Reflections on our Birthday

It’s our birthday! Yes it is. Yes it is.

On August 1, 2002, yours truly and business partner Pee Wee (see earlier blog) purchased the first Metro Car Wash on Oracle Road. Hard to believe 9 years have already slipped by, but then, it’s odd to think of all that has happened as well. It’s times like these when we just can’t help taking a quick inventory of the past, reflecting on the stories that got us to where we are. And to quote the late, great Jerry Garcia (it’s his birthday too, btw): What a long strange trip it’s been.

While our hair was getting thinner and our waistlines thicker, we washed cars and watched the world turn. We saw our nation go to war with Iraq (… again); we witnessed a company called Google go public and change our lives forever; we scratched our heads when Martha Stewart went to jail (Martha Stewart?) and sat numb when another Space Shuttle exploded; we braced ourselves for a Swine Flu epidemic, saw the death of the King of Pop and the birth of something called Brangelina; we got sick to our stomachs watching on as oil spilled massively into the Gulf of Mexico and wanted to cry viewing the tragedies of two different tsunamis, an earthquake in Haiti, and the flooding in New Orleans; we had to watch too many teams from Boston win titles and still never saw the Cubs win a single World Series; we witnessed Sadam Hussein hanged for crimes against humanity and witnessed the death of Osama Bin Laden; we saw the election of America’s first black president, became addicted to texting on smart phones, and witnessed the fact that novels and movies about vampires and werewolves took over the globe (who could have seen that one coming?); we got baffled watching the news that our country’s financial system had failed … that Wall Street had crumbled … that the term “bailout” could be used in dinner conversations; we watched in horror at multiple shooting rampages – something you can never come to terms with, especially when one of these incidents is in your own city, injuring one of your favorite customers.

And all of this only scratches the surface of the stories that unfolded.

In our own Metro-world, of course, times were also a changin. During the time it took our nation to go from 6 trillion dollars in debt to $13 trillion (numbers we still can’t get our head around), Metro Car Wash was also growing (though not at the same pace). We added a second location on Speedway, lots of new customers, and began to make a name for ourselves in Tucson.

In the process, we discovered that owning your own business is a lot like starting a second family. As it grows, you both struggle and celebrate, you fight and you laugh, and you always hang on to each other, because in the end, it’s all you’ve got. And just like a family (especially the colorful ones), having a car wash leaves you with plenty of your own stories. These didn’t make the national news, but I thought it might be appropriate to share a few today. We’ve always said: Metro Car Wash is one entertaining place to be.
So in case you missed some of these …

In the past nine years, my partner Pee Wee has fallen off a 30 foot ladder, been hit by a car, and found himself stuck, upside down, in a waste water reclaim pit. We’ve lost count of how many lives the dude has, but he does have an amazing ability to keep bouncing back.

As for me, an ex-accountant, I learned that the ability to go to work in shorts and tennis shoes (instead of a suit and tie) is an immeasurable luxury. Such leisure attire keeps you cooler in the summer, sure, but it also does wonders for your speed – something I didn’t realize I needed until I found myself running down the center of Oracle Road, chasing a guy on a bicycle whom I had just witnessed shoplifting from our lobby. The thief got away, but not before I came very close to getting my hand on the seat of his pants. And I’ll tell you this much: seeing a grown man run down the center of Oracle, shouting obscenities that I can’t mention here (suffice to say they’d make a pirate blush), at least sent a message to the would-be criminals around Metro; it said: Hey, we’re all just little crazy here, you might not want to try that again.

Crazy, actually, is something that seems attracted to Metro Car Wash.

Our car wash was once shut down by a police sting operation – they were cracking down on prostitution. And so why was Metro involved? Well, because after picking up a date, one of our customers decided the first thing to do was get a car wash (I wish I was kidding here, I’m not). He pulled in, followed by half of the Tucson Police Force. And his “date” (a working lady who also happened to be wearing a cast on her broken arm … I told you, crazy loves us here) decided that she wasn’t going out without a fight. What ensued at the Metro Vacuums resembled something out of a Woody Allen movie or an old episode of Laugh-In, one of those moments where you can’t do anything by just sit and stare with your mouth open, a little voice somewhere in the back of your head saying: Really? Owning a car wash is really what you want to do with your life?

On the subject of “dates,” I might also mention that we’ve discovered an underground culture that views the car wash tunnel in the same light as the Mile High Club. Not joking here either. Over the last nine years, on several occasions, we’ve had the unfortunate experience of witnessing, first-hand, couples attempting to … well … you get the picture. And let me just say this: (a) while we use a lot of soap here, the foam isn’t that thick, (b) while you may think our wash is thorough, it doesn’t take that long before you get to the rinse cycle, and (3) even if you like what you see in the mirror after your morning shower, it doesn’t mean everyone does. Enough said.

But of course, it hasn’t all been crazy either. As a matter of fact, I still wake up every morning happy to own Metro Car Wash and happy to go to work. Someone once told me: variety is the spice of life, and I think that can’t be truer than at our car wash. We really are a spicy business.

Every day we see hundreds of customers, each one bringing a little of their story into our lives. Sure, some are negative (I’ve had my life threatened because we forgot to put tire shine on all four tires); and sure, some are strange (there was one incident where an individual came back to the wash looking white as a ghost, said: “I left a brown paper bag on the patio. Did anyone turn it in?” When I said no, the individual spent an hour roaming the lot, going through the trash. When pressed, the customer said: “There was $20,000 in the bag. I didn’t want to leave it in the car; then forgot it under the patio chair.” Sad … and strange.); but for the most part, our customers are a fantastic bunch. Many of our customers have become good friends. Some have even ended up working for us. We’ve made customers cry when we’ve found jewelry under their seats that they thought they had lost. We’ve washed the cars of celebrities: professional basketball players, politicians, softball pitchers, golfers and even a movie star.

And it’s not just the customers, of course. It’s our employees too, who have added to the variety and spice of Metro. We’ve had some interesting characters over the years, for sure: budding rap stars, aspiring writers, a bull rider. But we’ve also been a stop for individuals heading for different careers, employees who have gone on to the Navy, to become nurses, and in one case a model.

The truth is, it’s these people (both customers and employees) who have inspired us to be a better business. Nothing hurts like a valid complaint; nothing feels better than a heart-felt compliment.

Over the last nine years, we’ve worked hard to constantly improve ourselves, to be both a better employer and a better service business. And as I reflect on the friends we’ve made and the stories we’ve created, I can’t help but smile. When I look in the rearview mirror, I’m pretty proud of Metro Car Wash. I don’t think we’ve done too badly. More importantly, I think we’ve only just begun.

Thanks for being a part of our lives these last nine years, folks. We’re looking forward to many more to come.

Stay clean my friends,

-DJ DripDry

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FIRST METRO/HARKIN SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

It was only a year ago that we dreamed up the idea of the Metro-Harkin Scholarship: a unique program that would pay for one complete year of schooling at Pima Community College for one deserving Tucson high school graduate. Twelve months later, the Scholarship has been established, funds have been raised, a crazy Zombie Wash was let loose in Tucson, and Terrence Peel-Charles has been awarded the first ever Metro-Harkin Scholarship for the 2011-2012 academic year.

For those of you who need a little reminding, the Metro-Harkin Scholarship is open to any graduating Tucson high school student. The aim of the Scholarship is to provide a higher education for hard-working and hard-studying individuals who might not otherwise have the means to attend college. The Scholarship was created by the owners of Metro Car Wash and Jeremy Harkin a high school English teacher.

So … for this blog, we thought we’d share a little from our upcoming press release with you. We’re proud to introduce you to Terrence, Metro’s first-ever Scholarship winner …

From the Press Release: Marana Student Wins Metro/Harkin Scholarship

Terrence Peel-Charles (18) is a recent graduate of Marana High School. He earned a 3.4 GPA, was active in Key Club, volunteered for various charity events including Aids Walk and the Special Olympics, and worked part time as an after-school Classified Enrichment Instructor. Perhaps most notably, Terrence received an opportunity his Junior Year to participate as a foreign exchange student in Germany. He didn’t know the language, had never taken a German class, and knew no one in the Country. Still, none of this stopped him from packing his bags, leaving the comforts of his family and friends, and heading to Europe for a year of his life – an intimidating scenario for anyone, but an experience that helped him grow significantly into adulthood.

“Living in Germany helped me learn things about myself I didn’t even know,” says Terrence. “The most difficult task in my life was to grasp the German language. I had to learn German at a very fast pace to survive at school. I got home from class, took out my homework and my German-to-English dictionary and translated the whole assignment for hours on end until I understood it.”

In addition to challenging him educationally, Terrence claims the experience has also made him “a more worldly person”, more aware of cultural differences (and how to navigate those barriers), and more understanding of what it means to be alone and have only yourself to depend on. These, in turn, have now shaped his goals for the future.

“I came back to America with something to prove to myself,” says Terrence. “I’ve learned there is really no challenge I can’t handle. I want to become a doctor, hopefully one that can travel abroad. And I’m not going to let any obstacles get in my way, financial or otherwise.”

Terrence is now planning to attend Pima Community College for two years before transferring to the University of Arizona. He is extremely grateful for the Metro-Harkin Scholarship, a program that will pay entirely for his first two semesters at Pima. In addition to his own education, Terrence also holds a part time job teaching children in an after-school program (holding a part time job during the academic year is a requirement of the Metro Scholarship).

“We had a lot of great applicants,” said one member of the committee that selected the recipient. “There were interesting stories, unique backgrounds – a bunch of deserving kids, really. The selection process was difficult, but in the end, Terrence was the clear winner.”

The Metro-Harkin Scholarship is funded by Metro Car Wash, as well as through donations they receive. Last year, the Company raised the lion’s share of the Fund by hosting Tucson’s first ever “Zombie Car Wash.” The charity event turned Metro’s Speedway location into a haunted theme-ride for one week in October and was met with rave reviews. The Company is planning on another Zombie Car Wash this fall; this time around Terrence will be helping.

Terrence’s selection as the Scholarship Winner was based on a committee’s cumulative score that was comprised of his grades, his scholastic attendance record, extracurricular participation, two essays, and a final interview. The Metro-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.

(Terrence Peel, 2011)

Why You Shouldn’t Complain About the Price of A Car Wash (at least not in Tucson)

OK, so everyone’s pinching pennies these days … we get it. And OK, so everything seems to cost too much for what you actually get … understood. We’re all in the same boat: we’re tired of increasing prices accompanied by decreasing service and quality. It stinks. It isn’t right. And yet it’s prevalent.

Only wait, wait, wait! Let’s not completely jump the gun here. There are some places where your money still purchases real value – where it can go a long way, and where you can really get a bang for your buck. It’s not all doom and gloom out there, really. And while you may find this hard to believe, a professional car wash is one of those purchases (at least in Tucson … and OK, at least at Metro Car Wash).

First of all, I’d like to point out the results of a little research I did. I took a look at what prices have done for various products since the year 2000 (around the time Metro Car Wash just got rolling in the Old Pueblo). The information is eye opening, but it can also give you stomach cramps too. In just 10 years …

The average cost of a movie ticket went from $5.39 to $7.89 (an increase of 46%).

The average cost of gas increased by 70% per gallon.

The average price of eggs increased by over $1.50 per dozen (who knew chickens had this type of bargaining power?).

The price of milk increased by 11%, a US stamp by 33%, and coffee and tea by 100%.

What makes matters even worse, is that the Median Household Income only increased by 26% in that same time (making these prices even more expensive on a relative basis).

Not news to jump for joy about, obviously. Actually, rather depressing. The kind of thing that might really be a buzz kill … unless, of course, you spend money at Metro Car Wash (you just knew I’d get back to this).

Since 2000, here’s what we’ve done:

The price of our Express Wash (exterior only) is still $3.99. In 10 years, it hasn’t changed one single bit.

The price of our Uptown Metro Wash (your car cleaned inside and out, tire shine, clear coat protection, etc.) has gone from $17.99 to $12.99, a decrease of 28%.

And the average price of a Metro Detail is now $35, down 22% from where it was 10 years ago!

And to be fair: most of the other car washes in town have kept their prices low too. As a Tucson service, getting a car wash is cheap. It’s cheap compared to other places in the country and it’s cheap compared to prices of 10 years ago (something that is rather amazing when one considers increases in Minimum Wage, power costs and utility costs).

Put simply, a car wash is a great value.

OK, you say, But I still need to pinch pennies, and a car wash isn’t necessary.

In defense of this, I’ve already written a blog about why washing your car is important (you can link to it here), including protecting the resale value of your auto investment. But assuming you understand that keeping your car clean is actually important (like brushing your teeth and washing your clothes), you might be inclined to say you can still do it yourself (and save money).

Here’s what we have to say to that:

The average time that it takes for a person to wash their car in their driveway is between 1 to 1 ½ hours. It should also be noted that this task is most often undertaken when you have 1 to 1 ½ hours of free time, like the weekend (which means this is 1 to 1 ½ hours of your precious weekend not spent playing with the kids, watching the game, or golfing).

At Metro Car Wash, our Uptown Metro Wash takes 15 to 20 minutes and we offer free coffee and free Wi-Fi while you wait (free coffee, even though its price has increased by 100%!). Not only this, but you’ll be getting specially formulated soap and wax that protects your paint, something you aren’t getting in your driveway (unless you spend more time and money).

Additionally, the average driveway washer uses 77 gallons of water to wash a single car (hard to believe, I know. But true). The average professional car wash, on the other hand, uses almost half of that (approximately 45 gallons per car). And at Metro, we actually recycle this water and use it to irrigate landscaping and wash more cars.

So, this is good news, right? At least we like to think it is.

Sometimes its good to step back and think about the value in the products you buy, to slap yourself on the back for not wasting money and being a savvy buyer. And if you’re a user of a professional car wash, then slap yourself on the back again because:

You’re maintaining the resale value of your investment, while looking good at the same time; you’re doing this while spending at levels less than ten years ago; and you’re managing to save time and the environment simultaneously.

How can that not be a valuable purchase?

Feel good about your purchase, folks. And 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

Why Metro Car Wash is a Lot Like the Rolling Stones

I know what you’re thinking: I’m stating the obvious.

Sure DJ DripDry has the same swagger as Mick Jagger. Sure, his business partner OG Celentano (prior to the success of the Patch) burned just as many cigarettes as Keith Richards. And yes, yes, yes: the screaming fans and all that. But the similarities run a bit deeper than most people realize.

For starters, it took the Rolling Stones a little over eight years to become the biggest band in the world. Likewise, it took Metro Car Wash about eight years to become Tucson’s favorite car wash. It takes time to grow a fan base, no matter who you are. Word-of-mouth advertising is great; you just have to be patient. The Rolling Stones started in 1962 and by 1970 (when they were recording “Sticky Fingers”) everyone recognized them as a band at the top of their game. Metro Car Wash started in 2002, and as of 2010, with the release of Metro 2.0, we feel like we’re on our game too. We’re far from perfect, but we’re working harder than ever to be the best service business in Tucson (not just the best car wash).

It’s also interesting to note that, just like the Rolling Stones who started off with Brian Jones as a key member of the band (he was actually the founding member) and then fired him in the middle of their success, Metro Car Wash started off with three partners, but had to make the tough decision early on to lose one also. It’s never easy to make these calls. But sometimes, the most difficult decisions are the best ones. Personnel (that fits) and teamwork are vital to a band’s success (and a business’s).

Here’s another similarity: In 1971, when The Rolling Stones were recognized as the biggest rock band in the world, they were also essentially broke. They’d gotten into tax trouble and contract trouble, and had to flee to France to record “Exile on Main St.”, the album that has just been re-released. Now, rest assured, the guys at Metro aren’t broke (knock on wood), but it is interesting that customers always think things are rosier than they seem. They see the lines of cars and the crowded lobbies, and they assume car washes are money machines. They aren’t. Unless you’re inside an industry, you can never really know how expensive it is to keep things going, especially if you want to maintain high standards. At Metro, we’ve been plowing every spare dime back into the business. We have a long-term outlook on financial growth. And like The Rolling Stones, we don’t anticipate hitting Easy Street until we’re a little older.

Which brings me to my last point: we plan on being around as long as Mick and Keith too.

One of my favorite things about The Stones is that they seem to never to get tired of what they do. They always do a great job, and when things get boring, they re-invent themselves. At Metro, we’d like to think we’re no different. We’ve made a lot of changes over the years. And we’ve re-invented ourselves too. Our customers seem to like the changes, but were not done yet. We’ve got some big things planned for this year—not necessarily a world tour—but we think you’re going to like them.

Stay tuned. And as always, stay clean my friends.

DJ DripDry

The Customer Isn't Always Right (But You Can Feel Sorry for Them)

One of my least favorite sayings (ever since becoming a business owner) is: “The customer is always right.”

No offence to H. Gordon Selfridge who supposedly coined the phrase, but it really is nonsense. No one is always right. And more importantly, there are actually some very bad customers out there—customers that aren’t only wrong, but whom you really don’t want as your customer at all.

There is a lot that has been written about businesses “firing” their bad customers, of course. And that discussion is nothing new. But in today’s economy, when you’re doing everything possible to bring a customer through the door, it’s a lot harder not to stand there and take it … to actually let the customer always be right. And unfortunately, it feels like there are more and more bad customers every day.

Now I want to be clear: if you are a business delivering poor customer service, or poor quality, you get what you deserve. The consumer market is obviously the very best assessment of your value and you need to always measure this (at Metro we utilize a Secret Shopper Program). If you’re getting consistent complaints about your business, you need to listen to your customers and fix something. This is not what this blog is about. No, what I’m talking about here are the just plain mean, nasty, greedy, ungrateful, rude customers. The ones with a scowl on their face before ever entering your door; the ones a magic genie couldn’t make happy. And let’s face it: they’re a beast of a different color altogether.

The good news, of course, is that these customers are actually few and far between. At Metro, we wash about 800 cars a day—that’s a lot of people’s lives we touch, if only for a few minutes—and almost every one of them is pleasant and appreciative of the service we provide. It’s just that the nasty ones (the ones that do or say things that leave your jaw hanging open in astonishment) are the ones you remember. They’re the ones you go home thinking about; the ones that get in your head and can wreck your day (and then perhaps have a negative impact on the good customers too). These individuals are few in number; they just make deep impressions.

I don’t know that there is a perfect way to handle them, btw. I just know that they will inevitably cross your path. And for what it’s worth, here’s what I do to keep myself sane:

First, I really do try to see the logic or the sense in what they’re saying. I listen to them intently and see if maybe we’ve done something wrong. If we’re not (wrong), and they’re just being rude and unreasonable, I calmly take a step back and remind myself of something my wife once told me: “When you see someone that’s mean and bad-tempered, there’s a reason. Someone’s making their life hard. Someone’s hurting them. It may be a very bad day, or it may even be a very hard life. You just happen to be the one they’re taking it out on.”

I like the sense in that. It doesn't ever make their actions justified, but it puts things into perspective. For me, it allows me to let them escape from my day (and my life) without leaving too much of a negative mark. I feel sorry for them. I feel sorry for whatever story lies underneath their nasty demeanor. And with this hurting economy, those bad stories are only getting more common.

Last weekend, a man with a scowl on his face walked up to me and my manager as we were talking. He pointed at his car that was in a Detail Bay for a hand wax; then he pointed a meaty finger in our faces. He said (and I quote): “No one’s started waxing my car yet! I’m a cop. If you don’t get someone working on that car, I’ll make one call and this business will be !@%*# up!”

I wish I was making that up. I’m not (although I do want to say we wash the cars of several great police officers who have become our friends).

In shock, we looked over to the car. What the customer couldn’t see was that one of my best workers (also my shortest employee) was just finishing the wax on the opposite side of his car. My manager pointed this out to the customer. In response, the customer said: “Oh. I didn’t see.” And that was it. Not a hint of an apology. He just turned away and continued to scowl.

As my manager and I backed away, I could see my manager was upset. And he had a right to be. The guy had just accused us of something that wasn’t true, he had threatened us, and neither of those things seemed to matter to him. Inside the lobby, we found our cashier a little flustered. She described the same man; she said he’d been rude and short to the point where she’d felt uncomfortable. Obviously, this was a nasty customer. And unfortunately, he had gotten into the heads of my employees.

I told them both to shake it off. I quoted my wife. I told them to enjoy their day. Whatever was behind that guy’s attitude was awfully sad. I told them not to be bothered by him; just feel sorry for him. And then I told them to be thankful they didn’t have anything that bad hanging around their neck.

It may not be a perfect solution. But really, what else are you going to do? My advice: get them out of your head as quickly as you can. Don’t let a rotten customer pass their mood on to you. Smile. Go shake the hand of a good customer and then thank them for their business. Slap an employee on the back. Roll your shoulders and be grateful. You’ll be surprised how quickly you get your mojo back.

Stay clean my friends (and happy).

--DJ DripDry