Hastings Car Wash

Not worth the cost. Much better off doing a $15 premo wash at Esso, a $3 vacuum yourself, and getting a decent interior spray and a microfiber towel. they power washed my interior mats but no soap or brush so they came out looking no better $40 later. If you want your interior to look nice without an expensive detail or disappointing mid level service, I cannot recommend the P&S Professional Detail Products Express Interior Cleaner spray enough. A quick spray of that and a microfiber towel, not even any real scrubbing, got my interiors much cleaner than this place did. Photos incl are all after pics

I went to this car wash, had been there some years ago, and was pleased then. A hot and very tiring day surely for the employees also. The sign outside said $19.00. I did not notice the "and UP".

Pulling in everything was ok and then as I was standing outside I read a large sign that said $37.00 and the car was $20.00.
I am used to going to the Oasis in North Vancouver where I buy a packet of tickets and its costs are $25.00 for wash and inside vacuuming etc. At Oasis always ask what I want "a wax" I am used to being asked for what I want.
if I want to wax and I always say no. In this case, no one asked me anything that I wanted. Somehow I "assumed" (that's in part my responsibility!) what they were doing and to spaced on asking about the two prices. I customer struck a conversation of my car and I really then did not orient to "payable" for being in the Shute for the full $37.00.
The staff started vacuuming etc and gestured politely for me to drive forward while they washed the outside and then did the cleaning of the interior windows, and drying. I thought, like Oasis this was a discount leading to repeat customers. In fact, they did a very good job no question. If you are willing to pay the $37.00 then I recommend them just get clear what you actually want either $19.00 or $37.00, as they will just launch into the bigger service without asking you.
I was very upset when I went to pay the $19.00 plus tax and they did say at the beginning "only cash" well you know what happens to the balance of revenue and costs with just pocketing the cash. I don't begrudge them that.
Needless to say, I was quite upset and said I would only pay $25.00 and that I should be asked what I wanted before the service started. He, of course, walked me around to look at the "and Up" on the signs and the numerous signs say $37.00, and a wash was $20.00 I said you need to ask without starting.
So I paid the $25.00 obviously the chap was not happy he kept trying to exp[ian everything he had done to make things clear. Not a good experience for him or myself. Again if you are wanting the full service at $37.00 they did a very good job. I am used to paying much less. The chap was not yelling or accusing, he was distressed and I wish the interaction could have been different.

Efficient and friendly. The people working there are very knowledgeable about all different types of cars and how to effectively hand wash. My big Sprinter van is always a challenge and they did very well.

SWIRLS!

Don't let these people wash your car. The end result is swirls in the paint. The cost of a cut-polish to repair the finish is far more expensive than the perceived savings of having your car washed at this facility.

Much better the second time I went back in the same day! I had 4 people washing my car, (that's a lot of man power) I paid over $30 bucks and I could of got my friends dog to lick the car cleaner...

Next time, I will just wait for it to rain.

My pick up truck was dirty (not muddy) so they did take a lot off. However, there are lots of missed areas and you do pay extra for a pick up truck so that's no excuse. It's like their hands do not make an effort to follow the groove at the fenders or along the doors. That would be a fairly easy correction to make. Inside,I found areas on my dash that they did not wipe because clearly there was dust there and not in other areas. Overall, it's not much better than driving through a machine for seven dollars but I actually paid $42 (about $26 was for the exterior). I'm not saying that you should not go there. Just don't expect a lot.

They go by the name of Kar King, but also retain the name Hastings car wash on their brochure. They're located on Powell, a bit east of Clark.

This is the worst hand car wash place I've ever been to in Vancouver. They charged a reasonable $23.50 + tax + tip to wash, vacuum and wipe the interior. When my car dried, it was obvious that they missed quite a few spots. In some areas they had just moved dirty aground, so there were steaks of dirty spread all over the flat surfaces. Went back the next day to get this rectified. Had to explain the problem to three unfriendly ladies before they agreed to re-wash the exterior after the young guy intervened.

They don't rinse properly, so the car ends up with extra foam in all the door jams and between grills and light fixtures. They generously wipe the foam on the flat surfaces off with towels.

So after the second attempt at a wash, I inspected the car again. There is still dirt in some of the same areas, but the big steaks of dirt are gone. I don't want to waste time again, so drive away and will never go back.

The Staff

The employees all dont know how to speak english. They're all rude too. When a customer asks them to do something there are two reactions.
1.) They say "YES OK OK!!" but probably wont do what you ask.
2.) They ignore you and pretend they never heard what you said
Also, they sometimes steal tips.

The wife of the owner is in charge of the car wash. On the outside she looks nice. But inside she is cheap and greedy. If a customer asks a question, she would answer it... then tell the coworkers that the customer is being "stupid, and in the way of everyone" in cantonese. She always talks behind the backs of coworkers and customers. I guess you can call her the queen of gossip. Also, this boss will not hesitate to speak to the customer with vulgar language. I've seen her done it before.

The owner of the business is a cheap 70 year old man who only cares about money. His wife is treats the employees like cheap tools that can be thrown away at any moment. When business is bad, she would call a worker in the morning and tell them that they arent needed at work and that they should "rest up" for the day. Meaning that she doesnt want to pay for their wages on a slow day.

After the you pay, they will pressure you to leave quickly so they can A.) work on the next car or B.) sit and chat with their friends. If you dont leave, they will give you attitude.

How do I know all this stuff? I used to work there.


The Quality of Work

Once you enter the car wash, nobody will greet you. Nobody will talk to you. They will just go straight at your car with a vacuum cleaner.

If you want an outside wash, you MUST tell the person who vacuums immediatly because if you dont, they will automatically assume that you want a full wash.

The employees who do the vacuuming of the cars do a pretty decent job... but there's only one problem... They will steal any coins or bills they find on the floor of your car.

The hand washing of the car is actually good. But the stuff they used to scrub the car sometimes has sand in it, so it can scratch your car. It happened before. And the boss will never ever admit it.Trust me, she told me herself.

Drying the outside of the car is done well. But when they wipe the inside windows of your car, you might want to double check it. Sometimes they purposely not wipe the back window of your car. Sometimes they leave big smudges on the side windows. They also dont wipe the wet side of the door. If there are any missing spots, they would sometimes purposely ignore it, unless you tell them to clean it. Sometimes when you tell them to clean it, they will do it, but with no effort at all.


The Price


Its over priced. It goes like this:

Regular small car:
Outside wash: $18.50.
Full wash: $21.00

Vans, SUVs, Small trucks, Station Wagons
Outside wash: $21.00
Full wash: $25.00

Freakishly oversized SUVs, Hummers, and Trucks (You wont know if your vehicle is in this category, because its up to the spontanious and moody boss. You usually find out that its 29.00 when they FINISH the job. So you must pay it.)
Outside wash: $24.75
Full wash: $29.00

Tire brite/tire dressing:$3.00

Wax mixed with water thats sprayed from the rinse cycle: $2.00

Expired soda and chocolate bars: $1.50

Oh yeah, if your car is super dirty, they WILL expect you to give a tip. If you dont... well lets just say the boss gets moody and will call you cheap behind your back. The people there think that getting a tip is their right, not privilege.

May 2012

The last review has it on the nose about attitude. One day last year I drove my SUV in for outside only wash. That's what I normally do. Sitting in the vehicle I observed the man with the high pressure water hose concentrating on one spot for a long long time. It looked like he was trying to remove the paint above my front windshield. I gave him a dirty look but said nothing. His co-worker also gave a disapproving frown. So when I got to the end I was more than a little pissed off.

The lady charged me the rate posted for a quad four. My vehicle is a large full size SUV but I was expecting to pay $21 . After I paid I realized the change was wrong so I questioned the charge. The exchange was nasty and I was angry. The sign posted clearly lists SUV as $21.

I told her I would not return and I did not until this week when I thought I would see if the same attitude prevailed. The boss lady would not agree to the posted SUV price so I continue to shop elsewhere.

If they want to charge more for larger vehicles that's ok with me. Just post the sign and let the customer decide before getting the wash.

b

We go here regularly and have never had a problem with the service or quality. I would rather have the car washed by a group of older Asian women than the shady bunch at our previous car wash.