SITTING BEHIND THE GLASS, YOU SIP YOUR COFFEE AND WATCH AS YET ANOTHER CAR ENTERS THE TUNNEL. The side wheels start spinning off the pre-wash and two minutes later a shiny metal box on wheels will hit the air cannons with yet another satisfied customer in the driver’s seat.

Or maybe your facility is all selfservice and it’s another busy Saturday morning with all your bays full and more cars waiting in line.

You know these people. Some come for a weekly wash; some maybe every other week. Over time you actually build up a ‘wave-and-nod’ relationship, as if you were expected for dinner at their house later on. How many of you have regulars that you’ve serviced for months, even years? You make small talk about the weather, maybe dabble in information about each other’s life outside the wash, yet maybe never even learn their names.

This is your connection to the community. It’s a connection that is continually rewarding, since the services you offer generate nothing but the desired outcome. This is the ultimate “if you build it they will come” situation. But as you sit there, watching the community come to you, have you ever asked yourself the question, “How can I go out to the community?”

Dave DuGoff, past president and seven-year treasurer of the Mid-Atlantic Carwash Association is owner/operator of College Park Car Wash in College Park, Maryland. He shows a “token” of appreciation toward his community by giving local churches and schools envelopes full of wash tokens that they can raffle off at their auctions. The tokens have the name and logo on one side, while the other side describes the services they offer – either the touchless drive-thru or the self-serve power wand.

DuGoff isn’t sure if he can give full credit to his token program, but he reports that his self-serve facility has enjoyed a five to ten percent average annual growth, while growth at other area washes has been flat or even negative.

“Participating in community events, both small and large,” Dugoff says, “is part of what it means to be a good operator.”

At Great American Car Wash in Severna Park, Maryland, operators Clark Porter and Dan Hug have teamed up with Providence Center to help sell the nonprofit’s pottery. Providence Center is provides services to people with developmental disabilities. Since 1978, the pottery program has expanded from planters to one-of-a-kind kitchenware. Great American’s participation helps to serve the community by supporting the center’s mission and goals thru proceeds from pottery sales.

Ryan’s Express is a wash located in Holtom City, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Owner John Freese has learned that giving to his community generates tremendous goodwill, and at the same time brings in new and loyal customers. “ We have a 120 foot express tunnel and four self-service bays,” Freese explains. “ One of the things I’ll do is to turn on the timers in the self-service bays from 12 – 4 p.m. on a Saturday for a cheerleading group or a high school or middle school group. After covering my cost for chemicals (roughly ten cents per wash) the group keeps the remaining proceeds. This generates lots of return business to both the bays and the tunnel.”

Another good idea going on in Texas is with the ala-carte detail service. On weekends Freese already offers a $3 towel-off to cover the drips that the dryers don’t get. “This fund-raiser is especially popular with churches and little league teams,” he says.

“The players or a church youth group will come and handle the towel-off duties for a couple hours and keep the proceeds. We supply the towels and they supply the service. They’ll even station someone at the coin machine to sell their service on the other end.”

This works out great for everybody. The kids have fun, the customers are helping their neighbors, and Ryan’s Express Car Wash drums up new customers and generates return business, while contributing to his neighbors in the community.*

Neil Hitchcock, owner of Oasis Car Washes, with six locations in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania, has a bit of a different approach. He has allied his washes with Children’s House by the Sea, a project of Believe in Tomorrow National Children’s Foundation. Hitchcock says of the program, “Our year-long alliance with one charity is significantly better for them and for us. It’s easier to organize, and the foundation receives a pre-set percentage at the end of the year.”

There are 12 fund-raising events held throughout the year, some big and some little. But the best part is the reciprocating alliance between Oasis and Children’s House. “Every time we advertise an event,” Hitchcock explains, “Children’s House is mentioned or tag lined somehow, providing them with as much exposure as possible. We probably raised five to ten thousand dollars for them last year, but it was significantly more in terms of advertising exposure.”

At the same time, every time Children’s House holds a fundraising event on their own, a golf tournament for example, Oasis Car Washes is a major sponsor. So the exposure goes both ways.

“In a business like this, we have a fiduciary responsibility to the community,” Hitchcock says. “This alliance with Children’s House by the Sea helps us to meet that goal.”

Wash USA is an annual event that unites car washes around the country to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. Each year since 2002, over seven hundred carwash participants and industry sponsors have united in a one-day event to raise money to help grant wishes for children with lifethreatening illnesses.

Since its inception, washes have joined in raising more than $700,000 for the foundation. Each participant generates anywhere from 50 cents to two dollars per wash for Make-A-Wish, depending on location and the type of wash purchased. During the 2005 Wash USA event the industry raised over $165,000. To date, the campaign has granted 100 hundred wishes to families with children in need of a wish come true.

Participation in a national charity event such as Wash USA not only shows your community leadership, it has great potential to increase your customer base. Here are some statistics from the Wash USA website:

• 78 percent of adults would be more likely to buy a product or service associated with a cause they care about. • 54 percent of adults said they would pay more for a product or service that supported a cause they care about. • 81 percent of adults would be likely to switch brands and 76 percent would likely switch retailers to support a cause they care about. • One-third of Americans consider a company’s responsible business practices, including social responsibility, the most important factor in deciding whether or not to purchase a product or service. (Source: Cone/Roper 2001 Corporate Citizenship Study) • The Make-A-Wish Foundation® enjoys 95 percent name recognition among the American public, making it an ideal organization for your wash to support. (Source: the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America)

For 2006, the Wash USA will be held earlier in the year, in hopes of generating more participation due to better weather. Mark June 17 on your calendars as the day for Wash USA and Make-A-Wish, setting aside June 24 as the rain date.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is celebrating 25 years of making wishes come true for children with lifethreatening illnesses and medical conditions. If you are interested in participating in this years’ event, visit the Wash USA website, www.washesforwishes.org, or call 888- WASHUSA.

According to Mark Thorsby, CEO of the International Carwash Association, “ A charity carwash program in a local carwash is the most basic of public relations programs. These programs assist the community and bring recognition to the carwash.”

Thorsby notes, “We are seeing charity wash programs increasingly incorporated into community water conservation programs.’’

Pat Troy, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Carwash Association explains, “Local youth groups love to make money through carwash programs where the kids actually wash the cars at a local shopping center parking lot. Unfortunately, this type of car washing uses much more water than a professional carwash and the waste goes right into the storm drain system, causing pollution. If carwashes can offer charity groups an alternative means to make money through a professional carwash, then much water is saved and it brings new potential customers to the wash.”

*Editor’s note: Before having nonemployees (such as volunteers from a youth group), working at your wash, please check with your insurance agent to be certain they are covered. Additional coverage may be required.

Jim Black is a freelance writer living in Tracy’s Landing, MD, where there are no washes. When he isn’t glued to his trusty iBook, he spends his days on a golf course.