From the front line to the bottom line, a positive culture can be your most powerful competitive advantage. 

Imagine two car washes that provide a good wash at a competitive price. At one location, staff members do their jobs well but almost by rote, without much enthusiasm or interaction with customers or other team members. At the other site, staff members smile and greet visitors with a welcoming wave, visibly enjoying their work and each other. It’s easy to understand why the second wash would be better at attracting and retaining customers and employees. The power of positivity brings them in. 

“Positivity in the workforce is where we promote a culture with things like optimism, respect and encouragement, and where our team members feel valued. That motivates them and empowers them to do their best work,” said Beth Martin, senior vice president, marketing, at Express Wash Concepts. “That ultimately impacts the success of the business, because it’s going to result in delivering the best car wash experience for our customers.” 

One indication of a positive culture is that guests are in a better mood when they leave than when they came in, said Jay Ferrick, marketing manager at Happy’s Drive-Thru Carwash, which operates eight car washes. “When employees feel good about coming to work, they are probably going to perform better, and that translates into the business side of the wash. Guests do notice when your team is happy.” 

The importance of connection 

In a positive culture, employees have a sense of belonging, of being part of something greater than themselves. They have many opportunities to connect with each other and with customers.  

“Positivity flows from that. Even if it’s fleeting, even if it’s just for a few minutes, it matters. It can make someone’s day,” said Smiley Poswolsky, a workplace culture expert. “When you have higher levels of belonging and connection, you’re going to have higher retention, you’re going to have higher performance, you’re going to have more personal growth. People are going to be less burned out.” 

Empathy is another hallmark of a positive culture. When a worker is facing a crisis or simply having a bad day, having someone willing to listen and to offer words of encouragement can make a big difference. “If there’s someone there who can be uplifting or positive or cheerful, that can get you right back in your groove,” Ferrick said. 

Customers benefit from empathy, too. Martin recalled one time when a man brought in a very dirty truck with mud-caked running boards. He became angry after the initial wash didn’t remove that dirt, but the car wash team, instead of reacting defensively, put the truck through the wash four more times. “When he was finally satisfied with the wash, he broke into tears and said that he was sorry he had been so difficult, but he was washing his truck for his wife’s funeral the next day.” Marin said. By finding a positive way to deal with the issue, the team provided support for the man at a time when he really needed it. 

Anticipating and meeting guests’ needs is also a form of empathy. Happy’s drew thousands of people when it offered free car washes at the grand opening of a new location. One employee, sensing guests were getting impatient with the long waits, and began walking down the line handing out free bottles of water. “He interacted with each car, thanking them for their patience and, pointing ahead, told them to ‘follow the smiles,’” Ferrick said. With that simple action, the employee created a positive impression, reinforcing the idea that the company cared about them.  

Customers who feel cared for and valued are more positive in their interactions, creating a positivity cycle.  “The employees feed off of the customer positivity, and become happier, more outgoing and more go-getters,” said Tom Fields, corporate support manager, Waves Express Car Wash. 

Reframing perceptions 

One indicator of a car wash’s positivity quotient is managers’ and employees’ response to stress. In a positive culture, they find ways to turn difficult situations into opportunities. 

If a customer complains the wash scratched their vehicle, managers in a positive environment don’t argue but let that customer know they’ve been heard. “A manager can say, ‘Let me get some information from you. Let me take some pictures. Let’s do an investigation. And then once we’re done, I’m going to have you come up here so you can take a look with us. We can see what happened together,” Fields said. “Just with those words, you’ve diffused about 95% of your damage situations because you brought them into it.”  

When there is a problem, managers do their best to make things right and then use the incident as a teaching opportunity for their employees.  

Positive attitudes also make an impact on a larger scale. Instead of worrying about recent economic uncertainty, which could deter people from spending money on car washes, Fields perceives it as creating opportunity. “When people are paying $40,000 to $60,000 for a new car, it’s a significant investment, and they are going to protect it. When they think they’re going to keep it 10 years or more, that’s where the car wash pulls them in,” he said. 

Rather than worrying about economic uncertainty and rising prices, which they have no power to change, positive thinkers stay focused on issues they can control, like the customer experience at the wash. 

“People don’t come back to a car wash because of a clean car. They come back because of customer service, because they feel welcome and because they feel appreciated.  So despite everything going on in the world around us, we are just simply focused on giving the best experience possible and getting these people to come back,” said Haley Johnson, site manager, Express Wash Concepts.

Cultivating positivity 

Creating a positive work environment is a gradual, multi-faceted process. Fields said it can begin with one team member who is invested in and aligns with the company’s vision and brand; they become the loudspeaker for change, helping spread “contagious positivity.” 

Employee recognition programs are built into a positive culture, ranging from daily shout-outs to employees “caught” doing a good job to more structured programs like Express Wash Concepts’ annual “Washy Awards” dinner.  

“Acknowledgement from a superior can be the best foothold to turning your culture around. Your employees thrive on that, and giving them positive feedback makes it easier to give them coaching feedback where they need to improve,” Fields said. 

Small acts of kindness can make a big difference. “We often forget the power of bringing someone a coffee in the morning, remembering their kids’ names, buying them lunch, just doing something nice for somebody without expecting anything in return. That goes a long way to creating that ripple effect,” Poswolsky said.  

When Express Wash Concepts took over an existing car wash, employees there were surprised that the new owner occasionally brought in food for employees and that they explained why they asked people to do things a certain way. “It helps people understand the purpose behind their work, and causes people to take more ownership. That’s when you start to see that culture shift,” Martin said.  

Leaders can create connections by using team meetings to celebrate birthdays and other milestones, to provide people with a chance to talk about what’s going on in their lives outside of work, or to share an appreciation of a coworker. Since humor can bring people together, managers could encourage employees to write down funny stories from their workweek and read them at the next meeting.  

Providing opportunities where people can freely speak with company leaders to express concerns or suggest changes will create a culture where people know they are recognized and respected for their ideas. 

Community involvement offers another avenue to positivity. “When you sponsor a Little League team, show up to community events and participate in school fundraisers, you become part of something bigger. You become a local legend, and the community will root for you. Positive energy flows from there,” said Mel Ohlinger, owner and CEO of OhmCo car wash marketing agency. 

Changing the culture doesn’t mean that everybody will be positive all the time. But managers do need to encourage and redirect a team member who is consistently negative. Employees who aren’t willing to make that effort will have to go. “One bad apple can absolutely spoil the bunch,” Fields said. 

It takes the efforts of everyone at a car wash to create a culture of positivity that makes people feel better and the business more successful. 

“When people feel good about where they work, morale improves, turnover drops and teams become more efficient. Happy employees take more ownership over their work, and they’ll go that extra mile for a customer. That impacts customer service, increasing customer loyalty and driving revenue,” Ohlinger said.  

Tips for Staying Positive 

A culture of positivity begins at the top. Here’s how some industry leaders keep their own spirits high.  

• “I always make a conscious choice to try and leave people a little better than when I found them. Knowing that we’re not just washing cars, but that we’re making a difference to our team members, to our customers and ultimately to the industry really keeps the energy up for me,” said Beth Martin, Express Wash Concepts. 

• “It’s kind of easy for me, because I love what I do, I love who I do it with, and I love who I do it for. I love our customers, I love the company, I love the industry. I am very passionate about the work that I do,” said Haley Johnson of Express Car Wash. 

• “Positivity is not about being fake happy or forcing a happiness. It’s about making the best parts of life louder,” said Mel Ohlinger of OhmCo. Following the mantra, “If it is to be, it’s up to me,” she puts a lot of work and knowledge into making things work for herself and the people she loves. Instead of dwelling on problems, Ohlinger tries to stay focused on the love, beauty and kindness that can be found in life.  

• “Focusing on our company’s mission — to serve people with excellence, humbly and with a servant’s heart — and surrounding myself with people who are optimistic and embody that mission statement makes it easier for me to stay positive,” said Jay Ferrick, Happy’s Drive-Thru Carwash. 

• “We all have bad days, but we all have good days, and the good days are going to outnumber the bad. We can celebrate the victories, and on the bad days we have a memory bank of good stuff to keep us going. The best part of a bad day is that it’s only 24 hours long … whatever it is, it will not last forever,” said Tom Fields, Waves Express Car Wash.