5 Ways My Car Wash Membership Outshines Competitors

Outstanding customer service and a seamless guest experience gained my loyalty over other car washes seeking my patronage.

When I bought a new Ford Escape in 2020, I vowed to keep it shiny and clean, unlike my old Toyota that I traded in with 220,000 miles. That car was silver and didn’t show dirt easily. But my new car was the perfect shade of red, so signing up for a car wash membership ensured that I’d always be riding in shiny style.

I’d been to all three full-service car washes in my neighborhood over the years, typically getting the full inside and outside treatment before I made a road trip. The car wash down the street was a disappointment, mainly because of its disorganized and confusing entry point and disinterested employees.

Another car wash close to home wasn’t that great at getting my car clean, even though it had the costliest car wash membership of any car wash in the area. But the car wash I chose to pay $22 a month for unlimited express car washes outshined the rest when it came to the guest experience.

Here are five factors that create a positive car wash guest experience that keeps me coming back and paying the monthly “express” membership fee.

1. Friendly, helpful employees

I can always tell the quality of management and how they treat their staff by how friendly and helpful those employees are. If a business is run by uncaring management, the employees are unhappy, unfriendly and even rude. But I’ve never encountered a worker with a bad attitude at the car wash where I enrolled in a monthly membership.

If I’m filling up at the pump, an employee usually greets me and asks if I need help. When I pull up to the car wash entry point to get a receipt to place on my dashboard, another employee is there to help, usually tapping the screen for me so I can proceed to the car wash.

2. Hand drying

Unlike some car washes that simply blow gusts of hot air at the end to semi-dry vehicles, when I’m finished rolling through the wash, two workers with towels hand dry my car, including windows and mirrors — and they do a great job, taking pride in their work.

3. Gas discount

My membership includes a small discount on gas, which is especially nice when gas prices soar. If I want to upgrade to a higher-level membership down the road, the discount increases.

4. Friendly, knowledgeable inside staff

When there was an initial glitch in my membership billing due to an employee error during enrollment, the employee working inside apologized and promptly corrected the billing mistake. She was friendly and empathetic and reassured me that I’d be billed properly from that point on.

I never had that issue again. The employee’s competence, friendliness and the fact that when she told me the problem was fixed, it really was corrected, instilled trust in the car wash, staff, management and overall guest experience.

5. Ability to upgrade washes

Even though I signed up for the express car wash, which includes towel drying but no interior cleaning and vacuuming, I have the option to upgrade to a full-service wash for only $8 more. That’s a great deal, considering that a full-service wash without a membership costs $24.

So, when I have to drive a long distance for a trip, I usually pay that small, extra amount so I can enjoy my travels in a spotlessly clean car.

Car wash competition is high

Today there is no shortage of car wash memberships among a number of full-service car washes in most cities. To make matters even more competitive for car wash businesses, membership prices are roughly the same cost for the same services.

I could have paid around the same membership fee at other car washes. But I chose the car wash that offers the best customer service and guest experience.

It’s not just the quality of the car wash equipment and cleanliness of the car that keeps customers coming back. The human touch is often what seals the deal on a car wash experience that gains and keeps loyal customers.