What does a car wash attendant do?
As a car wash attendant, they wash and polish car exteriors and interiors. They often clean tires, dust, drying, applying soap solutions, vacuuming car interiors, scraping loose specks of dirt, cleaning seats, and removing the trash on a car. This type of job requires reliability, communication, physical fitness, and customer service skills. Formal education is not fully required though most of them hold a high school diploma. However, their attention to detail and good customer service may increase their employment opportunities.
Car wash attendant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real car wash attendant resumes:
- Manage stock of the vehicles; document vehicle locations and individual VIN numbers.
- Manage to sweep and mop floor; clean bathroom and empty trash and dryer lint traps.
- Clean and service cars for Daimler Chrysler.
- Make change for customer purchases, pre-soak customer cars, clean and scrub all machines and walls.
- Inspect and maintain operation of all equipment including arches, guns, dryers, lights, chain, and vacuums.
- Maintain facility cleanliness to standards.
- Operate POS register, perform opening/closing operations
- Maintain cleanliness of company offices and complete additional duties as assigned.
- Clean and pre-soak machines before use.
Car wash attendant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 46% of Car Wash Attendants are proficient in Visual Inspections, Menu Options, and Competent Demeanor. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Listening skills, and Physical strength.
We break down the percentage of Car Wash Attendants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Visual Inspections, 46%
Guided customers to appropriate area as well as Performed visual inspection, maintained all equipment inspected and working appropriated and safely.
- Menu Options, 24%
Assisted customers with menu options and payment.
- Competent Demeanor, 7%
Guide cars into the wash area with a focused, pleasant, and competent demeanor.
- Customer Service, 5%
Provided excellent customer service to customers visiting to have their autos detailed.
- Cleanliness, 4%
Maintained cleanliness of company offices and completed additional duties as assigned.
- Work Ethic, 3%
Exceeded customer and management expectations through strong work ethic and dedication.
Common skills that a car wash attendant uses to do their job include "visual inspections," "menu options," and "competent demeanor." You can find details on the most important car wash attendant responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a car wash attendant to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "hand laborers and material movers who work with the public, such as grocery baggers or carwash attendants, must be pleasant and courteous to customers." Car wash attendants often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "help customers in choosing the best menu options for their vehicle. "
Listening skills. Many car wash attendant duties rely on listening skills. "hand laborers and material movers follow instructions that a supervisor gives them.," so a car wash attendant will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways car wash attendant responsibilities rely on listening skills: "communicated with management regarding any potential occurrences of loss to customer vehicles or overall business integrity. "
Physical strength. car wash attendants are also known for physical strength, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to car wash attendant responsibilities, because "some hand laborers and material movers must be able to lift and carry heavy objects." A car wash attendant resume example shows how physical strength is used in the workplace: "worked alongside management in the upkeep and physical appearance of site, equipment maintenance and supply inventories"
The three companies that hire the most car wash attendants are:
- The Hertz Corporation619 car wash attendants jobs
- Driven Brands578 car wash attendants jobs
- Citrin8 car wash attendants jobs
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Compare different car wash attendants
Car wash attendant vs. Automotive detailer
An automotive detailer typically works at car shops and dealerships, where they primarily focus on the upkeep of a car's interior and exterior. Their responsibilities revolve around understanding the clients' needs and preferences, cleaning the vehicles according to protocols and client requests, scraping off dirt, coordinating with paint technicians and mechanics, operating devices and machinery such as vacuums and buffers, and adhering to timelines and budgets. Moreover, an automotive detailer also monitors the inventory of supplies and handles calls and correspondence.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, car wash attendant responsibilities require skills like "visual inspections," "menu options," "competent demeanor," and "cash management." Meanwhile a typical automotive detailer has skills in areas such as "strong work ethic," "engine compartment," "dexterity," and "buffing machines." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Automotive detailers earn the highest salaries when working in the retail industry, with an average yearly salary of $31,614. On the other hand, car wash attendants are paid more in the technology industry with an average salary of $30,136.The education levels that automotive detailers earn slightly differ from car wash attendants. In particular, automotive detailers are 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a car wash attendant. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Car wash attendant vs. Auto detailer
An auto or car detailer is an employee who provides internal and external cleaning services for vehicles according to the clients' needs. Auto detailers provide the necessary cleaning services that can include steaming the interiors, vacuuming the carpets, and applying waxes and polishes. They are required to perform inspections of vehicles and provide accurate records of the vehicle's condition. By clients' requests, auto detailers must also move and park the clients' vehicles or deliver them to a specific location.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that car wash attendant responsibilities requires skills like "visual inspections," "menu options," "competent demeanor," and "cash management." But an auto detailer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "shampoo carpets," "service tools," "engine compartment," and "vehicle exterior."
On average, auto detailers earn a lower salary than car wash attendants. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, auto detailers earn the most pay in the retail industry with an average salary of $30,288. Whereas car wash attendants have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $30,136.In general, auto detailers achieve similar levels of education than car wash attendants. They're 0.0% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Car wash attendant vs. Detailer
A detailer's general responsibility is to provide automotive cleaning services to clients' specifications. Detailers' duties also include inspection of vehicle condition, conducting primary overhaul for interior and exterior defects, and knowledge of cleaning tools and equipment. A detailer must also have excellent customer service skills. They are responsible for providing client requests, responding to inquiries, and managing complaints. Detailers also monitor inventories and request supplies and equipment to the management as needed.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from car wash attendant resumes include skills like "visual inspections," "menu options," "competent demeanor," and "cash management," whereas a detailer is more likely to list skills in "shampoo carpets," "strong work ethic," "good communication," and "dexterity. "
Detailers make a very good living in the retail industry with an average annual salary of $30,811. On the other hand, car wash attendants are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $30,136.detailers typically earn similar educational levels compared to car wash attendants. Specifically, they're 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Car wash attendant vs. Lot porter
Types of car wash attendant
Updated January 8, 2025
