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Car Wash Guy

By Carolyn Galant

Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Residential

January 01, 2008 03:03 PM

I just read the post about the car wash industry guy who was railing against agents and their cars. First I will tell you the local car wash charges me $18.00 plus tip for my 2 year old SUV. they do an o.k. job,but the wheels are never cleaned that well and they miss other dirt as well. Before a weekend appointment, you better get up early and be there at 8:00 for the 8:30 a.m. opening. that means getting up at 6:30 for hair and makeup and breakfast and maybe a quick look at the computer and the paper so you can beat everyone in my town in NJ to the car wash. ( You can do it on Fri, unless it rained, then you are stuck on Sat. ) I have time to do this once a week. The other wash is 20 minutes away, does a better job, but that eats up 50 more minutes of the day. I have hot and cold water spigots at my house, every Griots Garage product, squeegees, wiping waxes, etc. but to spend 40 minutes bending, spraying ( OH, my back!!!) fooling around washing and wiping my car is not executive level work that I should be doing. Yes, we have tried the Mr. Clean product that came out a couple of years ago. it was fair at best. If the tires are dirty from Friday, so be it. There is no mobile car wash in my market area that is going to zip right to my office for $25. If there were, I would gladly pay it. Kids don't wash cars anymore for extra money, they are busy studying or playing sports to get into college. I even have spearmint air freshener spray and window wipes, but if it isn't freshly washed to meet a client, so be it. I would pay someone to take my car to the car wash, but there are no takers.

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Ryan Hukill - Edmond

405home @ ERA Courtyard - Edmond, OK

Realtor, Team Lead

OK everyone, which one of you kicked the carwash guy's dog?!

Jan 01, 2008 03:10 PM

Colleen Fischesser Northwest Property Shop

NextHome Experience - Chelan, WA

A Tradition of Trust in the Pacific NW since 1990!

Ryan, LOL!!!

Carolyn, methinks this guy is looking for an angle to get 100 comments again. Geesh, get a life buddy. And learn to spell PLEASE!!

Jan 01, 2008 03:12 PM

Frank Jewett

tech4REpros - San Jose, CA

Kids don't wash cars because they get the $20 from their parents without having to work. My great grandfather used to say "shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations" to describe the process where hard work leads to a better lifestyle which leads to a poor work ethic over the course of a few generations. Something to think about next time you hand your son or daughter $20 rather than telling them to go out and earn it. Which would you rather share, the fruits of your success or the values that made you successful?

Jan 01, 2008 03:14 PM

Jem Woods

Keller Williams Realty - Marble Falls, TX - Marble Falls, TX

Marble Falls TX Real Estate

WOW, that was quite philisophical! I'd take the more direct approach, ask the kid who did the final detail to go back and reclean the wheels, and then give him the tip. Your car looks good, your clients are impressed, they buy a house and you make enough money to give your kids $20 if you want to. Then make them take out the trash! Happy New Year!

Jan 01, 2008 03:19 PM

Eric Bouler

Gardner Realtors, Licensed in La. - New Orleans, LA

Listening to your Needs

People will come to your house here and wash it. There used to be a guy that would come by our office with a moble washer and really clean up.

Jan 01, 2008 03:20 PM

Colleen, I think you're right about the angle, and maybe we should all just post our 100 comments here instead.

Frank, you're dead on with that comment! I've seen over the past year that I've gone the wrong route with my oldest son in this regard and am working hard to change the way I deal with these things from here forward, in hopes of correcting him and doing things better with the other 3.

Jan 01, 2008 03:22 PM

Ken Cook

Content, coding, marketing, host. - Marietta, GA

Content Marketer/Creator

Well he sure got a long list of ying and yang started. I'm not into the hullabaloo. Bottom line is (a) nobody can guess my personality by my car(s). I have a choice and while my mood changes my personality stays relatively the same. (b) When I'm interviewing a prospective employee I always ask, "If I go out and look at your car right now will you be embarrassed about how it looks? (c) When I was younger I had an attitude, too. Then I became REALLY successful in real estate investing and mellowed out. Some ;)

Jan 01, 2008 03:31 PM

Brian Schulman

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA

Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552

Carolyn, I used to enjoy detailing my own car out. I never have the time any more. It seems the same for everyone else as well...

Jan 01, 2008 03:47 PM

Nancy Brenner

Referral Associates of Georgia, Inc. - Roswell, GA

Roswell Georgia Real Estate Agent

Here in the Atlanta area, we're not allowed to wash our cars due to the drought. I hate going to the car wash. My car never comes out clean, the windows are streaky and it costs me lots of money. I can't wait for Mother Nature to do her thing and let me wash my own car again!

Jan 01, 2008 04:09 PM

Sandy Bacon

MacDoc Realty - Fredericksburg, VA

I think car wash guy went a little overboard in his negativity. Bottom line is i think all serious Realtors try to keep their cars clean within reason. Obviously we can't go to the carwash every day. I am never ashamed to have a client get in my car. I either have the mobile washers who come to the office wash and detail it or I'll run to the carwash after it has snowed to wash the salt off but my husband is my best source of keeping that clean car look that I sport around!

Jan 02, 2008 05:57 AM

No doubt "the car wash guy" went overboard. It's actually kind of comical now that it's crystal clear what his real motives are (comments and points). He's like a schizophrenic or something if you really read the garbage he spews.

Anyway, I agree. Most of us who take the business seriously keep our cars in check. Personally, I have 4 kids, so it can be a challenge, but my car is always presentable. I'm not so OCD that I run it through the car wash every day, and anyone who does probably has some serious issues, but she gets a bath often enough. I'm sure though, that every car wash guy would love it if we all shelled out our $10-25 every day.

I guess if we wanted to have a little fun with it, we could go off on a tirade about the image that car wash guys portray with poor spelling and grammar, and excessively large egos. But of course, he's an expert (understatement) in image and branding, so I'm sure we'd all just make ourselves look silly :)

Jan 02, 2008 07:43 AM

Cynthia Tilghman, Realtor® Onslow County NC Home Specialist

Kingsbridge Realty, Inc - Hubert, NC

Hi Carolyn,
I feel your pain. Once the weather gets warm, I do wash my own car when I have the time. The car wash really does a poor job and I'm always dissatisfied.

Mar 19, 2008 02:40 PM

Carolyn Galant

Coldwell Banker Residential - Madison, NJ

MBA - Coldwell Banker - New Jersey Real Estate

Thanks, cynthia. I just came back from the car dealer and there is some new product they can coat your new car with that works to seal in the finish, you can rinse off the dirt with no soap between washes. I will post it once I know it.

Mar 19, 2008 02:48 PM

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