Improving dealer washes

[Tuck91]

Re: Improving dealer washes

Even if you did get a high quality brush, there still is going to be that idiot who uses it on the wheels and tires and then brings it back up to wash the hood.

[CieraSL]

Re: Improving dealer washes

Even if you did get a high quality brush, there still is going to be that idiot who uses it on the wheels and tires and then brings it back up to wash the hood.

Sadly, that does happen. I just kinda have to shrug my shoulders and say, "Oh well. At least it ain't my car."

[the_invisible]

Re: Improving dealer washes

CieraSL, it sounds to me that your mishap is primarily caused by the poorly trained, inadequate, sloppy coworkers of yours, coupled with the lack of management, discipline, and an established system of operation in your department.

None of the proposed suggestions would ever work unless you try to solve the problem down to its roots. Does your department have a supervisor or a manager? If it does, then obviously they are useless, and none of your suggestions would work even if they decide to oblige. If your department does not have a superior of some sort, then this is your opportunity to show your quality.

This is what I'd do. Propose to your superior that you want to enhance the quality and the efficiency of service of your department. Explain to him or her what the underlying problems are with the current working condition. Offer to provide a cost-effective solution, and explain how the new course of action could be profitable. Estimate how long it would take for the changes to exhibit any positive effects. When improvements are felt by the management, ask for a promotion without raise. A good title would look good on your resume for any prospective job.

Frankly, the work ethics of your coworkers match those of unmotivated, undercompensated workers. Possibly, the lack of motivation in your department, in my opinion, is due to the lack of demand for quality work from your department, which in turn causes undercompensation in your department. Again, this is a problem that cannot be solved with the dual bucket method and quality soap. If your department is paid market rates for work, and thus is not undercompensated, then it is probably time for your boss to let a few workers go if quality work is demanded of your department.

Keep in mind that if any sort of improvements would not increase profit for an entity, then the status quo is the optimal course of action. In that case, your effort would not be worth it in the first place and everybody would be better off by you instilling swirls while washing vehicles.

Hope this helps.

[RGP]

Re: Improving dealer washes

Very well said, Albert!!!

[Justin Murphy]

Re: Improving dealer washes

Wow. Nice to hear this!

I would.......
Find a good bulk soap. Meg's Hyper Wash is really good.

Two bucket method is a maybe but I'm betting it will be too slow. I would get a Grit Guard and keep a seperate sponge/mitt for the upper body and lower body panels. Rinse out the sponge often! Do a panel then go back to the bucket. Use your free hand to make sure all is out.

Get some really good sponges. I love sponges. The grout sponge from Home Depot is 1.55. This is cheap so you can replace them often.

Get some really good drying TOWELS! To me, this is where 75% of marring comes from. Meguiar's Last Touch is really goo at 1:1 for use as a drying aid. It gives some lubrication and protects against fine scratching. Leaves a nice shine as well.

Just my 2 pennies worth.....

[ai5u]

Re: Improving dealer washes

I would recommend a device I bought at my local hardware store. Its a H D Hudson wet/dry hose end sprayer (the version pictured here is for dry concentrates, but they do sell one for wet concentrates). I fill the tank with 1 ounce of Rain-X foaming soap and the rest with water- hook it up to the hose and fire away with lots of soap. I then use one bucket with a MF wash mit to gently wash the car and rinse. Maybe something like this would be usefull where one could use the foaming wash and one mit to wash down the vehicle and do a flood rinse after?

[dave_from_here]

Re: Improving dealer washes

CieraSL, it sounds to me that your mishap is primarily caused by the poorly trained, inadequate, sloppy coworkers of yours, coupled with the lack of management, discipline, and an established system of operation in your department.

None of the proposed suggestions would ever work unless you try to solve the problem down to its roots. Does your department have a supervisor or a manager? If it does, then obviously they are useless, and none of your suggestions would work even if they decide to oblige. If your department does not have a superior of some sort, then this is your opportunity to show your quality.

This is what I'd do. Propose to your superior that you want to enhance the quality and the efficiency of service of your department. Explain to him or her what the underlying problems are with the current working condition. Offer to provide a cost-effective solution, and explain how the new course of action could be profitable. Estimate how long it would take for the changes to exhibit any positive effects. When improvements are felt by the management, ask for a promotion without raise. A good title would look good on your resume for any prospective job.

Frankly, the work ethics of your coworkers match those of unmotivated, undercompensated workers. Possibly, the lack of motivation in your department, in my opinion, is due to the lack of demand for quality work from your department, which in turn causes undercompensation in your department. Again, this is a problem that cannot be solved with the dual bucket method and quality soap. If your department is paid market rates for work, and thus is not undercompensated, then it is probably time for your boss to let a few workers go if quality work is demanded of your department.

Keep in mind that if any sort of improvements would not increase profit for an entity, then the status quo is the optimal course of action. In that case, your effort would not be worth it in the first place and everybody would be better off by you instilling swirls while washing vehicles.

Hope this helps.

100 % right !!!