Thank you for the confidence you have shown in me by electing me as your new president. The board, the officers and I will work to make the New York State Car Wash Association (NYSCWA) the best it can be! Please give us your input so we know what you want us to focus on and what programming you want to participate in. We need your input and welcome it.
I am not going to start my President's Column with doom and gloom. I'm tired of that! My mother always told me that there is a silver lining in every cloud. I'm tired of hearing about weather patterns, gas prices, market saturation, etc. Has your customer changed over the years? Have you changed? Has your facility changed? I think customers still want a clean car in a reasonable amount of time for a fair price. Or, as Tom Hoffman Sr. always says, "Is the perceived value there?" I don't care what you charge for your service as long as you exceed their expectations. Quality and customer service drive volume.
Stop and look at your operation. Is it as good as it was 10 years ago? Has your service changed? Does your facility look tired? Has your customer serviced changed? Keep a positive mental attitude and your sales associates will reflect that mindset to your customers. You can only get out of your business what you put into it!
Now to the silver lining I talked about. I just saw an article in one of the trade magazines that said 62 percent of the motoring public still doesn't use a professional carwash. What an untapped market - what an opportunity! In a day and age when people don't cut their grass, walk their dogs, or clean their own pools, do you think that they want to wash their own cars? Or, does the 62 percent think that they can do a better job in their driveway than they can in your bays or get in your tunnels? That is why we have to exceed their expectations so that they never wash a car again. What a tremendous and exciting opportunity we have at our fingertips!
In closing, the NYSCWA is still involved in intense lobbying at the Capitol in Albany on your behalf thanks the hard work of lobbyist Bill Crowell. With your dues notice and in mailings we have asked for donations to our PAC efforts. Please be generous. A $100 donation could make you $1,000 or maybe $10,000, who knows.
Please attend our fall membership meeting in Rochester, September 23. A panel of experts will talk about "Going Green" at the wash and what you can do to save energy and money!!! You can't afford to miss this meeting and dinner. Bring a friend who may not be a member and show him or her what we accomplish on your behalf.
Lastly, the Northeast Regional Carwash Convention (NRCC) is again in Atlantic City, NJ, Oct. 27-29. This show is a great opportunity to see what is new and innovative out there and to attend some first-rate educational seminars without spending a lot of money to do so. Visit nrccshow.com for more information. I think the NRCC has grown into the best trade show in the country! Hope to see you all there!
I wish you and your families and employees peace and prosperity in 2008 and beyond.
Mark Kubarek
NYSCWA President
