Bill Hinton
OWNER
EXPRESS JET CAR WASH
ROANOKE & LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA

Q: Tell us about your business.

A: My wife, Heidi, and I opened the first site in 2009 in Roanoke, Virginia. It’s a family owned business with about 18 employees between the two stores. Each store has its own manager. We are an express exterior car wash. Both sites have approximately 18 free vacuums, along with free mat cleaners. Both sites offer complimentary window cleaner microfiber towels. We have Sonny’s equipment in the tunnel. Our Roanoke location is a 110-foot conveyor, and our Lynchburg location is a 127-foot conveyor. We opened the new site in Lynchburg on Dec. 31.

Q: How did you get into the car wash business?

A: It was a tough decision for me because for the last 30 years, I’ve been a commercial airline pilot. I lost my pension in a bankruptcy. I was looking for something my wife and I could get involved in that we would enjoy and that would provide some retirement income at some point. I loved cars, and at first I looked at an option of something I could invest in, and that was two in-bay automatics with a four-bay self-serve — something where I didn’t have to be there all the time. That was my original plan. The more I went to the ICA shows and started learning about express exterior concept, the more that it made sense to me. I didn’t know what to expect, but the people that I dealt with were great people. It was the best thing I’ve ever done.

Q: What do you love about the car wash industry?

A: Creating. I love creating a site and putting together a product with an end result that the customer loves. That’s what I enjoy doing. Taking some dirt and creating a product that the customer ends up saying, “Wow. This is the best wash around here.”

I love the people I deal with and the employees. My son works here, and my daughter used to work here.

Q: What innovations are you most interested in bringing to car washes?

A: Even though we are not in the design of technology, I think it is important for an operator to provide feedback to those who do. Ultimately the customer demands are what should drive the products being developed. We have to balance what makes sense at our location. My equipment supplier is innovative and is always trying to bring new products to the car wash industry. One of the things we just added last minute to the new site was compressed air at the vacuum stations. Every vacuum arch at our new Lynchburg location has an air line to it so the customer can blow out their dash and their vents.

Q: Any advice for successful hiring?

A: Hire outgoing, enthusiastic people who understand your business philosophy. Good work ethics, like to smile and reliable. What helps shape those people are your training program. When we opened our first site, we were like a lot of people going along doing the best we could. Before we opened the second site, we decided to build a training program that we take every employee through so that our employees are trained consistently. That’s what I ty to strive to my managers — delivering a consistent product and a consistent employee. We can go back and modify our training if we have an issue so that the employee comes out more consistent.

Q: What’s your secret to excellent customer service?

A: Always strive to exceed your customer’s expectations. The truth of the matter is that you might not always be able to do that. If you deliver a good product, be consistent with it. If you have multiple sites, be consistent.