Like many other industry trade shows, Kleen-Rite had to cancel their expo due to COVID-19 -so we went digital! On November 18th, 2020, the day previously reserved for our expo, we hosted Kleen-Rite Master Classes. This included a series of six presentations with respected car wash experts. Aside from some very minor technical difficulties (inevitable when dealing with technology), the day was very successful!
Laurel Metal Master Class Presentation
Chip Kent from Laurel was the first of the car wash experts. He started with some simple tips on how to deal with shelves not dropping properly in a vendor – with a focus on lubrication.
Next, Kent discussed replacing old green circuit boards with new blue boards (DigiMax) in electronic vending machines. Upgraded blue DigiMax boards address problems that older boards have, like failing LED displays, and they also offer more programming options like new languages and alternative currencies. He demonstrated how to hook the new boards up, including how easy it is to incorporate CryptoPay into a vending machine.
After that, Kent talked about switch pads, noting that it is the most common topic customers ask about when calling Laurel. He provided a visual demonstration of how to quickly install and position a new switch pad.
In the last portion of Kent’s prepared presentation, he showed how to access the motors that operate the shelf drop and coin drop. He pulled the motors out, lubricated them, and then properly re-installed them.
CAT Pumps Master Class Presentation
Doug Fenton from CAT Pumps was the next presenter in the Master Class lineup. He adjusted his camera to a closeup of a 5CP2120 pump. This allowed him to demonstrate replacement of low-pressure seals, high-pressure seals, plunger seals, and valves on the fluid end of the pump.
Fenton continued by talking about wear diagnosis on pump parts. A very effective aspect of Fenton’s presentation was that he had several used parts that showed each of the different kinds of wear that he discussed. He had examples of:
- Correct even wear
- Run-dry wear
- Thermal shock (rapid temperature change)
- Water erosion on valve seat area on manifold
- Cavitation from air bubbles
- Wear from abrasives in dirty water
- Excessive high-temperature wear
CryptoPay Master Class Presentation
Dave Richards and Tom McCormick followed with their class about CryptoPay. They first presented a short video that introduced the basics of the CryptoPay credit card system. The video touched on the way CryptoPay is used, the benefits, and the required components.
Richards and McCormick gave some details about why there is an increased demand for cashless payments in commerce. The two most important reasons being: the coin shortage in the country and the increased desire for sanitary payment due to COVID-19.
Taking the idea of cashless payment even further, Richards and McCormick spoke about contactless payment. They explained that contactless payment uses RFID or NFC technology, listed the most common forms of contactless payment (credit card, phones, etc.), and mentioned the most popular systems used for contactless payment (Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, etc.).
The CryptoPay representatives advocated for contactless payment by noting that it is fast, easy, secure, and clean. This led into their introduction of the CrypoTap system, a new product that works with existing CryptoPay swipers and coordinators to facilitate contactless payment. They showed quick videos of CryptoTap being used in a self-serve bay and with an automatic wash pay station.
Richards and McCormick provided details regarding how and when CryptoTap would be available (already available to order from Kleen-Rite), and there was a lot of chatter and excitement from Master Class viewers about the new product!
Simoniz Master Class Presentation
Simoniz sent Randy Donatelli to treat our customers to a valuable lesson on chemical usage with in-bay automatic car washes.
Donatelli began with some slides about friction automatic chemicals. Although he pointed out that much of the cleaning is done by mechanical action, he did offer some helpful chemical tips specific to friction washes. He included a breakdown of typical programming in these types of car wash bays, as well as a list of Simoniz products that can be used for the various applications.
Moving on, Donatelli presented the “5 Factors of Touch-Free Cleaning.” These included:
- Water quality (RO/water hardness/TDS)
- Time of service
- Temperature of water, detergents, and ambient air
- Mechanics
- Chemistry (pH/titration, dilution, 1-step vs. 2-step process)
Donatelli went into great detail about each factor, with incredible insight into how they relate to wash quality. A breakdown was provided for the typical programming of a touchless IBA. Simoniz product recommendations for each application were provided.
Donatelli finished with some examples of premium services that owners can offer to customers to bring in additional revenue and improve the customer experience.
TurboWash Master Class Presentation
David Diehl opened his class with some videos of unfortunate incidents -both criminal and accidental- captured by high-quality cameras at various car washes. While some of the footage was a bit troubling, it was certainly a way to grab viewers’ attention!
Diehl stressed three components of car wash security:
- Alarms
- Lights
- Video
Diehl recommended that car washes use a combination of the three to have the most effective security system. That being said, video is the aspect of security focused on by TurboWash DVR. Diehl mentioned that the quality of cameras has gotten vastly better in the twenty years his father has been in business. That was evident in the amazingly crystal-clear footage shown at the beginning of the class.
When it comes to video surveillance, Diehl explained that cameras do not just capture criminal acts and provide evidence for future prosecution. Cameras also function proactively as a deterrent for would-be criminals. Additionally, video surveillance helps with liability for insurance issues, automatic car wash complaints, equipment damage, and injuries/slips & falls.
Diehl pointed out that video surveillance is not just about recording activity and looking at it later. Video quality is so advanced that live monitoring -including remote monitoring with phones, devices, and computers- is a very realistic option for car wash owners. This helps catch vandals and other criminals in real-time, quickly identify operational problems occurring at the wash, and discover equipment malfunctions almost immediately.
As Diehl described it, cameras make it possible to “monitor the pulse” of your car wash. Diehl moved on to the pros and cons of an IP system versus an analog HD system. He listed the most common types of cameras, including: eye ball, bullet, board, door view, and box cameras. The attributes of each type were explained, as well as how they are best used on a car wash property. This included a picture of the Diehl family’s car wash in Utah with a key showing how they have their cameras arranged.
EverWash Master Class Presentation
Rounding out the day was the EverWash class led by Scott Pashley and Rich DeGennaro. The final car wash experts began with a slideshow titled: “5 Keys to Highly Profitable Membership at IBA Locations.” The five keys discussed were:
- Sell, sell, sell!
- Smart marketing
- Leveraging technology
- Maintenance and upgrades
- Contactless experience
Next, Pashley and DeGennaro laid out the comprehensive benefits of working with EverWash, making it clear that they do not just start the membership program at your IBA and hope for the best. Becoming partners with EverWash means you get the benefit of their marketing, employee training, various digital car wash apps, access to advanced analytics, a call center, and constant communication with them. Best of all, you can trust that they’ll deliver on these promises because they don’t make money unless your wash makes money. They invest in you!
We Cannot Thank the Car Wash Experts Enough!
We sincerely appreciate the effort our presenters put forth to create interesting presentations, and we thank them for their patience and positive attitude about using digital technology to reach our customers. Kleen-Rite appreciates everybody who watched and participated on November 18th. We were very pleased with the results. The Master Class presentations are broken down into separate videos and are now available on the Kleen-Rite YouTube channel! Take advantage of the incredible knowledge the car wash experts dropped in our classes!
