MACS Monthly Newsletter - 2020 - JUN5

ide, sodium chlorite, sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach),
glycol acid, octanoic acid, hypochlorous acid, and silicone
are NOT recommended on Toyota vehicle surfaces. Here's
a link to Toyota's brochure: https://www.toyota.com/content/
ebrochure/2020/Toyota-COVID-19-Vehicle-Cleaning-andDisinfecting-Procedures-CUSTOMER-FACING.pdf

G-Ride Sanitation

walmart.com

We've all seen those stateless cars running around with
US GOVERNMENT license plates. Most are part of the GSA
(US General Services Administration) fleet of vehicles used
by federal employees in the military, state department, IRS,
Social Security, and even the US EPA. It works like a rental
car system, with users checking out their "G-Ride" as it's
called, as needed (and with approval).
Between users and frequently while in use, these vehicles
also need to be cleaned, and GSA has issued guidance on
how to do so. Their recommendations include:
* Sanitize frequently touched surfaces on a regular
basis
* Some cleaners / disinfectants can damage interior
surfaces
* Many household cleaners (non-bleach, unscented,
non-chlorinated) that kill coronavirus on hard surfaces can also clean most car interiors without damage
* At least 70% alcohol / 30% water solutions are effective against Coronaviruses.
* Nearly every interior surface can be cleaned with
isopropyl alcohol
You can get the full report here: https://www.gsa.gov/cdnstatic/GSA%20Vehicle%20Cleaning%20%20Disinfecting%20
Guidance%20for%20COVID-19.pdf

Figure 7: Some major auto service retailers like NTB, Sears
and Walmart have closed locations due to COVID-19. Since
March 18, Walmart has temporarily shut down their Auto
Care Centers to allow those associates to help with stocking
and cleaning the rest of the store.
pickup, mobile payment, remote pickup & drop-off services, along with vehicle cleaning services are being offered
to customers as a way to reassure them and win their business. Some even offer "stay in your car" and "drive thru"
services, where customers don't leave the car while it's being
serviced.
One MACS member shop in Ohio has implemented a
rather thorough plan. They set up folding tables in front of
the service counters to help keep customers separated from
staff members. See Figure 8. The write up process is touchless

From the customer's point of view

Andy Fiffick

Customers have reported concerns with who in particular is getting in and out of their vehicles, which has been a
reason for putting off some required service work. Unless
the shop is well known and trusted, and the technician is a
favorite, many customers are now being more careful about
where they go for service. One customer said, "It's not like
the good old days (in this case being 4 months ago), where
you could not think about it, and just go to your local shop
and get some work done. Now you have to be concerned
that the individual technician is going to be healthy themselves, while also making sure they clean and sanitize the
vehicle areas they touch."

Figure 8: RadAir Complete Car Care and Tire Centers in
northeast Ohio use folding tables to help ensure social distancing at their service counters. Customers approach the
table, speak to an advisor, and leave their keys on the table.
Keys and the area is sanitized between clients. Customers
who don't want to enter the building can use the night drop
box, located outside.

Big names in the industry

Surprisingly not every shop is taking the risk of continuing operations during the pandemic. One national big box
store for example has temporarily shut down their auto centers so those employees can instead help with stocking and
sanitizing the rest of the store. Another has closed all of their
stores temporarily. See Figure 7.
Other big chains are incorporating social distancing and a
new level of customer interaction "best practices" into their
businesses. Online appointments, contactless drop-off and

June 2020

(staff do all of this on tablet computers) so all the customer
has to do is leave their keys on the table. After the customer
leaves, staff members sanitize the keys, table and shop door
handles. When the technician goes out to the vehicle, they
wear gloves, goggles and a mask. They use sanitizing wipes

MACS Service Reports

https://www.toyota.com/content/ebrochure/2020/Toyota-COVID-19-Vehicle-Cleaning-and-Disinfecting-Procedures-CUSTOMER-FACING.pdf https://www.toyota.com/content/ebrochure/2020/Toyota-COVID-19-Vehicle-Cleaning-and-Disinfecting-Procedures-CUSTOMER-FACING.pdf https://www.toyota.com/content/ebrochure/2020/Toyota-COVID-19-Vehicle-Cleaning-and-Disinfecting-Procedures-CUSTOMER-FACING.pdf http://www.walmart.com https://www.gsa.gov/cdnstatic/GSA%20Vehicle%20Cleaning%20%20Disinfecting%20Guidance%20for%20COVID-19.pdf https://www.gsa.gov/cdnstatic/GSA%20Vehicle%20Cleaning%20%20Disinfecting%20Guidance%20for%20COVID-19.pdf https://www.gsa.gov/cdnstatic/GSA%20Vehicle%20Cleaning%20%20Disinfecting%20Guidance%20for%20COVID-19.pdf

MACS Monthly Newsletter - 2020

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