An engaging training program can boost implementation of ideas and tactics learned, leading to better performance and efficiency and reduced turnover.
“It was a kind of silly gesture, but it has been very effective,” said Gerry Barton, part of the human resources team at The Team Car Wash about one of the ideas they incorporated into their training program. They were trying to come up with ways to make their training more engaging and to help with the transition from classroom to real-life implementation.
“Early on we were concerned people weren’t taking what they learned and bringing it back to their site to implement,” Barton said. “At the beginning of the next class, everyone was given an empty brown paper bag. At the end of every class after that, people were asked what ideas they were going to put in the bag and bring back to their wash to start using.”
We wanted to be intentional about making the classes lively and energetic, while incorporating some tactics to drive the points home, Barton said.
The result was exactly what they had hoped for: More of the classroom material was being shared and incorporated at all of The Team Car Wash sites.
Training is just like the old adage about bringing a horse to water. You can’t make the horse drink the water, but you can encourage it to by making it more appealing — splashing it, bringing the bucket closer, lifting the hose up to its muzzle. You get the idea!
With training, the idea would be to make it more engaging and intriguing, so your employees are keen on retaining the information and then trying out the ideas in their day-to-day responsibilities at the car wash. You want to ensure the learnings land with the employees to increase the likelihood they will implement what they’ve learned.
At Mr. Clean Car Wash, this is an important and recognized step in the training process. “We know that when employees enjoy the training process, they are more likely to retain the information and apply it effectively in their day-to-day roles,” said Jonathan Delicate, director of training at Mr. Clean Car Wash.
Chamois Car Wash, Danville, Calif.
It’s an aspect that Benny’s Car Wash prioritizes, as well. “When you reach people on their level, it certainly makes it more engaging,” said Allie Voiselle, training director. Benny’s accomplishes this by making sure the training content is shared on a level that can be “understood, presented in multiple ways, delivered in digestible chunks, relevant, practical and, above all, valuable,” Voiselle said, adding that they want the messaging to resonate with staff. “We all learn differently, so it’s important to present information in different ways to ensure it sticks.”
Creating a collaborative and supportive training environment is what’s most essential, Delicate said. “This not only makes the training more engaging but also helps to build camaraderie among staff, which leads to better outcomes for both the individual and the company,” he said.
Why It’s Important: The Benefits of Training
Training programs are essential to the success of any business, especially those in the car wash industry, where so much focus is on serving the customer. Creating an effective training program with a balanced curriculum catered to various learning styles will engage your employees and drive improvements to your business.
For organizations without a training program, the idea may seem overwhelming. But owners and operators all agree the benefits make it non-negotiable. If your business wants to be poised for growth, your training program is an important building block. An effective training program helps new employees onboard with your organization faster, contributes to improved employee engagement and increases the efficiency of your business.
“A training program is the foundation of any organization that aims to grow. It nurtures the potential future leaders and lends itself to the organization’s ability to scale,” Voiselle said.
Benny's Car Wash, Baton Rouge, La.
For Voiselle, part of that foundation built by a training program is consistency, which makes it possible to provide a stellar customer experience — each and every time — at a level the organization has established as their standard.
“Consistency and continuity of operations allow us to meet and exceed customer expectations,” Voiselle said. “A training program sets the expectation for consistency and ensures everyone is provided with the knowledge and skills they need to not only perform their job, but do so effectively, to the organization’s standards.”
Paulo Duarte, manager of the Waverley location of The Chamois Car Wash and Detail Centre, agreed that a training program helps establish consistency, something critical in an industry where providing a solid customer experience is so important.
“Employee training is crucial for the success of any organization, especially in a service industry like ours,” Duarte said. “It ensures all employees are aligned with the company’s values, understand their roles, and can perform their tasks safely and effectively.”
Delicate said their organization has seen the benefits firsthand, attributing increased employee engagement and satisfaction, faster onboarding and decreased turnover to their training program.
“An employee training program is not just important, it’s indispensable,” Delicate said. “It serves as the foundation for employee competence, engagement and consistency, all of which are critical to achieving organizational goals and maintaining a competitive edge.”
“Our employees report feeling more confident and supported, knowing they have access to the training and resources they need to succeed,” Delicate said. “Our new hires reach full productivity faster due to the efficiency of our onboarding process. And our structured and supportive training has contributed to a lower turnover rate, as employees feel more prepared and valued in their roles.”
Defining the Curriculum: Hard Skills & Soft Skills
To create a training program, organizations must determine what to teach their employees. The curriculum can be simple, focusing on key themes like customer service, equipment training and safety protocols, or more advanced, digging deep into each of these topics and more.
Delicate said the Mr. Clean Car Wash team initially started with a traditional program, focused on the core skills needed for car wash operations. But it quickly evolved as their business and the industry grew. Today, their program is structured into several key components: onboarding, ongoing training and digital integration.
The digital integration is a relatively new addition to the training, added because of the growth and familiarity of digital tools. It includes online learning platforms, QR codes for equipment-specific training, and video tutorials accessible on-demand.
The Chamois Car Wash also recognized the need to pivot their program to stay relevant and current. “Initially, the program focused heavily on technical aspects, but as we grew, we recognized the need for a more comprehensive approach,” Duarte said. Today, the program covers a combination of hard and soft skills.
Making it Personal: Customizing Training by Role, Learning Style, Channels
Because each role within the organization has its own specific nuances for success, and all individuals have their own learning styles, organizations will want to customize training with those considerations in mind.
At Benny’s Car Wash, Voiselle said they’ve implemented standalone programs for specific positions, as well as a skills-based certification program where each skill and/or position has its own certification.
“The base certifications cover all frontline positions available at the associate level and all the express interior positions. These certifications are very hard skill-heavy and procedural,” she said. “We also utilize some of the International Carwash Association’s LEAD program courses for a touch of soft skills in the positions that are more customer focused.”
Team members can then move onto the next level of knowledge, where soft skills are a focus. “At this stage, we want to start cultivating their leadership skills,” Voiselle said.
Use What’s Available, If It’s a Good Fit
If your organization is considering implementing a training program, do some research before taking on this heavy lift. There might be something out there that’s ready to go and fits your needs — making it much easier to implement.
To develop their new Management Training Program, Barton from The Team Car Wash said they selected ICA’s LEAD program as the core. “The subject matter and content of the modules were very closely related to how we approach our business,” he said.
To get started, they formed a Core Curriculum Committee, made up of managers from across their business. “We initially selected nine modules, then decided on the order in which they would be taught. That order is directly related to the importance of these topics to our business,” Barton said.
To strengthen their program, they chose to do a combination of self-study, where participants completed modules on their own, followed by a facilitated live discussion, led by an in-house expert, who uses the summaries taken directly from the training modules to guide the discussion.
“This creates an environment that is supportive, collaborative and engaging, three of the most important building blocks for a training program that prioritizes not only employees’ skills but also your site’s performance and profitability,” Barton said.