Sooner or later, winter will close your wash. Ice on the lot, frozen equipment or a storm that keeps everyone home: it's not a question of if, but when.
The closure itself rarely costs you members. The silence does. A member who drives over in the snow and finds a chained entrance with no warning feels ignored. Members who feel ignored start thinking about canceling.
The fix is a plan you write now, while the skies are clear.
Decide When You'll Close
Don't make the call at 6 a.m. in a panic. Set your criteria in advance: the temperature, ice conditions or equipment issues that trigger a closure. Decide who has the authority to make the call and the deadline for making it. Write it down, and make sure every manager knows it.
Build Your Communication Checklist
When you close, members should hear it from you before they hit the road. Your checklist should cover:
- Your members: EverWash can send closure alerts to your members by email, SMS and app push notification on your request. Keep your EverWash contact information in your plan so the request goes out fast.
- Your online listings: Update your hours on Google and other map listings so drivers see you're closed before they leave home.
- Social media: Post the closure and expected reopening time.
- Your phone line: Record a short message with the same details.
- On-site signage: Keep a ready-made "Closed for Weather" sign at the entrance.
Every message should answer three questions: Are you closed? Why? When will you reopen?
Keep Your Team in the Loop
Your employees need to know before they leave for work, too. Set up a call or text tree so every shift hears the news at the same time. Spell out who comes in to check equipment and the lot, and who stays home. No wash is worth an employee's safety.
Protect Your Equipment
A closure is the time to prevent the next one. Create a shutdown checklist for freezing weather that covers draining lines and checking heaters. Assign a specific person to own each step.
Plan the Reopening
The first clear day after a storm is often one of your busiest of the season. Members who waited will show up all at once, with salty cars. Staff up, check your equipment early and tell members you're back open. EverWash can send that "We're open!" message, too.
Turn a Bad Day Into Loyalty
Members don't expect you to control the weather. They expect you to keep them informed. A wash that communicates clearly during a closure earns trust, and trust is what keeps members around for the long haul.
Want a partner who has your back when the weather turns? Book a call with our sales team.
About the Author
About EverWash
Get unlimited car washes for one low monthly price - all from the palm of your hand. EverWash partners with your neighborhood's local car wash to bring you unlimited-use, all-you-can wash, monthly membership plans starting as low as $9.95 per month.
Stop paying every time you get your car washed. Discover a better way to wash your car. An unlimited-use monthly car wash membership is the most cost-effective way to keep your car looking its best every single day. It's like a gym membership for your car!
With nearly 1,000 locations nationwide, EverWash has a car wash and membership plan for you. What makes EverWash great?
- Save Money - Unlimited washes at a fraction of the pay-per-wash price.
- Unlimited Use - Wash your car as often as you want. Wash every single day if you'd like!
- Membership Options - Choose a local car wash & unlimited plan that works best for you.
- Month-To-Month Memberships - Cancel anytime. No commitment. No strings attached.
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