Have you ever ran away business

[tdlconceptsllc]

I have been renovating a wash all summer a 4 bay SS and the place is $1.25 for 3mins currently 8 positions the basics. We added all new fragrance & turbo vacs $1.25 & $1.50 now for them. I am about to add new meters, bill acceptors, & 2 bays with air shamees, Tri colored foam in all bays and wheel brush, all new SS booms and Z booms, new lines, nice Hot water on everything currently. My competition is $1.50 for 3:40 secs and so is everyone in town which is way to cheap I know but they run descent sites. Do you guys think I could charge $2.00 I am in the lower income side of town. Or should I charge $1.75 to be more approachable to customers like that. My other wash is $2.50 in a whole different town 45mins away. I just don't want to run away alot of customers it's very steady wash currently but way to cheap.

 

[SoakZone]

With all the new equipment and upgrades soaps and such, you should be able to justify at least $1.75. As long as you keep the bays clean and make repairs quickly, the customers should have no problem paying that little extra for a "new and improved" wash.

 

[MEP001]

You might lose some, but in my experience you'll only lose the least desirable. The rest should make up for the small loss with more money spent.

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

With all the new equipment and upgrades soaps and such, you should be able to justify at least $1.75. As long as you keep the bays clean and make repairs quickly, the customers should have no problem paying that little extra for a "new and improved" wash.

I run the Heck out of my sites lol but your right. It's just very disappointing the competition will not progress also with the times and inflation and raise there price also they have nice sites also I just don't get it

 

[Eric H]

Raising prices and losing business is a simple math problem. How many cycles do you need to sell to make $100 at your current pricing? How many cycles do you have to sell to make $100 at your new pricing? what is the percentage difference between the number of cycles? Do you think it is reasonable that you will "lose" that percentage of customers? (Sorry, I wish I had time to do the math for you but I have a meeting in 10 minutes that I need to prepare for) I suspect that you will jump to $2

It's just very disappointing the competition will not progress also with the times and inflation and raise there price also they have nice sites also I just don't get it

Maybe they don't really understand how to run a profitable business. They may be making a very small profit but think that a carwash is only worth $1.25. This could be a good opportunity to buy them out as the margins between gross and net diminish. The biggest advantage they have over you is that they probably don't have a mortgage.

 

[Waxman]

Go to $2. Enjoy the extra revenue.

It's 2021 and alot of car wash bays charge $3/3minutes.

Look at the cost of other things you buy and then ask yourself how you feel about the value of these items ( gas, coffee, an oil change, a car battery).

I think we as owners aren't objective enough about our pricing.

 

[washnshine]

I don’t know how it is where you guys are, but around me, the air machines at gas stations to fill your tires are $1.50 for five minutes. That’s five minutes of air. No water or warm water, no chemicals, no foaming brushes, you’re not in a covered bay with radiant heat, etc. It’s just 5 minutes of air.

Don’t hesitate to charge a price that is commensurate with what you offer.

 

[soapy]

Your cost is the same at $1.50 as it is at $2. Average cost would be about .60 cents per cycle. So on the $1.50 you make .90 cents per cycle. On the $2 wash you are making $1.40. lets say 3 people come in for the $150 but only 2 come in at 2.00 cycle. On the 3 $1.50 cycles you make a total of $2.70 on the 2= $2 cycle purchasers you make $2.80. So you are doing 1/3 less people but still making more money. I would raise to $2 and be the highest price in town. The rif raf will migrate to the low price washes and you don't want them anyway.

 

[cantbreak80]

It's 2021 and alot of car wash bays charge $3/3minutes.

I took this picture on December 10, 2014
$3.00/3 minutes
Had to buy a bigger truck to haul all those extra quarters to the bank!

 

[Randy]

I'd go to $2.00 for 3:30 minutes and in 6 months go to $2.25 for 3:30 minutes. My vac's are $1.50 for 3:30 minutes and they get used alot. The car on the other end of town his vac's are .50 and .75 for 5 minutes. I very seldom see anyone using his vacuums, so it's not about the price. I'm not in the business of giving anything away, charge the max you can.