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Need solid advice……on rehab of wash

C

cap732000

Member
Ok as ashamed as I am to say it I have been washing car for almost 20 years and lost my edge a couple years ago but have been reinvigorated. I have multiple sights and recently sold one as I figured I needed to focus and one more wash was just to much. I just installed a nice laser wash 360 and working on New PlayStation. But what do I need to do to really start bringing business back. Bad thing is in one location I’m the only one around for 8 plus miles and truthfully I’ve failed. I’ve loved the wash business and see people
I’ve helped tear it up making good money and growth while I’ve just piddled. What’s the best way to bring business back? Fryers in bays, triple foam? Any tidbits I’m appreciative. Obviously I figure I know many of the answers but looking to help focus further to my Efforts. I’d been bankrupt years ago if I didn’t buy decent locations to begin with but being only guy in town knowing darn well I’m leaving thousands a month on table! Thanks in advance!
 
cap732000 said:
Ok as ashamed as I am to say it I have been washing car for almost 20 years and lost my edge a couple years ago but have been reinvigorated. I have multiple sights and recently sold one as I figured I needed to focus and one more wash was just to much. I just installed a nice laser wash 360 and working on New PlayStation. But what do I need to do to really start bringing business back. Bad thing is in one location I’m the only one around for 8 plus miles and truthfully I’ve failed. I’ve loved the wash business and see people
I’ve helped tear it up making good money and growth while I’ve just piddled. What’s the best way to bring business back? Fryers in bays, triple foam? Any tidbits I’m appreciative. Obviously I figure I know many of the answers but looking to help focus further to my Efforts. I’d been bankrupt years ago if I didn’t buy decent locations to begin with but being only guy in town knowing darn well I’m leaving thousands a month on table! Thanks in advance!
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Don’t beat yourself up too much. If you’ve been in the business 20 years, and only lost your edge a few years ago - you know what to do- you just need to get back to doing it!
 
Get creative. What are your competitors doing? Maybe get with your local advertising agency. Hot girls giving away hot dogs? Free washes for a happy hour?
 
If you previously had the customers but lost them I would change the signage, paint the place and make sure everything works. Make it look new so people who had a poor experience are willing to try it again. Change the name of the wash
 
cap732000 said:
Ok as ashamed as I am to say it I have been washing car for almost 20 years and lost my edge a couple years ago but have been reinvigorated. I have multiple sights and recently sold one as I figured I needed to focus and one more wash was just to much. I just installed a nice laser wash 360 and working on New PlayStation. But what do I need to do to really start bringing business back. Bad thing is in one location I’m the only one around for 8 plus miles and truthfully I’ve failed. I’ve loved the wash business and see people
I’ve helped tear it up making good money and growth while I’ve just piddled. What’s the best way to bring business back? Fryers in bays, triple foam? Any tidbits I’m appreciative. Obviously I figure I know many of the answers but looking to help focus further to my Efforts. I’d been bankrupt years ago if I didn’t buy decent locations to begin with but being only guy in town knowing darn well I’m leaving thousands a month on table! Thanks in advance!
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Where in Oklahoma are your car washes?
 
eckert16 said:
post a photo of the wash as seen from the streets... maybe something you are not seeing will be visible to others... and they could provide the feedback you are expecting
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I strongly second this.

Post several pictures if you can. It's easy, and very common, for a wash owner to overlook the incremental degradation of a site. Peeling, faded decals. Broken, nasty signage. Rough looking parking lot. Weeds in cracks. I've dealt with a ton of owners in your situation over the last several years and several new owners who have purchased depressed washes. If everything is mechanically working, take a deep look at the lipstick and mascara stuff.

If someone is going out to eat, they usually are going to pick the place that looks nice over the greasy spoon even if the greasy spoon serves a much better meal at a better price.
 
cap732000 said:
Ok as ashamed as I am to say it I have been washing car for almost 20 years and lost my edge a couple years ago but have been reinvigorated. I have multiple sights and recently sold one as I figured I needed to focus and one more wash was just to much. I just installed a nice laser wash 360 and working on New PlayStation. But what do I need to do to really start bringing business back. Bad thing is in one location I’m the only one around for 8 plus miles and truthfully I’ve failed. I’ve loved the wash business and see people
I’ve helped tear it up making good money and growth while I’ve just piddled. What’s the best way to bring business back? Fryers in bays, triple foam? Any tidbits I’m appreciative. Obviously I figure I know many of the answers but looking to help focus further to my Efforts. I’d been bankrupt years ago if I didn’t buy decent locations to begin with but being only guy in town knowing darn well I’m leaving thousands a month on table! Thanks in advance!
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wash your car at other washes, especially the newest ones! and go well out of your immediate area, you might see something that you, and your customers really like out there.
 
Dan kamsickas said:
If someone is going out to eat, they usually are going to pick the place that looks nice over the greasy spoon even if the greasy spoon serves a much better meal at a better price.
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I will always pick the greasy spoon. My car wash is a greasy spoon.
 
Etowah
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