Free vs. Paid Vacuums?

[Debra Gorgos]

What do you offer? What are the pros of what you offer?

 

[Jerry]

entire recent discussion here:

http://www.autocareforum.com/showthread.php?15438-Free-Vacuums-VS-Pay-Vacuums

 

[soapy]

I dispense a token with every AUtomatic wash. The token is good for 1 vac cycle of 6 minutes. They can also use the token for a $1 discount the next time they use the automatic. I also make the token good for only .25 cents in my SS bays. I did this because I started getting people who would drive around to my locations just to collect tokens that people left in the dispenser cup and then use them in the SS bays. My vac prices are $1 for 4 minutes so I just have the coin mech give 6 pulses for a token to get the 6 minutes. I still make a lot of money on my vacs from the SS users. I would estimate that overall vac revenue is down about 25% since offering the tokens.

 

[Jerry]

if you estimate that vac revenue is down 25% since tokens, are revenues from the automatic and self serve washes up in that time frame?

 

[chaz]

I dispense a token with every AUtomatic wash. The token is good for 1 vac cycle of 6 minutes. They can also use the token for a $1 discount the next time they use the automatic. I also make the token good for only .25 cents in my SS bays. I did this because I started getting people who would drive around to my locations just to collect tokens that people left in the dispenser cup and then use them in the SS bays. My vac prices are $1 for 4 minutes so I just have the coin mech give 6 pulses for a token to get the 6 minutes. I still make a lot of money on my vacs from the SS users. I would estimate that overall vac revenue is down about 25% since offering the tokens.

Maybe don’t automatically dispense vac token. Perhaps push button within 3 seconds to dispense vac token

 

[soapy]

My Automatic revenue has offset the vac loss. I am in a town that went express tunnel crazy. To maintain my automatic wash revenue I had to do something to compete. A push button would be a great thing for the tokens. I have American changer and Hamilton token vendors and neither of them can be fitted with a push button. One company used to make one with a push button but I think they stopped making them.

 

[chaz]

My Automatic revenue has offset the vac loss. I am in a town that went express tunnel crazy. To maintain my automatic wash revenue I had to do something to compete. A push button would be a great thing for the tokens. I have American changer and Hamilton token vendors and neither of them can be fitted with a push button. One company used to make one with a push button but I think they stopped making them.

I’m not very handy on the electrical side... but I’d almost bet someone on here has thoughts. Maybe a time delay relay that takes the signal from the dispenser and then activates the timed switch....????

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

I'm trying to figure out a way to make my vac's(combo vacs too ) free. Free across the board. I want it so it's push a button, get 6mins.

Not sure how to do it with my Fragramatics. I bought a non-accumulating timer thinking I could wire that in, but I don't know.

 

[MEP001]

That's what I've seen done, the timer works the same as the non-accumulating one, it has power in, signal in, and load out. You'd need a volt meter or the timer wiring diagram to figure out which wire is load out. You just won't be able to set a different time for fragrance or shampoo.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I'm trying to figure out a way to make my vac's(combo vacs too ) free. Free across the board. I want it so it's push a button, get 6mins.

Not sure how to do it with my Fragramatics. I bought a non-accumulating timer thinking I could wire that in, but I don't know.

You have 2 simple options. 1. Momentary contact push button. Set Time or 1 pulse / coin to start. Connect button leads to timer where coin leads are. Leave coin mech in piece if you need to. 2. Easier if not vault type but still work. Remove coin box door / drawer / vault lid and put on sign that says "Insert coin(s) remove below."

 

[2Biz]

I would never offer "Free" vacuums unless it was "Free" to get them cleaned out! Its bad enough when I see people pull in and empty their garbage then leave!

My solution is to offer vacs at a cheaper price than the competition. Kind of like right smack dab in the middle of free v/s paid! Right now I am at $.50, half that of the other 2 washes in town. Mine gets used A LOT compared to the other washes while still generating income and bringing in more bay revenue.

I'm currently working on an LED lighting project that will be interactive with nighttime use. It will incorporate an 80w LED flood light mounted to the canopy that will come on with the vac at night. It will have a delay off relay that will keep the additional lighting on for a few minutes after the timer runs out. Price will go up to $.75 when I get this done. My intent is to generate more night time use while keeping operating costs down, which in turn allows me to be more competitive on my complete price structure.

 

[chaz]

I would never offer "Free" vacuums unless it was "Free" to get them cleaned out! Its bad enough when I see people pull in and empty their garbage then leave!

My solution is to offer vacs at a cheaper price than the competition. Kind of like right smack dab in the middle of free v/s paid! Right now I am at $.50, half that of the other 2 washes in town. Mine gets used A LOT compared to the other washes while still generating income and bringing in more bay revenue.

I'm currently working on an LED lighting project that will be interactive with nighttime use. It will incorporate an 80w LED flood light mounted to the canopy that will come on with the vac at night. It will have a delay off relay that will keep the additional lighting on for a few minutes after the timer runs out. Price will go up to $.75 when I get this done. My intent is to generate more night time use while keeping operating costs down, which in turn allows me to be more competitive on my complete price structure.

Not sure where in Ohio you are....I’m in Norwood (Cincinnati). I agree (in my case) free vacs make no sense....but there’s been a huge argument by others how fee vacs help them

In my area, I’ve got a large customer base that vacs only. I’m now at $2 for 6 minutes. Most washes around are $1 for 4 minutes, and at least one gas station at 50 cents.

When I went to $2 I promoted it with “now more time” singage. Customers now are not rushed to beat the clock and I get $2 per activation. Yeah I have a few customers hesitant they either leave, or realize my vacs work well and it’s worth paying a bit more.

Another factor in my decision to go to $2 is the reality that I could loose 1/2 my vac customers and still be ahead on revenue do to reduced maintenance and wear and tear. In reality....my vac income has increased.

 

[2Biz]

Not sure where in Ohio you are....I’m in Norwood (Cincinnati). I agree (in my case) free vacs make no sense....but there’s been a huge argument by others how free vacs help them.

I'm South East of you in Georgetown...About 45 minutes East of East Gate. There's 3 washes in town with my wash being the oldest. But I feel it gets the most SS use. So pricing, strategy, and reliable equipment means a lot.

 

[Jerry]

I would never offer "Free" vacuums unless it was "Free" to get them cleaned out! Its bad enough when I see people pull in and empty their garbage then leave!

My solution is to offer vacs at a cheaper price than the competition. Kind of like right smack dab in the middle of free v/s paid! Right now I am at $.50, half that of the other 2 washes in town. Mine gets used A LOT compared to the other washes while still generating income and bringing in more bay revenue.

I'm currently working on an LED lighting project that will be interactive with nighttime use. It will incorporate an 80w LED flood light mounted to the canopy that will come on with the vac at night. It will have a delay off relay that will keep the additional lighting on for a few minutes after the timer runs out. Price will go up to $.75 when I get this done. My intent is to generate more night time use while keeping operating costs down, which in turn allows me to be more competitive on my complete price structure.

Why would a LED bring more nighttime traffic? Is your wash not lit currently at night?

Before you raise prices, you may want to think about keeping the same price and just lowering the time. This way customers won’t complain about a price increase and if it’s not a significant amount of time, they won’t even notice that either.
Example: before I went to free vacs, my vacs were $1/4mins. Instead of charging $1.25/4mins, I went with $1/3:30 mins. This might seem sneaky, but I feel most customers won’t know the time is reduced but every customer will surely know about your price increase(especially if the price is $1.25 and they have to break another dollar to start the vacs).

Customers hardly knew but wound up spending $2 quite regularly which in terms upped my vac revenue 33% over our 2nd location that just increased price to $1.25/4mins.

 

[Randy]

I don't think the price of the vacuum has anything to do with much of anything, customers don't care they just want it to work. The other car wash in the town my car wash is located they have 4 vacuums 2 of the vacuums are .50 for 5 minutes and the other 2 are .75 for 5 minutes. I'm at $1.50 for 3.5 minutes and my vacuums are busy almost all day. When I drive by the other car wash in town I very seldom ever see anyone at those vacuums.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

I don't think the price of the vacuum has anything to do with much of anything, customers don't care they just want it to work. The other car wash in the town my car wash is located they have 4 vacuums 2 of the vacuums are .50 for 5 minutes and the other 2 are .75 for 5 minutes. I'm at $1.50 for 3.5 minutes and my vacuums are busy almost all day. When I drive by the other car wash in town I very seldom ever see anyone at those vacuums.

What's the closest competitor ( if any ) with free vacs?

 

[Randy]

What's the closest competitor ( if any ) with free vacs?

There aren't any FREE vac's that I know of within 50 miles of my car wash. Vacuums are the highest income generator on the property why give it away. My brother who's car washes are in town he charges $3 for 5 minutes on his vac's, I don't think he's going to go to FREE vac's anytime soon. .

 

[MEP001]

I'm currently working on an LED lighting project that will be interactive with nighttime use. It will incorporate an 80w LED flood light mounted to the canopy that will come on with the vac at night. It will have a delay off relay that will keep the additional lighting on for a few minutes after the timer runs out. Price will go up to $.75 when I get this done. My intent is to generate more night time use while keeping operating costs down, which in turn allows me to be more competitive on my complete price structure.

I've been toying with such an idea for the bays, and it might work for vacs too. My thought would be to have the bay lit minimally and have the full lighting come on once the bay is started, then use an alarm motion sensor to keep the lights going for so many minutes after the last movement is detected. That way they can dry and detail in full lighting as long as they need to.

I'm thinking about how I might do what you said for vacs, would I have the lights come on immediately to deter break-ins, or come on if motion is detected several times in say a 30-second period so customer has full lighting before they're ready to vac, or just when they spend money?

 

[Earl Weiss]

........the lights come on immediately to deter break-ins, or come on if motion is detected ?[....../QUOTE]

Have toyed with this idea myself. Some lighting if no motion and more if there is motion. I think there is also some shock value if someone with bad intentions comes in and all of a sudden when they are there more lights come on.

 

[robert roman]

What do you offer? What are the pros of what you offer?

I find self-serve operators that convert to controlled access such as pay-one-price where vacuums are free like express normally get an adequate return on investment.

SS that offers free vacuum with purchase at in-bay can led to increase in customer loyalty rate but only about 25 percent or so of in-bay users redeem the offer.

On other hand, I find SS wand-only sites that offer free vacuums to all customers as in trying to compete with an express usually can’t make up the difference in the loss of vacuum income because yield is low to begin with.