Freddy Smith
Fabulous Freddy’s Nevada and Utah
Q: Tell us about your business.
A: Fabulous Freddy’s is a one-stop-shop auto facility. We have, most importantly, fabulous employees who operate a fabulous car wash, detail shop, windshield repair, convenience store, yogurt shops, a couple quick-serve restaurants and treat shop, oil and lube center, tires center, fuel center, and provide an overall fabulous experience for customers and their vehicles. The goal of our company is to provide a fabulous experience to everyone and their vehicles that is of the highest in quality, convenience, value and service.
Q: What do you love most about the business?
A: The thing I love about this is creating opportunities for people. Whether it is creating an opportunity for an employee to have a career and grow or for a customer to have a retail place that is easy and makes them feel fabulous, that’s what I love about this business!
Q: What’s the next big thing for the industry?
A: I believe the biggest thing is making sure we have employees who are well-educated on how to take care of vehicles. Vehicles are changing, and many dealers are saying their vehicles are bad to take through a car wash. We have to educate people and let them know that we are a very important business for their automotive needs. Our employees have to believe and love the products we give.
Q: What has been your experience using social media, daily deals or other unique marketing tools for your car wash?
A: We love social media and use it every day. We are on most of the social media websites. We have someone that is very focused on staying on top of this. We have used discounted websites as well, but only to promote a new location, a re-grand opening or a new concept in our stores.
Keith Taylor
Jazz Car Wash & Detailing Littleton, Colo.
Q: Tell us about your business.
A: I founded Jazz Car Wash & Detailing with my wife, Lisa, in November 2007. The single site consists of a 1-acre lot, 10,000-square-foot building with six detail bays, a 110-foot tunnel with a mix of AVW and NS equipment, six fueling stations, and a large gift shop. We are a traditional full-service wash and are well-known in our community for quality and professionalism.
Q: What’s the next big thing for the industry?
A: I think the industry will evolve in three areas:
1. Consolidation. The car wash industry is very fragmented. Over the next decade, we will see increased consolidation in our industry. Today we are witnessing just the beginnings with the early players.
2. Improved environmental technologies, water recycling systems and power reduction. Like all other businesses, we must continue to reduce our consumption of energy and water.
3. Car wash management/technology solutions. Technology is constantly improving and as such these systems will continue to be enhanced and improved from a user standpoint.
Q: What unique marketing tools have you used to promote your car wash?
A: One surprising element associated with our growth has been the reputation of the Jazz Boutique. My wife, Lisa, has done a marvelous job of growing our gift shop revenues. Her store has tripled in size over two years. The local reputation associated with the Jazz Boutique is bringing in new wash customers and single-item purchasers. Customers now come in on rainy or snowy days to shop in the boutique.
John Roush
Moo Moo Express Car Wash
Eight locations in central Ohio
Q: Tell us about your business.
A: We are an express model car wash. We are very highly branded. All of our locations are barns and are architecturally significant. They stand out and help create the brand of our business.
Q: What is your brand all about?
A: We are very cow-centric, family and kid-friendly. Our goal is to deliver a very consistent, clean car at a great price. We also want our customers to have a very positive experience. If we do miss, we always have a 100 percent wash guarantee. Our sites are all extremely landscaped and perfectly maintained. We are very customer-service oriented.
Q: How has your company grown since you started?
A: We opened our first store in February 2009. Since then we opened up seven more locations in four years.
Q: What are the reasons for that rapid growth?
A: We are so concerned about our customer having a positive experience. We have the best price structure and the best customer service in our market. The stores have all opened strong and are all growing strong because of this. We never stop working hard to improve our product, our process and our customer service. I think that’s what has done it for us.
Q: What has been your experience using social media, daily deals or other unique marketing tools for your car wash?
A: Social media, websites and the electronic aspect is all important, but the very most important thing is having excellent sites, ease of access and high visibility. You can market to people all you want, but nothing is as valuable as someone driving past you every day.
Q: Any advice for successful hiring?
A: We don’t hire mechanically inclined employees. We look for employees who have exceptional customer service skills — friendly, outgoing, smiling, happy employees. I think we pay our employees above industry standard. They are the heart of our business, and we value them. Our turnover is very light. Most of our managers have been with us since we opened the store.
