Ask most car wash managers (or retail business managers in general) what the hardest part of running the business is and they'll likely tell you that it’s not the equipment, the materials, or the customers - it's managing the people. Even with a fantastic team the work that goes into balancing everyone's schedules, hiring, and training requires a tremendous amount of time and energy.
At Tommy Car Wash Systems we are proud of our car wash system, which allows for extremely high car wash production with the lowest labor possible, keeping teams small and making it easier than ever for managers and operators to focus on the team members they have and give them the flexibility, training, support, and communication they need to be truly excellent in their role.
Specifically, our system reduces labor by:
Eliminating Manual Prep with the Triple Presoak
Manually prepping cars with a sprayer wand is labor-intensive, monotonous, and inefficient. Car washes that still rely on this approach waste an entire team member in an unnecessary role and end up expending far more water and car wash detergent for a less standardized presoak result.
The Triple Presoak Arch by Tommy Car Wash Systems (also called the Bug, Body, and Backend Autoprep Arch) automates this process with ranks of highly-targeted high pressure nozzles and a thorough application of Tommy 360-C. This process speeds loading times compared to a manual prep system, delivers a highly standardized and precise result, and is able to maintain performance under high volume conditions. In fact, the system operates best in non-stop busy tunnels and tightly-loaded conditions, as it efficiently applies product to the back of one vehicle and the front of the next continuously.
Streamlining loading with the Tommy Transporter Dual Belt Conveyor and Self-Loading Entrance Module
Dual belt conveyors have been demonstrated to improve loading times and reduce customer anxiety, as they provide a wider target and eliminate all roller-related loading errors. This reduces downtime and allows vehicles to load closer, faster, and with more confidence over time.
In the same way, the Self-Loading Entrance Module offers very clear instruction with both audio and visual cues for customers. During low volume periods, established washes using the Tommy Transporter and Self-Loading Entrance Module generally do not use a loader unless a customer needs assistance.
Incorporating the Wash Club License Plate Recognition System
Memberships, no matter the format, increase wash production by eliminating the payment step - or rather converting that payment process to an automatic monthly one that happens in the background. The Wash Club LPR system takes this concept one step farther, however, by allowing customers to purchase and modify memberships directly from their smartphones by using their vehicle’s license plate number in place of a tag.
When the new member arrives at the car wash for the first time the system is already ready to immediately read and accept their vehicle into the wash bay without any input or time spent at the cashier window entering data or fixing a radio tag. Over the life of the wash this system saves countless hours of energy and delay, and increases a customers' at-hand control over their account.
Incorporating the Flight Deck Design
The Flight Deck Design principle takes the cashier station and enhances it to serve as a central control hub for the entire car wash, providing direct lines of sight as well as immediate physical access to the queue, cashier station, loading area, and the entire car wash bay. Touchscreens put the entire wash under immediate control of any single employee, and security cameras and glass man doors effectively shrink the site, allowing fewer workers to do more.
Extensively Automating Wash Systems
Powered by Guardian Wash Command, Tommy Car Wash Systems offers one of the most automated and advanced wash control suites available in the industry today - including the Tommy Premium Advantage (TPA). The TPA connects the main wash controller and a series of iPads and allows the tablets to be used as wireless remote controls. Staff can use these tools to monitor wash functions in real-time, troubleshoot errors, and adjust settings from any location on-site. They are also used for routine hourly walkthroughs and maintenance checklists.
For more information on any of this equipment, or the Totally Tommy car wash site design as a whole, visit our site-models page or the various listings in our car wash webstore. If you have questions, please use our contact page.
Tommy Car Wash Systems