It takes only a matter of seconds. In one moment, the tunnel or bay is spitting out clean, dry and shiny, and in the next, it’s a complete shutdown filled with the frustration and angst of all parties on-site. What happened?
Customers want time-efficient and convenient services, and that’s the main reason why many opt for professional carwashing to begin with. Speaking from experience, when the line at my local carwash is either too long or hardly moving — at least at the pace of my liking — I’m out and moving on to the next chore.
Unfortunately, there are several reasons a carwash might have to unexpectedly shut down. For instance, when new auto tech arrives at your lot — equipped with all the modern braking technologies, sensors and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) — it has the potential to suddenly halt a productive day.
I recently connected with Derek Kaufman, managing partner at Schwartz Advisors, for an update on automotive manufacturing changes and the need for a “carwash button” or solution. He shared some interesting updates.
While he encouraged patience from operators as auto manufacturing adjusts to the demand, he is confident that a solution or set of solutions is on the way.
“Vehicle manufacturers just don’t have a mechanism to hear [about these associated challenges at carwashes] and put [a solution right away] into action. It’s no doubt that they have heard the message … and there is headway being made,” explained Kaufman, who has been an integral representative for our industry, along with International Carwash Association, on this topic.
New emerging auto safety technologies save lives. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 36,096 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2019, which is down 2% from 36,835 in 2018. This is still far too many lives lost, and automotive manufacturing should be applauded for engineering safer vehicles and making our roadways safer.
Our two industries are working together to provide solutions for carwashes. Kaufman noted several in our interview. “It’s a matter of time. You’ll start seeing carwash mode features here heavily now in the next three years,” he predicted.
You can view the entire PC&D Unscripted video interview at Carwash.com or on our YouTube channel.
