Enhanced Self Service?

[Joswhaha]

Howdy y’all,
I’m thinking of offering some extra services pending finding the right employee. I have found the demand for what I would call a light detail (vacuum, wipe off the interior trim, clean exterior) is pretty high. I could probably hire a decent attendant to do this and offer a few other services. Scrubbing bugs, washing Duallys in the self serve since they won’t fit in my automatic, and even a few other things.

Does anyone offer any enhanced services, if you aren’t a real detailer?

 

[washnshine]

Howdy y’all,
I’m thinking of offering some extra services pending finding the right employee. I have found the demand for what I would call a light detail (vacuum, wipe off the interior trim, clean exterior) is pretty high. I could probably hire a decent attendant to do this and offer a few other services. Scrubbing bugs, washing Duallys in the self serve since they won’t fit in my automatic, and even a few other things.

Does anyone offer any enhanced services, if you aren’t a real detailer?

Things like this are tough. Consistency in labor is hard to guarantee. You will only be able to offer the service between set hours. What if you have one employee, but demand on certain days is too high for them to keep up with. I would be hesitant about introducing labor into a self serve model unless you could be rock solid on the consistency and quality of what you offer. There is also the customers that will expect more than you intend to offer.
In a self serve model, I would be more inclined to ramp up vending item offerings, towel stations, inviting vac areas etc. rather than supply the labor on a part-time basis. Just my thoughts.

 

[Waxman]

it's a mistake to start a program offering a new service and ramping up with labor chemicals tools and a space to do it just based on a few customers telling you that they really want it. I agree with everything washnshine said.I operate a full-service detail center on the same property as my car wash. It's a very labor-intensive business with its own set of challenges.

 

[Joswhaha]

Thanks for the input. I certainly would not essentially open another small business within the car wash business without some careful consideration of the market advantages and disadvantages. Getting opinions from operators is a key part of that due diligence.

I’m my area most carwashes with automatics with self serve have an attendant at least a few days a week. I have been thinking of a way to keep someone busy and have them available if a customer needs help.

Really, if I could find the right employee, I would make the job fit whatever they needed.

 

[MEP001]

Thanks for the input. I certainly would not essentially open another small business within the car wash business without some careful consideration of the market advantages and disadvantages. Getting opinions from operators is a key part of that due diligence.

FWIW for a couple years I operated a state safety inspection station out of an unused automatic bay. Just having someone on site and keeping everything working properly and consistently really helped the wash improve, and the inspections paid my salary. The car wash income doubled in the first year, and it was already a busy wash. I wouldn't worry too much about what service is offered, as long as it cuts into the cost of the attendant. In fact I'd almost rather it be a low-income thing so he/she has time to properly take care of the car wash. When I got mine three years ago, there were detailers that were supposed to clean up, help customers, and were only supposed to use one bay. After I showed up on a Saturday and found they were blocking two bays and two vacs with cars, I told them to find another place (I gave them a month to do so). The first weekend they were gone I did five times the income on the two end bays they had been using, which was more than they were paying monthly, and I was doing less cleaning than when they were there.

 

[jack954]

one of the great things about self serve is that all the customer expects you to do is keep great working equipment, quality and good quantity of chemicals, and a clean environment. from there they will handle the rest of the work while you do whatever you want. as i have owned a couple full service washes, all that changes when you take on the cleaning responsibilities!