The 610 Car Wash: Cheers to 30 years

The 610 Car Wash celebrates its 30 year anniversary this year and the Car Wash preaches customer service over everything else. Majority owner and founder Gary Tardiff believes that a happy customer is the key for a successful business. Tardiff is a big believer that if there are happy customers and happy employees then the profits will come.

“Big corporations are getting away from the ‘customer touch’,” Tardiff said. “We never think about making profit. We’re not out to save money, we’re out to do a good job.”

Tardiff got the idea of starting the Car Wash business when his brother called him on New Year’s Day and asked him “What do you know about car washes?” Tardiff then spent the next day on the phone from 8 a.m. to about 5 p.m. calling different car washes and asking about how they ran their business.

The focus of the Car Wash is on the customer and employee.

“The customer is obvious, but the focus on the employee is because anything that makes it better for the worker makes for a happier worker which then makes for better customer service,” Tardiff said. “This philosophy is evident right from the moment you arrive, you are greeted with a smile, not a machine.”

Many drivers in Stafford County have the ‘Route 610 Car Wash’ license plate holder. Tardiff says that the holders have helped his business tremendously. If a car has the plate holder they get a discount everytime they come back for a car wash.

“Why would you advertise something and not get paid for it?” Tardiff asked. “You advertise for me and I pay you by giving you a discount everytime.”

During the early days of the Car Wash Tardiff was faced with the challenge of getting customers to the Car Wash in the summer as most people washed their cars in the Winter. To fix that he opened ‘Gary’s Ice Cream.’ It had eight soft serve machines.

The Car Wash is looking to develop a new generation of young managers and ‘good workers’ as Tardiff calls it. The Car Wash sets very strict standards for their employees such as being on time, working hard, being respectful to the customer.

Former employees have gone on to big careers such as lawyers, doctors, and one former employee has even gone on to have a career in the NSA.

Minority owner Terry Decatur has worked at the Car Wash for 26 years, planning to work part time as a cashier during the recession in the ‘90’s.

“In the 26 years that I worked, I probably put in 52 years worth of hours,” Decatur said.

Minority owner Jeff Simons has worked at the Car Wash for 17 years and supports a family of five while running the business with Tardiff and Decatur.

“We are looking forward to the next 30 years,” Tardiff said.