a few stories, once in a while, about the good things happening around us.

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving. And until next time, stay clean my friends.

-DJ DripDry

How Google Changed Our Car Wash

This week’s blog is a shout-out to Google.

Understandably, Google doesn’t need any help from Metro Car Wash (they seem to be doing just fine on their own), but I thought that by mentioning some of the ways in which Google has helped our organization, it might also provide some good information for other local Tucson small businesses.

First of all, let me say that Google has done much more for our car wash than just guiding new customers to our door (though they’ve done a great job with that too). Here’s a quick list of just a few of the things we do with Google products and how they’ve benefited us:

(1) We use their FREE office suite (word processing, spreadsheets, powerpoint) and don’t plan on spending money on software upgrades anytime soon. In this economy, the ability to provide all of our employees with this type of software (that used to cost us lots of money) is a significant savings. They made it easy to switch, too, as you can convert any Microsoft document to a Google document with the click of a button.

(2) We use their FREE Google Sites product to host an internal website for our management team. The simple task of creating this site (I am NO software guru and I created it in an afternoon) changed our business more than we ever imagined. Now all of our policies & procedures, financials, HR documents, compliance documents, checklists, and to-do lists are consolidated and accessible simultaneously, by any authorized employee, from any place there is Internet access. Information is shared between locations and in real-time. Managers stay in touch with their stores even from home (and yes, it’s so fun to play with, they do it on their days off).

(3) We use their FREE Blogger product to host this blog you are reading now, allowing us another way to communicate with our Tucson customer base. (4) We use their FREE Google Analytics product to track how many people visit our website and this blog (a lot more than we thought, btw), as well as what key words were used in their search to find the same (allowing us to refine our marketing efforts).

(5) We use their FREE Gmail product (email and calendar), so that all of our employees can stay in touch with management, schedules, and announcements better.

(6) We use their FREE Google Places product to enhance our Company Listing when people find us in their Google search. We offer coupons, list hours of operation, mention specials, and respond to Customer Reviews (We’ve also petitioned our loyal customers to leave reviews about us on Google, which they have, which has significantly improved our visibility on the web).

(7) We use their Google Checkout product to now sell gift cards on-line (i.e. through Google you can set up e-commerce on your website without breaking sweat).

(8) Finally, we’ve transitioned all of our managers to Android phones so that all of what I’ve just mentioned above is also available on mobile devices.

That’s a fairly impressive list, especially since the word FREE was used in just about every other sentence. Sometimes, its a wonder Google actually makes money at all (don’t worry, their earnings are staggeringly healthy).

But along those lines, there’s one more thing Google helped us with: inspiration.

The more we used free Google products and the more we sang their praises (I’m giving them some pretty good word-of-mouth advertising right now), the more we wanted to model our car wash business after them. Silly, I know, since car washing and the search engine business are a little more than miles apart. But true just the same.

We took our inspiration in three areas: their innovation, the simplicity of their products, and most of all the VALUE in what they were delivering to the consumer. In today’s economy, where everyone wants you to spend more, while delivering less, Google is the freshest of breezes.

And so in 2010, we launched Metro 2.0. It was our effort at improving our business and offering a new version of our services to Tucson. We simplified our menus, cut prices to true value levels, created simple services that customers really wanted, and assured that all could be delivered in the same timely manner. Our motto became “Simple. Fast. Value.” And the truth is, it really worked. Business is up. Customers are happier. And our managers and employees are having more fun washing cars. It may not be a high-tech campus with soaring stock options, but I think you get the point.

So … “Thank You” Google. Thanks for truly being there for small businesses, as well as the big guys. And thanks for being such a great example to this little car wash company. Much appreciated.

As for you readers, if you haven’t checked out Google as a low cost option for your business, you may want to take a look (everything is accessible to you once you sign up for a Free Gmail account at www.google.com). And if you have questions, feel free to ask me. Stop by, get a wash, and I’ll be glad to show you first-hand how we’re utilizing all of these tools.

Until next time, stay clean my friends!

--Dj DripDry

Zombie Car Wash 2010

Let me start by telling you how it ended:

Metro’s Zombie Walk 2010 ended on Saturday night at 10:00 PM with about 30 volunteers dancing the Cupid (Cuban) Shuffle on the front drive of the Speedway Car Wash. It was a great (and appropriate) way to close out 5 days of an Event that seemed to have surpassed everyone’s expectations.

If you didn’t get a chance to stop by, let me say that the reviews we received were exceptional. I don’t think anyone anticipated the effort we put in, turning our car wash into a haunted-house-zombie-themed-ride. Those that did come said things like: “really amazing,” “so much more than I expected,” “too cool,” and “better than other haunted houses in town.” I’m not bragging here. I just want everyone to know that they missed out on something fun and entertaining so that they’ll be sure to come next year. After all, it’s not everyday that you get to combine the classic past-time of washing your car with a classic horror movie like George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (it was playing on the side of the building like a drive-in theatre, incidentally).

But the customers weren’t the only ones who had their expectations exceeded; yours truly did as well. And more than this, I can honestly say that I’m speechless with gratitude and pride at the Metro Car Wash Employees, Sahuaro High School Students, and participating businesses who sacrificed their time and services to make this Event a success.

Like any new project, we really didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into. We have a scholarship; we needed to raise money for it; and a Zombie Car Wash for Halloween seemed like a good idea. But once we began planning and designing and constructing, it became apparent just how large of a task we were faced with. We needed 40 volunteers per night for 5 nights; we needed help in getting the word out about the Event; and we needed supplies and props for the sets. And wherever there was a need, people came through in a big way.

So this week’s blog is more or less a Thank You. It’s a Thank You to all of the Students at Sahauro High School who listened to their teacher, Mr. Harkin, and gave up their plans night upon night to dress up like zombie’s and scare Tucson. It’s a thanks to my employees like Adam Villalobos, Juan Arellano, Melanie Romero, Gwen Valenzuela, Chris Hopper, Steven Hopper, Jacob Bacinski, Gabbi DeJesus, Izzy Lopez, Lorenzo Tambriz, Alex Ortiz-Uribe, and many more who not only worked all day at the car wash, but stayed on into the night to deliver a great show, help clean up, get no sleep, and go back at it again the next day. It’s also a Thanks to the volunteers like Ivan Nieto, Amanda Anyaeji, Josie at the Job Corps, and Les and Sarah Henson who aren’t employees or high school students, but felt that raising money to put a deserving kid through a year of college was a worthy enough cause to give up their personal nights and dress like road kill.

It’s also a big thanks to the businesses that helped us out.

Thanks to Heat Wave Productions and Joey Velasquez for DJ-ing nightly. You kept the party going, spirits high, and got zombies to dance … not an easy task (Metro Car Wash highly recommends Heat Wave’s services for any occasion, btw; you can contact them directly at 520-519-9379).

Thanks to Gary and Judy Tenen at Alphagraphics CPS for donating the 4,000 flyers that were dropped all over Tucson. Thanks to Sue Callahan at SignAge for donating the posters. And thanks to Julie Rustad at 24-7 Creative Solutions for designing such a great marketing piece to begin with.

Thanks to Tucson Weekly, the Arizona Daily Star, and Tucson Night Out for getting the Event coverage and helping to bring in more customers. And thanks to Jo Ann Mesa for volunteering to help contacting the same (your efforts were much appreciated).

I’m sure I’ve missed a lot of people deserving of thanks. I apologize in advance.

Like anything that takes a lot of effort, this was exhausting and I’m glad to say it’s over. But more importantly, I’m glad to know we raised enough money to put our first student through a year at Pima Community College next year. And more than this, I’m glad to know there are so many people in Tucson generous enough with their time and money to make something like this a reality.

I’m all zombied out folks, so until next time … stay clean my friends.

--DJ DripDry

We’re Doing Something Important

Next week, Metro Car Wash is heading into unchartered waters. We’re hosting a Zombie Car Wash to raise money for our Scholarship Fund, and we’re a little scared.

We’re not afraid of zombies (they’re not real), but we are afraid of a lot of other things: Do we have enough volunteers? Have we built the sets well enough? Have we marketed the Event properly? Will people actually show up?

These are the things that are haunting us.

Even if you don’t like zombies and haunted houses (and I know that some of you don’t), I hope you’ll at least read this blog to get an understanding of what it is we’re trying to do.

First of all, we’re raising money for our Scholarship. Our Company is sincere when we say that we value education. And because of the type of work we employee, we too often see talented, smart young people who just aren’t going to get the same career opportunities as others because, simply, they didn’t have the funds or the resources to attend college.

In our opinion, that’s just really sad. And because we believe that in a free market economy it is a privilege to own a business, and that furthermore there is a responsibility to the community that accompanies that privilege, we have gone about setting up a Scholarship Fund that we hope can significantly and positively impact the lives of kids that might not otherwise have the opportunity to get a higher education.

You can find out more about our Scholarship through our website www.metrocarwash.com. But suffice to say that the money we are raising at this Zombie Wash Event will be helping us send a minimum of one high school student through one full year at Pima Community College in 2011; if we can raise enough funds, we will send additional students.

Fundraisers are always difficult things to manage. Even when the cause is good, you’re ultimately asking people for money. And in this economy that’s just not an easy thing to do. You hope that whatever Event you put on, therefore, has enough appeal and value to make parting with that money a little less painful.

I’d like believe our Zombie Wash fits that bill. First of all, you will be receiving a professional car wash from Metro, Tucson’s favorite and friendliest car wash. In addition, you’ll be getting your fix on a Halloween scare. We’re coordinating over 40 volunteers (who have been kind enough to spend five nights in zombie attire) to interact with customers and cars as only zombie’s can: by attempting to eat them.

We have literally spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours preparing for this. We had donations of props and sets and gift certificates from countless participating businesses (a big thanks to AlphaGraphics, 24-7 Creative Solutions, Sign-Age, Bob’s Enterprises, and others). And we’re pretty excited about what we’ve come up with.

A lot of the volunteers are high school students … some of the same high school students who will be applying for the Scholarship they’re raising money for. There’s a really good spirit among the volunteers; it feels good to be doing something positive in a time when the news, in general, is so negative.

We’re asking for $10 for each car for a trip through The Zombie Wash, but you can of course fit as many people into the car as you please.

We’ve worked hard. We’re hoping for a good turnout. And this is my personal request that, even if you can’t attend (or don’t agree with zombies in general), that you’ll understand what we’re trying to do and that you’ll tell others about the Event.

We’d love to see you there. And of course, look for me. DJ DripDry will be in full zombie regalia.

Until later, stay clean my friends.

--DJ DripDry

Meet a Metro Customer

I mentioned several weeks ago that we were going to begin periodically blogging about a few of our favorite customers. We always said that our Metro Car Wash Blog was not going to be about washing cars, but rather about people, our Tucson community, and the stories we come across. It seems fitting then, that Sherry Elliott would be the first that we write about. She’s been a loyal customer of Metro’s since 2003 and she’s someone we count lucky to know.

First of all, Sherry is just a very friendly and fun person. Most of the time, we don’t get to know our customers on a personal level (we like to remember names and faces, but at the end of the day, we are viewed by most people as simply a car wash). With Sherry, however, things were different. Besides the fact that she’s got a smile and a personality that make you feel (almost instantly) as if you’ve been long-time friends, Sherry also made us feel as if she was making us a partner with her in her business venture.

Sherry is a personal chef and a custom caterer, and she believes her vehicles (which she uses for deliveries and errands) need to reflect that she’s clean, neat, professional, and efficient. She uses Metro - for which we’re very proud - but even more impressive to me is how many of our employees have come to know her personally and how much pride these same employees take in making sure she looks good out on the road. This is impressive because it’s not something our Company did; it’s something Sherry was able to do with a friendly, gracious and open attitude to all of our employees. When Sherry comes by for a wash, it’s not uncommon to see her receive multiple hugs from our employees while she waits for her car.

Sherry started her own business over seven years ago. She’d been working in communications and sales for large companies and she’d become tired of the corporate life. She was a self-taught chef with a passion for cooking, teaching and making people smile, and so in 2003 she decided to combine them all into her own business venture and head out on her own.

Today, CookingSherry, LLC is a very interesting business that we hope more people will take the time to learn about and try. There are three main services that CookingSherry provides: Custom Catering, Chocolate Fountain Rentals, and a Personal Chef Service.

Sherry’s goal, when she began her business, was to be able to create an economical cooking service for individuals and families who were too busy to cook great meals at home, but who never considered that they could afford a Personal Chef.

With CookingSherry, however, the product and service you receive is simply an incredible value. First, Sherry will personally sit down with you in your home to review what types of meals your family enjoys (as well as dietary restrictions and taste preferences). She then goes to the store for you, does your grocery shopping, and returns to your kitchen to prepare 5 different custom meals which are then frozen until you are ready to use them (oh, and she cleans up the kitchen too). Each meal can be served twice, so one visit from the CookingSherry equates to 10 custom homemade meals for you and your family. Prices vary upon family size, but the cost is refreshingly inexpensive. And the food? Well, it’s healthy, fresh and delicious.

In addition to the Personal Chef Service, CookingSherry also offers custom catering from parties of 2 -200. For parties of two, she can deliver a romantic dinner to your door, or if you prefer, she can cook one for you in your home (if you’d like to pretend that you actually whipped up something yourself).

Finally, she also offers Chocolate Fountain Rentals. These fountains of chocolate goodness are pretty amazing and impressive. They’re perfect for weddings or holiday parties … or car washes. We’re actually trying to get one into our lobby this Christmas for our scholarship benefit.

Like most businesses, of course, the economy has been hard on Sherry. She’s struggled and is working hard to keep her dream going. Because business is slow, she’s actually taken on a part-time job to help pay the bills and her staff has all been moved to part-time help. But she’s not giving up.

When I sat down to interview Sherry, I was struck by how genuine and passionate she was. She says good food makes people happy, and she is intent on sticking to her vision of providing her products and services at a value price that the Tucson public can afford. Not only this, but she’s dedicated to delivering friendly and responsive customer service every day. She gets to know her clients, returns calls immediately, and works on her feet 15 hours a day. She was the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Member of the Year 2006. And in the long-term, Sherry has the further dream of creating a local Cooking School for children.

Oh, and in her free time she likes riding motorcycles, too. Yup. She has a 2007 Harley Sportster and belongs to a motorcycle club. Just in case you thought you had her all figured out.

All of the pricing for CookingSherry’s services can be found on her website at www.cookingsherry.net. If you’d like to reach her, you can do so at sherry@cookingsherry.net or by calling directly at 520-631-5201. (I've included a picture of one of her chocolate fountains below.)

We hope you’ll take the time to check the business out. If nothing else, she’s a great person to meet and know. At Metro, we’re very glad she stopped in some seven years ago and allowed us to get to know her.

Thanks for staying tuned, folks. And until next time, stay clean my friends.

-DJ DripDry

Why We Love the Way the Internet is Changing Our Business

Over the next few months, you can expect to see a few interviews posted on this blog. We’re sitting down with some of our favorite customers and finding out a little bit more about them personally – about their careers or the businesses they own, about their hobbies, and of course why they like Metro Car Wash.

When we set out to write this blog, we always said we wanted it to be different. We wanted it to be a local business’s perspective on its customers, its employees, and Tucson in general. There are actually quite a few people reading this blog now, and so we realized that this might be a good way to help out some of our customers too … to get them a little publicity so to speak.

It got me thinking about how it’s just one more example of how the Internet is changing our business for the better. More specifically, I think it is an example of how technology is actually bringing our business much closer to our customers and our community. And that’s a little ironic, because I think most people thought that technology and the Internet was actually going to be cold and impersonal.

A lot of credit has to be given to Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, of course. But regardless, the new social aspect to the Internet is fundamentally changing business, customer service, and most importantly customer communication.

I suppose our own business is a great example of this. Who would have thought that a car wash in Tucson could benefit significantly from the Internet? But we are.

First of all, we love Facebook. Through Facebook, we’ve been able to begin conversing with our customers in a manner we never dreamed of in the past. It’s great to hear the nice comments when a Fan had a good experience. But it’s also a great place for our good customers to also leave us feedback. Did we miss something on your car? Did your service take too long? These are things we need to know, and we appreciate the remarks. As an example, several months ago we asked our Fans to submit suggestions so that we could make our business better. And the truth is: we were blown away by all the good ideas. We’ve implemented several of them already and are still working to implement others. How cool is it to be building a business where your customers have the capability to provide such input?

And of course it’s more than just Facebook. We are continually working to make our website better. At www.metrocarwash.com you can download coupons, read about our business, and purchase Gift Cards. But more and more, we’re finding it’s also being used as a tool to communicate our involvement in the community. High school students can now apply on-line for the Metro Scholarship, you can volunteer to help us out with our Zombie Wash fundraiser, or you can research what other charities and not-for-profit organizations we’re partnering with.

If I sound excited, it’s because I am. I’m anxious to see where this new interaction with our customers will bring us. And of course, we’re hoping for your involvement too.

Are you a customer that might want to be interviewed for our blog? Let us know. Do you have a suggestion or a comment about our service? Send us an email or post it on our wall in Facebook. Know any high school students who could benefit from Metro Car Wash picking up the tab on their first year at Pima? Direct them to our website and our Scholarship page.

The Internet and social media is changing things rapidly. And at Metro, we just don’t want to be left behind. More specifically, we’re hoping that by keeping pace, we’re going to get to know our customers a whole lot better. And who knows, we may even make some true friends along the way.

Stay clean my friends. And until next time, this is DJ DripDry signing off.

Does A Bad Economy = Forgetting How To Work?

There’s been some good news, of late, coming out about our economy. Nothing earth-shattering, but we’re hearing that the Recession has (officially) ended and that people are starting to spend a little more money. Put another way, experts are saying they may be feeling a pulse.

And in Tucson, I think we’re beginning to feel that pulse a little as well. The streets are more crowded, restaurants seem busier, and at Metro Car Wash we’re beginning to see more and more of our customers. That’s all good news and makes me very happy.

Then my wife made the following comment the other day: “Have you noticed how bad the service in Tucson seems to be lately?”

I thought about what she said, and then had to agree with her. We began discussing how our last few restaurant outings had been less than stellar (at places where we normally receive great service); we mentioned the lack of help and assistance we’d received in the last few retail stores we’d been to. My wife scratched her head and then made this suggestion: “Do you think that in this bad economy, people have just forgotten how to work?”

On the surface, it seems like maybe a silly statement. But the truth is: I think she might be right. I know this, because at our car wash, we actually have a real-life example of this phenomenon every year; we call it our Post-Monsoon Slump.

For most of the year, Metro Car Wash is a pretty hoppin’ place. Each of our locations washes around 300 to 400 cars each day. And for the most part, we do it without breaking too much of sweat (figuratively speaking of course, because actually, it’s a very sweaty job). We process cars quickly, our systems flow, and the employees do their jobs efficiently and effectively. But then the monsoons come. Every July, August and September our car counts literally get cut in half as customers stop washing their vehicles in anticipation of the next rain storm. It’s understandable, really. And there’s nothing we can do about it.

But here’s the interesting thing: In the first month of monsoons, our employees go crazy with frustration at the lack of work available. They hustle through their tasks like they’ve been trained to do, but then find that there isn’t another car in line to work on. They get bored. They tell me it feels like the days last longer. They miss all the cars; they miss the fast pace, the high-demand, and the excitement. But that attitude only lasts for a while. By September, their perspectives have changed. Instead of being frustrated, they’ve acclimated to the new (slow) pace of business. They don’t notice that we don’t wash many cars. And they don’t realize that their hustle is gone. They don’t realize, that is, until the sun comes out and all of Tucson decides to get their car washed.

This is literally something we prepare for every year: motivating our employees to find the spring in their step that they may have lost over the summer. We don’t get frustrated, we just remind our managers that they’re going to have an extra challenge in getting everyone back up to speed.

And so I wonder if this bad economy isn’t having the same effect on businesses everywhere. We have slowed down; there haven’t been as many customers; restaurants and retail stores are less crowded. And it’s human nature to adapt to these new environments.

But if the economy is starting to turn the other way—if we’re going to see people pulling out their wallets again and filling up our stores and eateries—then as managers and business owners we also need to be aware that our employees might have forgotten how to meet that demand. It doesn’t mean they’re bad employees. It simply means that they’ve grown accustomed to a slower work pace. And it’s our job to identify that. Furthermore, it’s our job to provide the proper motivation to get them back into high-performance mode. Because the truth is: when demand rises, if a business isn’t prepared to catch it with consistent service, they’re in big trouble. Using the excuse “we’re really busy” for poor quality or poor customer service is about the lamest excuse out there. It says you’ve stumbled into success and that you’re surprised by it, because you’re really not that good.

So let’s hope this economy is feeling the first pulse of heartbeat. Let’s hope it is getting back on its feet. And while we’re at it, let’s hope that businesses and their workforce rise to meet the new demand with energy and great customer service. In the end, I suppose, that’s the American Way.

Until next time, stay clean my friends.

-DJ DripDry

A Guide to Washing Your Car

Being in this business, I take for granted that everyone understands why they need to wash their cars (as well as why they should wash them at a professional facility and what services they need to purchase when they stop in). Then I talk to a few customers and realize I’m completely wrong.

It makes sense, really. The topic of “car washing” is not one of those exciting discussions that seem to generate buzz around the water cooler (like, say, Lindsay Lohan’s latest escapades, government healthcare, the NFL weekend, or Jonathan Franzen’s newest novel). But still, we “car dudes” have feelings too. And since we’re passionate about the importance of our business, I thought I’d take this opportunity to briefly give you some information on (1) why you should wash your car, (2) why you should use a professional car wash, and (3) what services you should select on your next visit. It won’t be too painful, I promise. And you really might learn something.

First, let’s address why you should wash your car. The truth is: it’s more than just about looking good. Aside from the fact that a clean car says a ton about your image (that it greatly enhances your sex appeal and that it will more than likely help you get promoted in your career), it really is a low cost form of auto maintenance that will prolong the life of your car.

In most basic terms, there are just a lot of things out there, every day, that are degrading your vehicle’s paint. Bird droppings contain acid that burns through your clear coat and causes damage that can’t be repaired; brake dust actually eats into your wheels and then becomes baked-on in the heat; road oils and other pollutants can permanently dull your car’s color if allowed to sit for extended periods of time. It’s all much uglier than most people realize. And by simply regularly washing your car, you can remove these factors and insure that the look of your car will stay bright and protected for a long, long time. And that can mean more money to you at trade-in, or when you decide to sell it.

Next, there are also a lot of good reasons why you should wash at a professional car care facility (we personally believe Metro Car Wash is the best, but any of them are better than washing at home).

Now it’s possible, of course, that you have nothing better to do with your weekend than wash your car in your driveway. You’re someone who hates to go to a barbeque, you dislike sports of any kind, you detest kicking up your feet and drinking iced tea or beer, you shutter at the thought of relaxing in a pool, and you feel that two hours of your time under the beating sun is the perfect way to spend the precious moments away from your boss. But even still … you shouldn’t do it.

There are two basic reasons professional car washes are better than your driveway. First, when you wash in your driveway, the run-off goes into the storm drains, which does not go to a sanitation plant. The soaps you use, as well as the oils, brake dust and pollutants you remove, get washed into the lakes and rivers and the general environment. At a professional car wash, this polluted water runs through a sanitary sewer system and is ultimately processed in a sanitation plant. Second, by using a professional car wash, you’re saving a lot of water. Studies have shown that washing an average car, with a typical garden hose, will use about 116 gallons of water (seriously). An average full-service car wash, however, will only use about 40 – 60 gallons for every car (at Metro in Tucson, we can get lower than this due to our use of reclaim water). So think of it this way: using a professional car wash is actually your duty as a respectable member of society!

Finally, let’s discuss what service you should get the next time you come in.

Of course, every time you pull onto a car wash lot, a salesperson is going to try to sell you something expensive. But the truth is: there are times you need to spend the extra money, and there are times you don’t.

The question we get asked the most is: How often should I wax my car? And the answer is: it depends.

The sun’s UV rays are a major source of damage to your vehicle’s paint. And on newer cars, they’re now using less paint and less clear coat (to save cost), which means less paint protection. In other words, the more your car is out in the sun, the more you need to wax your car.

If you’re lucky enough to have covered parking throughout the day, then you may only need to wax your car every 4 -5 months. If your car is out in the sun all day, however, we suggest you get a wax at least every 3 months.

And one more point while we’re on this subject. If you regularly wash your car (2x per month) and regularly upgrade to a package wash with spray-on paint protection (like our Metro Wash), then you can also prolong the time between spending money on a complete wax.

So keep track of when you purchase, as well as what you purchase. And don’t get talked into something that you just don’t need.

Hope this information helps. Hope you haven’t been bored to tears.

Until next time, stay clean my friends!

--DJ DripDry

Meet a Metro Employee

When we started this blog, we said we wanted it to be different. We didn’t want to blog about car care, or something industry related (just a little boring, if you ask us). We thought we had a unique perspective of Tucson, because of our customers and our employees, and we wanted to share those with our readers. So in keeping with that spirit, I’m going to (every so often) sprinkle in a brief biography of an employee, or a customer, I think you should know about.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Juanita, one of Metro Car Wash’s best employees, and one of the nicest, friendliest people you will ever be lucky enough to meet. And since you are likely a Metro Car Wash customer, you’ll have every opportunity to look for her and say “hi” at your next visit to our Speedway location.

I picked Juanita to introduce, because I think her story (and her character) are inspiring and a great example of hope (in a somewhat depressing era).

Juanita applied for a job with Metro Car Wash three years ago. At the time, she had just immigrated to Tucson from Equatorial Guinea, one of the smallest countries in Africa. As it so happens, it’s also considered one of the world’s most corrupt governments (we’re talking torture and unlawful killings by security forces, no freedom of speech, and extreme poverty for most of the nation while the government big-wigs collect American oil money … not a great place to be).

Juanita’s father had actually been a Spanish-educated dignitary for the country, but under the corrupt government he was imprisoned while Juanita was just a child. After his release, the family moved to Gabon, a neighboring county, because of ensuing death threats against him. The family lived in Gabon for 13 years, but was in constant fear. Eventually, the US Embassy convinced the family to leave Gabon for the United States for their safety. When the family arrived, Juanita was pregnant; the father of her child had not been able to come with them. She spoke no English. She had never driven a car. And she had never had a job.

Shortly after their arrival, Juanita had her child. And because she was younger, and more capable of work, she set off to find a job while other members of her family watched her son. Metro Car Wash was lucky: she came to us first.

While Juanita didn’t speak English, she did speak Spanish. We were able to communicate with her, and while we understood that she had no work experience, we were impressed by her great smile, her courage, and her willingness to learn. When people are good people it shows, no matter what the language barriers are.

And so here is what Juanita did: She started learning English immediately. She started going to school and is earning her GED. She learned everything she could about the car wash business and her job responsibilities. She learned to drive (standard and automatic). She began to excel at every position we gave her … began training others, began noticing when there was a problem, began coming to manager meetings (Saturday at 6:00 AM) and began participating with good ideas to make our business better. She was promoted. Then promoted again.

I’m proud to know that Metro gave Juanita an opportunity. But most of all, I’m proud of Juanita herself. In a world where too many people make excuses for why they’re having problems, or why they’re in some kind of a jam, Juanita is a great example of what can be accomplished with a positive attitude, hard work, and determination.

The next time you’re at our Speedway location, look for her. She’s hard to miss. She’ll have a huge smile on her face, and she’ll probably shout out “hello” to you. She is Metro’s shining example of what we want our employees to be: hard working, friendly, and in fact charming. I once overheard Juanita tell a customer: “I don’t care if I’ve only met you once. I’ll treat you as if I’ve known you forever.”

From our perspective, we hope we have her as an employee of Metro Car Wash forever.

Until next time … stay clean my friends.

DJ DripDry signing off.

Metro's New Scholarship Program

Consider this a follow up to last week's blog. Last week I mentioned that we were going to be launching a Metro Scholarship for at least one graduating Tucson high school student per year. This week, I thought it would be good to follow that up with a post from our upcoming press release on our one-of-a-kind fundraiser for the cause: Metro's Zombie Car Wash.

The press release is below. If you are a graduating high school student, are the parent of one, or just know one, be sure to pass this information along. We're really excited about this.

Haunted Car Wash promises thrills … and a scholarship

Haunted Houses are so yesterday. In today’s world of multi-tasking, why not get your car washed while you’re getting your Halloween haunting fix? At least that’s the idea local business Metro Car Wash has come up with in order raise money for their Metro/Harkin Scholarship Fund. They’re producing Metro’s Zombie Wash, which will be running on the five evenings leading up to Halloween from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Company’s Speedway location.

The Company is utilizing over 40 volunteers to create a zombie-themed thrill ride. Patrons will remain in their cars, and as they are shuttled through the car wash (their vehicles receiving a professional cleaning), they’ll be treated to a veritable assault of ghastly zombies, the supposed result of a terrible government experiment gone wrong. Or something like that.

“A haunted car wash is something we’ve wanted to do for years,” said Sean Storer, co-owner of the Metro Car Washes in Tucson. “Now that we’re raising money for our Scholarship Fund, it seemed like the appropriate time to finally roll up our sleeves and make it happen.”

The scholarship is the Metro Car Wash/Harkin Scholarship, founded by the owners of Metro Car Wash, Sean Storer and Craig Celentano, and Jeremy Harkin, a high school English teacher at Sahuaro High School and Tucson’s 40 Under 40 Man of the Year (2009). Both Metro and Harkin have long been involved in the community and local charities. When Harkin, a Metro customer, and Storer began discussing their passion for education, they teamed up to form a unique Scholarship Program that will provide a minimum of one graduating high school student per year with the funding for at least one full year of tuition at Pima Community College.

“The extent to which the scholarship will reach,” said Harkin, “depends on the amount of money we raise. At a minimum, we will fund one student’s full-time course load for a full year. If we raise additional funds, then we’ll be looking at additional scholarships. We’ll also be looking at funding a second year of tuition for those scholarship recipients that do well in their first year at Pima.”

Application for the Metro Car Wash/Harkin Scholarship is open to all Tucson graduating high school students. Information and application instructions can be found at www.metrocarwash.com, www.metroscholarship.com, Pima Community College Foundation, or at either of the Metro Car Wash locations. Information on the Scholarship will also be available at the Zombie Wash.

“Ultimately, we’re hoping this event is something we can do every year,” said Storer. “Our intent is to keep sending students (who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity) to college year after year. With that being the goal then, we’ve really put a lot of work into making sure this Zombie Wash is a hit.”

The Zombie Wash opens on Tuesday, October 26 at 7:00 PM at Metro’s Speedway facility (located at 5150 E. Speedway Blvd., between Swan and Craycroft). It will run nightly until 10:00 PM through Saturday the 30^th. The cost to ride through the wash is $10 per car (cash and credit cards accepted). From the safety of your vehicle, you’ll then be treated to a car wash, as well as a good-old, hair-raising zombie attack. In addition, there will be a live DJ, refreshments, costume contest, raffles, and more. Further information on Metro’s Zombie Wash can be found at www.metrocarwash.com, www.zombiewash.com, or by calling Metro Car Wash at 520-795-9600. Proceeds from the event will go to the Metro Car Wash/Harkin Scholarship Fund, which will begin sending students to Pima Community College in 2011.

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A Bad Economy, Charities, and A Haunted Car Wash

The economy stinks. Nothing more really needs to be written on this topic. If you don’t hear it every day in the news, all you have to do is sit on a Metro Car Wash patio and listen to customers mutter about it (often with yours truly joining in). Just about every business owner I talk to these days is still down; it’s a scary time for most of us.

That being said, I think that in many ways it’s an even scarier time for charitable institutions. First, in tough economic times, demand often rises on charitable organizations. At the same time, funding and charitable giving declines. Moreover, charitable organizations can’t adapt to a challenging economy as quickly as for-profit businesses. A business can discount prices, or make an effort to offer more service; but charitable organizations, for the most part, are still relegated to waiting for our altruistic impetus to strike us. And let’s face it: with fewer dollars in our pockets, it’s a lot harder to feel philanthropic.

For any of you who know us well, you know Metro Car Wash has always had a fairly large focus on local charities. We do this for two reasons: first, we believe that it’s important to be involved in the community and second, it’s also a part of our marketing philosophy. But regardless of our efforts, we’ve noticed a significant decline in the use of our charitable programs … and our programs don’t cost a person anything (go to our Fundraising Page at www.metrocarwash.com to learn how charitable organizations can receive 15% of participating Metro Car Wash Sales).

We partner with over 20 Charitable Organizations in Tucson; unfortunately, activity related to almost all of them is down in comparison to our car counts. Since our car counts are down too, this means it’s a double whammy for these not-for-profits. You don’t need to be a bleeding heart to say this is concerning.

And of course, leave it to us to pick this time to launch a brand new charity—right into the teeth of our tight wallets. Yup, we’re picking now to begin raising money for our Pima Community College Scholarship. We’re going to be sending a minimum of one student per year, who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity, to a full year at Pima Community College. We’re very excited about this, but we also understand that tough economic times mean we’re going to have to get creative with our fundraising.

Creative we can do.

We've decided to pick this blog to be the official announcement for what we believe will be a very fun fundraiser. Coming this October, Metro Car Wash will be hosting a Haunted Car Wash at our Speedway location. That’s correct, folks: Tucson’s first haunted car wash … Metro’s Zombie Wash.

More information will be coming shortly to our website (and Facebook and Twitter), but I wanted to take this opportunity to let you in on our plans. For the five evenings before Halloween, Metro Car Wash will be host to zombies, terror, and mayhem (from 7pm to 10pm). If wallets are tight (and of course they are), then we want to give as much value back to you as we can for helping us raise money for this scholarship. This Halloween, we figure if we can scare you and clean your car at the same time, you won’t even miss those few dollars. And if you do think about them (the missing dollars), then feel good knowing they went to help put a student through one year of college.

Times are tough. But we’re not ready to give up. We hope you’re not either. And you can really help us by giving Metro’s Zombie Wash a little promotion. As we get closer to the date, Metro would really appreciate your spreading the word. More information to come.

And until then, stay clean my friends!

DJ DripDry

What Still Makes America Great

Your friendly blogger, DJ DripDry, just returned from a much needed vacation. This year, my wife and I went to the Dominican Republic with a few friends. We like to pick out-of-the-way places when we can, not just to enjoy the adventure and unwind, but also because the cost is typically much less than resort hotspots. The vacation (barring a bout with a bad lobster) was a success. We enjoyed exploring a new country, took time to lie on the beach, and spent a little time sailing. But that’s not what this blog is about.

More than anything, I think I needed to get away from America for a bit, just to be reminded of how good we have it. (This is one of those things that may be worthless to write about. It’s easy to say. And just as easy to ignore if you haven’t experienced it personally. But I’m going to give it a go anyway.)

Before we took off (on a brutal red-eye flight that just about brought yours truly to his knees), I was a bit down on America. I was angry about the economy. I was frustrated by my staff. I was depressed about the labor pool. And I was irritated by how all of this seemed to be teaming up on Metro Car Wash (and small business in general). I found myself sounding curiously like my father (or my grandfather, for that matter), mumbling about how America had changed for the worse, and that workers didn’t seem to care, and that in the good old days things were just a whole lot better.

Then I spent 7 days in a very poor country.

Streets were crowded with running kids, mangy dogs, motorcycles with wobbly wheels, and careening (filthy) cars. There were no safety standards, no traffic laws (at least that were observable). Garbage filled the roads and sidewalks. We met some great people, but for the most part, customer service was non-existent. You were waited on when it was convenient for the seller … and … you … learned … to … wait … and … wait … and … wait. No one really cared about quality, speed of service, or delivering anything to you with a smile. And by the way, we were very friendly and spoke the language—this wasn't about being a rude American; this was just the way things were. In other words, they didn't have much of a business model (although I would like to mention a fairly inspiring car wash we happened upon that was “car wash by day” and “discotheque by night”). But ultimately, there was just a very sad feeling one got that this was the way things were going to be for a long, long time. The businesses weren’t going to improve their service; the workers weren’t inspired to better themselves for the future; and no one believed they had any kind of a shot at growth, opportunity, or financial progress.

It’s amazing what 7 days can do to your attitude.

Coming back into America, my wife and I were struck by how quickly lines moved (yes, even at the airport), by how many times we were greeted with friendly smiles, and by how superior the quality of … well … just about everything was. It was more refreshing than I’d ever imagined.

Then I went back to work at my own car wash. Here’s what I saw: lots of smiles while the Metro Staff worked very hard to provide a quality service in a very short time. I also saw satisfied customers, getting the value of the service they’d paid for, while often times pleasantly interacting with the Metro Staff (one gentleman even had pizzas delivered to Metro for the good job we’d done on his truck). Put simply: I was very proud of our customers, our employees, our Company, and our Country.

We may be frustrated with government, our economy, health insurance, and taxes. But America is still a great place to be, folks, on so many levels. The streets are clean and safe, the plumbing works, and the water is good. Police and Fire Departments respond when we call. Our doctors and hospitals are competent. Computers, Wi-Fi, and cell phones deliver instant information and entertainment on levels unheard of in other areas of the world. And more than any of this, there is the knowledge (embedded in most Americans) that there is still the opportunity to better yourself if you’re willing to try. Put another way, there’s hope. And hope can go a long way.

So when I looked at our car wash with a fresh set of eyes, I was reminded (in my own back yard, so to speak), why America is still great. It’s great because you can still dream of bettering yourself, and it’s great because the chance of doing so is a good one (if you’re willing to put in the work).

At Metro, we have employees that have come from less fortunate places; they’ve learned our language, worked hard, and saved enough to own cars and homes. We have employees that see Metro Car Wash as their future; they see a growing organization and want to be a part of it for the long haul, want to participate to make it better. We have employees that don’t want to be car washers forever, but they do a great job because they’re funding some other dream—they’re attempting to be Hip-Hop artists or they’re students studying to be engineers. There’s nothing special here; just Americans being Americans in another small business in America. But I have to say: it’s a wonderful place to be.

Good to be back, folks. And as always, stay clean my friends.

--DJ DripDry