Trust Issues

Posted by Bob Fox on 11/25/2020

Are you trustworthy? Before you answer, think about it for a minute. For most of us, there was no hesitation. We like to think we are trustworthy people but, are we?

Do you trust your equipment? Do you have absolute faith that at peak times this season your equipment will get the job done?

Here’s a strange one, does your equipment trust you?

Does your equipment trust that every week, without fail, the rotational bearings will be greased; the cylinders properly lubricated; and the friction materials cleaned?  Does it trust that on a monthly basis, the pivotal bearings will be greased and that all hardware and fittings will be checked for tightness along with all of the other monthly maintenance necessary?  Does it feel confident that annually, all of the oil will be changed?

Now, think back to my opening question, are you trustworthy? Are you seeing to it that the lifeblood of your business, the equipment that puts food on your table and shoes on your kids feet, is being properly cared for? Have you earned your equipment’s trust?  Be honest with yourself.

Looking back on my career as an owner, I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t have my equipment’s full trust. I’d like to tell you differently, but back then, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. As a full service wash, we made up for a lot of equipment inadequacies by prepping and towel drying.

Now, the game has changed.  It’s all about the equipment and chemistry doing the work (as it should be)  but our equipment has to be up to the task!  Asking unmaintained equipment to operate flawlessly while running at full capacity is a recipe for disaster.  It’s like asking a car to drive across the desert with no coolant in the system, it just doesn’t make sense!

If you’re not already on a solid preventive maintenance (PM) schedule at your wash or washes, invest in one. It is a minimal cost that will pay huge dividends. Think about it - how much will it cost you to close down for unscheduled maintenance on one Saturday during peak wash season? Probably a lot more than you’ll invest in properly maintaining your equipment year-round.

If you don’t now how to implement a PM, please email me and I’ll send you a schedule that’s easy to follow. If you don’t have Sonny’s equipment, you can still incorporate these procedures.  Shocks, cylinders, and bearings don’t know what brand of equipment they are assembled to.

Lastly, as we come to a close on another year that can only be described as a strange year, I wish you all success, joy, and happiness in 2021.

All the best!