Everyone knows that car washes often steal things out of customer's cars. Actually it is not the car wash owner or the company, but rather the low end ethical lacking employee, looking to make some money on the side by stealing. Yet in mobile car washing generally the owner or crew chief is right there the whole time and most customers are regular customers and thus there is not the issue of theft. Yet so many start-up mobile car wash entrepreneurs ask; How do you deal with a client complaints or insinuation of damage by your employee?

The correct answer is that this rarely happens. If or when it does it is usually with only first time or brand new customers. They might not understand mobile car washes are not like a full service fixed site carwash. Mobile car washes have no reason to steal, as they make a lot of money servicing customers weekly. Even basic services of $10 times 52 weeks per year is $520.00 without any detailing or waxing or add on services. Let's face it there is nothing in someone's car worth losing that kind of money or the ten people they might tell if one did do such a thing. 10 X $520 = $5,200.00. No way.

Even the crew chief or driver of the mobile car wash who maybe up to 12% commission knows this, as 12% of $5,200.00 is $624.00 out of their pay, plus he could lose his job. You see? At carwashes a car wash employee makes what $8.00 an hour max? If he steals something or steals quarters out of an ashtray, then he keeps it and could care less about the customers or his job for that matter, he can get a new job easily. And most car washes say they are not responsible for lost or stolen items as a disclaimer.

At fixed site Car washes the customers, well only about 15% are regular customers, yet for a mobile car wash business their customer base is not less than 85% repeat and generally over 90% you see. Once this is explained to the customer they simmer down. If a customer tells us they will call the BBB, we tell them to find another service to wash their cars, which has such low prices and great quality, timely service and professionalism. This maybe your best option if you own a mobile car wash. In actuality you might wish to realize that your customers do not use the BBB and they are regulars and tell their friends. Mobile Car Washes survive on reputation, regular service and quality, not ridiculous, spotty and worthless referrals from the BBB.

If a customer is a troublemaker, well there are in Los Angeles for instance 2.2 cars per person and 16.5 million people, not so concerned about accusations really. You do not need those types of customers, you want steady, repeat customers, whose checks do not bounce, whose credit cards are good and who refer customers. You do not want sniveling wackos or Prozac drugy weirdoes. Let Hollywood deal with them, something to think on.