Friendliest Car Wash in Town

By Bob Cox

When Claudia Lopez first came to the United States from Mexico at the age of 19 with her husband, she was both excited and nervous. Growing up poor, she was excited about the opportunity of creating a better life for herself and her family. At the same time, she was nervous because she was moving to a foreign country and didn’t speak the primary language, English.

Armed with an amazing and enduring outlook on life, Claudia found seasonal work in the fields of Maxwell, CA. A few years later, she and her husband took another leap of faith by moving to Woodland, CA to seek better opportunities, a bold move which paid off for the adventurous young couple. He got a job in the auto body industry and she found work at a local full service car wash.

Her employers were immediately and consistently impressed by her infectiously positive attitude, her desire to excel and ability to genuinely connect with their customers, so she quickly moved up the ranks until she became the general manager. Raising a family of four children while holding down a full time job didn’t allow her time to go to school to learn English, so instead of giving up, she chose to learn the language while she was working every day.

When Claudia was given the opportunity to manage a brand new car wash in Carmichael called Carmichael Car Wash, she decided to once again go for it. I spoke with Claudia recently about her latest adventure.

Q: Can you tell us about Carmichael Car Wash, formerly known as 5 Minute Express Wash?

A: We are now offering full service car washes and detail services in addition to our express drive through wash service. Many of our express wash customers wanted full service, so we listened to them and are now providing full service car washes, which includes complete interior and exterior car washing. For those that just want to vacuum their cars, they can stop by and vacuum their car for free, without having to buy anything.

Q: What makes Carmichael Car Wash different and unique?

A: I like making customers happy. I’m very friendly and I like to have a good relationship with them. I try to remember all my customer’s names and that’s very important to me. I like to hear about them and if they have any concerns about the service, so I can fix the problem immediately. Fortunately, that almost never happens. My first priority is my customers and the high quality service we give to them.

Q: On those rare occasions when a customer is unhappy, how do you typically solve the problem?

A: I don’t want my customers to get mad and just leave. I want to help them by listening to their concerns, staying calm and then fix the problem. Our employees do the same thing. They provide quality work and they are also friendly and hard working.

Q: It’s been clear to me from the minute I met you that you’re a very friendly and optimistic person. Has that helped you to recruit and hire other positive thinking people?

A: Yes. I really love what I do and I try to find other people that also love washing cars and interacting with our customers.

Q: What’s the best deal you offer for people with very limited budgets?

A: We offer a package of unlimited express washes for just $14.99 per month. This is an exterior wash only, but they can also vacuum their car for free. Best of all, many of our customers who used to wash their cars at home tell us their cars are now cleaner by using our express wash.

Q: How did you develop such a positive outlook on life?

A: I love my job and I enjoy the people that work here as well as our customers. Before I started washing cars for a living, I helped my husband by vacuuming, cleaning and detailing his cars. That’s when I first realized that I loved washing cars. I’m always happy because I really enjoy my work. I also have three of my four children working here and they love it too. I’ve taught them to always stay positive and believe that they can do whatever they want in life. My son is going to college on a scholarship because he’s a very good student. I’ve always told him to fight for his dreams and I’m very happy for him. Whenever I do something new, I always try to stay positive, because if one is negative, nothing gets done.

Q: Is there anything else you want to let everyone know about your car wash?

A: Yes, many of our customers don’t know that we are now offering full service car washes and detailing. We have several employees that speak both English and Spanish. We’re also excited to announce that we’ve recently remodeled our waiting area and now have lots of comfortable seating, a big screen TV, massage chairs, free popcorn and coffee, so we want to invite everyone in to give us a try.

Editor’s notes: For more information about Carmichael Car Wash, visit their facility at 6505 Fair Oaks Bl. in Carmichael, CA (Just north of Marconi Ave.). Their phone number is (916) 488-3274 and their website is www.yourcleanride.com.