One Stop Car Wash is technology-driven

Staff reports

One Stop Car Wash is gearing up for a grand opening on Grand Island.

The family-owned company plans to open its newest site in early April at 1766 Grand Island Blvd., near Burger King and Taco Bell.

Brothers KJ (Kuljit) and Jaz (Jafkarn) Singh have been working for three to four months to get all systems up and running. The advance work included completion of the new car wash building, which shares only one wall with the previous structure onsite. Their father and a few uncles originally started the car wash business in Depew and branched out from there.

The car wash will be open from 7 a.m. until about 8 p.m. each night.

Drive-thru, DIY or laser wash

Aside from the drive-thru, touchless, automated indoor car wash, there will be an outdoor, self-serve option. Drivers can use wands to wash their vehicle or use the laser wash, which is open 24 hours. With the laser wash, you pay, drive in, and nothing touches your car.

“It’s a give and take,” KJ Singh said.

The laser wash is convenient, but your car comes out cleaner if you do the full drive-thru, where people help wash your car, he noted.

New option: Pay by the day or month

“The unique thing to the Island, now, is before, everyone was able to pay per visit; now, you can pay per visit or you can pay for the month,” KJ said. “That helps a lot of folks out. It starts out at $22 bucks. You pay that, and then you can come in every day, if you want to.”

Customers can set the type of wash they want. All levels of pricing include wash and spot-free rinse. You can add options such as under carriage, foam bath, ceramic wax, rain guard, rim cleaner and tire shine.

KJ dispelled one concern that originally arose about the car wash industry in the 1970s. He said some people still think car washes can scratch paint from your vehicle. But he explained that’s a thing of the past. Car washes now use foam and cloth, not stiff brushes, and carmakers have added an extra layer of clear coat to prevent scratches.

KJ and Jaz stressed the pay-by-month option offers hassle-free, continuous shine maintenance, and it’s the direction the industry is moving to. The brothers explained the subscription plan allows flexibility.

If you’ve just washed your car, and then it snows, you can come again the next day, at no extra cost, if you’re on a subscription.

“It's the ultimate solution for keeping your car gleaming effortlessly,” the company website states. “With unlimited washes, no long-term contracts, and convenient monthly billing, it's car care made simple.”

The path to a clean car

The driver’s experience begins at the kiosk, where monthly subscribers will be recognized by license plate readers after signing up and customizing their plan. New or occasional customers will choose each visit among the wash options of basic, deluxe, super and ultimate. There’s a plastic guide device that helps the driver enter the ramp without experiencing any tire rim damage.

Then comes the pre-wash, done by team members, who also help drivers to easily get on the conveyer. The pre-wash gets rid of the bugs of summer, cleans the backs of cars, and gets a start on the tough dirt.

“The wash will take care of the rest,” KJ said.

Specials

“What we’ll end up doing is free washes and letting everyone sign up to try out the monthly plan if they like it, for a penny,” Jaz said. “For us, it would be nice to say it’s free, but the computer has to say there’s something acknowledged, so the penny is the lowest amount we can,”

He said customers can come every day for another car wash, if they want to, during that initial month. “This way you can try it out, see if it’s for you, if you like it or not – if you don’t, you can stop the subscription.”

The company will create a link for potential customers to sign up with their name and number, at https://www.onestopwash.com/grand island.

When One Stop Car Wash Grand Island opens, it will email a response to those who have signed up, along with the all the information needed.

Tailored to vehicle needs

One Stop Car Wash’s mission statement notes, “We know that a clean car is more than just about looks. It’s about care, comfort, and making every drive a pleasure. As a family-owned and operated business, we’ve proudly serving the community over the years offering top-tier car wash services tailored to your vehicle's needs.”

Also, “With advanced cleaning technology and eco-friendly products, our goal is to make the car wash experience efficient, thorough, and satisfying, so you can drive off with your vehicle looking its absolute best.”

KJ said some of the frills at no extra cost include better scents, better soap and “there’s more of a light show.” Customers can also avail themselves of complimentary vacuum access at the site.

New technology

“How does the car wash know when to turn everything on?” KJ asked rhetorically. He explained there are sensors that “read” your vehicle’s dimensions starting at the beginning of your travel through the wash. “The computer does the math, measures how long your car is, and this is how everything should be turning on.”

“There’s a lot of redundancy built in just to make sure we’re not missing anything,” Jaz added. “The process is energy-efficient, as well.”

One Stop Car Wash even has a tire-shiner machine to complete the look.

Why choose One Stop Car wash

According to the website: “At One Stop Car Wash, we promise more than just a shiny car. We promise a standout experience that puts you, the customer, first. From our family to yours, we’re here to make your day a little better, one car wash at a time.”

Contact One Stop Car Wash (Grand Island) at 716-627-6440 or email info@onestopwash.com.

Four locations

√ 1766 Grand Island Blvd., Grand Island ​(near Burger King / Taco Bell)

√ 4201 Delaware St., Tonawanda

√ 59 Delaware St., Tonawanda

√ 4071 Saint Francis Drive, Hamburg