Today we’d like to introduce you to James Suh.
Thanks for sharing your story with us James. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always been interested in cars ever since grad school when I bought my first one and didn’t have any money to fix it; so I started learning how on my own. That progressed into building up and customizing cars. So then, I was always getting my cars washed. I would take my car in on the weekends and see how busy it was and I thought to myself that people will always have cars and they will always get dirty, so a car wash is a great business with constant demand.
I bought an existing car wash business that was close to my house, which in retrospect was a great thing; I learned all about the business, used my education in computer science to build several applications to help improve processes, like a KDS style system for washers for know what kind of wash to do for what car (kind of like the order display system for employees at McDonalds’s), other invoicing, reporting and metrics tools, etc.
The problem was that I had a very poor landlord who saw the business doing well and tried constantly to raise rent, sending me attorney’s letters to do repairs on the building that were outside of the lease agreement, etc. I knew I had to get out of there.
I ended up buying a commercial space, and undertook a huge project. I needed to change the zoning for the building, along with a huge scale renovation. This was a great opportunity to improve all of the structural/layout issues I had with my previous location — the waiting room was completely undersized and cramped, and there was only a door to get there in the front, so customers would have to walk through the wash area to get there, stepping in the soap and water and over hoses and cords; there was only one tiny bathroom, located outside of a climate controlled area and shared with employees; there wasn’t a comfortable area for employees to take a break.
This is where I am today, on the other side of that journey. I am in a space that I own, and designed from scratch with my customers and employees in mind. The idea at the time was to leave my old space and be in the new space with time to spare. As it turned out, it would be over 6 months of downtime before we were open in the new location. Now, we’re looking forward to building the business back up to where we used to be, and blowing past that!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The challenges, as mentioned were first and foremost with the landlord who wanted to bleed the business dry. It got to the point where he was getting estimates for the building to be repaired and then doctoring them up in a way to make it appear that the repair fell within the lease agreement. Once I discovered that, I immediately decided it was time to go.
The build out in the new space was a huge undertaking. Once I sent out required notice for the proposed zoning change, my landlord of course caught wind of it and went onto online community forums pretending to be a “concerned citizen”, putting out a lot of false information to manufacture outrage. And to a large extent, it worked. I ended up having to pay thousands for a traffic study and hold a community meeting.
So in order to move this forward, I needed the zoning change; I needed the Alderman’s support for zoning change; I needed the community’s support for the Alderman’s support. I couldn’t get building permits until I had the zoning change.
That besides, there were tons of other moving parts; I had been selected a recipient for TIF funds, but I couldn’t get fully approved until I had the permits and I was worried about missing my deadlines. I needed a driveway and curb cut in the front of the building for vehicle exit; and I needed a lease agreement with the City, since it owns the empty lot adjacent to me, to use as an entryway, rather than the alley, which the community would be opposed to.
If any of these failed at any point, the project would have been dead in the water. It was like getting the stars to align. This was on top of the usual stress and hiccups that come with any large scale construction project. All of that besides, there was also the business itself to take care of! Staffing issues, personal issues with employees, customer satisfaction etc. all inevitably came up.
It was a real adventure to get where we are today!
Please tell us about Car Care Auto Spa.
We are an all hand car wash and detailing service. While we take customer walk-ins for washes and details, we also have agreements with several dealerships. They buy cars from auction, take trade-ins, repossessions, and then they send to us to make them showroom ready.
We are known for our attention to detail, quality of work, quick turnaround time and competitive pricing.
I am very proud of what we have built. I am reasonably confident we have the nicest waiting room of any car wash in Chicagoland. I had in mind the big flagship car dealerships when putting together the design and I think we beat them with our amenities.
On an employer level, I’d like to think we stand out as well. I implemented an electronic timekeeping system for employees, so they get paid for every minute they are here, which is a stark difference in an industry known for shorting employees on pay. Employees get gloves, eye/ear protection etc. out of business expense.
Beyond that, I try to make this an environment where people want to come have the opportunity to work. It’s pretty commonplace for owners or managers to shout or swear at employees, which does NOT happen here. If it’s a busy day, I order pizza or buy McDonald’s for the team.
If a trusted employee is having a hard time financially, he knows he is never on his own, and regardless of what the pay is, he can count on me for help. I have bought cars on interest free loans, paid legal fees and helped with the rent. Sometimes I am rewarded with loyalty. Mostly, people just take advantage and run. But it’s worth it to find the loyal ones who appreciate it, as employees are like that priceless.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Fishing for the first time with my dad, when I was 4 years old. We caught trout!
I still have the fishing rod I used that day.
Pricing:
- Washes starting at $6.99
- Full details starting at $140
Contact Info:
- Address: 3618 N Cicero Ave
Chicago, IL 60641 - Website: www.carcareautospa.com
- Phone: 773-286-7856
- Email: feedback@carcareautospa.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carcare.autospa/
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