$1 a minute

[chaz]

I'm certainly not the lowest price wash in the area. But I'm always busy, even on rainy days.

I take coins, bills and c/c at my self serve $3 four minutes. Yesterday I drove by a wash (never seen it real busy) that has a new name and I guess a new owner. Their vacs are $1 for 4 minutes, about the norm here, (I'm at $2 for 6 minutes and doing well). This other wash at S/S is boldly marked $2 first 2 minutes, $1 each additional minute. I'd love to get $1 a minute, but when I'm ready to go this route, I'm thinking $3 first 3 minutes sounds like a better deal?! Plus I'd still get a $3 min

Is anyone at $1 minute? What's your start? How's it working for you?

 

[slash007]

$3 for 5 minutes ss, $2 for 5 min vac. Works great.

 

[CarWashBoy]

Ready To Change to $3.00 3 minutes on bays and vacs.. currently $3-4 mins on both vacs and bays.. I do not take any coins.. cash or CC. Running 65% CC.. I just want to be $1 per minute for simplicity.. FYI.. please get rid of coins.. you will be shocked in your revenue increase . Get a bill breaker in place of your old school coin changer.. I currently avg 7.40 per customer, and lots of them..
Doug

 

[CarWashBoy]

Hi.. Glad to here the $2 vac price.. I $3, but not much competition.. all competition are dumps as 95% of all Self Serve Car Washes are Nationwide.. how could and smart operator justify $1 for a Vac price.. WOW.. they are missing the boat.. I charge $3 5 min, cash or credit no coins or tokens.. been there done that with tokens.. my Vacs work Perfect, and most importantly, they are cleaned DAILY.. DAILY.. very IMPORTANT, if you want to keep the 5 STAR rating going at your location.. make everything work like it is brand new, and you can charge a Premium Price and have more money in the BANK.. LOL
Doug

 

[CarWashBoy]

is your Car Wash up to date? Vacs, Coin Boxes, Equipment, Landscaping, Signage, all the Bells and Whistles.. If so, you are ONE of THE VERY FEW in the UNITED STATES.. I travel all over, and 9 out 10 S/S washes I visit are TOTAL TRASH.. sadly to say the Owner doesn't realize the money he is leaving on the table.. the bad operators hurt the Reputation of our Industry.. Most people I talk to look down and avoid Self Serve Car Washes because of the 95% of Operators who don't get or don't care.. just my 2 cents..
Doug

 

[vinh]

I am $2 for 4min 30 sec. for the bays each additional quarter 34 secs. $1 vacs for 4 mins. No plans to ever raise prices. I tried to keep place clean. Just upgraded to crytopay for bays. I use 5 inch hog hair foam brushes with generous amount Kleen rite ultraconcentrate chemicals.

Hard to go up in price when express wash down the road at $6 with free Vacs.

 

[chaz]

I am $2 for 4min 30 sec. for the bays each additional quarter 34 secs. $1 vacs for 4 mins. No plans to ever raise prices. I tried to keep place clean. Just upgraded to crytopay for bays. I use 5 inch hog hair foam brushes with generous amount Kleen rite ultraconcentrate chemicals.

Hard to go up in price when express wash down the road at $6 with free Vacs.

"No plans to ever raise prices". Ok then. So as your expenses increase your profit continues to decrease. It's ok to make money in business! Just think even if you double your prices (obviously not suggesting that) your business would need to drop by 50% before you start loosing money. You'd be surprised a price increase (in my opinion) will weed out the "wash and run" slobs, increase your bottom line and maybe even decrease maintenance. But feel free to never raise prices.. I just wish you had a gas station with the same pricing formula.

 

[Greg Pack]

"No plans to ever raise prices". Ok then. So as your expenses increase your profit continues to decrease. It's ok to make money in business! Just think even if you double your prices (obviously not suggesting that) your business would need to drop by 50% before you start loosing money. You'd be surprised a price increase (in my opinion) will weed out the "wash and run" slobs, increase your bottom line and maybe even decrease maintenance. But feel free to never raise prices.. I just wish you had a gas station with the same pricing formula.

I'm in the same market as Vinh and understand his point of view. We went from overbuilt SS market to an explosion of express tunnels. I'm at 2.50/4 minutes and don't see a significant price increase at my place in the near future, and my washes have much less competition than his. Express tunnels are being built in smaller and smaller markets and has replaced the SS as the wash model of choice. One local express operator is satisfied with only 4K cars per month.It will continue to place downward pressure on wash pricing here for a lot of SSs.