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

What I've Learned From the Car Wash

I was recently asked how I got into the car wash business. It’s actually a question that get’s brought up frequently. I’ve been in the business, now, for 12 years. I used to be a CPA (a very different life). And people want to know: how did I get from there to here. But as I gave my answer, I realized something: How I got to be a car washer is not nearly as interesting as the lessons I’ve learned since I began washing cars for a living. Maybe it’s this way with any business. But I can assure you, running a car wash could fill a book with Life’s Little Lessons.

So I thought I’d take the time to write down just a few of the things I’ve learned from the car wash. Here’s a very abridged list in no particular order:

Clean cars do make people happier, but most people don't wash their cars regularly.

Out of the 400 customers you see in a day, 398 are wonderful; but it’s the other two you'll talk about over dinner.

People carefully look their car over after a wash, not before; but you have the same chance of winning the lottery as you do of convincing a person a scratch might have already been there (even when we don't have anything that scratches paint and the gash looks curiously like the lingering story of an unhappy shopping cart incident).

Being generous to your employees will break your heart long before it breaks the bank.

Wearing a T-shirt and shorts to work is immeasurably better than wearing a white-collared shirt and a tie. Also related: leaving your job to gamble on starting your own business is one of the scariest, hardest, most draining things you can do; and for the most part, you'll love every minute of it.

It really does mean something to be locally owned and operated.

The better you get at what you do, the dirtier your competition becomes. And while I'm saying that, let me say this also: people, for the most part, are honest; but don't ever be surprised by how dishonorable your competitors can be.

The customer is not always right; but neither is the business.

Immediately taking responsibility for bad service or poor quality can provide you with an opportunity to find a life-long customer (and sometimes a friend).

Don't ever be so arrogant that you won't listen to a complaint or a suggestion; you can always make your business better.

Most of the cars on the road are dirty and most of those people have never heard of Metro Car Wash.

Whatever the temperature is, it's always a lot hotter when you're drying off cars.

Working at a car wash is not a job that gets the opposite sex excited; I'm glad I'm already married.

It rains more often directly over the top of a Metro Car Wash (than other spots in Tucson).

You should never be so busy that you can't take time to talk to your customers ... or your employees.

The boss’s mood, good or bad, is a fast-spreading virus; smiles and frowns are both contagious.

You always have to spend time working at the lowest position to really know what's going on in your business; step out of your office every day.

Compliments from customers never get old; complaints always hurt.

A really good start to building a successful business is getting up early … every day.

I could keep writing folks, but I’ve got to go. There are cars to wash (maybe yours). So until next time, stay clean my friends.

DJ DripDry

Letter to the President

Believe me: this is not a political statement. My hope is that our Company would never appear biased. The purpose of this blog, as stated in our very first posting, was to provide readers with a unique perspective regarding our Tucson customers, our employees, and our small business. That being said, we felt some of this information might be enlightening to our President as well. Recently our President has been touring the United States, stopping in to visit small businesses to get a feel for the economy and our struggles on a ground level. I appreciate this endeavor. And to that end, here is a copy of our letter to the White House.

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to you to provide you with a brief picture of our small business. We appreciate the challenges placed before you and we empathize with you. As a small business in Tucson, AZ, we have our challenges as well. This letter is not a complaint; we have no intention of whining (it’s never done us much good anyway). What this letter is, is an honest and straightforward attempt to provide you with a ground level view of the issues we face, the goals we still have, and the entrepreneurial spirit we refuse to give up. Above all, we want you to know that we still believe in this Country. And we want to make sure that, in at least some small way, we are a part of the efforts aimed at bringing America back to prosperity.

As a little background, let me tell you that my business partner and I own and operate two car washes in Southern Arizona. We have about 60 employees. We do not come from wealthy families, so to achieve the dream of owning our own business we worked and saved until (in 2002) we were able to purchase our first car wash. Since that time, we have put everything into our business to assure we deliver great customer service and an exceptional product. We believe we’re succeeding on these fronts; we wash a lot of cars and have an extremely loyal fan base. We love what we do. And we think it shows to both our customers and our employees.

But working hard and loving what you do isn’t always enough. We’ve gone through (and are still going through) an extremely challenging period. Like so many other businesses, we’re struggling.

I wish that there was one clear problem I could point to. I wish there was one blatant, giant, issue that, if resolved, could get our business back on track. But of course, things are more complicated than that. There isn’t one cause. And there certainly isn’t one, single universal solution (I assume you would understand this more than just about anyone).

In terms of our business, things started down an uncomfortable road with the increase in Minimum Wage. For a car wash, whose Labor accounts for over half of its expenses, this increase created a significant strain. Unfortunately, we had to cut jobs. I don’t necessarily disagree with Minimum Wage increases, but for small businesses, it simply equates to a cost increase that can not be born (at least in the short-term) by the consumer. In other words, you can’t raise your prices to match a Minimum Wage increase, because your customers won’t be your customers anymore. And to add even further weight to our troubles, shortly after this cost increase, the economy began its slide. “Raising prices to cover the increase” never even became an option. We were more concerned about customers continuing to simply drop by. Our product was still a great one, but unemployment, pay cuts, and general fear have a considerable impact on what the public views as a prudent purchase. It is what is. And so cash got short and we went looking for any and all refinancing options in hopes of freeing up working capital and gaining a little bit of breathing room. Sounded like a good idea. Only … I’m sure you can imagine how that turned out.

The truth is: I wake up every morning worrying about whether or not we’re going to make it. I worry about paying my mortgages. I imagine the shame of failure. I think about what a tragedy it would be for a business like ours to go under—not just for me personally, but for the thousands of customers who have come to love us and the 60 employees and their families who depend on us. This fear is real.

But doom and gloom isn’t the real point of this letter. You’re out attempting to get a look at “the ground level” of our economy. I appreciate that. And I think you also need to know that, for all the bad news generated, there is still a lot of heart out here too.

At least where our small business is concerned, here are some of the bright spots I see.

First, these hard times have made us a much better business. In order to survive, we’ve had to re-engineer our entire business model to make it more efficient. When we do come out of this bad economy, we’ll be stronger than ever.

Second, this economy has made us a more generous company. That may sound odd, but it’s true. It is our belief that an economy will prosper only when all areas in the community get their footing. We became concerned about the impact the economy was having on our local charities and not-for-profits. And in an endeavor to help them, we created a fundraising program that is far more proactive than anything we’d done during the “good times.” Our two little car washes are now partnering with (and raising money for) over 20 local and national charity organizations in Tucson. Not only this, but we’ve created our own scholarship program in order to send a high school student (who otherwise wouldn't have had a chance) to go through two years at our local community college (full tuition paid). I mention this, not to brag, but to show you signs of hope. When times get tough, America needs to find its generous spirit—its one of the things that truly makes us great.

Finally, I believe this economy has bettered the relationship between employer and employee. There is no question that our employees seem to value and appreciate their jobs more these days. But likewise, as an employer, we've found ourselves much more involved with our employees too. We’re more empathetic to their financial struggles, because we’re all in the same boat. Furthermore, we know that in order to keep customers, we have to have happy employees to deliver our desired service. And having happy employees requires more than writing a paycheck—it involves listening, partnering, and helping in non-financial ways. As an example, our Company is now offering both free Financial Planning Classes and free English Classes to our employees. We may not be able to provide them with all the financial benefits we’d like to, but we’re also learning there is still a lot we can give. And this translates into mutual appreciation and an improved working environment. Again, it’s better than it was in the “good times.”

I of course have no misconceptions: I realize that it is very, very unlikely you will ever read this. But on the off chance that you do, I’d like to extend an invitation for you to come visit us. We’d love the opportunity to show you, firsthand, the challenges we are facing, as well as the solutions we are implementing. And if we don’t meet, well, know this: Metro Car Wash wishes you the best in your efforts to rebuild this economy. We understand that there is a monumental task set before you, Congress, and the American people. We also know America has always been greatest in the face of trial. For our part, we’re going to keep on fighting at the ground level. We’re going to continue to be inventive, continue to focus on our customers, and continue to strive to be the best business in Southern Arizona.

Respectfully,

Metro Car Wash

Don’t know if he’ll read it, folks. But until next time …

Stay clean my friends.

-DJ DripDry