An eight-year veteran of the car wash industry, Araceli Sanchez began her career with Mister Car Wash in 2009 while a 19-year-old student at University of Texas at El Paso. During that time, she not only obtained her bachelor’s degree in journalism, she also rose through the ranks from customer care representative (CCR) to customer service advisor (CSA) and Regional Trainer (RT) in El Paso, Texas, to her current position as customer care manager (CCM) at Mister Car Wash headquarters in Tucson, Arizona.
Prior to working with Mister Car Wash, Sanchez had limited retail and management experience. Seeking elusive part-time work that blended well with her class schedule, she looked into Mister Car Wash from the advice of a friend. After meeting with the general manager, she was offered a job as a CCR.
“At first it was intimidating,” she said. “The car wash is loud, busy and at the time we had no shared shifts. It was one CCR in the lobby by herself. But I was so grateful for the opportunity that I did my very best every day. I always felt like a valuable member of the team. I enjoyed running the show. I was the youngest CCR in that store and worked hard to help my team,” she said.
Sanchez’s strong work ethic and positive attitude did not go unnoticed. Promoted to CSA within six months, she enjoyed her next challenge of working in sales.
“It was the same small-team, high-impact mentality,” Sanchez said. “We never let each other down, and we always worked hard to keep the wash moving. I absolutely loved what I did and was always proud of where I worked.”
Sanchez found her work schedule very appealing. While most of her friends had to waitress until 2 a.m., she was home by 6:30 p.m., completing her assignments and spending time with her family. Working outdoors was also something she enjoyed.
After getting her college degree, Sanchez remained with Mister Car Wash while she interviewed for other opportunities. She also got married and had a baby. When an RT position opened up, she decided to give it a shot.
“I was passionate, grateful and in love with this company. In my heart I felt I could make a difference,” she said.
Out of 14 applicants, Sanchez got the job.
“As an RT, things did not start off easy. It took a lot of work. I was no longer looking out for myself, but now I was in charge of providing support to all locations in the city. I enjoyed the challenge and really turned things around for my region. It was by far the most rewarding and challenging role I’ve ever had with Mister Car Wash. In November of 2014, the CEO contacted me with a job offer I could not refuse. I moved to Tucson with my little family in December 2015 and began my new role as the customer care manager,” she said.
Working in a male-dominated profession has not deterred Sanchez from reaching for the stars, and she has never felt held down because of her gender. She embraces every challenge, and today she runs one of the few — if not the only — all-female team in the company.
Results seem to follow Sanchez wherever she goes, but of all her accomplishments, she is most proud of her ability to perform every role in the field.
“I can clean a car, detail a car, hand wax a car, change the oil, do a transmission flush, rotate a tire and prep a car just as well as a male coworker. I take pride in being able to do those things. I think it has to do with my upbringing. My father is a plumber, so I grew up helping him. My dad would always show my brother and me how to do things at the same time. He never excluded me because I was a girl. We both learned in front of the mirror how to do a tie. We both learned how to install air conditioners together. We both learned to rotate tires on the same day, and he taught us how to drive a manual transmission together. I’ve never been discouraged from trying things that traditionally only men did,” she said.
Sanchez has learned a great deal since she first set foot in a car wash. “It’s wonderful. I have ventured into something most females don’t. I feel one of a kind. I’ve learned so much about machinery and vehicles, and all because I was curious enough to try something new,” she said.
“I’ve learned that you can be anything in this company. I think that we have changed the industry to make it more family friendly, and we have done our very best to attract more women,” she said.
Sanchez likes to think that as Mister Car Wash continues to grow, the company will continue to attract more females. “This company is great at hiring brilliant and caring individuals. We are a constantly evolving company and we have all contributed in some way to that growth,” she said.
To women who may be thinking of entering the car wash industry or other male dominated professions, Sanchez offered her advice: “Although most employees are male, it shouldn’t affect your performance. Everyone has their responsibilities. No, you are not distracted and no, you are not distracting anyone. This is a professional environment. I worked in our lube center for two weeks, and some coworkers [all male] treated me just like any other employee, and others wanted to make sure I didn’t get hurt, I didn’t slip, and would ask me if I was OK all the time. I didn’t need that; I was keeping up with all of them. Pretty soon I was just as dirty and completing cars in pairs. Everyone was impressed and told me they thought I would have a hard time. Proved them wrong.”
She also said, “Don’t be afraid of making a mistake; everyone helps each other. You’ll get to impress some people, and you will learn something new every day.”